RE: LaGrange Points, others

I like the EOS (Edge Of System) concept - means you have to have really 
powerful drives, or accept long travel-to-jump times.  It reminds me of
the 
Alderson Drive from Niven/Pournelle fiction - instant long range FTL,
slow 
insystem travel.  I'll have to drag out my Starfire system maps and
start 
charting some of this stuff.  I agree with the reasoning for Pirates -
same 
holds true for one of my favorite scenarios, Convoy Escort.  The outer 
system is HUGE, and gives pirates and other hostiles a place to hide.

Noah

-----Original Message-----
From:	John Leary [SMTP:realjtl@sj.bigger.net]
Sent:	Saturday, July 11, 1998 05:21 PM
To:	FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
Subject:	Re: LaGrange Points, others

<Snip quoted material>

Greetings All,
     Just to interject a bit of K.I.S.S. into the discussion:

    In the current FT campaign, (designed to produce space battles and
not much else.) the system is very easy to use.

Turn 1) A ship loads cargo at a planet.
Turn 2) The ship moves to EOS.	(Edge of System)
Turn 3) The ship does the FTL jump to the next hex.  (this repeats
	as necessary to reach the next systems EOS.)
Turn X) Arrives at next EOS.
Turn Y) Moves to planet.
Turn Z) Unload at destination.

     The inclusion of the EOS concept allows the existance of 'pirates'
in the game and gives them a place/zone where they can maneuver and
intercept cargo ships that are inbound to the system.	If the cargo
ship is allowed to jump too close to the planet the pirate cannot
operate because the planet can post a few scouts/corvetts to prevent
the capture of any cargo ship as it arrives at the inbound jump
location.
     Remember that the pirate needs to chase down the cargo ship, force
surrender/disable/capture the ship, unload and transfer cargo,
(and more than likely destroy/remove all sensor logs, and eliminate
all crew/passengers), and remove themselves from the area before any
official types get within sensor range.   (Presuming sensor data can
be recorded and variations in engine/FTL/pirate sensors can be used
to identify the ship at a later date.)

     With the above as a fact of life, the 'pirate' will not be running
a warship (no space for cargo), otherwise piracy becomes a 'non-profit'
operation.   The ideal pirate ship becomes a converted full-streamlined
thrust 4 to 6 ship not greater than mass 18, with additional boarding
parties and two mass in weapons.

just a thought,

Got comments?

Bye for now,
John L.

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