I haven't been real clear on the engine suggestion, mainly because I really hadn't worked it through on my own before posting.
This is for missiles only. As things stand(v6.0) size 1 missile with 1 .7msp engine or one with 7 .1msp engines are the same speed and cost but the one with the 7 engines has roughly 26% the range of single engine missile with no other difference.
What I'm proposing is to add a new techline for missile bodies. Call it whatever, advanced missile bus maybe, but as each tech level is reached a new speed bonus is added per engine. Start with 1% per engine above the first.
Example using Steve's Dagger AMM since the stat's are handy:
Currently the tech is Ion engines for a base of .6 per msp, fuel consumption rate .6(x5 for missiles), max power modifier of 350%/fuel multiplier 22.92(or 2292%) Engine size is .7 for a fuel multiplier of 3.83 and a fuel use per hour of 387.08 and speed 29,400kps. Added agility of .09msp for 2.88 which rounds the maneuver rating to 13 (10+ added agility) and .01msp to fuel for 25 liters giving a range of around 6.8m km. (numbers from my missile design sheet and differ from what the program calc’s slightly)
If we only replace the single .7msp engine with 7 .1 msp engines we get exactly the same speed but only have a range of a little over 1.8m km, fuel use per hour of 208.88, for no gain.
Now if we have a missile that can harmonize/tune/whatever those same 7 engines for a better speed for the same fuel cost the numbers could look like this:
Boost speed vs 1,000 3,000 5,000 10,000
1% bonus – 31,164kps 405.1% 135% 81% 40.5%
2% bonus – 32,928kps 428.1% 142.7% 85.6% 42.8%
3% bonus – 34,692kps 451% 150.3% 90.2% 45.1%
etc etc etc
To keep this restricted to missiles could be explained in any number of ways. Or Steve could add this bonus to ship design as well, though that was not my intention.
Steve, one last thing…please take a look the calc that is used for the missile design screen for the 3k km/s to hit %, I’m getting 127.4% and your screenshot is showing 117%. For the other 3 ranges I’m getting exactly the same values as the screenshot for the Dagger AMM.
Something to think about.
Charlie