RETURN TO SWITCHBOARD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9A.
No Additional Pages for This Topic |
|
|
|
|
1. Introduction to VGA Planets |
|
7. Minefields
Sub-Menu |
|
2. Race Information Sub-Menu |
|
8. Combat
Sub-Menu |
|
3. Friendly Codes Sub-Menu |
|
9. Ion Storm Sub-Menu |
|
4. Planet Information Sub-Menu |
|
10. Misc.
Information Sub-Menu |
|
5. Starbase Information Sub-Menu |
|
11. Strategy
and Strategy Guides |
|
6. Ship Information Sub-Menu |
|
12. Add-on
Information |
|
|
|
ION STORMS SUB-MENU: |
|
|
What is an Ion Storm?: |
|
|
An Ion Storm is a large
charged plasma sub-space temporal disturbance. |
|
|
Notes on Ion Storms: |
|
|
Ion Storms can appear at
random anywhere in the galaxy. |
|
|
They can be of any size
and strength. |
|
|
The engergies within an
Ion Storm are evenly distributed and constant throughout the disturbance. |
|
|
Ion Storms will not harm
Planets or Starbases or anything on them. |
|
|
They can, however, pull
away Ships docked at the Starbase. |
|
|
An Ion Storm can damage
or move Ships. |
|
|
Ion Storms cause enemy
Minefields to be hidden. They do not show up on scanners. |
|
|
No Race's Fighters,
exept The Colonial (Race 11) Fighters, can view or Sweep a Minefield that is
in an Ion Storm. |
|
|
Ion
Storms cause all Cloaking devices aboard Ships to be inoperative. |
|
|
Hull Slot 29 (Dark Wing
Class Battleship) and Hull Slot 31(Resolute Class Battleship) have Advanced
Cloaking |
|
|
devices and they can
Cloak inside an Ion Storm. |
|
|
In Fact, these two Ship
Hulls are not affected by any aspects of Ion Storms. |
|
|
Ion Storms do not render
Chunnel or Hyperdrive systems inoperative. |
|
|
Ion Storms outside the
standard (0,0) - (4000,4000) map coordinates will disappear the turn after
they move there. |
|
|
How Many Storms Can There
Be? |
|
|
There can be a maximum
of 5 Ion Storms at any one time. (Hconfig). |
|
|
Up to three new Storms
may be created every turn. |
|
|
If there are more Storms
than allowed by the Hconfig, then the weakest Storms will disappear. |
|
|
Warp readings on newly
created Storms may be inaccurate. |
|
|
Ion Storm Movement: |
|
|
Ion
Storms move along semi-predictable vectors at speeds ranging from warp 1 to
warp 10. |
|
|
The heading vector of an
Ion Storm may not change more than 20 degrees in one turn. |
|
|
The heading vector of an
Ion Storm usually changes by 10 degrees. |
|
|
The speed of an Ion
Storm appears to follow the following rules: |
|
|
Storms stronger than 250
MeV always move at warp 8. |
|
|
Storms with a radius
less than 200 light years move at warp 6. |
|
|
Storms with a radius
greater than 200 light years move thus: |
|
|
20% of the time - move at
warp 2. |
|
|
48% of the time - move at
warp 3. |
|
|
32% of the time - move at
warp 4. |
|
|
Ion Storm Strength: |
|
|
Ion Storms are classed
by strength. The classes are listed as: |
|
|
Class 1: Harmless
Disturbance. Strength is less than 50 MeV. |
|
|
Class 2: Moderate
Disturbance. Strength ranges from 50 to 99 MeV. |
|
|
Class 3: Strong
Disturbance: Strength ranges from 100 to 149 MeV. |
|
|
Class 4: Dangerous
Storm: Strength ranges from 150 to 199 MeV. |
|
|
Class 5: Very Dangerous
Storm: Strength is 200 MeV or higher. |
|
|
Power Increase Phase: |
|
|
|
The Storm slowly
increases in voltage and decreases in radius. |
|
|
|
The Storm's voltage is an
odd number. |
|
|
|
The Storm's voltage
increases by 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 volts. |
|
|
|
The Storm's radius
decreases by 0 to 6 light years. |
|
|
|
|
When the radius is about
to drop below 0, the Storm enters the Power Decrease
Phase. |
|
|
|
|
It's strength becomes
(current voltage + a random increase). |
|
|
|
|
It's radius becomes (1 -
current radius) |
|
|
|
The Storm's strength
increases by 1 MeV. |
|
|
|
|
Storms over 320 MeV have
a 2.5% chance of increasing another 1 MeV. |
|
|
|
|
Storms over 500 MeV have
an additional 10% chance of increasing another 1 MeV. |
|
|
|
|
If a Storm over 500 MeV
only increases by 1 MeV, it will enter the Power Decreae
Phase. |
|
|
Power Decrease Phase: |
|
|
|
The storm slowly
decreases in voltage and increases in radius. |
|
|
|
The Storm's voltage is an
even number. |
|
|
|
The Storm's voltage
decreases by 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 volts. |
|
|
|
|
The Storm disappears
when the voltage reaches 0 or below. |
|
|
|
The Storm's radius
increases by 0 to 10 light years. |
|
|
|
|
There is a 1/3 chance
that a Storm will 'Pancake'. |
|
|
|
|
That is, it's radius
will double in size while its new voltage will become the SQRT of it's
current voltage. |
|
|
Merging Ion Storms: |
|
|
If two Ion Storms come
too close to one another, they will merge into one. |
|
|
Storms
have to overlap somewhat to merge, but they need not cover each other
completely. |
|
|
In addition, one of the
Storms must be stronger than the other (greater voltage). |
|
|
Two Storms of equal
strength will not merge. |
|
|
Here is the merge
formula for determining whether two Storms will merge: |
|
|
(x1 - x2)^2
+ (y1 - y2)^2 < (radius1)^2 + (radius2)^2 |
|
|
When two Storms do
merge, the new Storm will have the same ID, warp factor, and heading of the
stronger of the two merging Storms. |
|
The center of the new
Ion Storm will lie on the line between the two original Storm centers, where: |
|
|
(new x) = x1 + (x2
- x1) * (voltage1) / (voltage1 + voltage2) |
|
|
or… |
|
|
(new x) =
(x1*voltage2) + (x2*voltage1) / (voltage1 + voltage2) |
|
|
The formula for the Y
coordinates is the same as the formula for the X coordinates. |
|
|
The center of the new
Ion Storm will be closer to the center of the weaker, merging Storm. |
|
|
The voltage of the new
Ion Storm will be: |
|
|
(voltage of stronger
merging Storm) + SQRT(voltage of weaker merging Storm) |
|
|
The radius of the new Ion
Storm will be: |
|
|
(radius of stronger
merging Storm) + SQRT(radius of weaker merging Storm). |
|
|
The new Ion Storm can be
either in the Power Increase Phase or the Power Decrease Phase. |
|
|
Ion Storms merge after
Ion Storm movement, but before Ships are affected and before new Ion Storms
appear. |
|
|
Ships and Ion Storms: |
|
|
All Ships can navigate a
Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3 Ion Storm with full Shields. |
|
|
Class 4 and Class 5
Storms render Ship's Shields inoperative. |
|
|
The Solar Federation
(Race 1) Ships have 25% Shields inside Ion Storms. |
|
|
Class 4 and Class 5
Storms will drap a Ship along with them. |
|
|
ShipDistMoved =
(.75*(StormWarpSpeed^2)) |
|
|
Class 4 and Class 5
Storms can damage Ships. |
|
|
ShipDamage = (Voltage -
ShipMass - CrewExperience + (20*(10-EngType)) |
|
|
Fuelless Ships suffer
another 50% damage. |
|
|
Class 4 and Class 5
Storms can kill Crew members. |
|
|
Ships that get damaged
lose part of their Crew according to the following formula: |
|
|
CrewKilled =
(StormVoltage - ShipMass - (2*CreExperience + 0.3*NumberOfCrew) |
|
|
Storms with Strength
reaching 451 MeV can destroy Ships. |
|
|
2 factors can prevent a
Ship from being destroyed in an Ion Storm |
|
|
The Ship's Mass |
|
|
The higher the Mass of
the Ship, the better it will weather an Ion Storm. |
|
|
Load the cargo hold full
before entering a Storm. |
|
|
Fill the fuel tanks
before entering a Storm. |
|
|
Both of these actions
add Mass to the Ship. |
|
|
The experience of the Crew. |
|
|
Crew experience is NEVER
reported and can be gained by the following: |
|
|
Movement (the larger the
Ship's Mass, the more experience is gained by the Crew). |
|
|
Surviving combat. |
|
|
Performing Alchemy
Missions. |
|
|
Surviving Ion Storms. |
|
|
While in a Storm, a
Ship's Crew gains 1 experience for every 20 MeV over 140 MeV that the Storm
is. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|