PBC's at the speed of light

Just for fun: Do you know what happens when you set the speed of a PBC bolt to 3e8?

I set all my bolts to the speed of light, and left my base to test them. Popped a few shots a Lucretia's base. The bolt moved so fast I couldn't see it (duh). But I could see the fire bloom where it hit. So, figuring a base really isn't the best target, I decided to test them (where else) in the shipping lanes.

I go to the nearest L-point, close in to about 12 km from an unsuspecting snrv, and fire the heavy pbc. The snrv takes about 14 points damage and is accelerated to (approx) the speed of light. It's escorts are pissed at me, but cannot do battle because they have to engage LDS to catch the snrv they're supposed to guard.
So I wait for another unsuspecting target. Oh good, another snrv. This time I formate with it as I fire. The snrv again is traveling at about the speed of light from the impact. I'm right behind it in LDS. Whenever I get about 5 km from it, I cancel autopilot, fire another shot, then formate with it again to catch up. The snrv, after about five shots, is traveling too fast for me to keep up with it (in LDS!) and I have to abandon the chase.

This, I realize, could be fun. I go to a station, and set up so that the hapless craft I target is sent into the station at light speed (another snrv... just wasn't their day). The station takes no damage (station assault not on), but calls for backup. I try to fire at the station, but it has enough mass for the bolt not to move it.
Suddenly my ship is thrown sideways at immense speeds. The backup forces have hit me with a pbc bolt. They LDS in persuit, and what followed was the strangest battle I've ever fought. They LDS and, when close enough, I fire at them, and suddenly they're going lightspeed backwards. I LDS at them, they fire at me, etc., etc.
Finally gave it up. Couldn't do any significant damage.

Now I know why the bolt speeds are set so slow. And it's a clever trick to go really, really, really fast.

No confusion; just wrong or right ... Only Solutions

*lol*

Didn't this happen in a Superman movie? Playing 'catch' with a nuclear missile or something. It would be a fun alien weapon.

-Gtrout

It's good to hear the game could still detect collisions at that speed, or did you lengthen the bolt dramatically?

In any case, that might make a half-decent weapon. Sort of like Freespace's flail gun.

Didn't lengthen the bolt or change anything other than the speed.

I was surprised it actually hit. Past a certain velocity, I've noticed the game will sometimes allow an object to simply pass through another object with no collision.

No confusion; just wrong or right ... Only Solutions

accelerated to (approx) the speed of light.

Adds a whole new level to cargo pod bowling.

i just tried this the other day, i did it with a neutron pbc though so the enemy wouldnt blast me all to hell(at light speed:)) but i dont know if i didnt lengthen it enough or what because it would NOT hit anything with less mass than a dreadnaught corvette, even when the target was sitting still, but it was still alot of fun

"Faith lies in the ways of sin"