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That was my goal. It appears that 20% to 25% light-speed will work, and it aligns with Trek lore/canon.

However, there has to be a speed limit of 0.10% for Earth to Moon travel, for a 15-20 minute trip. Otherwise, it'd be about four or five seconds!!


Garth L. Getgen

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Tuesday, December 02, 2025 - 01:21 pm: Edit

In Star Fleet Universe, what does the Dilithium Chamber do?

My thought is the dilithium acts as a catalyst to regulate and stabilize the tachyon-enriched warp plasma flow. Yes? No??


Garth L. Getgen

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Tuesday, December 02, 2025 - 10:59 pm: Edit

As far as I can guess from the SFU literature, Dilithium Crystals... Make Warp Drive work...

I know it sounds like a cop-out, but when Patrick Stewart was ever asked, "How does the Enterprise go to Warp?" he always answered, "Easy. I say, 'Engage!'"

I suppose we... "I"... COULD go on (and on and on and on and...) with all sorts of "Pseudo-Scientific Techno-Babble," but if I remember right, there's an old saying, I want to say it's called "Occam's Razor," that says the simplest solution is usually the best.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Wednesday, December 03, 2025 - 09:54 am: Edit

In Star Fleet Universe terms, there are a few references to dilithium crystals in a number of different sources.

For example, it's noted in the GURPS Prime Directive core rulebook that dilithium crystals cannot be replicated, due to their being "so closely attuned to subspace". Or rather, any attempt to do so results in a fragile crystal which cracks quickly when one attempts to use it.

Meanwhile, in the 2011 edition of the Omega Master Rulebook, it's noted that the tiger-like Ryn do not have access to dilithium inside their home nebula, and as a result are limited to non-tactical warp (impulse) drives for use in transit.

Indeed, after a failed attempt by the Maesrons to seize the nebula in Y137, the Ryn managed to capture a Mæsron frigate; however, the dilithium array had been sabotaged prior to capture. When the Ryn attempted to jury-rig an alternative, they instead triggered a catastrophic warp accident, destroying the ship.

So, if an outside invader - say, an Andromedan - planned to make use of the inside of the Ryn Nebula for their own purposes, they better make sure to ferry in stocks of dilithium crystals from the outside at some point...

That said, it would appear that the process of establishing a stable warp field, and that of maintaining a stable matter-antimatter intermix, are two separate things. Consider how an AWR box (which is still producing a kind of warp power, albeit one that cannot be used for movement) is different from a warp engine box, for instance. And also, consider that in SFU terms, impulse drives do in fact produce stable - albeit weak - "warp fields"; they simply do not produce the sheer power needed to push a starship faster than the speed of light in combat.

So, it would appear that dilithium chambers are key to operating a stable Tactical Warp drive, it's still up to the engine coils in the warp nacelles to actually turn this power into faster-than-light movement in battle.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Wednesday, December 03, 2025 - 12:34 pm: Edit

Thank you, Gary.

It seems nothing contradicts my idea, but neither does it reinforce my idea. :/


Garth L. Getgen

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, December 04, 2025 - 06:23 am: Edit

Garth, I see no reason to state anything more than that the crystals make warp work. Anything else, including your idea, would just create a point that later people would use to argue this or that. DO NOT include your theories or any others in anything you want published.

By Shawn Gordon (Avrolancaster) on Thursday, February 12, 2026 - 10:38 pm: Edit

Have any Old Galaxy Pirate vessels been canonically named?

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Friday, June 12, 2026 - 06:22 pm: Edit

I'm not aware of any official names currently in print for M81 Pirate ships, though I added a number of unofficial ones for an M81 Pirate force I once submitted for Federation Commander in a prior issue of Captain's Log.

That said, given how many different backgrounds one might see a given High Pirate Band draw from, there'd no doubt be plenty of different naming conventions in use from one region (or time period) of operation to the next.

-----

On a different topic:

According to Wikipedia, the Omega Centauri cluster is 5,240 parsecs - or about 10 Federation and Empire hexes? - from the Sol system, and is approximately 150 light-years (or around 46 parsecs) across.

With this in mind, I was wondering: which F&E hex map is this cluster located in, or would it be somewhere in an "off-map" zone?

And further, given how densely packed the stars are within said cluster, would it have any sort of importance in Star Fleet Universe terms; or is it no more or less "relevant" than any other (non-WYN) piece of "space terrain" in the Alpha Octant?

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Friday, June 12, 2026 - 09:32 pm: Edit

Gary,

10 hexes from SOL is outside of most Federation territory and generally puts it into a Neutral Zone.

Unless, it's in the Federation Off-Map area.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Saturday, June 13, 2026 - 10:40 am: Edit

Based on the galactic coordinates for the Omega Centauri cluster, it would be right in the middle of Federation-Gorn Neutral Zone hex 3904. As for the importance thereof, said cluster is composed mainly of Population II stars, which are notoriously resource-poor (Population II stars formed with precious little in the way of elements heavier than helium); they very nearly never have any sort of planetary systems, aside from the occasional captured rogue. About all Population II stars are really known for is their ability to form larger-than-normal black holes on collapse, as they tend to lose less matter in the process; if anything, Omega Centauri would just be a kind of navigation hazard for Fed-Gorn trade.

By Ken Kazinski (Kjkazinski) on Saturday, June 13, 2026 - 10:08 pm: Edit

Gary also the number of parsecs per hex is incorrect for the diameter of the Milky Way. The hexes are not 500 parsecs but more 237 parsecs.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Saturday, June 13, 2026 - 11:32 pm: Edit

Ken, the number of hexes is based on data in the Franz Joseph STAR TREK Technical Manual, page 02:07:01 which defines the UFP has a radius = 4,750 parsecs. The F&E map reflects this data.


Garth L. Getgen

By Nick Blank (Nickgb) on Sunday, June 14, 2026 - 03:53 pm: Edit

Globular clusters are outside the plane of the galaxy (they orbit the galaxy, but mainly outside it) which in F&E terms is about one hex thick. Omega Centauri is actually fairly close to the plane, probably a couple of hexes above the Fed Gorn neutral zone as Jessica said, back toward their off map areas, or the upper edge of the F&E map.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, June 14, 2026 - 05:56 pm: Edit

The (estimated) size of the Milky Way changes every few years as a new scientist comes up with a new number. It was correct at one point based on the estimate of that year.

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 - 01:29 pm: Edit

Did the Orions really not operate Mobile Bases?

(R1.3-8) in the Orion MSSB states regarding Base Stations:

---

Quote:

Orions generally didn’t invest a lot of money in things that were hard to defend.
...
These bases served as repair and maintenance hubs for the far-spread cartel ships but were designed to be quickly abandoned if the local fleet or police forces became aware of their exact location.

---

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 - 03:43 pm: Edit

The Orions use mobile bases in the same manner as everyone else, except they find an isolated and seldom (if at all) location to build them before going to an Orion battle station. Basically it is a seed base.

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 - 10:02 pm: Edit

Sounds like an omission in the Orion MSSB, then. Should probably have the usual notes about what kind of fighters Orions use, drone control, etc.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, July 09, 2026 - 12:11 pm: Edit

What is the ship used as a MB for Operation Unity?

Basically a ore Freighter base thing?

Maybe start with a Military large freighter?

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Thursday, July 09, 2026 - 03:07 pm: Edit

Garth Getgen ASKED What is the ship used as a MB for Operation Unity?

I do not understand the question. Sorry.

Xander Fulton SAID Sounds like an omission in the Orion MSSB, then. Should probably have the usual notes about what kind of fighters Orions use, drone control, etc.

REPLY: An MB in use by the Orions would as the basis for an Orion Base, see (R1.24-8) in the Orion MSSB. The fighters that would be available to it are the same as those that would have been available to a base in (R1.3-8). It can control three seeking weapons and there is no OAKDISC refit for it.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Thursday, July 09, 2026 - 05:15 pm: Edit

I don't understand the question, either, because I'm not the one who asked it.


Garth L. Getgen

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Thursday, July 09, 2026 - 06:27 pm: Edit

Mike Graafton
OAL, from R7?

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Thursday, July 09, 2026 - 06:53 pm: Edit

The Operations Base (R1.45)

By Ken Kazinski (Kjkazinski) on Thursday, July 09, 2026 - 09:03 pm: Edit

Xander - here is the list of Orion fighters from the various scenarios.

Empire	Class Group	Type	UnitName	Rule	YIS	BPV	SSD Page(s)
Orion	Federation Shuttles & Fighters	F-18	Hornet Fighter	R2.F5-R8	173	4/8	J Pg- 30
Orion	Federation Shuttles & Fighters	F-18B	Hornet Fighter	R2.F5-R8	177	4.5/9	J Pg- 30
Orion	Federation Shuttles & Fighters	F-18C	Hornet Fighter	R2.F5-R8	183	6/12	J Pg- 30
Orion	Federation Shuttles & Fighters	F-8	Crusader Fighter	R2.F7-R8	167	3/6	J- 30
Orion	Federation Shuttles & Fighters	F-8E	Crusader Electronic Warfare Fighter	R2.F7E-R8	172	4/8	J- 30
Orion	Klingon Shuttles & Fighters	Z-2	Fighter	R3.F2-R8	168	3/6	AM-2014-SSD Pg- 112/J Pg- 32
Orion	Klingon Shuttles & Fighters	Z-V	Fighter	R3.F3-R8	173	4/8	J- 32
Orion	Klingon Shuttles & Fighters	Z-Y	Fighter	R3.F4-R8	177	4.5/9	J- 32
Orion	Romulan Shuttles & Fighters	G-F	Gladiator-F Superiority Fighter	R4.F4-R8	165	4/8	J- 34
Orion	Kzinti Shuttles & Fighters	AAS	Advanced Attack Shuttle	R5.F2-R8	164	3/6	AM-2014-SSD- 112/BS-1999 Pg- 172
Orion	Kzinti Shuttles & Fighters	TAAS	Tactically Advanced Attack Shuttle	R5.F5-R8	177	4.5/9	AM-2014-SSD- 112/SL30 Pg- 1
Orion	Kzinti Shuttles & Fighters	TAAS-E	Electronic Warfare Tactically Advanced Shuttle	R5.F5E-R8	177	6.5/13	AM-2014-SSD- 112/AM- 110
Orion	Kzinti Shuttles & Fighters	TADSC	Tactically Advanced Drone Shuttle-C	R5.F6C-R8	183	6/12	J Pg- 36
Orion	Hydran Shuttles & Fighters	ST-3	Stinger-3 Fighter	R9.F2A-R8	180	0	CL21 Pg- 43
Orion	Inter-Stellar Concordium Shuttles & Fighters	AF	Attrition Fighter	R13.F4-R8	170	4/8	J Pg- 44

Ken