Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

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2289 days, 18 hours, 51 minutes ago

Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

Theoretical Question:

What warpspeed and distance do i need to set in order to break the tow lock
of a gravitonc accelerated ship?

If i look at warp speeds i get the resulting distance per per turn

regular ships:
warp 1 = 1 ly/turn
warp 2 = 4 ly/turn
warp 3 = 9 ly/turn
warp 4 = 16 ly/turn
warp 5 = 27 ly/turn
warp 6 = 36 ly/turn
warp 7 = 49 ly/turn
warp 8 = 64 ly/turn
warp 9 = 81 ly/turn

gravitonic ships:
warp 1 =      2 ly/turn (= warp 1,4)
warp 2 =      8 ly/turn (= warp 2,8)
warp 3 =   18 ly/turn (= warp 4,2)
warp 4 = 32 ly/turn (= warp 5,7)
warp 5 = 54 ly/turn (= warp 7,4)
warp 6 = 72 ly/turn (= warp 8,5)
warp 7 =   98 ly/turn (= warp 9,9)
warp 8 = 128 ly/turn (= warp 11,3)
warp 9 = 162 ly/turn (= warp 12,7)

Now it is often said that the tow lock of gravitonics is calculated by doubling the warp speed.
But it is also said that gravitonics travel at double warp speed, which actually is not true.
They travel at warp speed, then the distance is doubled. Warp 18 would be for example 324ly/turn.

What is now used for the tow lock ... Could my warp 9er escape from a gravitonic tow
attempt at warp 6? or another question: would my ship at warp 2, waypoint set to 5ly break
a tow attempt at warp 1 + grav into the warp well?

2289 days, 18 hours, 44 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

Oops... stupid activity feed errors=)

2289 days, 18 hours, 44 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

Oops... stupid activity feed errors=)

2289 days, 18 hours, 44 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

You are incorrect on a major point. Grav ships double their warp value for purposes of calculating the winner of a towing contest. IE, warp 5 = warp 10, even though it is moving slower (50LY) than warp 9 (81LY).

In other words, Grav ships always win if they want to and have any kind of decent engine.

2289 days, 15 hours, 34 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

thx. thats how i remembered it. inconsistent. that.

2289 days, 13 hours, 53 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

Yep. We've chosen to love a quirky game=)

2289 days, 11 hours, 12 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

Actually this has me wondering...

Normally warp factor (if I understand correctly) plays no role in breaking tow other than setting the distance you have to travel to break it.

I.E. you would break tow at warp 5 if you traveling more than 25 LYs regardless of what speed you are being towed with.

If the above is correct do gravitonics use whole different logic?

2289 days, 10 hours, 37 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

Az, The way I understand it, it DOES matter what warp speed is used. Here's the important sentence that I read so many times I think it's finally memorized:
"If the ship that is the target of the tractor beam has a warp factor greater than or equal to the ship using the tractor beam, and the waypoint of the target is further than it's warpsetting squared (warp^2), the target ship will break free of the tractor beam."
So to break the lock you must have your warp speed at least equal to the tower, AND set waypoint beyond 1 'hop' at that speed. The Pirate that sets warp 5 gets doubled to warp TEN so you have no chance of beating his tow (if he is at W5 or higher).

2289 days, 9 hours, 12 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

A ship must also have at least 26 kt of fuel to break a tow

2289 days, 8 hours, 30 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

I thought 26kt was the minimum needed to sweep webmines.

2289 days, 6 hours, 47 minutes ago

echoclusterveteran

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

Hehe, I've taught some of you well :)

2289 days, 3 hours, 57 minutes ago

RE: Breaking Tow Lock and Gravitonics?

25 kt is the amount that is being drained by webmines if not hitting a mine, gnerphk, 1 kt to initiate the sweeping is enough.
this different calculation then also allows a ship of your's to escape into the warp well if the waypoint is set further than 1ly, although the gravitonic would be faster ..