Micro warp drive
A Microwarpdrive, or MWD, is a speed enhancing module. Like the Afterburner, it fits into a medium sized Slot.
While a Microwarpdrive is Active, your speed is enhanced greatly, much more than an Afterburner. The catch is that your Signature Radius is increased by almost as much while the module is active, greatly reducing the enhancement to your evasion you would have otherwise received.
Since the enhancement to your evasion is not as potent, it may seem less ideal for evading weapon's fire. However, since you can close distance or keep distance so well, it is conceivable that you could get to ranges where the enemy weaponry do not work by virtue of range.
While installed and online (whether active or not) a MWD will reduce your maximum Capacitor value by 25%, reducing the charge rate and total starting Capacitor. Additionally, the module consumes much more Capacitor than an Afterburner when active, making it one of the most Capacitor intensive modules in existence. You can Offline your MWD to restore your maximum capacitor value, but the module will be unavailable and will cost Capacitor to Online it again.
You can only have 1 MWD active at once. You can fit an Afterburner and a MWD on the same ship, but they cannot be active at the same time.
Contents
[hide]Thrust Factor & Size Classes
The interactions between ship size and MWD size are the same as with Afterburners. MWDs have a thrust factor associated with them, a different multiple of 15 for each size class:
- 1,500,000 newtons for 1MN (Frigate)
- 15,000,000 newtons for 10MN (Cruiser)
- 150,000,000 newtons for 100MN (Battleship)
The different classes of ship generally have a weight associated with them:
- 1,000,000-1,500,000 kg for Frigates and Destroyers
- 10,000,000-15,000,000 kg for Cruisers and Battlecruisers
- 100,000,000-150,000,000 kg for Battleships
The Thrust Factor of the MWD will adjust the speed bonus of the MWD, depending on the weight of the ship. If the ship weighs less than the Thrust Factor, you will gain additional speed. If it weighs more, you lose speed.
Weight Gain
You must take into account that MWDs increase the weight of the ship when active. Each class of MWD will give a different weight gain appropriate to the class:
- 500,000 for 1MN
- 5,000,000 for 10MN
- 50,000,000 for 100MN
These weight gains will offset the fact that you are provided with a roughly equal amount of additional thrust (i.e. 1,500,000 instead of 1,000,000) that the lightest ship would have enjoyed. It also makes the ship turn slower.
Overfitting
If you can somehow fit a Cruiser class MWD onto a Frigate, the speed increase is enhanced by the Thrust Factor/Weight ratio, giving you much more than the intended 500% increase in speed (even after the Weight Gain). The reverse is also true - if you fit a module that is too small for your weight, you will not gain much of anything.
In any case, unlike Afterburners, you'll be hard pressed to fit a larger MWD on a smaller ship. Even if you did succeed, your ship would likely not be able to fit anything else.
Microwarpdrive Limits & Disruption
Given that the module supposedly puts your ship into a state of "Microwarp", MWDs follow similar rules to Warping in regards to things that can prevent it. However, the rules are not identical.
MWDs will not work in Deadspace locations, excepting those of Faction Warfare locations.
Interdictor and Heavy Interdictor Bubbles do not inhibit MWDs.
The Warp Scrambler type Warp Jammers will deactivate and prevent MWDs from functioning, and even reset the speed of the ship instantly to normal velocity. However, Warp Disruptor type Warp Jammers will have no such effect.
Variations
Frigate Class
| Name | Meta Level | Max Velocity Bonus | Activation Cost | Powergrid Usage | CPU Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tech I | 1MN MicroWarpdrive I | n/a | 500 % | 45 Energy | 15 mw | 25 tf |
| Phased Monopropellant I Hydrazine Boosters | 1 | 512.5 % | 45 Energy | 15 mw | 25 tf | |
| Catalyzed Cold-Gas I Arcjet Thrusters | 2 | 525 % | 45 Energy | 15 mw | 23 tf | |
| Tech II | 1MN MicroWarpdrive II | 5 | 550 % | 50 Energy | 17 mw | 30 tf |
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Cruiser Class
| Name | Meta Level | Max Velocity Bonus | Activation Cost | Powergrid Usage | CPU Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tech I | 10MN MicroWarpdrive I | n/a | 500 % | 180 Energy | 150 mw | 50 tf |
| Y-T8 Overcharged Hydrocarbon I Microwarpdrive | 3 | 525 % | 180 Energy | 150 mw | 50 tf | |
| Tech II | 10MN MicroWarpdrive II | 5 | 550 % | 198 Energy | 165 mw | 50 tf |
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Battleship Class
| Name | Meta Level | Max Velocity Bonus | Activation Cost | Powergrid Usage | CPU Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tech I | 100MN MicroWarpdrive I | n/a | 500 % | 720 Energy | 1250 mw | 75 tf |
| Quad LiF Fueled I Booster Rockets | 4 | 525 % | 720 Energy | 1250 mw | 75 tf | |
| Tech II | 100MN MicroWarpdrive II | 5 | 550 % | 792 Energy | 1375 mw | 75 tf |
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Common Statistics amongst all MWDs
| Activation Signature Penalty | Capacitor Size Penalty | Thrust Factor | Activation Weight Penalty | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1MN | 500 % | 25 % | 1,500,000 | 500,000 | 10 sec |
| 10MN | 500 % | 25 % | 15,000,000 | 500,000 | 10 sec |
| 100MN | 500 % | 25 % | 150,000,000 | 500,000 | 10 sec |
Ship Bonuses
- All Interceptors have had their Signature Radius reduction bonus changed. It is now a reduction to the activation penalty of MWDs, reducing the Signature Radius penalty by 15% per ship level.
- The Thorax, Deimos, and Vindicator all receive a 5% reduction per ship level to the Capacitor penalty of fitting a MWD. This effectively removes it once the appropriate ship skill is level 5.
Skills, Implants, and Boosters
- The Acceleration Control skill will boost the effectiveness of a MWD or Afterburner by 5% per level.
- The Navigation skill provides 5% more base velocity per level.
- The Snake Implants (slot 1-6) enhance base speed (they now stack with speed modules).
- The Halo Implants (slot 1-6) reduce Signature Radius
- The Slot 6 Rogue MY- series of Hardwirings enhance the speed increase of Afterburners or MWDs.
- The Slot 6 Rogue CY- series and Shaqil's Speed Enhancer both increase the base speed of a ship.
- The Slot 9 Rogue GY- series reduces the Capacitor needs of MWDs.
- The slot 10 Skirmish Warfare Mindlink will add 50% more effectiveness to Skirmish Warfare Links, one of which provides a Gang boost to speed.
- The X-Instinct series provides a Signature Radius reduction, but may reduce your base velocity as a side-effect.
Overheat
Overheating a MWD will increase its velocity bonus by 50%, making it one of the most substantial boosts to receive from Overheating. Even using it in small bursts can give you a huge speed advantage over an enemy that doesn't have the Thermodynamics skill.
Related Modules
- Overdrive Injectors, which boost base speed
- Nanofiber Internal Structure modules, which also boost base speed, as well as Agility
- Skirmish Warfare Link - Rapid Deployment will add a speed boost to all Fleet members based on the command skills of the Gang Booster.
Trivia
- Before the Quantum Rise expansion, MWDs used to have a slight amount more of a velocity boost than their Signature Radius penalty, but this was removed as part of the overall speed nerf.
- In the very beginning, MWDs and Afterburners didn't have classes; one module fit any ship. Additionally, it was possible to activate more than one speed module. This made fitting more than MWD not only easy, but capable of boosting ships with many mid-slots to insane speeds (such as the Scorpion). Furthermore, MWDs didn't take their penalty from the Capacitor, but rather from the shields of the ship.
- The Revelations 1.4 patch saw more speed nerfs. The Propellant Injection Vent Rig was suddenly changed (without warning) into much weaker Auxiliary Thrusters Rigs. The older version gave a 15% (T1) increase to Afterburner and MWD speed, and did it without a Stacking Penalty. In addition, many changes occurred to other speed enhancing modules, making them less powerful. At the time, it was very possible to make a workable speed fit for Battleships.