Re: [GZG] Small thought re: Orbital Assault

On 11/22/05, laserlight <laserlight@quixnet.net> wrote:
> <mega snip>
> > My thought is that these force numbers respresent the huge
> > difficulty of transporting large armed forces across
> > space.
>
> All this seems to make sense, except...if it's so expensive
> to ship 5000 troops and their supplies in 2190, how could
> anyone have been able to afford to plant a colony in 2090?

Coldsleep.

Besides which, colonies require much less logistical support than
military forces.

And civillian ships are far cheaper than military ones that have to
defend themselves.

Colonies are likely going to drop down to a 19th century level of
technology as far as what they can manufacture, early on.  Military
forces do not have that option.  They have to have the electronics,
precision machining, vast quantities of the products of heavy
industry, thousands of barrels of POL products, etc.  Colonists can do
without.  You can colonize with the equivalent of a Connestoga wagon
or two per household.  A military force with that level of supply is
soon useless.

John
--
"Thousands of Sarmatians, Thousands of Franks, we've slain them again
and again.  We're looking for thousands of Persians."
--Vita Aureliani

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@lists.csua.berkeley.edu
http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-l