Question about Jumping

[sideranautae]

but there's no energy field,

Where EXACTLY does the book(s) state that there is no energy field put out by the JD?

That's like saying that the rules state that the fusion power plant has no energy fields...

There is a difference between (not every detail is spelled out) and those details are denied...

 

[Reynard]

We're describing a phenomenon that doesn't really have words to properly picture what occurs. We imagine an expanding bubble but it may be better referred to as a forming sphere with a hole in the center. As it is forming, hydrogen is added and quickly distributes throughout the field until it becomes stable and the ship is pinched into a new realm. From another source, it is the subtle shaping of this field that give the jump its vector to its destination.

 

[travchao999]

but there's no energy field,

Where EXACTLY does the book(s) state that there is no energy field put out by the JD?

That's like saying that the rules state that the fusion power plant has no energy fields...

There is a difference between (not every detail is spelled out) and those details are denied...

In the core rule book it says how the bubble is formed. I mean, there might be an energy field, but it doesn't say there is.

 

[travchao999]

We're describing a phenomenon that doesn't really have words to properly picture what occurs. We imagine an expanding bubble but it may be better referred to as a forming sphere with a hole in the center. As it is forming, hydrogen is added and quickly distributes throughout the field until it becomes stable and the ship is pinched into a new realm. From another source, it is the subtle shaping of this field that give the jump its vector to its destination.

That is very true, I'm sure the image of the bubble folding could easily be just not able to be expressly stated, well, since its a singularity, it could easily be a number of shapes, while being bubble-like in nature.

 

[sideranautae]

A good layman's description can be found here. A 4 dimensional non-intersecting klein bottle is a similar shape.

Any starship engineer is familiar with this formula which covers the above shape

 

[travchao999]

Yes, I use the sort of "pocket universe" idea as well, using ideas such as False Vacuum, which has some nice graphics as well (player's love graphics):

It's a nice graphic, but it looks like from there, that its a black-hole-like indent in space-time. This would cause lots of problems, that are not mentioned anywhere in anything I've read, and also that it would make jumping real hard, as you don't want to accidentally pull something in.

While black holes are an example of a singularity, quantum singularities can take many forms. I choose to think that the pocket universe is more the type of spatial singularity that doesn't have a significant gravitational signature. Skipping the part about making the jump bubble, which is minor, aside from the fact that it has to be done carefully, I have used paint (I got bored at work and that's all we have on this computer), to make some reference pages about how I interpret jumping and jumpspace. ...Which I will put on dropbox because the attachment quota has been filled and for some reason image hosting sites are blocked.

 

[travchao999]

A good layman's description can be found here. A 4 dimensional non-intersecting klein bottle is a similar shape.

Any starship engineer is familiar with this formula which covers the above shape

Ah, now that would work easily, and then the ship would just kinda get popped into the other universe, surrounded by the "bubble" of roughly that shape

 

[travchao999]

http://imgur.com/a/PjJNI


Here's how I...uh...attempt to make sense and apply some physical laws to jump space.

Obviously when I talk about a bubble, I just represent the 4 d shape as a bubble.

It's not perfect, but I was bored at work.

Also I'm not the best artist, plus I used paint, because the laptop I was stuck using didn't have Paint++

 

[sideranautae]

A good layman's description can be found here. A 4 dimensional non-intersecting klein bottle is a similar shape.

Any starship engineer is familiar with this formula which covers the above shape

Ah, now that would work easily, and then the ship would just kinda get popped into the other universe, surrounded by the "bubble" of roughly that shape

Right. It works in 4 dimensions rather than 3.

 

[Archlyte]

This is my way of describing the reason that it always takes about a week despite the distance travelled in real space:

I picture J-space as existing like a membrane that can stretch depending on its relationship with a phased object from real space moving at velocity within J-space.

In order to travel farther in real space via the jump, your acceleration into j-space must be faster in order to produce a flatter trajectory within the j-space membrane, which also has the effect of flattening this membrane. That is why as you travel greater distances (greater than Jump 8 just as an idea) you run the risk of flattening the membrane so much that your distance equals zero, and gravitational influence is nearly that of being in real space, which will pull the ship out of its field.

This would mean that shorter distance jumps are happening in a slower speed, but follow a parabolic trajectory through J-space so the apogee at the halfway point is very dissociated from real space due to the "distance" from the real space/j-space membrane interface.

Another way to visualize it would be to picture a length of string attached to a flat plane. You always have the same length of string to work with (Jump Time), you can only go as far on the plane as your length string can reach. This would work if time were the immutable factor for whatever reason (can't have a period shorter or longer because of field generation dynamics for example).

 

[Benzaiten26]

The Mongoose Traveller Compendium 3, pages 105 to 108 has an article written by Marc Miller, Traveller's creator, about Jump Space that covers the in game mechanics, procedures, and story elements fairly well, and, has plenty of information for beginning game masters. Check it out.
The MegaTraveller (a previous edition of Traveller) Starship Operator's Manual Volume 1 (there was only one volume) also has some good Jump Drive information starting on page 10, if you can get a hold of a copy. Even though it's from a previous edition, it translates very easily and really is an indispensable guide for Traveller GM's.
I like how Jump space has been explained enough to make the game very playable, but, left open enough for each GM to put their own spin on it. Nicely done. I've also enjoyed reading each of these posted responses and comparing them. Obviously, a good deal of thought and creativity has gone into them.

 

[Reynard]

As I hunted for a particular article in my collection of JTAS magazines, I happened upon one that seems very important to the many recent posts dealing with jump and jumpspace. It's in JTAS #24 and titled JUMPSPACE by Marc Miller. A lot of the things we're discussing and too often speculating are spelled out in it by. Related to this thread questioning is Strong Hulls designed to keep Jump Space out or "life impossible, operation of equipment unpredictable; even the passage of time altered".

Rather than hunt down the other threads, I'll add here there is a mention that only military vessels and high speed couriers move at their highest possible speed. All other vessels reduce velocity to zero before jump. He even mentions high proper motion between systems when calculating jumps.

And an article in JTAS #22 states "The {mass} of the starship does not allow entrance into jumpspace unless it equals or exceeds 100 tons displacement mass. This is why starship design requires at least 100 toms for jump drive installation.". A very good article called From Port to Jump-point.