Re: Slingshotting ships with gravity wells in SJ

The spelljamming proficiency allows helmsman to attempt to use gravity from
celestial planets to shorten their trips. Now this has not direct effect on
tactical movement. but i thought i would bring it up.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tilaurin"
> Everyone on this list MUST have seen the slingshotting maneouver used in
the
> Apollo missions, or at least used in 2010.  For those that haven't, it
> basically involves "sliding" a ship around the edge of a gravity well of a
> planet (or, in SJ, something with gravity), to gain speed for a bit more
> "push".  My idea has been that perhaps some ship, specifically those with
> non-magical engines, could use this particular maneouver to attain
> spelljamming speed.  I am writing up a sphere called Ragespace (visible on
> my sphere map if any has had enough interest to take a look), in which the
> Order (local human dominant military power, based somewhat on the ideals
of
> the Whitecloaks from Wheel of Time mixed with the Imperial Order from
Sword
> of Truth, but also with a great deal of my own terror-DM'ing nature thrown
> in) have forbidden the use of magic, and psionics.  This, obviously, would
> make spelljamming especially hard, so I am coming up with theories (mainly
> because I want a place where my PC's have to think without just going
"pfft
> magic can fix this/kill this" etc) upon how the order's ships would
travel.
>
> Obviously, I had allready decided they used non-magical engines, otherwise
> they would be far too hypocritical for me to have fun with, but then the
> question of how long would it take them to travel from planet to planet
hit
> me - bloody ages.  Now, I know 90% of the people on the list would do the
> math, and figure it out just to show what they're talking about, but I
> really can't be bothered at the moment, and someone else likely will
anyway.
> In any case, tactical speed is NOT good enough for interplanetary travel,
> and is very little good for even planet to moon travel.
>
> I'm thinking of making a system wherein a (tactical speed) ship can spend
a
> day, navigated correctly, around a body, to get a certain ammount of IS
> (interstellar speed).  I'm considering something like 1 day IS for every
12
> hours around a body, per size of the body.  Thus, 12 hours spent circling
a
> size A body would bestow a day of IS speed, while the same ammount of time
> around a size B body would give two days of IS speed, right up to 12 hours
> worth of travel around a size J body granting 10 days of IS speed.  Do
> people think this is a bit excessive, or not enough?  Of course, there
would
> also be a very hearty navigation check involved, not only for getting into
> the orbit correctly, but for charting and successfully taking the course
of
> the ship required etc etc - and this is not to mention the fact that the
> ship is in a little trouble if dropped to tactical speed somehow.  Perhaps
> bodies accelerated in this way don't drop to tactical speed, but instead
> career through space.  This would make pirate raids on them interesting,
> battles at SJ speed!  Obviously, a helm that doesn't drop out of IS speed
> when faced with a relevant size body is also going to be something to
figure
> out, but maybe it just requires a great deal of skill upon the part of the
> (attacking) helmsman?
>
> Look, I'd love some feedback on this idea.  It's not that I want to start
> bringing proper or high tech into SJ, I just want to use non-magical helms
> for this human military group, also to promote Ragespace's feel of an
> industrial, grime filled sphere.  Allready, due to a whole lot of stuff, I
> have put drifting clouds of noxious gasses and liquids in, and my
> description for the main world sounds like it should be a big pile of
soot.
>
> Words ne1?
>
> BTW - if ur wondering why I have posted so much in the last day or so,
while
> I've been relatively silent over the last month or so, it's due to RL,
> moving, loss of computer with no warning (note: never borrow your dad's
> comp, when he lives half an hour away, and suddenly ssays "im taking it
> back), and big brother ;)
>
> Tilaurin