Looking once again at the 1000Km range ship weapons, I noticed something of
interest to all those pirates out there:
Imagine you are a pirate hanging around the 100 diameter limit of a size 5
world. You detect a merchant leaving orbit. His course is 30 degrees away
from your position. You ignore him, since it would take longer for you to
match course and velocity than it takes him to reach the 100 diameter
limit.
Later on, a merchant ship leaves orbit, heading 20 degrees away from your
position. Your eyes light up. THIS one you can catch. Well, you could
have if he hadn't left orbit two minutes before you noticed him. oh well,
better luck next time.
Then, it happens! A merchant leaves orbit pointing STRAIGHT AT YOU! This
one you may be able to catch! You leave your position, and accelerate
toward a meeting. After three hours of maneuvering which looks like
nothing so much as a pirate trying to match course, you match course with
your target. Well, you WOULD have matched course, if he hadn't detected
you one hour into your maneuvers. Actually, he changed course and returned
to the starport to get an escort. Better luck next time, eh?
You cudgel your tiny little brain for some advantage that will let you
catch the next merchant. The LIGHT dawns! You need a 6G ship! This one
can be converted with a few months in a shipyard, so you slip away to have
the conversion done. It'll only cost MCr110 to complete the conversion.
Hmmm....
Maybe we should think of some other way to do this? Deceptive maneuvering?
No, your ship can barely catch them if you race straight at them, much less
maneuver to make it less obvious. EMM??? Costs only MCr27, but still a
little
pricy, seeing as how you haven't scored in months. Move to a size 1 world?
That would work! Of course there are only 23 of them in the Spinward
Marches, and only 4 of those have enough traffic to pay expenses. Well,
maybe the other pirates will let you work one of those systems. Of course,
there are 1700 pirates preying on each of those systems, so you'll have to
take a number and wait your turn, but you should have something for your
pains in a year or two, when your turn comes.
Notes:
1) It takes 3.5 hours to reach 100 diameters from a size 5 world, if you
do not decelerate to a stop (which makes very little sense, anyway).
2) From a point directly ahead of a target's course, it takes three hours
at three gees to match course and position within 1000Km.
3) This gives you ten minutes to decide to attack, and then one combat
turn of attacks before your target jumps away.
4) Normal starship sensors can detect a ship far enough away to make sure
that it won't EVER catch you, if you just have to reach 100 diameters, or
the starport (whichever is most convenient).
5) A starship trying to match course like that is UNMISTAKABLY trying to
match course. It would require considerably more than three gees to give
it time for deceptive maneuvering. Even so, it would take over an hour of
maneuvering within easy view of the target (and everyone else) to match
position. That entire hour of maneuver would be an obvious attempt to
match course, and could be met by a jump at more than ten diameters, if
necessary.
6) so, a pirate will never accomplish anything with weapons like that.
Later...
- -- Via DLG Pro v0.985b
[email removed]
I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution.
--W. von Braun