Quantum Physics

From VoidWiki

The world of Voidwars is not like our world. For starters, it is two dimensional. Second of all, the quantification of space and time have macroscopic effects. These effects are detailed here.

1 Time
2 Fuel
3 Space

Time

The quantum of time in voidwars is the tick, which corresponds to 3 of our minutes. Ship travel times, construction estimates etc, are given in real time, but that is merely the number of ticks remaining times three minutes, plus the time to the next tick. This means that if you have some action that should be timed on the tick, you have a 3 minute window between any given tick and the next. An order issued within this window will be completed at the same time no matter when within those 3 minutes the order is issued.

To see how long until the next tick is, go to some time estimate (the Finances screen should always have some offers) and see how long until the time in minutes is divisible by 3.

At times there are unintentional server-side quantum disturbances that affect the flow of time, effectively freezing the entire Void. The observable effect is that all time estimates will tick down as usual, but every 3 minutes, they will jump back those 3 minutes that has just ticked by.

Fuel

All ships have a fuel capacity measured in fives of fuel units. Any movement takes a multiple of five fuel units. Thus the quantum of fuel is five fuel units as those units are displayed on the research pages.

Space

Space is differently quantified when it comes to diagonal distances as opposed to horizontal and vertical distances. The difference is also different depending on whether you define distance as how far a sensor of certain strength can see, how far you can travel on a certain amount of fuel, or how far you can get with a ship of a certain speed in a certain number of ticks.

Speed

Speed is given under research as sectors per hour. But the real speed is calculated to ticks per sector, rounded up. This gives a different speed for diagonal movement. A probe for instance, has under research a listed speed of 8 sectors per hour. This means that on horizontal and vertical movement, its real speed is 20(ticks/hour)/8(sectors/hour)= 2.5(ticks/sector) = 3(quantum ticks/sector), and on diagonal movement 20(ticks/hour)/8(sectors/hour)*sqrt(2)(sector/sector, diagonal)~=3.536...(ticks/sector) = 4(quantum ticks/sector).

Fuel usage

Fuel, as noted earlier, is quantified at 5 fuel units. Movement horizontally or vertically always uses 10 units, movement diagonally always uses 15 units. So a probe with a fuel tank of 180 units, can reach 12 sectors diagonally, or 18 sectors horizontally or vertically.