I just recently figured out how to access the archives, and spent most of
last weekend reading through everything prior to my arrival on the scene
in June 1990. (Seems like I've been here longer...)
A question which was discussed at great length was appropriate size or budget
of naval forces. It was agreed by all that the Trillion Credit Squadron
rules gave ludicrously large results (I know...ask me about the navy for Narsil
- - --Pop A--sometime), and that the Striker rules, while moving in the right
direction, were still too generous. What does anyone feel is a reasonable
force level for a population 9 TL15 planet? If we got the results in terms
of total spending, how much would be devoted to which services? At TL15 is
there any use for infantry, apart from suppressing low tech natives, standing
guard duty, and occasional police work? Would low tech planets actually
bother maintaining any sort of military forces beyond the bare minimum
required for maintaining order, knowing that any reasonable attack by a
higher tech neighbor would result in a rapid defeat? (U.S./Iraq) Balkanized
worlds would obviously be a special case here.
Has anyone been following MT discussion on GEnie? I have an account there
now, but don't have the funds to spend on Scorpia time. Have any interesting
files been uploaded there lately?
Is anyone planning on attending Origins this year? We really ought to plan
some sort of get together, there and/or at the World SF Convention in Chicago
over Labor Day. Keep it in mind...
Rob Dean