Re: [VV] Vectorverse FTL

--- Laserlight <laserlight@quixnet.net> wrote:
> > Having gates or fixed
> > entrance loci lends itself to a lot of fixed defenses 
> > at those points, which does not make for fun games.
> 
> Depends on how big the entrance loci are.  A gate radius
> of10km that can only accept one ship at a time would be 
> too easy to defend.  A radius 1,000,000km gate would be 
> a different story.

Depends on "actual" engagement ranges, but I think your general
point is well made.  Any given size can be defined... and heck,
maybe it is variable, which will give certain systems tighter
defenses than others.  (Similar to... what was it, in Starfire? 
Some of the warp points are open, others closed... I forget,
it's been a while since I read those books, and I'm not at home
right now....)

> The converse problem is that if you can pop in anywhere, 
> it implies that you can pop out anywhere, which makes it 
> tough to arrange a battle--the weaker force just evades 
> into FTL (if, in fact, FTL lets you escape.  If it doesn't, 
> that implies FTL sensors, which implies FTL communications, 
> which I don't really want).  Further, it makes it
> difficult to defend fixed bases.

I think that's why I like the 2300AD method: FTL can take you
anywhere... up to a point, in that case within a certain
distance of a planetary mass.  (Smaller masses too, but too
small and your FTL wouldn't work because the mass was stuck in
your ship. ^_- )  2300AD make things more interesting by
*requiring* time in a gravity well to discharge the drive; I'm
not sure we want to get into that.

But using this method (to answer another point that was brought
up), for planet-to-planet travel: in this case there would be
times when it would be faster to get outside the FTL restricted
zone, FTL around the outside of the system, and slow drive back
in... but it all depends on the alignment of the planets. ^_-

'Til later,
Aaron

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