>From: Hans Rancke-Madsen [email removed]
>As you pointed out elsewhere, you could need a 1000 ships to guard a gas
>giant. That would help, right? Not to mention the trip from the gas giant
>to the mainworld. Especially if there is an asteroid belt between them.
Just to throw another spanner in the works...wouldn't a system that lacked
the 1000 ships/gas giant get around the problem by defining a few jump points
around the GG that were protected by ships. Thus, any merchant that desired
some kind of safety could use the official jump points and be quite safe all
the time they were in system. Ships jumping into the system had better
make sure that they jump in quite close to the recoginised points. I assume
that jumps that precise are possible --- how else would jumps in formation
be possible??? Using this system would also make the job of the customs
people easier. Board random ships that arrive normally. Board all ships that
arrive elsewhere. Shoot down all ships leaving abnormally :-)
IMHO, customs people boarding ships is silly. Inspect them after they land
and if they attempt to land away from a starport, blow them away. You might
have guessed that I believe in quite draconian methods of law enforcement.
Pauli
Paul Dale | Internet/CSnet: [email removed]
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