How jump works

[WHULorigan]

That's pretty bizarre.


That's pretty bizarre. Did he ever put it in print somewhere?
I have seen it said that the numbers used on the Annic Nova were ancient Vilani, so that pointed to this sort of thing, but I hadn't ever heard the rest of this.

The "Hieronymous Device" as well as the ANNIC NOVA are both (independently) mentioned as legendary items of uncertain provenance or function in the background material for the Galaxiad Setting for T5.

But also keep in mind (and I have mentioned this before, elsewhere), that using the narrative in the spoiler above:

Spoiler

The ANNNIC NOVA that is discoverable in CT: Double Adventure #1 by the PCs would be almost 9000 years old by that time, and may very likely be suffering from the "trusty old axe that has had its head replaced twice and its haft replaced three times" phenomenon. We may actually have no idea what the original ship looked like or how it was originally fitted at this point, considering the tech level of its original builders, and the lower general tech level of its original "possessors" (even if they were given the tech manuals on how to maintain it), and the fact that it obviously at some point passed into other hands. Parts and components get damaged or wear out over time.

The CT: DA#1 ANNIC NOVA had two "Standard" Pinnaces. There is also the perennial debate about the potential for the existence of an original third small craft permanently docked at the Aft Cargo Loading Dock, now no longer present.

Collectors/Canopies:

• The CT Collector Canopy could hold a charge for two successive jumps, but needed to be within a certain range of a star to recharge, the rate depending on distance and Stellar Type.
• A T5 Collector Canopy does not require a star at all, collecting its exotic particles anywhere (even deep space), but can only hold the charge for a given duration before the charge begins to degrade and dissipate. Further, a T5 Collector Canopy degrades after about 150 uses and starts to become less efficient and eventually needs (expensive) replacement. A "Standard TL" Collector C-2 (for Jump-2) is TL15, and a "Standard TL" Collector C-3 (for Jump-3) is TL16. A "Standard TL" Collector C-5 is TL18.

Does ANNIC NOVA "technically" have Dual Collectors (a ganged C2 and a C3) or a single C5? Does it need a C9 to use the Nexus to do J8 or J9 (if it does, that explains why the current Canopy is insufficient for the use of the nexus, as the text of DA#1 says that it can power each drive once, implying only a ganged C2/C3 or a C5). Power/fuel usage of Hop and other higher-order drives imply that the lower power-level Canopies for the Nexus are at least a possibility.

So how many times has the ANNIC NOVA Canopy been replaced? And at what Tech level (or by what TL yards/technicians)? Is the replacement Canopy a Standard model, or is it a cobbled-together prototype with quirks? Or is it even currently an Alt-tech equivalent that has slightly different operating requirements than a Standard Canopy (e.g. it only operates at full efficiency within a certain range and spectral type of a star's stellar radiation, or other environmental condition (e.g. gravitational, neutrino source, etc).

Is its Hieronymous Nexus still even present? Irreparably Damaged? Totally not understood ("Q: What's that component do? A: Beats me - don't touch it . . .")?

 

[Sigtrygg]

Daft factoid Hieronymous corresponds to the English given name Jerome. The Jerome drive is the name given to the stutterwarp drive in T2300, named after the inventor.

 

[WHULorigan]

Daft factoid Hieronymous corresponds to the English given name Jerome. The Jerome drive is the name given to the stutterwarp drive in T2300, named after the inventor.

Yes, I have always been curious about that.

 

[Bense]

The "Hieronymous Device" as well as the ANNIC NOVA are both (independently) mentioned as legendary items of uncertain provenance or function in the background material for the Galaxiad Setting for T5.

And where is the background material for the Galaxiad Setting for T5? I don't recall seeing it in the T5 rulebook (it is mentioned a few times there, but I don't see the passages you're quoting from).

 

[WHULorigan]

And where is the background material for the Galaxiad Setting for T5? I don't recall seeing it in the T5 rulebook (it is mentioned a few times there, but I don't see the passages you're quoting from).

It was in a separate document concerning the Galaxiad Setting (a PDF by FFE that is unfortunately no longer up on their website, AFAIK). I have it, but I do not know if I am committing copyright infringement by posting it, since it is no longer on their site.

There is also Xboat Special Supplement 2 by Rob Eaglestone (available on Drive-Thru RPG) that details the background for the Galaxiad Setting.

 

[Condottiere]

Considering the stated algorithm, I'm not surprised you need a dry jump, considering default fuel requirement.

Outside of using the concept as a data point to how the jump drive might work, I've decided to ignore Collectors.

 

[Vormaerin]

Sure, it's quite easy to simply decide how you want it to work in your campaign. None of these problems actually affect my game, because I just don't worry about conflicts in the book. No, you can't use batteries. No, the hydrogen isn't used to create an atmosphere around the ship. Nobody invented collectors in this part of space. No, we don't have personal energy shields or ion cannons.

But when Mongoose publishes conflicting material and uses these in books that are nominally set in Charted Space, it is unsatisfying.

 

[rinku]

I would point out at this point that Marc NEVER gets in the way of a Referee's own interpretation of a Mystery, and that CT adventures were usually set up for multiple paths and interpretaions. I'll read the interview later for interest's sake, but I don't need to in order to know that you were always meant to come up with your own story about that ship, and the players might never know.

Hmm....

Since the original Annic Nova canopy was just a solar panel and the ship is patently a non-standard tech artifact, I'm not even convinced that the Collector described in High Guard is what it has. So that may just be a thing the Darrians developed that is yet another way to enter Jumpspace without jump fuel. Maybe related to how the Annic Nova works... but maybe not. Darrian tech is at least derived from mainstream Charted Space tech* (something like Solomani/First Imperium TL11, I think) - if they developed something it's reasonable that other Charted Space worlds might be able to.

(*Ancient artifacts notwithstanding)

Hey, I KNOW I've seen Annic Nova somewhere in the Mongoose books, but damned if I can locate where. Anyone know?

 

[boggo2300]

I would point out at this point that Marc NEVER gets in the way of a Referee's own interpretation of a Mystery, and that CT adventures were usually set up for multiple paths and interpretaions. I'll read the interview later for interest's sake, but I don't need to in order to know that you were always meant to come up with your own story about that ship, and the players might never know.

Hmm....

Since the original Annic Nova canopy was just a solar panel and the ship is patently a non-standard tech artifact, I'm not even convinced that the Collector described in High Guard is what it has. So that may just be a thing the Darrians developed that is yet another way to enter Jumpspace without jump fuel. Maybe related to how the Annic Nova works... but maybe not. Darrian tech is at least derived from mainstream Charted Space tech* (something like Solomani/First Imperium TL11, I think) - if they developed something it's reasonable that other Charted Space worlds might be able to.

(*Ancient artifacts notwithstanding

Hey, I KNOW I've seen Annic Nova somewhere in the Mongoose books, but damned if I can locate where. Anyone know?

the original 2016 HG

 

[Condottiere]

One shot MacGuffins make fun plots.

When you start universe building, they can create quantum entanglements.

 

[EccentRick]

My version which I posted a version of back on page 1:

The Jump process requires a ship's jump 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 drive capacitors must be energised, a fusion plant, antimatter plant or battery fills the jump capacitors - these are the EPs HG states the jump drive requires to operate.

Next, the capacitors discharge (creating the exotic particles) and the power plant has large amounts of hydrogen fed through it to generate the enormous amount of energy needed to facilitate the jump (this is the bit in MWM's article but missing from the MgT rules). Some of this fuel is actually used as coolant and to carry away fusion products.

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 to power the jump drive the ship may jump or continue to gather particles until the accumulators are full.

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.

I seem to have hit a level of fatigue-impaired thinking to drop an oar in these waters and offer opinions while being a bit heretical and side-stepping the published quotes and explanations
I'm getting the impression there are two modalities that are messily intertwined and fighting for control of the paradigm (including some mutant sub-groups).

As a non-logical paradigm shift, there might also be functionally useful but inaccurate theories in the literature.

Common basis:
Jump requires "high-energy exotic particles", used by the Jump Drive to 'tear a hole' in spacetime to an alternative space where the rules of physics are different.
These "particles" can be created from (purified) hydrogen fusion or collected in space*. There may be other sources (e.g. Matter-antimatter annihilation).
In this alternative space the spacecraft is surrounded by a barrier field separating and protecting from the alternative space (and its different physics), typically a "spherical" ovoid but the shape is (mostly) controllable.

*presumably "particles" collected in space originate from stellar fusion reactions. For consistent game-play proximity to a star is currently not a consideration on rate of charge (empty hexes are not a death-sentence if mis-jumped to, and a ship can jump to an empty hex as a stop-over before jumping again. Collector-equipped ships can cross the voids)

Power Generated: If not collected from space, the "particles" are generated by the ships power source (requires fusion, AM annihilation) in amounts equivalent to certain power amounts and stored by capacitors in the Jump drive until used to initiate the jump. "Particles" collected from space are held (mostly) by the collection system until used by the jump drive. This is the T5 model.

Drive Generated: If not collected from space, the "particles" are generated by Jump Drive. The Jump Drive has a high-output/low fuel-efficiency fusion process to produce and store the "particles" required. This design is incapable of "island" operation and requires an amount of external power proportional to the amount of "particle" generation undertaken to maintain containment/generation and then subsequent use. The source of the external power is irrelevant (e.g. batteries or any sufficiently capable power source). "Particles" collected from space are held (mostly) by the collection system until used by the jump drive. The external power source may or may not still be required for the Jump Drive to use the "particles" provided by the collector. This model appears to be gaining prominence in current Mongoose publications.

Evolving Science: Most start with hydrogen fusion and bubbles. Small amounts of contamination in the protium supply cause outsized complications, more than would be expected for only partial 'consumption' of the fuel (exceeds probability calculations that contaminants are included in the fusion process and not the 'fuel' used for the cooling cycle). Conservation of mass calculations (among others) are violated by the jump cycle. Possible conclusion: protium is used in the formation and retention of the jump bubble, non-protium incorporation causes a 'weak spot'. Becomes less likely as manipulations of the bubble are discovered, becomes remote when collectors become involved. (As physics is different in jump space actually disproving the theory is....hard)

 

[Limpin Legin]

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