RE: [FT] Miles Vorkosigan

> Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 15:53:59 +1100
> From: "Robertson, Brendan" <Brendan.Robertson@dva.gov.au>
>
> Can't remember the details, but "The Vor Game" mentions
> that the new naval
> weapon of choice in that period was the "Gravatic Imploder
> Lance?".  The
> tech details are different to the HH Gravlance, in that it
> is a glorified
> tractor beam, using gravity to damage enemy ships.  This is
> due to defensive
> technology having caught up with kinetic, nuclear, laser
> and plasma weapons,
> rendering them almost useless in a standard engagement.
> Short ranged
> compared to the plasma weapons available, but more destructive.

10 km rather than 100km IIRC. lasers have even greater ranges but...

Of course plasma bolts are reflected by Plasma Mirrors[As produced by
Beta Colony in the First Book, Shards of Honor.], Lasers by the
Swordbreaker, Orbital Electron Randomisers can be stopped by properly
tuned shields and kinetic weapons are stopped by shields tuned or un
tuned. Plasma Mirrors can be overwhelmed by fire though the
Swordbreaker seems not to be.

Oh and you can turn a Jump Point into a giant long range grav Lance
given the correct equipment if you don't mind loosing the rather
expensive generator as the pulse is aimed towards the generator. Ships
need specialised equipment and crew to jump from one system to another
via a jump point. Jump points are from 1 particular location to
another and are double ended.
If you blow a ship up in mid jump it destabilise the worm hole so it
can't be used for days to hours.

One of the Characters does succeed in ramming a pocket dreadnought
with a freighter, but that was considered unusual.

They have combat aerospace craft, but they are not valuable enough in
battle to have dedicated carriers.

Fast Starships tend to be small.

I can't think of any other world rules for space craft.

Adam