Re: Planetary defenses

On Tue, 29 Sep 1998, Los wrote:

> > Frankly, I could not care less for the Official(tm) GZG universe.
> So what? A large portion of the people carrying on this discussion do.

That while the special requirements of the GZG universe are a factor
worth
considering, they are not the only background factor applicable.

Unless I missed a "thou shalt only play in the Official(tm) GZG
Universe"
somewhere...

> Yes and the discussion about planetary defenses revovles primarily
around the
> latter. Continuing to harp on just annihlating the planet has no
relevance on the
> discussion after being stated once. The discussion ais about how to
defend the
> planet  once you have decided to. Not whether it could or should even
be botehred
> with.

Well, I do think that "total annihilation" type weapons can also be used
in a more limited fashion. If you have no defense against, say,
wholesale
orbital bombardment, what is your defense against tactical "orbing"? And
if you don't have one, why wouldn't the attacker use it on you?

E.g. to parallel real world strategies, you don't have to assault the
enemy homeworld immediately when you get a chance. You might want to
hit his industrial centers with a couple of quick orbital strikes first.

> It does if whoever you plan on putting down there to harvest the
minerals (i.e.
> humans) have an adverse reaction to deadly radiation or the aftermaths
of
> whatever other type of method of annihlation is used? (i.e.biological
etc).

Just dropping rocks has no major aftermath on a world without an
ecosystem. Many planets are uninhabitable anyway -- including deadly
background radiation. A couple of nukes won't change that in a major
way.
 
> Intelligence gathering raids have been a staple of warfare over the
past several
> thousand years. If you can secure an enemy facility by hook or by
crook, extract
> whatever you are looking for (beings or data) and get out, then you
work to that
> end. 

A raid is not to capture the entire base intact.

>Heck a plausable example of this in the SF world is the Kra'Vak raid on
ROSS
> 142 in "Karl's Kidnap" which was posted on the unofficial stargrunt
website. The
> Kra'Vak forces secured orbit, came down, assaulted the colony  complex
with
> infantry, were looking for some "unknown thing" at the colony
facility, then
> hauled ass out. They left a little "see ya later" orbital bombardment
then were
> gone.

Why wasn't the base rigged for self-destruct once things got really bad?

That's what I meant -- the concept of assaulting a planet to gain use of
its military complexes *intact* seems a bit far-fetched to me. The
defender would just use scorched earth tactics and blow up the bases
himself when defeat seemed inevitable.

-- 
maxxon@swob.dna.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio) 	   | A pig who doesn't
fly
+358 50 5596411 GSM +358 9 80926 78/FAX 81/Voice   | is just an ordinary
pig.
Maininkitie 3C14 02320 ESPOO FINLAND | Hate me?    |	      - Porco
Rosso
http://www.swob.dna.fi/~maxxon/      | hateme.html |