Re: Sand

On Fri, 9 May 1997, David Brewer wrote:
> The obvious old-tech counter-measure to sand is surely beams
> (rather than PT's). I assume the sand-cloud PSB is that the sand 
> readily absorbs the beam's energy and vaporises. So you vape your 
> way through. Cooperate with the sand, rather than try to beat it.
> All the vanilla ships have beams.

Now that's a good idea.
 
> I have to say I don't readily buy sand as credible PSB. A cloud of
> sand is vast compared to a ship (depending on how you see the
> undefined FT ground-scale). If such an incredibly insubstantial 
> cloud of sand can absorb so much beam energy... why not just coat 
> your hull with the stuff? 

And consider the sand launch itself: The cloud immediately spreads to at
least several times the ship's volume. What's the magic force that stops
it expanding any further? Electro-Magnetic control is a possibility, but
then the ship should have better control over the cloud overall. 

I'm beginning to think sand clouds would serve best as a primitive point

defense and screen substite in low-tech games, with a limited duration 
and possibly no onboard representation at all. I seem to recall that's 
how Traveller handled it.

"Incoming missiles, sir!"
"Fire starboard sand casters."

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