Decisive battles and other things

On 15 Aug 98 at 0:24, Oerjan Ohlson wrote:

> Richard Slattery wrote:
> 
> > That wasn't my point. I was saying that once you *start* to get into
> > a potentially losing situation you can usually disengage (In the
> > vector system anyway). Or, on the flipside, once you start to win, 
> > the other side scarpers.
> > 
> > So how to devise a way of forcing a decisive battle under these 
> > conditions?
> 
> Fight somewhere he has to defend - his shipyards, colonies etc....
> 
> This solution seems to come up in every more or less serious essay
> of space combat I've read <shrug>
> 

A good point (and one I've made back in the mists of time). However,
unless the attacker only intends to bombard/destroy the
shipyards/colonies, the defender can retire and counterattack
halfway through the attackers attempted landing on the planet...
knowing this, the attacker doesn't commit to the invasion, and still
has to manage a decisive victory against the defenders fleet before 
being safely able to do so. This brings up the concept of how long a 
ship can operate away from supply. A month as standard perhaps?

Also... in campaign games, has anyone tried using a resupply ship to 
accompany SML armed fleets. I've always thought the FSE a little 
lacking in out of area offensive operations. They have one battle, 
fire off all their SML's, and then don't have any for the next 
system. So.. how much space to the SML's take up in supply ships 
cargo bays? how much should they cost?

or... are reloads considered to be carried on the SML armed ships, 
taking up far less space in their packed form, but unable to be 
loaded in the operating magazine until out of combat?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Richard Slattery	     richard@mgkc.demon.co.uk
Hawaii is a unique state. It is a small state. It is a state that is by
itself. It is a --it is different from the other 49 sta
tes. Well,
all states are different, but it's got a particularly unique situation. 
     Dan Quayle, US VP
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