Warp Wells

Planets are surrounded by a warp well, a region of space approximately 3 light-years in radius in which ships exiting warp speed travel will be sucked into planetary orbit.

The warp well consists of 28 points: the 8 points immediately next to the planet (+/- 1 ly); the 16 points surrounding those (+/- 2 ly from the planet), and then 4 points directly above, below, left and right of the planet, exactly 3 ly away.

Any ship that ends 'movement' at warp 2 or greater in one of these points will be sucked into the planet's orbit. This gravity-assisted movement requires no fuel, and cannot be avoided. Ships can move within the warpwell at warp 1 and not be sucked into the planet. Gravitronic ships may also move at warp 1 within the warpwell, they will travel 2 ly and not be sucked into the planet's orbit. Ships sitting in the warp well but not moving will not be sucked to the planet no matter their warp setting. Ships being towed to a planet's warp well will continue to be towed to the planet (even if the towing ship is out of fuel by the time it arrives). Hyperjumping ships are also subject to the warpwell, but only for 16 of the 20 points -- the 4 points 3.0 ly away (top, bottom, left, right) are not considered part of the warpwell for hyperjumping ships.

Strategy points with warpwells include:

• setting ship waypoint to the edge of the warpwell to shorten the journey by 2-3 ly, thereby saving fuel
• moving within warpwell at warp-1, thereby preventing intercept by ships traveling faster than warp-1