Fuel

[AlexPaladinStorm]

There's also the fact that StarLancer had fuel, but it was only for the Afterburners. Chris Roberts has done the fuel thing before with Wing Commander, but it has apparently faded into one of those things that wasn't worth keeping. I don't think any of the WCs had fuel as vitally necessary, to be honest - though the first one may have had it so when you ran out of fuel, you died. The fact remains that Roberts brothers games have thrown out fuel as a necessity, and that it is assumed that the fightercraft have a renewable power generator that supplies their drives, weapons, and shields. And, now, with FreeLancer, even the AfterBurners are renewable.

So, you see, it goes against the established design principles of the creators of this universe, and, technically, goes against the undocumented(?) technological capabilities of the universe we play in.

EDIT: However, those renewable power generators do sometimes rely on MOX and H-Fuel for reaction material (forms of Fusion/Fission plants, presumably - depending on if they use H-Fuel (Fusion) or MOX (I think this would be Fission? MOX is composed of extra Radioactive materials, so it's of the higher magnitudes, and thus can only be split apart while still producing energy)), if you do bother to read the fluff. Mostly, this just applies to Capital Ships and Space Stations, though, which have far greater power needs than little itty bitty fighters which can probably last almost indefinitely.

"A mixture of uranium oxide (UO2) and a small (<3%) portion of weapons-grade plutonium, MOX is the primary fuel for the nuclear reactors used aboard large spacecraft and the monstrous blast furnaces of manufacturing platforms. MOX is typically formed into ceramic pellets that are then loaded into zirconium fuel elements and packaged for transport. It is an efficient source of energy that utilizes a large percentage of recycled materials and exhibits only trace radiation, thus posing little threat to the environment."

"H-fuel is the basic fuel used for engine propulsion everywhere in the colonies. A mix of elemental hydrogen, deuterium (H2), and helium-3 (He3), H-fuel can also be mixed with oxygen in fuel cells to provide water (via "cracking") and electricity for smaller ships, space stations, and other facilities. H-fuel production is almost totally monopolized by the Kusari who obtain their supplies from the Gas Miner's Guild before shipping it to storage depots and distribution facilities throughout the colonies."

One might assume that a fighter can probably handle flying around on 'ambient Hydrogen and Helium', using any perceivable 'intakes' on the vessel to collect stellar particles for use in the fusion drives. However, capital ships likely need a purer source of fuel, and in larger quantities.

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Currently: Remastering Kiith Somtaaw's Acolyte Fighter. These Homeworld ships need some Sirius work done on them. ^.-

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For peace throughout the colonies! We will never forget..

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