Re: Capital vs. others Debate

Excerpts from FT: 3-Apr-97 Re: Capital vs. others Debate by Mike
Miserendino@cris.co 
> One thing to consider is does the shield extender provide a globe like
area
> effect to all ships within it's reach or is it projected to each
friendly
> ship within it's 6" radius.  I would prefer the latter.

Yes, but how realistic is that?  In Star Trek, where I seem to recall
they've shaped their shields on occation, it would likely work, but it
doesn't seem that practical to me.  (Like the idea of shields themselves
is realistic... oh, well.  Actually, I guess it does depend (sorta) on
what you think the shields are.)

The shield on the Castellan (the Space Fleet ship you mentioned)
absorbed *all* damage caused within its area of effect, whether the
impacts were on friendly or enemy ships... it acted a lot like Niven &
Pournelle's CoDo Langston Fields, absorbing weapons hits (not rams) and
exploding if it absorbed too much.  A two-edged sword, and all that.

		    Aaron Teske
		    Mithramuse+@cmu.edu