Lower Max Spacecraft Speed

[Deantwo]

Having a spacecraft move at at lightspeed is sort of unrealistic without advanced technology such as a warp-drive or whatever.

The faster the ship is moving the more deadly space pebbles and space dust will be colliding with the front of the craft with overwhelming force. This is why you need to have anti-asteroid defenses or forcefields to deflect whatever dust is in your path.

So maybe deadheading speed should actually be decreased to at least 20% of lightspeed. This wouldn't technically affect anything other than spacecraft deadheading.

Then it could be possible to increase that a maximum speed with some better technology or special modules. For example shields could increase it to 25% of light speed, a more advanced but expensive gravity-drive module could increase it further by using pulsating gravity waves or whatever.

I don't know if there is a real need to make deadheading slower, but it would make wormhole travel more appealing. And if you want to nerf warp-drive a little more you can make the first warp fact just do 1x lightspeed.

[Rockinsince87]

That could work. 

Would give a reason to have more then just rocket drive and gravity drive engine modules, and would make wormhole travel more appealing like you said. Or would you just base it on QL level of the ship? the drive module?  

Warp drive I think is fine as it is. Warp 1 is slow enough for sure. For me I feel that jump drive should be added and come after warp drive. Each upgrade improving jump distance. Require some kind fuel in the cargo hold to jump for balance.