[FT] NI / FCS and other things (long)

Another digest multi-reply

JClem> Anyway, even though the NI is
JClem> paranoid about its facilities, no facility is 
JClem> perfectly sealable. 

Granted. However, Skunkworks technology has a major tole in primary NI
defense, plus NI makes ~25% of its GNP through	trade in military
services in technology, much of which is developed there. This isn't
just any facility. It's not even just any high security facility. Aside
from finding it and infiltrating it undetected (forcing your way in
would be pretty bloody), you'd have to be able to speak and code
fluently in Hebrew (without a southern drawl ;-)  ) to get anything at
all, then get out with the data and/or materials.

JClem> Having been unable to obtain or
JClem> successfully copy the cloaking tech of the Big 
JClem> 4, the NCSN mounted an operation to obtain it.  

Cloaking tech would be _much_ easier to get than stealth.
Again, Sale or parallel engineering is another matter.

JClem> The details are, needless to say, classified,
JClem> but they managed to get hold of it somehow.

Yeah, the NCS inflitrator was booted uncerenmoniously from the facility,
so he went and bought it from the NI Dep't of Military Trade. Now, how
he justified the missing credits from the Intelligence budget.. _that's_
classified.

JClem> I'd love to take you on in some PbEM
JClem> action, detailing the short lived NI/NCS war of 2186. 

Short lived indeed. Assuming this theft could have happened, the "war"
would consiste of a pusuit force following the escaping theft ship to
its first jump stop and obliterating it. Now if there were NCS
friendlies at that stop waiting to protect it, then there would be a
battle, and pending the outcome there would be an international
incident. If the NCS got away with the data, there would be raids on NCS
science and construction facilities, and any NCS stealth ship bult or
under construction would be targetted by raids.

The real question is why steal something from a power that would be
willing to sell or trade for it? That would make for just as rich
timeline development. NI does not start conflicts (IF occasionally
excepted), but it does end them.
No DS or SG here, so it would have to be fleet-only if we were to do
anything. 

JTL> Guys,
JTL> It was a joke!   I was not serious about the shootout.

_I_ know it was a joke. I just don't want to promote NCS delusions of
grandeur. And if a pasting of a squadron of theirs is what that will
take, then so be it. ;-)

Laser > Noam, if you need some backup in this intellectual 
Laser > property dispute, theAlarishi Empire is always willing to 
Laser > engage in joint training exercisesalongside the NI Navy.

The funny thing is It's not really an intellectual property dispute. If
NCS wants to use stealth, then by all means. I tried to write it up as a
balanced system anyone could use, and am _happy_ that someone else wants
to use it. What bridled me was the _method_ of obtaining the technology,
since I would like to have it that infiltrating the skunkworks backed
and protected by 60+ years of paranoia would be beyond any intelligence
group short of the big 2. 

Laser> On a more serious note, we need to rein in "ubertech" 
Laser> that doesn't come fromthe Big Four. 

If a system/rule is balanced, it's not ubertech. 

JTL>  Personally, I like Noams idea about the alternate fleet.
JTL> I feel that ideas that need to be tested should be 
JTL> presented to the list, but not as part of the GZGpedia.   

I'll be working on it slowly - the price of trying to please everyone.
If I get in in enough time, I'll have some more
stealth playtesting at GZG-ECC tomorrow.

Laser>	Anyway, if the Big Guys
Laser>	haven't discovered it, it's probably not because 
Laser>	their militaries are oldand stodgy.  Consequently, 
Laser>	it's unlikely that minor powers will have much
Laser>	new tech.

If it's not in the FB, that doeasn't mean it can't exist.  Stealth, (for
example) costs alot of mass, and therefore has some serious drawbacks
such as weak hulls or lower thrust, and smaller weapons compliment. This
does not fit in any of the big 4's preffered fleet construction, so,
even if they had developed the tech, they would not build many ships to
use it. Lots of people have thought up other 'new technologies' for use
in canon and non-canon environments. I think the limitations on canon
weapons /systems is artificially imposed by time and manpower needed to
develop, playtest, edit, and publish rules books in a timely manner. If
we gave Jon infinite time and playtest resources, I'm sure he could fit
a large and balanced variety of systems into the canon rules.

That being said, some minor powers (like my conception of NI) base their
survival in part on being on the technological cutting edge. That has
enabled their survival and allows them to compete economically in a
galaxy dominated by the big 4 - they can create/produce things that the
big 4 can't or won't. [Historical] NI would have economically collapsed
without profit from military sales and mercenary operations during the
hard times of the 1st and 2nd solar wars. It would have been destroyed
outright in 2173 by the numerically superior IF force if not for
superior technology.

Noam R. Izenberg		noam.izenberg@jhuapl.edu