[FT] Vector Movement Cheat Sheet

I got this message from my opponent in a recent game:

>MB 4, RP 5, to heading 11.  This leaves every ship in my fleet with
>three vectors:
>Heading 3, velocity 18
>Heading 12, velocity 2
>Heading 4, velocity 4
>
>You've got the spreadsheet, please do my endpoints.  :)  I'm plotting
>manually.

I made a chart with Facings as the columns and Thrust as the rows.  I
tried
copying it into this message from MS Excel but it isn't properly spaced
and
will be easier, I think, to make your own (although I'll eventually make
a
table in HTML).  Each cell has a formula to calculate the change in X
(or Y)
position based on the amount of thrust you're using and the heading. X =
Thrust * sin(Heading * 30 degrees), Y the same except cosine instead of
sine.  If you're using Excel, you have to convert from radians to
degrees,
so you'd have sin(Heading*30*PI()/180).

Using this chart, we see that the first vector mentioned yields (+18,
+0),
the second (+0, -2), and the third (+3.46, -2).  Adding these together,
we
find his endpoints are (+21.46, +0) from his initial position.	This is
quick and easy (otherwise I couldn't do it), does not demand a computer
(eg
if you're working out your positions on the bus, at work, etc.), and is
more
accurate than plotting on graph paper.

Hope this helps.