Re: hyperspace (was: cloaking device rules)

joachim wrote:
>@:) Well I was refering to theories, not special effects.
>
>  I'm not sure which one there are more of!

Good point! ;)

>Since you can't outrun light in normal space, whether you can avoid
>a directed energy weapon really depends on your estimation of future
>targeting systems and beam attenuation over distance.	That's all
>pretty speculative since we don't have any real world examples (well
>none that don't suck anyway).

Nope.  Just that your ship is running slower than lightspeed and the
discharge of the energy weapon behind you is at lightspeed.

>@:) This is mainly due to current targeting and focusing systems, not
>@:) weapon range.
>
>  I don't know what kind of theoretical limits have been proposed for
>large-scale laser focusing systems, but I guess since we're talking
>about engines with acceleration that's just plain goofy, we can assume
>super high-quality targeting systems and super long-range lasers.  I
>prefer to imagine the beam weapons of the future being some non-laser
>weapon that somehow manages to do all the amazing things that phasers
>and blasters and pulse cannons and what-have-you do.

Yep.  Blast ships traveling below lightspeed.  The main problem is
targeting, not range or time to impact.

>@:) an offensive targeting system will be available to predict your
>@:) path the second you light up and place a few gigawatts of
>@:) destructive energy in a merging path with you.
>
>  Well, I can see it but I don't think I can quite suspend my
>disbelief in that direction.  Sure, that could happen but it just
>doesn't agree with me.

No problem.  Use what you like.  I just prefer hard science rather than
fantasy.

>actually get off the board.  Youch!  You're toast dude.  So while
>people are in fact allowed to leave the game by using this drive
>system, it ain't easy.  Heavy ships in particular end up with a
>maximum first turn acceleration (10) that is only slightly better than
>an escort's likely normal acceleration (8).  So I still predict a fair
>amount of bloodshed.

That's been the point I've been trying to make all along.  You can run,
but
not completely outrun the incoming fire.

>  Destroying equipment could be good (eg take damage as for a row for
>every turn you are FTLing without a functional FTL drive).  I included
>an important admiral as a system in a recent scenario since one of the
>goals was to kill him	This could be done more generally by having a
>captain system - if it's destroyed the ship is out of control for a
>turn or something.

OK, why not make the turbo-flush a system as well.  Any hit, reduces all
rolls to hit by -1, indicating the crews uncomfortatable disposition
with
not having a working crapper.

Mike Miserendino