Re: Space tactics

Mikko wrote in reply to me:

> > 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>
> 
> Well, yes, it's realistic. I just think that from the gaming point of
view
> it has a couple of problems (especially combined with
> FTL-anywhere-u-like): 
> 
> a) People will optimize their fleets (or parts of their fleets) for
> strikes against "fixed" targets (this is related to the obscene speeds
> issue).

The obscene speed issue is a realistic problem as well <shrug> That's
why
I assume planetary sensors to have a vastly longer range than shipboard
sensors - to allow a defending force to build up an intercept vector
before the enemy hits the planet. The point is that the defenders have
problems breaking off - because if they do, the planet is going to be
hit. Hard. You don't have to fight close to the planet, but you have to
threaten it strategically - much like you pin an enemy pawn in chess by
threatening to check the king if the pawn is moved.

> b) It tends to eliminate the possibility for some fun scenarios, e.g.
> convoy escort -- just give the slow tubs some time to get up to
> speed, and they're home free.

No, it doesn't. The slow tubs in question is another good example of
something which has to be defended (and which cannot easily escape) -
the
convoy escort commander who breaks off and leaves the freighters to be
destroyed or captured is going to have a *very* short career... OK, the
destruction of a convoy might not be all that decisive (unless the cargo
was critical), but the "pinning" strategy is the same.

> Adding a (very) limited amount of jump points to the mix, you can get
> battles around the jump point, but other than that battles _en_route_
> somewhere will be incosequential skirmishes -- and frankly, not much
fun
> to play (place 40 ships, write orders, shoot once, disengage, pack up
the
> minis...)

Or you have long running engagements where a longer-ranged defender
tries
to whittle down the attacker. If the defenders have the sensor advantage
(...see my assumption above...), it is rather difficult for the
attackers
to break off - and the defenders can't allow the attackers to reach
their
targets, so they can't really break off either <shrug>

Regards,

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@nacka.mail.telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
- Hen3ry