How much does FTL travel cost?

>Remember the assumption that it it costs a lot to send to send an empty

>starship somewhere.  The other assumption is that even full
>starships are expensive, if they are not large.

I am not sure I accept this assumption, and I 'think' I have heard
others 
state just the opposite in this discussion (i.e. they were assuming that
FTL 
travel was cheap).  Frankly, I figured it was somewhere in between. ;-)

>Steam engines are not low tech, and they are still state-of-the-art for
>electricity production.

In 150+ years they will be very low tech IMHO and steam engines are not
used 
much today (in first world countries they are used in a few speciallized

applications, yes, but that is it).

>You want to send appropriate technology for the expected conditions.
>When these conditions include little or no contact with the
>industrialised core worlds, you send nothing that requires their
>support.

Here I agree with you 100%.

I think it just comes down to how expensive FTL travel is.  IMHO, if it
is 
as expensive I think you suggest, then I am not sure that interstellar 
conflicts would be worth gaming.  Empires would spend years preparing
and IF 
the conflict ever took place they would be resolved pretty quickly (in 
comparison to the prep time).  And I say IF they were resolved because
if 
you knew you were out-numbered and likely to loose an impending conflict
you 
would settle at the last minute if at all possible.  Anyway, IMHO for
FT, 
DS2 and SG2 to be viable FTL travel must be affordable to the extent
that 
any reasonably placed colony can expect a ship from home every year at
the 
minimum.

Scott Clinton

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