Easy when you know how. (And how sad that I didn't, ex-engineer and all). Thanks yet again, SandJ.SandJ wrote:Looks like time = distance^2 to me
Excellent idea! Can someone please write an OXP for the ESED (Electronic Sub-Ether Device) that Ford Prefect used to hitch a ride in THHGTTG?El Viejo wrote:General advice: short jumps are best wherever possible (for several reasons). If a long jump can't be avoided, look for ships going your way and hitch a lift.
V'z fher na RFRQ fubhyq jbex bhg purncre guna gung.Okti wrote:Ohl n YbatEnatrFpnaare naq nsgre gung lbh pna ohl n WhzcCynaare gb znxr purng whzcf sebz bar raq bs n tnynkl gb gur bgure raq. Jryy vg jvyy pbfg lbh 200x ohg lbh pna rnfvyl trg zber zbarl guna gur pbfg!
Got one, Commander, and I use it all the time -- I have the ANA to thank for my earlier successful voyages. Even that marvellous device can't compensate for sheer, unadulterated greed, however!Commander McLane wrote:May I suggest you invest in an [wiki]Advanced Navigational Array[/wiki]? And then simply follow the fastest route to your destination. No reason to calculate anything yourself.
Can anyone explain to me how the time allowed for contracts is calculated? I assume it's (fastest route + X%) -- if so, it would be very useful to know the limits of X.
For the benefit of any newcomers out there who perhaps fancy trying their hand at contract hauling, you should read Diziet Sma's comments in this thread. Just to underscore the points made there, you should have no problem with a single contract: as Commander McLane says, just use the Advanced Navigational Array and follow the pale blue 'fastest' route (not the yellow 'least-jumps' route, please note) to collect a nice payout at the end. The problem arises when you start to accept additional simultaneous contracts requiring a detour from the fastest route. These earn you more money, but do involve an element of risk. One or two additional contracts might be okay (depending on how much 'fat' there is in the time allowed for the first contract, and how big the detours are) but take on too many at once and eventually there comes a point where it's physically impossible to complete them all in the timescale allowed. Sadly, that's what happened to me in this case.
What I hope no one will request is an enhancement to the ANA that allows you to input a whole bunch of destinations and be told the quickest route and elapsed time to each. That would make contract hauling far too easy, IMO, and take all the fun out of it.