Thruster Module

Thruster Module
Hit Points	25
Reactor Hit Points	0
Mass	0.10
Luminosity	none
Data Value (ID)	8

Thruster Modules are the primary propulsion method in the game. They are designed to allow ships to move both within and between sectors. For faster modes of travel players will need to use a jump drive.

Item Description

"The Thruster Module is capable of providing propulsion for ships of all shapes and sizes. Their main fuel source is power, taken from the ships Power Capacitors."

Production

Production Info
Produced in a			Basic Factory
Requires			To create
Alloyed Metal Mesh	x25		Thruster Module	x1
Crystal Composite	x25

Resource

This element is used in the production of:

Factory	Creates		Amount used
Advanced Factory
	Repulse Module		x6

Usage

Main article: Propulsion Systems

Thruster Modules do not require linking in order to operate, they simply need to be placed on a ship. They require power to operate, and generate a certain amount of thrust based on the number of them attached to a ship. They do not have any grouping mechanics; two physically separate Thruster Modules will have the same effect as two which are adjacent to each other. The exact values for thrust generation and power consumption can be calculated by the formulas shown below.

A heavy ship will require a greater number of Thruster Modules to achieve the same acceleration as a lighter ship would. This is because the acceleration of a ship is determined by its thrust:mass ratio, and also because the thrust generated by each consecutive Thruster Module added to a ship suffers from diminishing returns - each module added will increase thrust by slightly less than the one before it, meaning that smaller ships have a decided advantage in reaching higher thrust:mass ratios, and therefore higher levels of acceleration and top speed.

If you were to press the R key on a Thruster Module you will bring up the Thrust Management Menu. This menu grants you more advanced options such as direct control of the acceleration of your ship based on the thrust direction. This menu also allows you to activate/deactivate things such as the Inertia Dampeners which allow your ships to automatically stop when you are not pressing any of the movement keys (WASD).

Thrusters are a weak point, with low resilience and a large contribution to structural hitpoints. An unlucky missile shot into your engine bay can easily overheat your ship.

Thruster Rules

The power cost, thrust output, and maximum speed provided by a ship's thrusters are given by the formulas listed below. The table serves to explain the different values involved.

Legend

Symbol	Value
N	Number of Thruster Modules on the ship
P	Power cost per second of use
T	Thrust generated
R	Ratio of thrust output:mass of ship
M	Maximum speed of ship
S	Server speed setting in config

The power usage per second of a thruster system (when they are in use) is given by this formula:

P = N / 0.03

The thrust output of a given number of thrusters is given by this formula:

T = 0.75 * (N * 5.5)^0.87

The maximum speed of a ship, based on the server's maximum speed setting (75, assuming default configuration), is given by this formula:

M = (R + 0.5) * S

Where R is the thrust output of the ship divided by the mass of the ship (and all docked entities), with a maximum value of 2.5.

By inverting this formula, the maximum speed setting of a non-default server's config can be found, as long as R and M of the ship in question are known:

S = M / (R + 0.5)