Re: Real Space Combat Help:

In message <335293F4.2781@alf.dec.com> you wrote:

> Samuel Penn wrote:
> > I'd only assume use of gauss cannons for short range weapons.
> > A few tens of thousands of klicks at most. For anything longer,
> > use missiles. At light second ranges, I'd say don't use anything
> > other than missiles.
> 
> I'm not even sure 10k kliks are even doable ... unless you have really
> /really/ good intelligence on their future movements.  Missiles are
> going to be your /surest/ long-range attack, for good or ill.

If the target is trying to be stealthy, then he's got no
active sensors which are most likely to detect gauss attacks.
If you have detected him anyhow, then I'd say hitting with
gauss would be doable. If he can see it coming, then effective
range depends on muzzle velocity of the gauss weapon. Anything
out to a few seconds range could probably be hit (it also comes
down to how quickly the target can move out the way).

> > Further, I might even have as good, or better, acceleration (and
> > hence a larger manouevre sphere) than you do. A massive, well
> > armoured and bristling with point defences defence battleship,
> > with low mass ratio and very high thrust could dance rings
> > around your interplanetary assualt force.
> 
> Now, if you have more outright thrust, I'm in deep kaka, no matter
> /what/ is in the offing.  Your maneuver spheres easily overlap mine,
so
> I'm going to have to be a tactical genius to get anything done,
> outguessing and out-maneuvering you in the details, not just the
> outlines.

It also comes down to weapon systems we both mount, and relative
tech. Also, there's going to be big differences in tactical skills
of attacker and defender, and attacker could also have much
better knowledge of the defenders systems and plans, then the
defender does of the attacker (it's easier to plan an attack
you know you're going to make, then it is to plan a defence when
you don't know who, what or when an attack will occur).

-- 
Be seeing you,
Sam.