EVE Guide Top Speed Calculation Guide  

Top Speed Calculation Guide

Editor's Note: This is an advanced guide, and assumes a solid understanding of both EVE-Online and basic algebra. The following concepts, while extremely useful to understand, are not critical.


The list of things that affect your "cruising" speed, i.e. before you've turned an afterburner or microwarpdrive on is:

  • Base speed of ship
  • Overdrive Injector Systems, Nanofiber Internal Structures and/or Expanded Cargoholds equipped (low slot modules)
  • Level of navigation skill (5% per level of skill)
  • Level of racial ship skill where applicable, e.g. 5% per level of Racial Industrial skill on industrial ships
  • Implants that effect velocity, e.g. Hardwiring - Eifyr and Co. 'Rogue' CY-1
  • Bonuses from leadership skills and gang assist modules (I won't be going into too much detail on these as I'm not that familiar with them)

Cruising speed = (base speed of ship + increase/decrease from Overdrives/Nanofibers/Expanded Cargoholds) * (1 + navigation skill level * 0.05) * (1 + racial ship skill level * x applicable) * (velocity implant(s)) * (gang skill/warfare module bonus(es))

E.g.

Sigil, with navigation 4, acceleration control 2, Amarr Industrial 3, a local hull conversion nanofiber structure I, and a CY-1 hardwiring implant.

  • Base speed of ship = 155m/s
  • Local hull conversion nanofiber structure I gives 24m/s velocity increase
  • Sigil gets a 5% per level velocity bonus from Amarr Industrial skill
  • CY-1 implant gives a 3% increase to top speed

Cruising speed with these skills and modules applied

= (155 + 24) * (1 + 4 * 0.05) * (1 + 3 * 0.05) * 1.03

= 247.02 m/s

That's all pretty straightforward, the part that isn't as simple is when considering afterburners and microwarpdrives. Apart from the factors that affect the cruising speed, listed above, there are additional factors that decide what the top speed with a particular afterburner or microwarpdrive equipped are. These are:

  • Base boost provided by the AB or MWD
  • Level of acceleration control skill (5% per level of skill)
  • Base mass of ship
  • Size of speed boost module (1MN/10MN/100MN)
  • Implants that affect microwarpdrive/afterburner boost, e.g. Hardwiring - Eifyr and Co. 'Rogue' MY-2
  • Plate(s) fitted

The size of the speed boost module actually determines two variables: the thrust of the module and the mass that is added to the mass of the ship when the module is activated.

  • 1MN modules give a thrust of 1,500,000 N and add 500,000 kg to mass
  • 10MN modules give a thrust of 15,000,000 N and add 5,000,000 kg to mass
  • 100MN modules give a thrust of 150,000,000 N and add 50,000,000 kg to mass

The size and quality of the plate also adds a certain amount of mass to the ship. This has two effects - makes the ship accelerate slower, and lowers the maximum velocity of the ship when a speed module is activated. It does not affect the cruising speed of the ship.

50mm Reinforced Steel Plates I add 18,750 kg
50mm Reinforced Nanofiber Plates I add 17,500 kg
50mm Reinforced Titanium Plates I add 16,250 kg
50mm Reinforced Crystalline Carbonide Plates I add 15,000 kg
50mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I add 13,750 kg
50mm Reinforced Steel Plates II add 18,750 kg

100mm Reinforced Steel Plates I add 37,500 kg
100mm Reinforced Nanofiber Plates I add 35,000 kg
100mm Reinforced Titanium Plates I add 32,500 kg
100mm Reinforced Crystalline Carbonide Plates I add 30,000 kg
100mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I add 27,500 kg
100mm Reinforced Steel Plates II add 37,500 kg

200mm Reinforced Steel Plates I add 187,500 kg
200mm Reinforced Nanofiber Plates I add 175,000 kg
200mm Reinforced Titanium Plates I add 162,500 kg
200mm Reinforced Crystalline Carbonide Plates I add 150,000 kg
200mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I add 137,500 kg
200mm Reinforced Steel Plates II add 187,500 kg

400mm Reinforced Steel Plates I add 375,000 kg
400mm Reinforced Nanofiber Plates I add 350,000 kg
400mm Reinforced Titanium Plates I add 325,000 kg
400mm Reinforced Crystalline Carbonide Plates I add 300,000 kg
400mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I add 275,000 kg
400mm Reinforced Steel Plates II add 375,000 kg

800mm Reinforced Steel Plates I add 1,875,000 kg
800mm Reinforced Nanofiber Plates I add 1,750,000 kg
800mm Reinforced Titanium Plates I add 1,625,000 kg
800mm Reinforced Crystalline Carbonide Plates I add 1,500,000 kg
800mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I add 1,375,000 kg
800mm Reinforced Steel Plates II add 1,875,000 kg

1600mm Reinforced Steel Plates I add 3,750,000 kg
1600mm Reinforced Nanofiber Plates I add 3,500,000 kg
1600mm Reinforced Titanium Plates I add 3,250,000 kg
1600mm Reinforced Crystalline Carbonide Plates I add 3,000,000 kg
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I add 2,750,000 kg
1600mm Reinforced Steel Plates II add 3,750,000 kg


Boosted speed (i.e. the top speed when the boosting module is active)

= Cruising speed * (1 + (base boost of AB or MWD * (1 + accel control level * 0.05) * (ab/mwd implant(s)) * (thrust / (ship mass + modules mass)))


= (base speed of ship + increase/decrease from Overdrives/Nanofibers/Expanded Cargoholds) * (1 + navigation skill level * 0.05) * (1 + racial ship skill level * x applicable) * (velocity implant(s)) * (gang skill/warfare module bonus(es)) * (1 + (base boost of AB or MWD * (1 + accel control level * 0.05) * (ab/mwd implant(s)) * (thrust / (ship mass + module mass)))

E.g.

Thorax with navigation 5, acceleration control 4, a Mark I Modified SS Nanofiber Structure, a 1600mm Reinforced Titanium plate, a Y-T8 Overcharged Hydrocarbon I Microwarpdrive, a CY-1 implant.

  • Base speed of ship = 180 m/s
  • Base mass of ship = 12,000,000 kg
  • Mark I Modified SS Nanofiber Structure adds 21 m/s
  • CY-1 implant gives 3% bonus to velocity
  • Y-T8 Overcharged Hydrocarbon I Microwarpdrive gives a base boost of 525% (thrust = 15,000,000 N, additional mass = 5,000,000 kg)
  • 1600mm Reinforced Titanium Plates I adds 3,250,000

Boosted speed = (180 + 21) * 1.25 * 1.03 * (1 + (5.25 * 1.2 * (15,000,000 / (12,000,000 + 5,000,000 + 3,250,000)))

= 258.7875 * (1 + 4.667) = 1,466.4625 m/s




Converted from Guides
Created: 2006-11-17 15:03:14
Last Changed: 2007-06-05 18:37:56
Author: Farjung
Category: General
Last Edited 1102892
Score: 3.00
Note: None
Guide ID: 822
Last Changed: Unknown

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This page last modified 2009-05-06 22:15:44.