Space Platform Thruster Speed and Schedule

[ZogTheHog]

Long time player first time poster here, I'm having an absolute blast with Space Age, and also making a point to learn more advanced things about the game.

I understand Circuit Networks well enough, but Combinators and such are pretty foreign to me.

I would like to set up a ship schedule for an Outer Planet ship, and I would like to have a certain speed set for the Inner planets, and a different slower speed beyond the edge of the Solar System, say 80-100km/s out there. Maybe even a third speed between Aquilo and the edge of the system.

I found a blueprint where someone has done *sort of* a similar thing, but it doesn't seem to want to work ( I have to enable and disable fuel pumps to turn the system on?) and I would like to understand how to set it up myself.

Would this be possible and is there anyone who might be able explain it in a super dumbed down way for me?

[Khazul]

Long time player first time poster here, I'm having an absolute blast with Space Age, and also making a point to learn more advanced things about the game.

I understand Circuit Networks well enough, but Combinators and such are pretty foreign to me.

I would like to set up a ship schedule for an Outer Planet ship, and I would like to have a certain speed set for the Inner planets, and a different slower speed beyond the edge of the Solar System, say 80-100km/s out there. Maybe even a third speed between Aquilo and the edge of the system.

I found a blueprint where someone has done *sort of* a similar thing, but it doesn't seem to want to work ( I have to enable and disable fuel pumps to turn the system on?) and I would like to understand how to set it up myself.

Would this be possible and is there anyone who might be able explain it in a super dumbed down way for me?

I have done it, but it is not ready for publishing as still tweaking and trying stuff. I was going for purist rather than compact/practical etc - ie getting the math right for best accuracy rather than a a hacky 'it-will-sort-of-do' approach. So the end result is a huge complex circuit and far from ready for public consumption.

The basics of it are:
- Determine the route - look at the planet signals, give each a number from 1-6 ignoring Nauvis, then choose the highest number (select combinator).
- Determine a speed - use the above route number to look up a speed for the route (again via a select combinator).
- Devise some method of real time flow control of the pumps.
- Compare your actual speed with desired speed and use the difference to modify the fuel flow is some manner. Can be really simple (switch on/off), but it can also be the most complex part of the problem as well.

The simplest approach to speed control is switch pumps off when too fast and switch them on when too slow. The result works but is awful as the speed bounces around by a lot.

I would suggest you do not bother with speed control and instead just apply a different fixed fuel flow rate for each route. That way you mostly end up with a stable velocity except around the mid point gravity shifts. Unless you can do the active speed control really well (and it is complex to get it done really well involve stuff some people do as part of a university course, then it will likely just end up wildly swinging around the desired speed by at least 20Km/s and likely worse and never actually settle on it.

So just stick with fixed flow rates. Adapt one of the many simple controls that people have posted.