The big thing about speed drives vs acceleration drives is the speed drives are defined by their top speed... and that the engine has to keep running to maintain that speed rather like star Trek's warp or impuse drive. Those are defined by an absolute speed, rather than their acceleration potential. Ergo their maximum range is defined by that top speed times how long the drive can run between refuelings.
Accelleration drives are just handwaved versions of existing rocketry with higher impulse potential, requiring both acceleration and decelleration, plus a possible 'coast' phase. They require disposable mass as well, either in the form of 'Fuel' for the torch or plain reaction mass that the drive pushes one way in order to make the ship go in the other.
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children
Accelleration drives are just handwaved versions of existing rocketry with higher impulse potential, requiring both acceleration and decelleration, plus a possible 'coast' phase. They require disposable mass as well, either in the form of 'Fuel' for the torch or plain reaction mass that the drive pushes one way in order to make the ship go in the other.
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children