Topic: Ships going in reverse!

[Dizzy]

It may be possible to add this so I'm testing the waters to see how you guys feel about it.

Having a comm button clicked would 'reverse' your ship speed up to the desired speed setting. Interesting eh?

[Hexx]

Yay retrograding !

Spd 4 should be more than enough I'd think.
Actually I do think.

Speed 4 it is.

[Dizzy]

Out of ALL of the FCA's the Feds built, just ONE shoulda had RA torps...     

[Lieutenant_Q]

Hexx, I think JTK has got to override your opinion on that one.

"Reverse engines!  All astern, One-half Impulse! Back Off! Back Off!"

[FCM_SFHQ_XC]

Speed 4 back is best I think.. while perhaps a bit more would be realistic, I do not think that more then speed 4 back would really be necessary.

[KBFLordKrueg]

It may be possible to add this so I'm testing the waters to see how you guys feel about it.

Having a comm button clicked would 'reverse' your ship speed up to the desired speed setting. Interesting eh?

*deposites 2 cents*
If such a thing is actually implemented, it should be costly to do so.
In SFB...
You had to either: pay a cost equal to your forward speed to stop, then pay movement cost to retrograde or be a dead stop already before retrograding. Same thing when you decided to change again.
I'd have to dust off the rulebook again to double check, but, I believe there was a turn mode penalty while retrograding also...I forget.
It's been so long since I've seen anyone try such a lame maneuver...

The point is, it should be power costly to change direction and it shouldn't be a "slam, full reverse" type of thing, it should take time to stop a faster than light starship, then re accelerate it back to that speed in reverse. 

[Age]

I would go for 5 that is what it is in SFC3.This would help if you are about to collide with a planet

[Lepton]

I reference "Balance of Terror" episode.  Engines full reverse. Emergency warp speed.  That means speed 31 in reverse.

That said. Reverse be dumb.  Don't waste your time.

[Nemesis]

Another example is The Corbomite Maneuver.  High warp in reverse.

[Julin Eurthyr]

Reverse in SFB is "worse"...

If memory serves -
To do a mid-turn change to reverse:

1.  Pay a breaking cost to bring ship's speed to 0.  Emergency Decel isn't enough for this.
2.  Sit like rock for 1/4 turn minimum
3.  Pay for a mid-turn speed change to begin accelerating in reverse.  Top speed is theoretical max (31), based on warp & 1 impulse formula...

It's easier to do one over a turn break, as you just had to be stopped at speed 0 over the break, possibly having to have been at 0 for a certain length of time.
Then, when you do your "normal" acceleration from stop, all you do is accelerate in reverse.

IIRC, even if it is possible, the AI can't handle it.  Bethke himself said to test retrogrades vs AI, perform the following test:

1.  Reverse all your firing arcs, so FA = RA, FH = RH, FP = RP, etc.
2.  Fight battle with that modded ship.

I'm not sure that the AI can handle the battle, even if the ship is limited to speed 4 or 6.  If it can, I'd say speed 6 max (as speed 4 keeps the retrograder safe vs. mines)

[Farfarer]

I used to use Retrograde a lot (read always) in SFB Red Hat Tournaments etc. at Cons, as I flew Klingon.  With all the stock Ph II and Disr, you could fly around backwards ensuring you had outgoing fire from everything each turn.  It seemed to be the only way to overcome all the "WYN AUX Cruiser" and other insufficiently playtested tournament cheese-boats.
Not sure Retrograde needed in SFC, but it sounds interesting.

[drb]

Hoi Folks,

  Reverse just as it is in SFB please. Typically the most effective use of reverse would be used by a ship, at the start of the mission,  with mostly fwd firing weapons, against a seaking weapon ship or a very aggressive enemy; either with more skill, larger ship, more of them, or it's a ship named Close To The Edge with its fearless CO.
  It is, without a doubt, something that would be hardly used, though it would be not only be useful, but make for some interesting battles as well, if used well . For new pilots, or rusty seasoned ones, it would be a sure fire way to prevent chasing plasma ships. Feds, I think, would be most able to take advantage of the retrograde tactic, though I reckon the thought would cross my mind, if reverse was an option, when facing Firesoul in a Lyran PFT, in any ship I may be flying in, really, the guy has my number or something.... However, I digress. Yes, it should cost a great deal of power to change from forward movement to reverse, inertia and all... but it is also very unlikely to change until it proves successful or not. (if not, one just keeps going off the map in reverse, no need to waste any power)

 The idea that reverse was left out of the game at all leaves me confused; what powered ship is unable to go in reverse? it is just intuitive. Besides, as Lepton observed, in was in TOS, and yes it is "dumb" though "unnessary for game play" may be more suitable, if out matched there is plenty of room and time to taco bell, if needs be, or you fly well enough to not need the option; just the same I would like to see SFB reverse in SFC OP.

Take care

drb

[Dfly]

As much as I would love to see it work like SFB, this isnt SFB.  If you do get it to work, I hope you keep the speed down to a bare minimum (4 works for me).

I would like to see that you must do an 'all stop', which would give you that sitting still for a bit, then reverse kicking in.  As per how much it costs, it could cost the same in my books as going forward since you can only go speed 4(if set at that, or a slow speed).

[KBF MalaK]

It's been a while since I had to crunch numbers for this game but reverse would have to be sublight (less than warp 1) but being realistic impulse speed is maintained by thrusters so if you could disable the 'station keeping computer' you should be able build up your forward impule speed and use thrusters to flip the ship around 180 degrees and 'drift' backwards. There's no tactical advantage to coming to a full stop (at the large energy cost) and backup.

But this game didn't have alot of stuff in it (like the positron flywheel effect).

[Bonk]

I'll echo the sentiment that it should adhere to the SFB rules if implemented. (Full stop, wait, then reverse) Also there should be an advantage in acceleration for the Feds with this maneuver to mimic the positron flywheel which made the feds the only ones able to commonly use retrograde movement (and they would be lucky to get away alive). Any time I tried retrograde in SFB it was a last ditch effort before death. I saw it used once with a fleet from the start on a floating map, but it did not work out. I gained on him to plasma kill range before he could do much damage with proxies.

A neat idea, but I doubt there would be much occasion to actually use it. What might be more fun would be to make a unique mission out of it, where you come on a bunch of pirates with photons and disruptors backing away from you at range 29 at the start. I think making a single mission where it is used creatively with AI ships would result in it being seen/used more.

[KBFKaz]

Bah! Forget about reverse. Just HET and give' er at spd 31. If it is implemented, I'll never use it anyway.

[marstone]

I can count the number of times I have retrograded in SFB on one hand, but it would be nice to have the option to do it. 

Being able to move out from a base, then retrograde back as the enemy moves in, could be usful

[FA Frey XC]

Bah! Forget about reverse. Just HET and give' er at spd 31. If it is implemented, I'll never use it anyway.

And this, my friends, is one reason retrograde isn't as big of a deal in SFC.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have retrograde, but I'm in agreement with the majority of posters - it should be a big deal to take a friggin STARSHIP from any forward momentum to a complete stop, then move backwards.

Regards,

[Dizzy]

Bah! Forget about reverse. Just HET and give' er at spd 31. If it is implemented, I'll never use it anyway.

it should be a big deal to take a friggin STARSHIP from any forward momentum to a complete stop, then move backwards.

Regards,

Along those lines... An HET performed at 31 with the net result of changing direction 180 or more degrees and continuing on at full speed... I'd say that's more stressful than stopping and going in reverse. I wrote a story once and in it explained the maneuver I did going full speed and changing direction was all about the transporters and warp engines moving space around my ship... and my ship not really moving at all.

Edit which brings me to my fav quote: Did the chicken simply cross over the road or did the road merely pass under the chicken?

[KBF MalaK]

Edit which brings me to my fav quote: Did the chicken simply cross over the road or did the road merely pass under the chicken?

That depends on which direction and speed the mass the road is on is rotating in space, and which direction and speed the chicken is moving.