[Feature Request] Impulse-Warp Momentum

Brought this up with Xansta after the game today; This is especially noticeable with slower ships, but the interchange between going from Impulse Thrusters to Warp Drive and back again feels very stiff due to Impulse requiring you to slow down to 0 before Jump starts to accelerate, and vice versa.

When you think of ships coming out of warp or even full jump, they usually maintain some momentum in space. EE doesn't have the most accurate physics to real life and that's perfectly fine, my issue is the frame or two of zero forward thrust before one or the other begins accelerating.

My suggestion would be to make Warp acceleration and deceleration return to the target speed of your Impulse thrusters. My immediate thought is to make current thrust from Impulse and Warp separate variables that the ship then takes the highest value of as its actual forward thrust. This would allow for warp starting while stationary to begin immediately, while requiring Warp starting while moving to have a delay based on warp acceleration, due to requiring the warp to spool up to a speed faster than Impulse.

Naturally, while Warp is spooling up, weapons are still disabled, meaning there will be a second or so of Impulse-Speed movement where you can't attack as a result of Warp accelerating or decelerating, but the UI already has a bit of feedback regarding when Warp is in use, so it should be fine as-is. This would also allow hit-and-run and minelayer play to be less stiff as well as exiting warp hot into combat and ready to maneuver around incoming fire. For hit and run, You'll still have to drop out of warp and make your attacks, then spend precious seconds in a dangerous position revving your Warp back up to go fast while you can't retaliate, but the ability is there, and might even open up the design space for a ship that utilizes a warp with low top speed but high acceleration and deceleration to make attacks with lighter weaponry, kind of like a jousting ship.

No files or tests are named. Start by locating the Impulse Thrusters and Warp Drive movement entry points, then determine how acceleration, deceleration, target speed, weapon disabling, and UI feedback currently interact; done means removing the zero-thrust transition while preserving the stated warp and combat behavior.