I'm not entirely clear how the PCU requirements work with the hyperspace engines. Do they actually draw the listed amount of PCU away from other systems while in use, or do you just have to have a power core capable of producing that much PCU and your other systems are unaffected? The former would have pretty big consequences for things like trying to warp out of combat or do things while in Hyperspace.
You must have the minimum power rating to run the hyperspace engines, but they don't actually draw power in the sense that since you can't use them in combat (in the practical sense) their cost never comes into play.
Since it requires you to shut off your sublights and basically not move, and the time to 'spool up' takes a bit, doing it in terms of combat turns is really dangerous if not impossible.
Correct. Drift Engines do not consume PCU, they only demand you have the PCU theoretically available. You have to shut off your sublights to turn the Drift Engine on, but you have to do this even if you have enough PCU to pay for both as if the DE consumed power, and likewise, there's no need to pay for both the DE and anything else - i.e. all other systems can stay on while the DE engages. This is good for you if you try to Drift in combat, as your shields can stay powered up.
Alright, thanks! I'm used to ships in scifi making warp-speed escapes from bad situations after a couple "rounds worth" of setup, looks like that is a lot harder to pull off in Starfinder.
Yeah, as it seems setup, this isn't a Star Trek "maximum warp out of here now!" or not even a "Hang on while I calculate the jump to lightspeed!" its a "We need to be still, and then jump"
So in a way, its not as 'good' as FTL as we've seen in Trek, or Wars or new Battlestar. ...hm...maybe Battlestar...