Towing
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[edit] Overview
- Some ships can tow other ships or pods.
- In order to to another ship or a pod, it has to be set as Tow Target (
) (using Ship Command - Overview, Ship Command - Nav, or the Toolbar).
[edit] Tow capacity
The tractor beam value of a ship describes the maximum mass it can tow.
- The tractor beam value must be equal or higher than the targetted ship hull mass (cargo is not relevant).
- The tractor beam value must be equal or higher than the targetted pod mass (a fully loaded pod is 1000 mass).
- Ships with more than 25% hull damage cannot initiate a tow. They have their full tow power in contests. (Host 213)
- Ships with more than 25% engine damage cannot initiate a tow. They have their full tow power in contests. (Host 213)
[edit] Tow Range
- You can initiate towing with an object that is up to 1 ly distant.
[edit] Tow contest
If two or more ships try to tow a ship/pod at the same time, or the targetted ship tries to escape the tow (speed set to >0), the ship with the highest tow power will win the tow contest.
V1 = the maximum speed of the ship's engines V2 = the maximum speed allowed for the hull (Gravitonic Acceleration does count)}} V = min(V1,V2) E = the energy output of the engine Tow power = ( (V * V) + E ) * engine_count * ( ( 100 - engine_damage ) / 100 )
- Ships with speed = 0 have a tow power of 0.
- Ships with 1 crew have a tow power of 0.
- Ships with 0 crew have a tow power of -1. (Host 213g)
- Ships with 1 fuel have a tow power of 0.
- Ships with 0 fuel have a tow power of -1. (Host 213g)
- Ships with more than 50% system damage have a tow power of -1. (Host 213g)
- Hulls with a max speed of 300+ have a tow power of 0. From Tim: "Ships that are that fast are required to give up the power of tow as a general rule."
[edit] Hyping
- The tow is broken, if either the towing ship or the ship being towed makes a Hyperjump, that is unless both ships are performing a hyperjump to the same location (x,y coordinates) and are jumping at the same time.
[edit] From Tim Help file
Tractor Beam / Tow Power: The tractor beam power is the maximum sized hull a ship can tow. The tow power is the total amount of power a the ships engines can send to the tractor beam system in the event that the target attempts to escape or another ship tries to tow the ship at the same time. If the tow is not contested by the target ship or another ship tow power does not matter at all. The only number that matters in an uncontested tow is the tractor beam rating. The tow power of a ship approximately equals the maximum speed of the ship`s engines times two plus the energy output of the engine times the number of engines on the ship, with the amount of engine damage factored in.
Tow power = ( (maxV * 2) + E ) * engine_count * ( ( 100 - engine_damage ) / 100 )
The actual tow power varies from this formula by plus or minus 3 gdws.
If two ships try to tow the same ship, the one with the most tow power will pull the target ship free of the other. If a ship that is being towed uses its engines (sets its speed to above 0) and has more tow power than the ship attempting to tow it, it breaks free of the tow. The tow power only comes into play when two or more ships attempt to tow the same ship or the tow target attempts to free itself. Every hull has a maximum size hull that it can tow. This is the tractor beam rating. It can tow ships up to that size in hall mass, cargo does not count and tow power does not matter. For example: A ship with a hull that has a tractor beam rating of 100 and a tow power of just 50 can tow a second ship with a hull mass of up to 100 kt. If the second ship has a massive cargo and fuel load it can still be towed. If the second ship has a tow beam locked on it from a new ship that can put out a tow power of more than 50 the ship will be towed by the new ship instead. If the target of the tow turns on its engines and can put out more than 50 points of tow power it breaks free of the tow.
A ship attempting to use its tow power to break another ship free of the tow of another ship must have a hull tractor beam rating that is high enough to tow the target ship. If two ships are trying to tow a third and one has much more tow power than the other ship but its hull`s tractor beam rating is not enough to tow the target ship, it will have no effect and the ship with the lower tow power will end up towing the ship if it has the proper tractor beam rating.
[edit] Research
- Is tow disabled if transportes are used? (from the newsgroup) No
- Can you tow from 2ly or more ?
- Having a speed greater 0 set on the target ship prevents it from being towed. Right? Yes. Does it need a waypoint set? No
- Does a ship try to break free from being towed,if his speed is set to zero, but it has another waypoint set (or a different escort,intercept target), than the ship trying to tow it? And thus triggers a tow contest?
