Re: Crowbars

Nyrath wrote
> Laserlight wrote:
> > From: Nyrath the nearly wise <nyrath@clark.net>
> > > Here is Professor Apocalyse's patented "Catch me if you can"
> > > relativistic warhead delivery system!
> > >(snip)
> > 
> > Thanks, but you're supposed to be coming up with reasons why it
> > _won't_ work.  :-)
> 
>	I guess my point is that the only reason it
>	won't work is: "the game players won't allow it".
>	(on the grounds that it will break the game)
> 
>	It doesn't work for the same reason that
>	Dirtside doesn't have biological warfare weapons that
>	kill all life on a planet.

You could come up with a number of 'real world' arguments why they 
aren't being used or deployed:

If only one side has a doomsday weapon:

1) It could be a VERY serious risk to its own side, e.g. on the same
planet a biohazard or nuclear winter. In space, turning a star into a 
supernova would fall under that category

2) The powerful side may prefer to get the planet reasonably intact: 
They want the population as slaves, the biosphere livable or they find 
mining a solid planet more economical than fishing in an asteroid belt. 

3) The superior side are so kind-hearted that they voluntarily refrain 
from using it - which would make them alien indeed :-(

If both sides have comparable capabilites (and if each wants to survive 
the war)the threat of mutual assured destruction (MAD) might stop their 
use:

1) Put your doomsday weapon on hair-trigger alert. As soon as your 
sensors show something approaching that looks like an enemy doomsday 
warhead, shoot back. - The risks of this are obvious and perhaps just
enough to 
support a disarmament treaty.

2) Put them in an obscure, safe place (the Kuiper belt, perhaps ?), add 
dead man's handle circuitry. If the machine hasn't received its regular 
hourly message from Earth - BANG.

They might be used if:
Both sides are fanatical enough to incinerate each other
OR: 
We are discussing star empires so large they can treat single planets 
as expendable cannon foddder.

None of which makes for a nice world - or a nice game :-( .

Greetings
Karl Heinz