RE: LaGrange Points, others

	Do you assume that the travel from planet to edge of system is 
rest-to-rest (i.e., must be at relative rest to jump): or that you 
accelerate all the way to the EOS, jump, and then decelerate in the 
destination system (a la Cherryh's 'Chanur' books)?
	Personally, I like the accel-jump-decel style - less time to get
to the 
edge of a system with a slow ship.  Some quick calculations gave these 
numbers:

To travel 20 AU (3 billion km) with a Thrust 2 ship (assuming 1 MU =
1000 
km, 1 turn = 15 mins, 1 Thrust = 0.125g or 1.25 m/s/s)
	Rest-to-rest takes 253 days
	Straight accel takes 18 days (& you're going 3486 MU/turn when
you get 
there - 0.013 c)
You'd have to account for the decel time & distance in the new system - 
makes things interesting.  And you don't want to lose your manuver drive

near an entry or exit point - you'll fly on out of (or through) the
system 
real fast...
Also makes for some interesting tactics - jump in outside the EOS, dump 
missiles, jump out ASAP (if possible), let the missiles scream on in to
the 
target - they'll want pickets out to find this sort of thing.  It's a 
really powerful kind of attack, and the 6+ hour wait between jumps makes
it 
hard to do, unless you come in WAY outsystem.  Jump signatures should
also 
be 'visible' at least across the system (grav pulse, exotic particles, 
whatever).  Somebody blips in & then out rapidly, probably made a
weapons 
dump, check that vector for inbound objects.
	And when pure warships are shooting up transports, it's not
really piracy, 
it's commerce raiding - a noble naval pastime ;).

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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