[FT] IF Ship Design (and NI)

>  I decided to forgo FTL for several reasons:
> 1) I envision FTL components as being expensive and not easily
maintained;
> the IF, who may be a little short in technicians compared to, say, the
NAC,
> will want to keep FTL components away from the battle line.

This is a nice balance to an NI that that works on the high tech end.

> 3) I want the IF to have the operational vulnerability of a tender
that
> must be protected.  It may be 2 AU away, but if they don't fight,
they'll
> have to walk home.

This also sets up one of the primary modes of IF/NI skirmish. If the IF
has such an obvious weakness, the NI will take advantage of that at
times and places it feels have stategic importance. Most conflicts will
involve NI trying to bypass the main IF force to take out the tender,
then jumping out.

Noam R. Izenberg		noam.izenberg@jhuapl.edu