I think it is only because we are dealing with Reaction Drives and fuel spent per hour that there is even a T-Drive (plus a machine to replace the J-Drive in an out-game reason).
I also totalled numbers and as Jonah says, its not a huge amount of time to reach Jupiter from even Mercury on even a 2G journey. It could be done with a Reaction Drive at that level of Thrust.
A T-Drive doesnt use any fuel or need a P-plant, but also it cannot be directed mid-flight, it can only go in straight-lines, so I call for an Astrogation check to plot a course (Luckily the awesomely overpowered Internal Map asset is a great help in that regard) before entering the G-couches.
It must be that the T-Drive does quick bursts of high G thrust in the 5.5 (inner system) to 7 (outer system) days its active. I do actually now see it as closer to Jonah's final comment, whether it makes sense from Engineering or not.
About the waste heat aswell, it is stated that there is a minimum point in km where you cant be near any ship or world before starting the T-Drive that acts as what I call a Transit Point.
This in-game is because the exhaust caused by an active T-Drive does alot of damage (makes sense in a hard setting). Out-game, it basically replaces the Jump Points, but makes no consideration for Planet Radius, the actual range of km is set.
I totalled that to reach the Transit Point from an empty starting point in space is just over 17 minutes at 1G. The only time you are using the M-Drive in-game is to do the following;
1) Lift off and Take off (if part of ship's ability)
2) Reaching the Transit-Point
3) Possible mid-flight course changes in the coasting phase (from a bad Astrogation roll, maybe. Otherwise this doesnt need doing)
4) Reaching target world from exiting Transit-Point
So you arent needing much fuel at all, as the T-Drive does the whole interplanetary journey in the middle. My Orbital used to go between inner system worlds only has 5 tons reaction fuel and 1 ton of Power plant fuel, which lasts ok.
Some things to consider - The Transit Drive accels/deccels only when active for the two 7 days segments, the middle phase is coasting, so there is no accel/deccel.
In the Jupiter journey mentioned in Jonah's post, thats a total of 10-24 days coasting at the max speed generated (whatever this is), before needing to deccel to a nice speed again.
Quick question - what is the speed of something that accels at 1G for 17 minutes? Because that's how fast my ship at least would be arriving past the Transit-Point.
I also totalled numbers and as Jonah says, its not a huge amount of time to reach Jupiter from even Mercury on even a 2G journey. It could be done with a Reaction Drive at that level of Thrust.
A T-Drive doesnt use any fuel or need a P-plant, but also it cannot be directed mid-flight, it can only go in straight-lines, so I call for an Astrogation check to plot a course (Luckily the awesomely overpowered Internal Map asset is a great help in that regard) before entering the G-couches.
It must be that the T-Drive does quick bursts of high G thrust in the 5.5 (inner system) to 7 (outer system) days its active. I do actually now see it as closer to Jonah's final comment, whether it makes sense from Engineering or not.
About the waste heat aswell, it is stated that there is a minimum point in km where you cant be near any ship or world before starting the T-Drive that acts as what I call a Transit Point.
This in-game is because the exhaust caused by an active T-Drive does alot of damage (makes sense in a hard setting). Out-game, it basically replaces the Jump Points, but makes no consideration for Planet Radius, the actual range of km is set.
I totalled that to reach the Transit Point from an empty starting point in space is just over 17 minutes at 1G. The only time you are using the M-Drive in-game is to do the following;
1) Lift off and Take off (if part of ship's ability)
2) Reaching the Transit-Point
3) Possible mid-flight course changes in the coasting phase (from a bad Astrogation roll, maybe. Otherwise this doesnt need doing)
4) Reaching target world from exiting Transit-Point
So you arent needing much fuel at all, as the T-Drive does the whole interplanetary journey in the middle. My Orbital used to go between inner system worlds only has 5 tons reaction fuel and 1 ton of Power plant fuel, which lasts ok.
Some things to consider - The Transit Drive accels/deccels only when active for the two 7 days segments, the middle phase is coasting, so there is no accel/deccel.
In the Jupiter journey mentioned in Jonah's post, thats a total of 10-24 days coasting at the max speed generated (whatever this is), before needing to deccel to a nice speed again.
Quick question - what is the speed of something that accels at 1G for 17 minutes? Because that's how fast my ship at least would be arriving past the Transit-Point.
ugh...
