Change space platform top speed calculation

[spacedog]

I was working on late-game space platform designs last night, and all of them ended up being identical -- 9 tiles wide with 2 engines, and as long as needed to fit everything on the ship. Why? Because once you have enough firepower to render asteroids harmless, top speed is all that matters so you can reduce the number of space platforms (surfaces) eating up UPS.

Anyway, this made me a little sad. And then I remembered the whole thing about build diversity being a major factor behind the diminishing beacon changes.

In the spirit of that, I think it would be nice if the top speed calculation were done differently so we have a little more freedom to be creative. Something like the average angle of the leading edges of the platform. I realize the cigar-ship would still be "best" in that case, just like 12-beacons setups are still the "best", but it would penalize other reasonably aerodynamic shapes a lot less than it does now.

[mmmPI]

9 tile wide with 2 engine is not the fastest design possible for ship there are plenty of original shape for ship in the space platform thread that shows otherwise : viewtopic.php?f=8&t=116772

[spacedog]

I went back and played with the calculator more. It looks like I did something wrong last night, because the 4 engine solution (17 tiles wide) is actually the fastest.

I've have seen that thread, and there are some cool designs in there. But none that I would consider "fast" (i.e. 500 km/s or greater). I'm also ignoring the designs with thrusters "behind" other thrusters. I realize you can get upwards of 1000 km/s if you go nuts with that, but the UPS hit of having an active asteroid simulation that big around the platform works against the point of having fewer faster platforms.

Anyway, 17 tiles wide is a more reasonable amount of space to work with, so I guess this isn't as bad as it seemed.

[Panzerknacker]

TBH there should be no topspeed but turrets firing projectiles forward, asteroid impact and asteroids being grabbed should slow the platform down. The UPS hit will be minimal but now it's so unrealistic I don't really feel like playing at all so it's no use to have high ups haha.