I've been thinking about altering my Trek universe in a significant way. My current campaign is set about 70 years after the Dominion War. I've been toying around with the idea of introducing hyperdrives as the primary means of travel and doing away with warp drive.
I have an independent corporation that has been in many stories and has been delving into hyperdrive production for nearly a century, but with no success. I think it's about time they succeed.
I was wondering if anyone uses hyperdrives instead of warp drives as the primary propulsion system in their Trek universe?
Well it should be said that the Star Wars universe incorporates an entire Galaxy, most of which is traversable in relatively short time periods with Hyperdrive engines...
For example Voyagers 70 year journey, would transfer into about a month in Star Wars...
So Hyperdrives are far faster than warp. I am tempted to look at the special effects and group TransWarp and Hyperdrive into a similar family of propulsion systems.
The disadvantage of the Hyperdrive is lack of Mobility. As far as I was aware hyperdrive can only be used on linear courses from A to B, while Warp (And TransWarp) allow course changes without dropping to sublight and re-plotting. The user also has to plan the course and avoid natural phenomena such as Stars and other large gravity wells which can drag a ship out of hyperspace and likely destroy it in the process...
Personally I dont mix and match, but these are some ideas that are introduced in the SW universe that can help to differentiate the two systems outside of a simple name change...
A hyperdrive has a thingy that opens up the door using either subspace, tachyon matrices or a mix of gravity manipulation and transporters. Something to make either a subspace tunnel or wormhole. Gravity is a big thing though. Gravity in realspace does affect hyperspace, as it does warp engines so always keep that in mind.
Its relatively small but complex, even cranky. One malfuctioning system and its "Gimme the hydrospanners---OUCH"
It needs about a minute to charge up and about as long for the nav systems to find a safe path. Plenty of time for a frenzied chase from a planet.
Lastly, your need a superconducting shield over it or its "a box of interconnecting spare parts". If its cracked, it doesnt work dumping your butt in the middle of nowhere, Tattoine or Northwest Ontario.
Most of the above is gleaned from reading the Thrawn Trilogy, some from the RPG corebook
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styro If you plan on using the hyperdrive as is from starwars and let your players have it, It will be you who will be tormented.
warp drives can't be used in a system,hyperdrives can-just not near gravity wells(planets and such).
once they jump into hyperspace, combat is over as is the odds of following them.
not to mention their sudden arrival one second nothing there the next second.. tada
I actually have in my game an artifical wormhole generator that ships uses. It's more like the Babylon 5 jumpgates and looks exactly like them too. But, to me, it's a one way trip from one generator to another.
For example, if there is a generator at points A, B, and C, a ship can enter the coordinates from point A to B. But, once in the wormhole, could not change to point C, like they could in Babylon 5. It works for us so far.
I have something called a quantum echo in my future star trek games...kind of like warp and jumpgates mixed into one email me I will give you specs and play stats...
I think if you're considering using hyperdrives, remember to include some hefty penalties. You could use Star Wars, Babylon 5 and Traveller as a guideline.
Here's a quick list of points from each type:
Star Wars (Hyperdrive) Type:
Drive creates a tunnel into hyperspace, and the ship accelerates into it at translight speeds. Travel times vary depending on hyperspace density, route taken, hyperspace "drift" etc.
Issues: Narrator fiat - the variable travel times make it easy to make a trip take however long you want it to. Unpredictable re-entry - it is impossible to predict where a ship is going to come out of hyperspace. Borders are impossible to enforce, since a ship can easily bypass them. Ease of escape - ships using hyperdrive can easily escape persuit if they can make the jump - tracking another ship at hyperdrive is almost impossible. Variable route - since the route is not direct, a Narrator can easily have his Crew end up anywhere, no matter where they were going. Nasty stuff Narrators can do - "Travelling thru hyperspace ain't like dustin' crops. Without precise calculations we'd fly right thru a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that'd end your trip real quick..." Need I say more?
Babylon 5 (Jump drive) Type:
Similar in some ways to Star Wars' hyperdrive, B5's hyperspace drive utilises the formation of an entry point ("jump point") into hyperspace. Hyperspace is an ethereal dimension where it is difficult to navigate without reference to safety beacons, and many ships have become lost when they've "slipped off the beacon". Jump points can be formed either by ships themselves (though only larger and/or powerful ships carry their own jump engines) or by the use of jump-gates.
Issues: Jump gates - form an interesting situation. It allows the Narrator to easily restrict travel to the systems he/she wants the Crew to go. The downside is that it can restrict a campaign. Jump Engines - Larger, more powerful ships can have their own jump engines and form their own jump points, not having to rely on jump-gates (though they seem to when available, probably to save power). These would free up a Crew considerably, but provide for interesting tactical scenarios since they require time to recharge after use ("Get us out of here!"..."Can't sir - jump engines won't be recharged for another five minutes..."). Hyperspace - this realm in the B5 universe isn't just an express lane; it's an entire universe of its own; there are civilisations living it, worlds, bizarre alien cities, etc. Ripe for adventure!
Traveller (Jump drive) Type
Very similar to B5's jump drive, it involves reaching 100 planetary diameters from a world and opening a jump point. Jump space (sometimes called "N-Space" from the constant "N" which is used in calculating the coordinates - or something ) is actually a wormhole which the ship "falls" through. The journey takes roughly 7 days each time, no matter the distance travelled. Drives are rated as "J-1", "J-2" etc, the number being how many parsecs are traversed with each jump.
Issues: Time - because each jump takes the same amount of time, irrespective of distance, this can be used by a Narrator who wishes to have time-limited trips ("You need to be on Sallus IV in a week - it's 3 parsecs away, so you need to find a J-3 ship - your J-2 won't get there in time") Fuel - Traveller Jump drives require a large displacement mass to operate. Thus, refuelling becomes an important issue - the typical mission parameter involves returning to normal space and immediately seeking to refuel from a gas-giant, comet, asteroid or ocean.
Also...2 other "quickies". Stutterwarp Drive, ala 2300AD. This is similar in many respects to ST warp drive - it utilises quantum tunnelling to "shift" a ship several centimetres at a time, without traversing the intervening space. When the drive is cycled fast enough, it "stutters" at immense apparent speed. The beauty of this system is that it doesn't involved supralight travel at all, avoiding time dilation problems, inertia, etc, since nothing about or in the ship is actually moving at all.
The downside is that a stutterwarp must discharge into a 0.1G or greater gravity well every 7 - 8 light years or so. A problem in the "hard" science of 2300AD, but not at all in ST, since your artificial gravity can allow the drive to discharge continuously as it goes.
Wormholes, ala Stargate. Ironically, these may actually be the most feasible way to travel FTL in the real future, or so I've heard quantum physicists claim. You dial in you destination like a phone call, the gate creates a wormhole and you are broken up, zipped thru and reassembled at the other end (they are one-way only - you have to "redial" from the other end to get home).
Watch Stargate SG-1 for ideas on adventures thru wormholes... (Hey - I love the show! And I reckon the milieu is made for role-playing!)
Hope this has been of some help...
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"May I find you with peace, and leave you with hope."
About Star Wars Hyperdrives ... just a few things to add to what Aldaron said.
First of all, about travel times. They also depend on the drive's multiplicator (x4, x3, x2, x1, x1/2).
Re-entry: It is almost impossible to predict where a ship is going once it enters hyperspace. Imperial flagships have been known to trace ships into hyperspace. Depends on the size of the pursuer's computers, on the route taken, on the time since the first ship has entered hyperspace ... a bit of (bad) luck too (like Darth Vader looking over your shoulder while you try to compute the route of the escaping ship ... does miracles ). It is also possible (if a bit expensive) to enforce borders. The Empire has interdiction ships that generate the gravitic pertubation equivalent to that generated by a solar system, prohibiting hyperjump in a large area. Ships in hyperspace traveling nearby will fall out of hyperspace too.
Otherwise, a ship traveling by in hyperspace is virtually undetectable though.
Variable route: The variable route thingy is a convenient one, but as a GM I've learnt not to use it too much ... the players get tired of it pretty fast. For instance if the players plan to go from Coruscant to Alderan (a very well established route), unless the players really, really botch their skill roll, no matter how many mynocks they have on their hull they should not end up at the other end of the galaxy near Tattoine or Hoth.
but, it would be pretty much impossible for startrek vessels to follow a vessel in hyperspace,being new tech who would know how to do it and what to look for?
but, its up to whomever I guess and how they want to do it...
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). It is also possible (if a bit expensive) to enforce borders. The Empire has interdiction ships that generate the gravitic pertubation equivalent to that generated by a solar system, prohibiting hyperjump in a large area. Ships in hyperspace traveling nearby will fall out of hyperspace too.