Re: [GZG] Re: Ship Roles & Classes Part Deux

[Ground Zero Games <jon@xxxxxxx>]

> John Rebori wrote on 05/17/2007 06:18:49 AM:
>
> ***snippage of beloved manufacturer's remarks***
>
> >  Submariners call their crafts "boats" despite the fact
> >  they qualify as ships in size because historically the
> >  first ones were boats. Strikeship crews may well follow
> >  the same tradition. Aside from that, which would have no
> >  game effect, I like the ship = FTL /boat = non-FTL
> >  nomenclature rule.
>
> I didn't think the nomenclature was entirely voluntary. ;->=
>
> Excellent point about tradition trumping reason, though.
>
> I am rather partial to the distinction based on FTL, though it could just
> as well be the difference to a ship with equipment and facilities for
> extended intersteller missions, including to the amount of fuel, vs. a unit
> that could only pop in, and, if surviving an encounter, pop right back out
> to home. *shrug*
>
> >  By the way, despite the WWII movie title, those of us who
> >  have crewed modern "strikeboat" equivalents find the word
> >  "expendable"...........unsettling. :-)
>
> I have to admit the vision of penal units came to mind briefly. However,
> I'm sure the brave part was that Jon intended to have the emphasis.


I had more "fanatic" than "penal" in mind when I wrote that.... would 
YOU let a bunch of convicts fly off in a small fast ship with 
missiles on board.... ?  <GRIN>

I suppose you could PSB an AI "kommisar" running the ship's systems, 
that won't let them do anything except fly towards the enemy and fire 
on them - a bit like the Japanese chaining kamikaze pilots into their 
cockpits to prevent them changing their minds...  :-/
Hmmm, that sounds a bit like the starting point for a good short story....!

On a more serious note, in "realistic" fleet terms I'd see the 
strikeship/boat concept as more of a defensive than offensive weapon 
(in a strategic sense); something to station around worlds that you 
need to try and defend but can't spare major fleet units for, on the 
basis that they give good "bang for buck" if they survive long enough 
to attack. I can see small colonies buying or begging a handful of 
strikeboats to give them some small chance of taking out one or two 
of the assault transports before the invading force can land.

Using them in an attacking role may be effective tactically, but the 
losses they will incur could be very expensive in terms of politics 
back home and fleet morale - not that some nations will worry too 
much about this.....  ;-)

Jon (GZG)

> Throwing very small craft at very big ones, while occasionally successful,
> certainly suggested a certain expendability in the minds of the battle
> planners. Interesting, that in 'radical' naval thought, there were periods
> when small torpedo craft vied with aircraft as to be the future doom of big
> ship navies.
>
> The_Beast
>
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