Further thoughts on FTL modes. The analogy is horses and riverboats. It's
somewhat faster and a lot cheaper to take a boat than a pack horse--if
the river goes where you want.
Many stars will not have "rivers" to them, though, which means that the Tier 2
nations which occupy such stars will have an easier time defending
them from Tier 1 -- or more accurately, Tier 1 will find it just as hard
to get to those stars as Tier 2 finds it to get to any.
On the analogy of FTL modes being like horses & riverboats - Tier 1
nations could invent a FTL mode using jumpgates, spaced every few parsecs,
that allow travel like the riverboats but MUCH faster. Routes can go to any
starsystem, but setting up the routes is expensive and
would best be between resource-rich systems & industrial/population
centers. Plus, travel on the jumpgate routes requires a special ship that can
travel ONLY on the routes and nowhere else.
In short, Tier 1 nations invent railroads.
Scenario 1: A young, tall, blonde, Tier 1 officer aids an oppressed Tier 3
culture in attacking a jumpgate carrier used by the Tier 2 allies of a rival
Tier 1 nation. After the successful attack, the officer, dressed in the robes
of a Tier 3 leader, receives the cheers of his Tier 3 comrades...
"LAW-RENCE! LAW-RENCE! LAW-RENCE!"
Screnario 2: A Unity jumpgate carrier transports a large gang of peasants and
their securty soldiers to a distant system to toil as forced labor. At a
remote gate, the carrier pulls off the line to allow a priorty express carrier
to pass them. The express carrier, with a command pod attached, zooms past,
and the Unity soldiers let out a patriotic cheer. An old woman in the labor
gang bitterly mutters...
"Yes...That's Strelnikov."
JBrewer@webtv.net
"Always strive to be a good person. If you can't do that, at least strive to
be someone other than an asshole."
Further thoughts on FTL modes. The analogy is horses and riverboats. It's
somewhat faster and a lot cheaper to take a boat than a pack horse--if
the river goes where you want.
Many stars will not have "rivers" to them, though, which means that the Tier 2
nations which occupy such stars will have an easier time defending
them from Tier 1 -- or more accurately, Tier 1 will find it just as hard
to get to those stars as Tier 2 finds it to get to any.