How jump works

[Sigtrygg]

Let's gather together what MgT sources have to say about how jump works.

The core rule book:

"Jump travel is the only known means by which a vessel may travel faster than light. To jump, a ship creates a bubble of hyperspace by means of injecting high energy exotic particles into an artificial singularity. The singularity is driven out of our universe, creating a tiny parallel universe that is then blown up like a balloon by injecting hydrogen into it. The jump bubble is folded around the ship, carrying it into the little pocket universe."

next is that jump drives can be powered by batteries, but still need jump fuel:

"The jump drive is powered by the battery, which is recharged during refuelling operations by an express boat tender"

and then we go to HG:

"Jump Drive: In order to use the jump drive, the ship requires an amount of Power equal to 10% of the hull’s total tonnage multiplied by the maximum jump number the drive is capable of. Only fusion and antimatter power plants can generate the intense burst of energy necessary to operate a jump drive*. In either case, the power plant must be used to inject hydrogen into a jump bubble, so alternative fuels cannot be used."

*Which is a contradiction to the xboat, and others, using batteries for power but still needing a hydrogen filled bubble.

and the collector:

"COLLECTORS - These are accumulators, sweeping up exotic particles captured by a canopy and removing the need to carry separate fuel for the jump drive.** This charge is released in a single spike to power a jump drive; collectors cannot be used for normal ship operations."

** we no longer need to inflate a hyperspace bubble with hydrogen.

Now let's look at MWM's JTAS24/vol. 2 article:

"When the jump drive is activated, a large store of fuel is fed through the ship’s power plant to create the energy necessary for the jump drive. In the interests of rapid energy generation, the power plant does not work at full efficiency, and some of the fuel is lost in carrying off fusion byproducts, and in cooling the system. At the end of a very brief period (less than a few minutes), the jump drive capacitors have been charged to capacity. Under computer control, the energy is then fed into appropriate sections of the jump drive and jump begins.
The drive’s first function is to tear a hole in the fabric of space. The hole is precisely created and the ship naturally falls into the breach on a carefully directed vector. The drive then directs some of its energy to sewing up that hole again. The act of closing the hole severs the ship’s ties with normal space and allows it to begin its jump."

So how to make sense of all that?

 

[Terry Mixon]

Let's gather together what MgT sources have to say about how jump works.

The core rule book:

"Jump travel is the only known means by which a vessel may travel faster than light. To jump, a ship creates a bubble of hyperspace by means of injecting high energy exotic particles into an artificial singularity. The singularity is driven out of our universe, creating a tiny parallel universe that is then blown up like a balloon by injecting hydrogen into it. The jump bubble is folded around the ship, carrying it into the little pocket universe."

next is that jump drives can be powered by batteries, but still need jump fuel:

"The jump drive is powered by the battery, which is recharged during refuelling operations by an express boat tender"

and then we go to HG:

"Jump Drive: In order to use the jump drive, the ship requires an amount of Power equal to 10% of the hull’s total tonnage multiplied by the maximum jump number the drive is capable of. Only fusion and antimatter power plants can generate the intense burst of energy necessary to operate a jump drive*. In either case, the power plant must be used to inject hydrogen into a jump bubble, so alternative fuels cannot be used."

*Which is a contradiction to the xboat, and others, using batteries for power but still needing a hydrogen filled bubble.

and the collector:

"COLLECTORS - These are accumulators, sweeping up exotic particles captured by a canopy and removing the need to carry separate fuel for the jump drive.** This charge is released in a single spike to power a jump drive; collectors cannot be used for normal ship operations."

** we no longer need to inflate a hyperspace bubble with hydrogen.

Now let's look at MWM's JTAS24/vol. 2 article:

"When the jump drive is activated, a large store of fuel is fed through the ship’s power plant to create the energy necessary for the jump drive. In the interests of rapid energy generation, the power plant does not work at full efficiency, and some of the fuel is lost in carrying off fusion byproducts, and in cooling the system. At the end of a very brief period (less than a few minutes), the jump drive capacitors have been charged to capacity. Under computer control, the energy is then fed into appropriate sections of the jump drive and jump begins.
The drive’s first function is to tear a hole in the fabric of space. The hole is precisely created and the ship naturally falls into the breach on a carefully directed vector. The drive then directs some of its energy to sewing up that hole again. The act of closing the hole severs the ship’s ties with normal space and allows it to begin its jump."

So how to make sense of all that?

They really need to come up with one way it works and invalidate the others. Whatever way that is. Maybe when High Guard gets its next update.

Or, more likely, it will introduce a new way that is at odds with everything else.

 

[Bense]

So how to make sense of all that?

The hydrogen bubble method is apparently only one possible method for the jump drive to work, since the Annic Nova and other ships with collectors don't use it. Xboats do use the bubble, since they carry full loads of jump fuel.

The original Starship Operator's Manual from DGP said that the jump drive includes an inefficient high-yield fusion plant that runs only during the transition to jump space and creates the "power spike" mentioned as necessary, using the zucchai crystals as a sort of capacitor. If that's accurate then the Xboat has a fusion reactor built into its jump drive that is used during jump initiation, and the batteries run the jump field after it's been created.

 

[Terry Mixon]

The hydrogen bubble method is apparently only one possible method for the jump drive to work, since the Annic Nova and other ships with collectors don't use it. Xboats do use the bubble, since they carry full loads of jump fuel.

The original Starship Operator's Manual from DGP said that the jump drive includes an inefficient high-yield fusion plant that runs only during the transition to jump space and creates the "power spike" mentioned as necessary, using the zucchai crystals as a sort of capacitor. If that's accurate then the Xboat has a fusion reactor built into its jump drive that is used during jump initiation, and the batteries run the jump field after it's been created.

The Mongoose rules indicate that there is nothing needed to maintain the jump field after it kicks off.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Jump requires a ship's drive to tear a hole in normal space in order to enter the hyperspace of the jump dimension(s).

In order to do this the jump quantum field must be energised, the lowest excitation of this field are the so called exotic particles (I invented them). Keep raising the energy and the jump field symmetry collapses, opening the way into hyperspace.

So a fusion plant, antimatter plant or battery first fills the jump capacitors - these are the EPs HG states the jump drive requires to operate.

Next step is for the capacitors to discharge, creating the exotic particles, and then the power plant has lots of hydrogen fed through it to generate the enormous amount of energy needed to collapse the jump field symmetry. The inner workings of the jump drive manipulate the "particles" of the jump field until their symmetry is broken by the crystal focused enormous energy input.

A collector gathers jump quantum field excitations, or exotic particles, from the fundamental fields of spacetime (personally I would go back to requiring a star but hey ho), these are stored in special accumulators. When there are sufficient particles for a spontaneous symmetry collapse if the particles are brought together they are injected into the inner workings of the jump drive where the n-space/hyperspace tear is generated.

Due to the nature of the jump tear using this method a bubble of n-space is dragged into hyperspace and is maintained by the cable network in the hull.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

So how to make sense of all that?

They are all true.
They are all incomplete descriptions of the same process.

 

[Sigtrygg]

And contradictory, hence they attempt to remove the contradictions.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

The hydrogen bubble method is apparently only one possible method for the jump drive to work, since the Annic Nova and other ships with collectors don't use it. Xboats do use the bubble, since they carry full loads of jump fuel.

There is no problem or contradiction if we just need a little hydrogen to fill the bubble.

E.g. like T4 FF&S states:

The fuel remaining in the jump drive's surge tank is used to create a thin hydrogen atmosphere around the ship during jump, which helps to delay the collapse of the jump bubble.

Where the hydrogen filled bubble came from.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

And contradictory, hence they attempt to remove the contradictions.

Where is the contradiction?

One source says SOME fuel is expelled.
Another source says SOME fuel is burnt.

Why can't both be true? What is the contradiction?

 

[Sigtrygg]

There is no problem or contradiction if we just need a little hydrogen to fill the bubble.

The rules state no fuel is needed at all.

E.g. like T4 FF&S states:

Different game.

Where the hydrogen filled bubble came from.

Unfortunately.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Where is the contradiction?

One says there is a hydrogen filled bubble, everything else says there isn't.

One source says SOME fuel is expelled.
Another source says SOME fuel is burnt.

One says there is a hydrogen filled bubble, the other fails to mention it at all. One says batteries can be used, the other doesn't mention them. The hydrogen filled bubble is contradicted by the collector...

Why can't both be true? What is the contradiction?

If at this point you are claiming there are no contradictions then we are wasting our time cross posting.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

The rules state no fuel is needed at all.

You either need jump fuel or a Collector, that somehow collects "exotic particles", and perhaps a little hydrogen?

Marc's article does reference Collectors, briefly:

Power Source
Jumping uses large amounts of energy to rip open the barriers between normal space and jump space. Normally, only a fusion power plant can supply this energy. Some alternate systems make use of solar power generators (which operate far more slowly) or anti-matter power systems (rare and very high-tech).

 

[AnotherDilbert]

One says there is a hydrogen filled bubble, the other fails to mention it at all.
One says batteries can be used, the other doesn't mention them.

Fails to mention, so didn't say, so no contradiction.

The hydrogen filled bubble is contradicted by the collector...

Do you have hydrogen fuel for the power plant? So can you use a little hydrogen?

The Collector does not say it does not use or collect any hydrogen, it just does not say anything about it.

 

[Sigtrygg]

You either need jump fuel or a Collector, that somehow collects "exotic particles", and perhaps a little hydrogen?

No hydrogen, none.
No fuel.

Marc's article does reference Collectors, briefly:

They are solar panels...

 

[Sigtrygg]

Fails to mention, so didn't say, so no contradiction.

You and I have a very different understanding of what a contradiction is.

Do you have hydrogen fuel for the power plant? So can you use a little hydrogen?

No because the rules state no fuel.

You could build a collector powered ship with a fission plant, or solar and batteries...

The Collector does not say it does not use or collect any hydrogen, it just does not say anything about it.

So now we assume if something is not mentioned we can infer anything at all?

Without evidence you can make up anything.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

No hydrogen, none.
No fuel.

So what exactly and how much is the Collector collecting.

They are solar panels...

Collecting particles from the solar wind: Is it a particle collector or a solar collector?

 

[AnotherDilbert]

You and I have a very different understanding of what a contradiction is.

Yes, apparently.

If one source says A and another not A, I would call that a contradiction.
If one source says A and another says B but fails to mention A, I would call that more datapoints.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

So now we assume if something is not mentioned we can infer anything at all?

If one source says hydrogen filled jump-bubble, and another says a Collector collects particles, I would infer a Collector collects some hydrogen since both sources are canon. I would infer absolutely nothing about lanthanum from those sources.

So, we can infer some things, but not whatever we want.

 

[Sigtrygg]

So what exactly and how much is the Collector collecting.

"These are accumulators, sweeping up exotic particles captured by a canopy and removing the need to carry separate fuel for the jump drive. This charge is released in a single spike to power a jump drive; collectors cannot be used for normal ship operations

Collecting particles from the solar wind: Is it a particle collector or a solar collector?

"Some alternate systems make use of solar power generators (which operate far more slowly)"

 

[Sigtrygg]

Yes, apparently.

If one source says A and another not A, I would call that a contradiction.
If one source says A and another says B but fails to mention A, I would call that more datapoints.

If one source has a rule and the other has a different rule, that is a contradiction.

One source says you need a fusion or AM plant, the other source says a battery is allowed then it is a contradiction.
One source saying you must have a hydrogen filled bubble but another source not mentioning it and not requiring any hydrogen at all is a contradiction.