Bubbles and Warping

PendingCategory:PVP UniversityPendingCategory:PVP University/BASIC Copyright Sanfrey Statolomy & Agony Unleashed

Introduction

This article explains the basics of warping, warp core stabilisers, and "Bubbles". This is important reading for students that have not ventured into 0.0 space, as some of the game mechanics described here can only be encountered in 0.0.

This article is intended to be a primer, providing enough background to demystify bubbles for new players. It is not intended to be the definitive guide to all bubble mechanics.

Warping Basics

In order to warp to an object, your ship needs to be moving towards the object within 5 degrees, at 75% of its maximum velocity or more. On the ship's speedometer (beneath the capacitor display) there are three small notches, indicating 25%, 50% and 75% of maximum speed. For the purposes of warping, 'maximum speed' includes the boost provided by Microwarp Drives or Afterburners - therefore there's no advantage to using these when trying to warp. Once the ship's velocity meets the 75% mark and is facing in the direction of the warp destination, the ship will enter warp.

Therefore the time it takes to enter warp is determined by the time it takes to turn to a heading within 5 degrees of the destination; and the time it takes to accelerate to 75% of warp speed.

Note: If your ship is not moving at all, the time to turn towards the target is nil. Your ship will accelerate in the direction you attempt to warp in, and turn towards that direction, simultaneously. Therefore the time to enter warp from a stationary ship is always simply the time it takes to accelerate to 75% of max velocity.

Disruptors and Scramblers

In order to warp, a ship needs to have one Warp Core Stabilizer (WCS) fitted for every 'point' of warp disruption that an enemy has placed on it. For example, a Myrmidon could be locked down on an asteroid belt by a lone interceptor with a warp disruptor. If the Myrmidon was fitted with a WCS, that would negate the 'one point of warp disruption' from the interceptor, and the Myrmidon would be free to warp away. If two interceptors tried to stop the Myrmidon, each using a warp disruptor, there would be two 'points' of warp disruption and the Myrmidon would need two WCS fitted in order to warp away.

The warp scrambler modules serve an identical function to the warp disruptors, but have double the strength. Each scrambler carries two points worth of disruption, requiring two WCS fitted for the target to escape.

Note: The blockade runner transport ships, such as the Viator, have an inbuilt ability to resist two points of warp disruption, without the fitting of WCS modules.

Heavy Interdictors

The scourge (or hero - depending on your perspective!) of low-sec, Heavy Interdictors are commonly referred to as HICs. Aside from their ability to carry a bubble about with them (see below), the HICs can be fitted with an 'infinite strength' warp disruptor, rendering any number of WCS useless. Combined with cruiser-spec fast locking times, a HIC is capable of stopping any ship from entering warp (typically so the HIC's friends can kill the target.)

Bubbles

Bubbles are a cornerstone element of 0.0 warfare. A bubble is the common name for a warp disruption field, which is seen as a large shiny sphere from 4km to 54km in radius. There are several devices and ships that can create bubbles, but the bubbles themselves have mostly identical attributes regardless of the type. Bubbles perform two functions: Firstly, ships cannot warp if they are inside the bubble. Secondly, ships warping to objects near bubbles can be 'sucked' away from the destination object (a gate for example) into the bubble. This causes confusion, and prevents them from warping away until they can fly out of the bubble, and find something to warp to.

In either circumstance the owner of the bubble attempts to use the delay to destroy the ship caught in the trap.

Larger bubbles are often deployed centred on a jump gate, so when a ship arrives in a system through the gate, it must decloak inside the bubble. The ship won't be able to warp away until it has powered out of the bubble, allowing time for the hostile forces to get warp disruptors and webs locked and activated. This is a classic form of gate camp.

In order for a bubble to catch a ship by pulling it out of warp, the following criteria must be met:

• The bubble must have been deployed before the ship entered warp.
• The bubble must be aligned with the point the ship is warping to. For example, if a ship is warping from one gate to another, in order to get caught by a bubble at the destination gate, that bubble needs to be lined up so a straight line drawn between the two gates would also pass through the bubble.
• The bubble needs to be within 150km of where the ship is warping to. If the bubble is 100km behind a gate, and someone warps to the gate from a point that the bubble is aligned with, the bubble will pull them past the gate and catch the ship. However if the ship warps to the gate at 100km, they will arrive safely 100km in front of the gate, and won't be pulled into the bubble 100km on the other side of the gate.

For these reasons, a common trap is to locate a bubble around 50km behind a gate - ensuring that anyone who warps to the gate, at any distance up to 100km, will get pulled into the bubble - and will then need to 'drive' the whole 50km back to the gate to escape. (See figure 3 below.)

Examples

Image: HIC with bubble, large bubble on gate, small bubble behind gate

Terminology

Bubble: Friendly name for less than friendly warp disruption field.
Bubble Up: Usually used by HICs, means the bubble's activated. Bubble down means deactivated.
Bubblecamp: Gate camp, or station camp, or any bunch of ships using a bubble to catch prey.
Bubbletrap: A bubble set up to trap people, usually by pulling them away from their intended warp destination.
Caught in a Bubble: Oops, I didn't scout this gate out first, now I'm about to get killed.
Dictor: Interdictor (Sabre, Flycatcher, Heretic, Eris)
Hictor, HIC: Heavy Interdictor (Onyx, Broadsword, Phobos, Devoter)
Pop a bubble: (Usually from an Intidictor) - Fire a warp disruption probe to create a bubble.
Holy [CENSORED] I'm [CENSORED] [CENSORED] by a [CENSORED]ing bubble!!!: Typical victim's reaction.