The GZG Digest V1 #932

Örjan:

> Why not go further still, say MD10 or more? <g>

MD8 ain't the max anymore? I must say I haven't done FB to death the way I
did with FT/MT.

> Um... The basic goal of all tactics is to force the enemy to do

??? I don't get you. In tennis, there's this concept of forced errors and
unforced errors. Basically, an unforced error is when you screw up. A forced
error is the result of your opponent *forcing* you to take a bad choice.

Now, if you just say "lure him closer" that's basing your tactics on an
unforced error -- something I'd rather not bet on against a competent
opponent.

What I was looking for is your idea how to FORCE closing of the range, making
it a forced error.

> Sorry, I've never played against a omniscient computer. I only play

Well, in that case, just assume a human opponent who will not make unforced
errors.

> The only real reason for space battles (or wet-naval battles) is to

You're getting there... almost. Now, let's say this "sniper" is actually a
fast cargo ship. Or a strike ship en route to your starbase. Or a scout. It
does NOT want a fight. But you DO. Because if you can't FORCE it to
fight, you can't stop people from going where they want -- which, in
turn, reduces the choice of "realistic" battles to series of raids against
immobile installations.

And all it takes is having top-o-the-line drives and willingness to
immediately disengage.

> In another posting, Örjan wrote:

My personal opinion, nothing more. Though I must add that neither the official
FT miniatures, NOR the "standard" bases are suited for
cm-scale.
Sure, get new teeny-weeny minis and bases and it'll work -- but not with
the standard stuff.

Btw: The smaller Kallistra ships come with smaller than standard bases. Those
might be a good choice.

> Mikko Kurki-Suonio wrote:

> Örjan:

No. MD17 is the max for non-Sa'Vasku FTL-capable ships, but you have
very little space left for weapons with this much Mass tied into engines.

> Um... The basic goal of all tactics is to force the enemy to do

This is effectively the situation where a lower-thrust ship manages to
close the range on a higher-thrust ship in a stern chase. The
higher-thrust ship has screwed up badly.

> What I was looking for is your idea how to FORCE closing of the range,

And that's exactly what I described. I can force the sniper to create an
overtake velocity which I can then use against it.

> The only real reason for space battles (or wet-naval battles) is to

I can't force the enemy scout to fight, but I can force it to make a wide
enough detour around the forces it wants to get sensor data on. Unless he's
content with getting sensor data on my screening forces, that's effectively a
mnor victory for me.

If it is a fast cargo ship (a smuggler or blockade runner, say) or a strike
ship, it has problems reaching its destination unless it wants
to fight my patrol/blockade ships - or, of course, unless both its
destination and starting point were outside my territory and I'm
attempting to intercept it during the voyage :-/ If I do have ships at
its destination, the main difference between the smuggler/blockade
runner scenario and the one I described earlier is the "target" of the
"attack"; I can still use the "sniper"'s velocity towards its objective to
trap it.

Regards,