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HOMEWORLD: HYPERSPACE TECHNOLOGIES

Contents

  1. HyperTech
  2. HyperCores
  3. HyperTests
  4. HyperRange
  5. HyperGates
  6. HyperInhibitors
  7. HyperComm
  8. HyperLife
  9. Overview

HyperTech

But what catapulted our technology 500 years forward was the analysis of a module attached to the powerplant.
(c) HW1, Historical Briefing, p.4, "The Discovery of Khar-Toba"

Kushani launched their first space rocket in KDS 1024, and that might be compared to Sputnik launch of 1957. And they found The Great Core in KDS 1112. So, 20th century was quite heavy on inventions, and if we take this exponential leap, that would mean that kushani became protoss-like. But the reality shows us quite earth-like design (especially if we take taiidani ships as they were originally intended to be the exiles, but kushani ships are not superior either).

HyperCores

Let's start with hyperspace module.

This device was nothing less than a solid state hyperspace induction module.

The solid-state Hyperspace Module is a quantum oscillation device capable of generating a waveform throughout any surrounding structure. It does this in order to induce an effect known as quantum tunneling.

Although the core of the device is entirely solid state, the power and control systems that embed it are the most complex devices ever built.

This is a direct copy of the one found under the sands of Khar-Toba, but expanded twelve-fold to accommodate a vessel of the Mothership's mass.

The module is projected to have a range of 2500 light years for a single waveform event, and in order to trigger the drive we must charge the module with all the energy required for such a stunning distance.

(c) HW1, Historical Briefing, p.9-10

So, we come up with that hypermodule consists of at least 3 major parts:

  1. The solid-state core
  2. The control systems
  3. The power systems

So, I believe, it resolves the question how kushani engineers have enlarged Khar-Toba Hypermodule x12 while having that unique HW2 The Great Core. The Core remained as is, systems around were enlarged. Though, of course, it's another retcon explanation…

AK HSmodule11

HyperTests

The Mothership’s secondary drive is less well understood, but it is the system that makes this voyage possible.

Because the device was reverse engineered, the exact workings of the module are still very uncertain. All that our scientists know about the effects of hyperspace transport has been derived from limited empirical data - theoretical data is almost totally nonexistent.

The risk involved in employing a technology that we know so little about, on such a vital mission, could not be avoided. The raw materials needed to build the Hyperspace Modules are extremely rare on Kharak; only a few prototype drives were built prior to the Mothership module due to this material shortage.

Even though the effect has been tested extensively through ships fitted with test modules of various sizes, our control and understanding of the effect is somewhat limited.
(c) HW1, Historical Briefing, p.9-10

And what did they find out from HS-module if at page 9 they telling all the time - we don't understand how it work, we have limited understanding, there aren't even theories… ???

We were testing hyperdrive heavily! - first, and - we were in a lack of resource, so only few HS-modules were made before MS, some crashed… - in the last news. Tested, you say…

Well, this might go in line with HW2 The Great Core: some cores they've tested, some were just theoretical stuff…

HyperShips

This has resulted in a need for massive energy to induce the wavefront, prohibiting its use on any vessel too small to carry at least three industrial fusion plants.
(c) HW1, Historical Briefing, p.9-10

It said, that 3 powerplants at least required for hypermodule. Why? Any powerplant would be useful? How much industrial fusion powerplants could be placed on a 150m long frigate? Could it be just one, but with more advanced? Khar-Toba seemed to have only one…

And HW1 ship descriptions tell us that carrier carries it's own HS-engines like it's something unique:

The Imperator has its own hyperspace jump engines and can carry a full assault wing of 50 fighters and 25 corvettes in its internal bays.
(c) HWWOS, Kushan, Carrier

Also, if we take a look at frigates, are they big enough to"carry three industrial power plants"? If we take this option, that only ships that are HS-module carriers are carriers! And actually, that what the HW2 show us!

But wait! They have to jump somehow! There are frigates (mission 3, 12) and destroyers (12) that jump alone to the far side of the galaxy w/o any HS-carrying vessel support. Probably it can be countable as emergency (12) jump or a cleaning patrol (3) jump that were considered as "we will be there for you later". So it's possible for strike craft w/o module to make a HS-jump!

HyperRange

Two kinds of hyperspace travel are known to be possible. Short Jump technology is relatively simple, and hundreds of species have either developed it independently, or reverse-engineered it from devices purchased or captured from other races. This form is reliable, but limited to a few light years at a time.
Far Jump technology remained the exclusive domain of the Bentusi for centuries, until the Hiigarans discovered the second Hyperspace Core. It was this power that tempted and permitted their sneak attack on the Taiidan homeworld, setting in motion all that followed. Its workings remain a mystery, a lasting artifact from the Progenitors yet to be fully explored and understood.
(c) HWR, p.165, Short Jumps and Far Jumps

The module is projected to have a range of 2500 light years for a single waveform event, and in order to trigger the drive we must charge the module with all the energy required for such a stunning distance.
(c) Homeworld Historical Briefing, p.9, Mothership, Sections and Systems

Scientific limitations mean the Kushan can only use 6% of the core’s full power, and navigation can only control it when using no more than 2% of its power.
(c) HWR, p.135, Motherships, The Kushan Mothership, Key Areas

Well, it seems that the complexity of a HyperModule defines the range. And for the unique Progenitor cores, if the energy/range dependency is linear, then Kushani HyperCore would give 7500 uncontrolled light years, and 125000 light years with some Progenitor tech applied. As there are few millions of light years between the Galaxies in average, it would take some time...

HyperGates

Hyperdrives work by generating a quantum wavefront, sometimes referred to as a quantum tunneling effect. This can often be seen as a window-like phenomenon opening up in normal space that passes over a ship and pulls it into hyperspace.

While in hyperspace, it is impossible to know for certain where in normal space you are positioned, meaning that any jumps, especially Far Jumps, can be wildly inaccurate the farther you travel. Rather than measuring just the distance you travel, you also need to know how long it would take you to arrive, as part of calculating when to disengage the drive is based on when the correct amount of time has elapsed.

(c) HWR, p.136, "HyperDrive Technology and Hyperspace"

We have 4 times in the game, when the strike craft is sent through the hyperspace (1, 13,14, 16 missions). And there are hyperspace windows that are not connected with the certain ship module (13, 14 missions).

HS windows are quite controllable (as they are moving to the ship, not the ship moving to it; as they just appearing in some point of 3D space, not just enabling ship to jump).

So then there's a question - do the ship need to have some sort of HS-interface to connect/tune to the opened HS-windows? If not, then why we don't play "send this fleet away" game; if yes, it probably must be some quite cheap thing unlike the whole HS-module, so that all the ships are able to use hyperspace gates…

  • Taiidani hyperGates. They allow strike craft to hyperjump;
  • Vaygr hyperGates. They allow strike craft to hyperjump;
  • Balcora Gate. They are so powerful that ignore gravity field;
  • Eye of Arran. It allows to jump into another galaxy;
  • Bentusi hyperGate. They've sent few Bentusi somewhere far away;
  • Slipgates of HWC

HyperInhibitors

Another problem with our current understanding of hyperspace is that we can only take limited gravimetric readings of the normal space we are tunneling through. This means we can detect a mass that disagrees with our navigational data, but should we wish to know anything about the anomaly we must interrupt the Hyperspace Module. Gravity wells also have a destabilizing effect on hyperspace travel. Test ship losses have taught us that a hyperdrive must be shut down well outside any star system’s gravitational curve.

Should we wish to travel a more appropriate and cautious distance, we must crudely halt the wave effect by discharging the module’s energy, and dropping back into normal space-time.

Currently the Hyperdrive Module is programmed for three priority interrupts.

The Achieved Target interrupt is based on our own astronavigation technology, which takes a ‘sighting’ in normal space and will discharge the module once the time vs. distance hyperspace algorithms state that we are roughly near our programmed coordinates.

The Anomaly Interrupt occurs when a gravimetric anomaly is detected by ship’s sensors, and the vessel
is automatically returned to normal space to either gather resources or, in the case that the disturbance
is actually another vessel, investigate further.

Finally, the Safety Interrupt occurs when ship’s control computers sense any irregularities in either the waveform effect or the Mothership’s hull integrity. All three of these interrupts empower the navigation computer to automatically drop the ship into normal space.

(c) HW1, Historical Briefing, p.9-10

Due to hyperspace not being independent of normal space as far as it is understood, it is affected by large gravitational anomalies, such as gravity wells or large planets and stars. If an object produces enough of a gravitational pull, it can rip a ship out of hyperspace.

Exiting hyperspace is an easy affair and is simply done by powering down the hyperspace drive. The quantum tunneling effect will end on its own, ejecting a ship from hyperspace. In the event that a ship is forcibly pulled from hyperspace, most hyperdrives have safety features that detect these anomalies and power down the drive to lessen the damage to a ship.

(c) HWR, p.136, "HyperDrive Technology and Hyperspace"

  • GravWell and other gravity sources (gravity waves?)
  • Kadeshi HyperInhibitor;
  • Taiidani HyperInhibitors;
  • Vaygr HyperInhibitors;
  • Khar-Toba Core - suddenly not only the hypermodule but also the Bermuda triangle;

HyperComm

We do know that Kushans received Taiidani transmissions from the sources far-far away, meaning that it was FTL communication. And we do not know any special ways of FTL travel than using a HyperCore. So I would assume that HyperCore is also used a transmitter.

Why then a Taiidan fleet of HW1 M05 didn't have a warning? Probably, for the same reason the Turanic Raiders carrier tries to run away from the Mothership in HW1 M05, and Mothership had to destroy Kadeshi Spireships - the more powerful HyperCore can inhibit oscillations meant to create a quantum tunnel for physical body or other type of electro-magnetic waves.

HyperLife

Little is also known about hyperspace. It is theorized that hyperspace does not exist independently of normal space but is instead created when the hyperdrive is engaged. There are other theories that suggest hyperspace is its own independent space, with the possibility of lifeforms existing within it, but this is yet to be proved.
(c) HWR, p.136, "HyperDrive Technology and Hyperspace"

We're not clear on this next section, but the visual data seems to be showing that the alien ship picked up some sort life-form in Hyperspace. The organism we know as The Beast.
(c) HWC, Cutscene 06-07

Overview

Seems that everything is about the gravity: a charged hyperModule creates and keeps stable a quantum tunnel in a regular space, straight line from one point to another, like a blind dive in the quantum ocean, but the hyperInhibitors create gravity fluctuations that curve the path up to the regular space: rough impulses bites out the ship, simulating heavy gravity, but the fine tuning allows just to disrupt the forming hyperSpace entry. Well, it seems that the hyperEngines can both form and disform hyperJumps!

The powerful hyperGates, like Balcora Gate allow to stand against the gravity waves of the Galaxy Central Monster Black Hole - but that means that long out of Galaxy jumps across vast empty space should be calculatable easier - and that's why Bentusi have built their HyperGates in the Galactic Rim sector in HWC! You see, though the names are similar, the ones cannot be compare to Progenitor tech.

Probably, we can compare the strength of gravity is somewhat of landscape relief with hills of solar systems and everests of blackholes to overjump them; or otherwise using the ocean metaphor, with the hyperdive of hyperspace traveler, gravity strength is like a density of water, with being too salty it pushes you back to the surface. But on the other hand, those gravity sources are like beacons of gravity waves - hypersongs of Bentusi - and you won't be missing any big enough object on your path, be it an alert interruption or sensor readings.

And Taiidani HyperInhibitor Gates were something like vortex, creating something like donut gravity fluctuation field with gates in the center. Probably, Khar Toba's Kharak setup had somewhat similar to this scheme, digging the ships in the sands or curving the path of hyperjump back to Kharak - you'd need a bigger hyperEngine to achieve the escape velocity!

Change Log

  • 26.11.23 - added HyperComm section about FTL communication;

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