FOLDSPACE
Keywords: FOLDSPACE, FOLDS
=== USER MANUAL ===
Usage: foldspace <ship>
Description:
Summon an allied ship to your position by folding the space
between you. The named ship disappears from its current
starsystem and reappears at your location, jittered by
+/- 100 units on each axis. At higher fold levels, nearby
friendlies in the target's escort formation get dragged along.
This is the signature ability of the Arbiter-class hull --
only Arbiters can currently fold space.
Charge Sequence:
Targeting a ship opens a portal on the far end that the target
pilot can see for 3 seconds (1 second for staff) before the
fold completes. Then you and the target both see the vortex and
the ship warps in beside you.
Fold Levels:
The fold ability has four levels. The skill system is currently
locked to Level 4 for all users:
Level 1 ............ Summon allied ship from the same system
only. Range-limited to visible ships.
Level 2 ............ Summon from any system in space.
Level 3 ............ Also drags up to 10 friendlies within
100 units of the target into your system.
Level 4 ............ Same as 3 plus 25% power discount
(375 energy per half-cycle instead of 500).
Energy Cost:
The cast charges twice -- half at the start, half at completion.
Level 1-3 .......... 1,000 energy total (500 + 500)
Level 4 ............ 750 energy total (375 + 375)
Caster also loses 20 movement points on completion.
Requirements:
Pilot seat ......... Must be at the ship's helm.
Pilot access ....... Must own the ship or be a listed pilot.
Arbiter hull ....... Ship model must be ARBITER. Staff can
bypass this.
Spacecraft ......... Stations and non-spacecraft hulls cannot
fold.
Stopped ............ Ship speed must be 0. "The ship cannot
be moving while folding space!"
Launched + real .... Undocked and in realspace (not hyperspace).
Energy >= 1000 ..... Even though Level 4 only spends 750, the
pre-cast gate requires >= 1000 in reserve.
Target exists ...... Must name a visible ship in space.
Target is ally ..... Target must be RELATION_FRIEND. Staff
can bypass this.
Not self ........... Cannot fold your own ship.
Echo (Charging):
You begin to fold space around <target>. (caster)
<n> begins concentrating on folding space. (caster room)
A swirling vortex in space appears in front
of the ship. (target cockpit)
A swirling vortex in space appears in front
of <target>. (target system)
Echo (Completion):
Fold level <N> complete! (caster)
<n> folds space, creating a swirling vortex
of energy. (caster room)
<ship> creates a swirling vortex of energy! (caster system)
The ship is pulled into the vortex! (target cockpit)
<target> disappears within the vortex. (target system)
<target> enters the starsystem at X Y Z (arrival system)
Interruption:
Damage or leaving the pilot seat mid-cast aborts the fold:
You fail to complete the fold!
The pre-charge 500/375 energy is lost. Target loses nothing.
Strategic Notes:
- Fold pulls the target to you, not you to them. You
cannot use it to escape.
- Target speed is zeroed on arrival -- it drops out of
combat motion and has to re-accelerate.
- Level 3+ is a fleet extraction tool: call one marked
escort ship, get the whole formation.
- Pair with disruptionweb (web the enemy, fold the fleet
in) or use defensively to yank a stricken ship out of a
dangerous system.
- The Arbiter restriction makes folding a command-ship
capability, not a frontline one.
Related Helpfiles: WORMHOLE, DISRUPTIONWEB, SHIELDMATRIX, JUMPVECTOR, TARGET, CALCULATE, HYPERSPACE
=== END MANUAL ===