Torus Drive

Torus Jump Drive

The so-called Torus Drive, also known as a flux distortion drive or simply a Jump drive, physically changes the inertial mass of an object by projecting a gravitic field around it. This means that any vessel fitted with one can achieve an insanely higher speed than normally achievable with the system drive - depending on proximity of other gravitatinal objects (see https://bb.oolite.space/viewtopic.php?p=275096#p275096). The downside of this is that the ship is vulnerable to collision with asteroidal bodies that penetrate the gravitic field. The field itself is disrupted by the passage of other system drives within the field, resulting in the vessel being 'dumped' back into normal space. Masslock interferes with the operation of this drive.

The standard control for activating or deactivating this drive is marked j on the astrogation console.

The Torus drive does not use any fuel (unlike the Witch fuel injectors if installed). It is the second of the three drives installed in the standard Cobra Mk III (with the slower Engine/Main Drive and the faster Witchspace drive/Hyperspace drive).

Speed

Torus speed now depends on your distance from the nearest real object[1]. If you're just going up and down the lanes in a normal-sized system you probably won't notice anything, but if you're heading to really distant objects - a station put at OUTER_SYSTEM or OUTER_SYSTEM_OFFPLANE locations, for example - then you should reach them a little quicker depending on how much is on the route. It might be a little noticeable with OXPs that increase the sun-planet distance, too, though again probably not that noticeable if you head roughly down the lane.

[1] A real object is essentially any object you can collide with - ships, stars, planets, large stations as opposed to waypoints and visual effects.

Note that only a handful of the newer HUDs indicate changes in speed whilst in Torus Drive. These include the HUDSelector HUDs, Vimana HUD, Vimana-X HUD, CB-HUD Mark III and the Deeper Space HUD.

Guide to the Perplexed: Inhibitions

The Torus Drive and the Witchspace drive/Hyperspace drive work differently. The Torus drive is inhibited by Masslock: the disabling of the Torus Drive by the presence of mighty mass (not an asteroid or Rock Hermit, but rather a powered ship, or something "massier") in the vicinity. It is an inheritance from Classic Elite. Since this is the fastest method of travel within a star system, masslock can slow travel down greatly.

This is not to be confused with the negation of witchjump/hyperspace jump due to proximity to a massive mass such as an orbital station, planet, star or a moon. The confusion is easy enough to fall prey to, because the massive masses inhibit both!

Links

OXP's: Operation

• Bullet Drive by Wildebloode causes one to only travel in a straight line and disallows manoeuvering
• Shaky Drive by Astrobe causes one to wobble infuriatingly when the Torus Drive is employed
• Torus to Sun Drive by Norby vastly increases the speed of the drive (especially when weapons are disarmed)
• Breakable Torus Drive allows your Torus Drive to be disabled by a direct hit in combat

• Synchronised Torus OXP by Fritz for synchronising your Torus drive with those of others.

• SOTL Altmap by Cim: an alternative game where the NPCs also have rather scenic Torus Drives!

And Cim's musings on the necessary changes to NPC AI resulting from this (2022)

• FarPlanets by Norby introduces Micro-G Torus equipment & FTL Torus equipment to cope with the immense distances.

OXP's: Masslocking

• Variable Masslock by Norby reduces the masslock radius depending on the mass of the ship
• Masslock Compensator by Redspear passive (neutral) masslocks are less inhibitory than active (combative) masslocks.
• Traffic Redistributer by Redspear changing the speeds of different ships helps reduce mass-lock

OXP's: Fuel

• Hard Way by Stranger causes the Torus to use up Quirium Fuel which can be replenished by scooping Solar Wind Flux.

This oxp also clobbers yaw and pitch, reduces shield strength to 25%, requires maintenance and is part of the Strangers World suite of OXP's.

Handwavium

• Discussion on why Torus drives (inter-alia) use no energy/fuel (2021)
• Discussion on why NPC's never use Torus Drives (2022 - runs for several pages)

The Dark Side

• Cim's musings on giving NPC's the Torus drive (2022)

Oolite Equipment Standard Equipment Astrogation Console • Cargo Hold • Compass • Energy banks • Engine/Main Drive • HUD • IFF Scanner • Life Support Systems • Missile • Pulse Laser • Shields • Ship's Hull • Torus Jump Drive • View Screen • Witchspace/Hyperspace Drive Optional Equipment Advanced Navigational Array • Advanced Space Compass • Cargo Bay Expansion • Docking Computers • E.C.M. System • Escape Pod • Extra Energy Unit • External Heat Shielding • Fuel Scoops • Galactic Hyperdrive • Integrated Targeting System • Military Shield Enhancement • Multi-Targeting System • Naval Energy Unit • Passenger Berth • Scanner Targeting Enhancement • Shield Boosters • Target System Memory Expansion • Witchdrive Fuel Injectors • Wormhole Scanner Weapons Beam Laser • ECM Hardened Missile • Energy Bomb • Military Laser • Mining Laser • Missile • Pulse Laser • Quirium Cascade Mine • Twin Plasma Cannon