question on drift nav times...

[Fake Healer]

if I have 2 ships with different drives trying to navigate the drift together to reach the same destination from the same starting point, do they arrive at different times depending on their engines or can they adjust the engines to sync up their time of arrival? Like the more powerful engine running slower to keep their arrivals simultaneous?

[Belabras]

Whichever makes the story more interesting.

[LeeSw]

As you can stop and explore in the Drift I see no issues with traveling together.

As a GM I might up the chance of being noticed by something.

Was thinking that may be why there are few full fleets pushing through the Drift together as it increases the chance with many Drift Drives something takes a closer look.
As it becomes one big spotlight and not many little lights.

But 2 small ships, might only double the chance, 2% chance, +/- GM.
Where 2 Medium ones might push it to 3%.

A fleet, 10 Large, 20 Medium, and 20 Small, might be closer to 75% with 7% chance of something really dangerous, a critical fumble on the encounter if you will.

As far as story goes, just be sure to note what you decide, so next time it comes up, the universe works the same way.

Saw a nice log book on RPG now for space games and one just for Starfinder, as a side note.
Star Log I think was the name of the generic.

[Fake Healer]

I was hoping for something more concrete in the rules...I was asking because Society play usually doesn't want variable answers. Is there any official RAW ruling on this?

[LeeSw]

No where I have seen.

[The Mad Comrade]

Mass coordinated fleet actions are going to be ... problematic in Starfinder as-written with the variable arrival times. My guess is that the intent is for fleets to establish a rendezvous point before making an en masse approach using standard thrusters.

Having said that, on average ships using the same drift drives will transit from point A to point B within a day or two of each other. Not ideal for massed starship engagements on short notice...

[Xenocrat]

The Mad Comrade wrote:

Mass coordinated fleet actions are going to be ... problematic in Starfinder as-written with the variable arrival times. My guess is that the intent is for fleets to establish a rendezvous point before making an en masse approach using standard thrusters.

Having said that, on average ships using the same drift drives will transit from point A to point B within a day or two of each other. Not ideal for massed starship engagements on short notice...

Giving system/planetary defenders an advantage in massing against invaders is a feature, not a bug, when the Azlanti Star Empire knows your adress.

[The Mad Comrade]

Xenocrat wrote:

The Mad Comrade wrote:

Mass coordinated fleet actions are going to be ... problematic in Starfinder as-written with the variable arrival times. My guess is that the intent is for fleets to establish a rendezvous point before making an en masse approach using standard thrusters.

Having said that, on average ships using the same drift drives will transit from point A to point B within a day or two of each other. Not ideal for massed starship engagements on short notice...

Giving system/planetary defenders an advantage in massing against invaders is a feature, not a bug, when the Azlanti Star Empire knows your address.

I'm not poo-poo'ing it. Just noting the limitations for massed fleet engagements. :)

[Ravingdork]

FAQing. This is something that really needs to be clarified.

[Fake Healer]

Ravingdork wrote:

FAQing. This is something that really needs to be clarified.

I agree...especially when it is so important. I would hate to have 2 ships in the party or they are escorting someone else's ship and every time they go someplace they arrive hours or days apart.

[Ryu_Hitome]

I imagine that large fleets are far more problematic since each Drift drive drags planar material into the Drift, and that's a lot of various planar material in one place, all at once.

[Nemesite]

I was also wondering about Drift travel.
If i understand it correctly, the drift drive only brings you to drift space and there you use your normal engines there to get to your destination and use drift drive again to enter normal space.
But then there are diffrent drift drive ratings.
Does that mean a faster drift enginge opens a portal to drift space to a point that is closer to your destination than a slower drift engine?