OK, we are currently in 1239E if I recall ... I expect we may need to go thru Aegir to supply and check for useful updates, then 1439E was Aquitaine?  Do we know what 1540E is/was/will be?  1740E is within range from there.

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 70):

Yes, that is right. 1540 has basic navigation data from the Labrysians, but it was only briefly explored by the Bourke, a Crockett class vessel sent from Chryosite to render 'non-combat' assistance. It is a binary star system, one of which has an inhabitable planet, a small cold place that is mainly covered in snow and ice, to the extent that most of the water is locked up on the poles and oceans cover only about half the planet. Its atmosphere is however, breatheable though thin, and there are patches of green on the planet, indicating that humans could live there without special technology.

Edit: To get to 1740, an uncharted system, you will need to chart it remotely from 1540. See 'Charting a system', link to a message in this game
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:00, Tue 05 Sept 2017.

Makes sense, we will let Kalishnakov know of our plans and depart for Aegir as soon as everyone is aboard and we are ready to go ... Kat dear, please get us to where ever tanya says we need to go to jump ...

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 72):

Probably IC post for that would be good, or do you want me to post one to that effect?

In reply to Fate (msg # 73):

Technology has advanced, and that is why we are a bit reliant on the rulebooks. As such, a tiny super-fighter has to be balanced in perspective with the vessels already there. The basic Terran fighter of the day is

Fighter, 22 M Solars, 10 dTons
Standard Terran fighter.
(6G/Move:2200, dDR:16, dHP:20, dTons of Cargo Space: 0), Weapons:2x Pulse,

Compare that to

AK Ultralight Fighter, 16 M Solars, 6 dTons
(8.2G/Move:2200, dDR:5, dHP:17, dTons of Cargo Space: 0), Weapons:1x Pulse

Note the size difference and the increased speed, at the price of one weapon. Compare that to the battery fighter,

AK Short Range Fighter, 13 M Solars, 6 dTons, Range 8 million miles in space
(8.1G/Move:3112, dDR:24, dHP:22, dTons of Cargo Space: 0), Weapons:1x Beams

Also the Missile Fighters,

Imperial Fighter, 20 M Solars, 10 dTons
(6G/Move:2650, dDR:33, dHP:25, dTons of Cargo Space: 0), Weapons:2x Missiles,

compared to the AK missile fighters

AK Missile Fighter, 13 M Solars, 6 dTons
(6G/Move:1704, dDR:10, dHP:16, dTons of Cargo Space: 0), Weapons:3x Missiles

The reason I point these out is to show that compared to the normal vessels, these have already been optimized to a considerable degree. So to compare modifications to further enhance them, I have to compare them to what is the norm in the game universe. Making missiles fire-and-forget would be one way of doing away with the large communication gear needed to control them, hence one option, but if it worked perfectly, then why would it not be the standard for all missiles? Hence, as automated missiles get smarter, so to do the systems to fool them, so we end up back where we started from. A low tech target however, would suffer considerable penalties to avoiding them, depending on theTL difference. I hope that this reasoning makes sense.

Yup, makes sense... just having issues with reality vice "ultra Modern" ;-)

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 75):

Ah, yeah. Ultra-modern...for 30 years ago!

Is sowing space mines/inactive missiles an option in a defensive situation? Mines would obviously need some sort of propulsion I'd think given space is HUGE and a few dozen stationary (if concealed) mines aren't going to be even a minor threat.

Upon dropping into a system, a bunch of missiles get kicked out of the cargo bay, presumably in some sort of pattern around something worth defending (gas giant or refuelling point perhaps). Throw some half decent sensors on them and you've got yourself a VDA. :p
http://schlockmercenary.wikia....Very_Dangerous_Array

In reply to Meir Galinski (msg # 77):

Lol, true. All you need to make that viable is a bucket load of spare missiles, refitted with rechargeable batteries (1/4 range) if they are to be reusable and reprogrammed. As you say, space is huge, so thousands would be needed and one small fighter could just render them all useless if it can run as fast as them, which AK ones can...

Alternatively, put them into orbit at say 50 km from a station. Shouldn't need much more than a dozen for pretty good (if short lived) coverage.

Could place a few rocks "randomly" in the same area with targeting systems and beam weapons for anti missile defence too. Perhaps run by a solar collector and a big capacitor for a single shot at fairly minimal expense. Aim using an internal gyroscope rather than thrusters.
Maybe the power source could be chemical? A signal from the station (or elsewhere) fires it up, a couple of chemicals mix and boom, instant power (while the reaction lasts). Would be near impossible to detect since there'd be only minimal power needed for the receiver and actuating mechanism.

Or take it a step further and load explosives into the asteroids - boom, instant sandcaster. If you want a more predictable field make your own asteroid from sand, gravel, frozen water or whatever, all cemented together with explosive.

All defensive weapons really, and not suited for spacecraft (except perhaps the really big capital ships), but all quite low tech and very achievable, especially if you don't mind cleaning up the mess afterwards.

Oh the possibilities a little imagination can open up.

PS. The GM is expressly forbidden to use any of these ideas against us. ;)

In reply to Meir Galinski (msg # 79):

Oh, don't worry. The Vilani have though of all of them, and actually the Vegans employed similar defenses against the Vilani quite successfully. The Vilani actually overcame them with massive nuclear swarms of missiles, launched from maximum range, and while only less than 1% got through, it was not long before there was nothing left to defend. The Vegans surrendered with their defenses intact, but their home world in tatters.

At that time the massive Vilani production capability was quite terrifying. You actually have a Vegan member of your crew who was part of the underground Vegan movement, but memory of those events restrain the Vegans from open rebellion. He would have told you all this, and probably more.

In reply to Fate (msg # 78):

Actually that may depend... as in running from one missile, it might be running toward another. It would also be unexpected, requiring quick reactions and warnings... something a fighter, with a single busy crewman will have more trouble with. I'd think aScout ship with several crewman and better sensors would be safer; It also mounts better defensive weapons.

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 81):

True, though a fighter, being very small, would likely activate the missiles much later, giving him time to get past them before they activated. Meaning that though he may be running towards some, he would not likely be running towards active ones. Unless they were all linked, but that would require transmitters as well as sensors on each missile...something else for anti-missile defences to lock onto!

Lots of ways to do that... Link the parts... and I am seeing the missile array in a 3D ball, not a plane ... put the sensor in the middle looking out and it triggers a missile when it sees the target AND computes that it is in a location to be intercepted. Interceptions do not often come from the rear, but might. Sensors could be passive multi-spectrum detectors to avoid easy tracking and make spoofing harder.

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 83):

Ah, you are talking about a controlled array, with a central controller. Slightly more complex setup, but probably more effective. In effect, a small ship at the centre controlling them. Of course, targeting that small ship with missiles would effectively disable the array, and the ship could be more easily detected.

Note with the AK G Carrier, it has a small starship engine, much bigger than the normal G Carrier grav drives though and needing a much bigger Fusion source (Normal Imperial G Carriers use 3 F batteries, KD ones use 22), and hence requires the skill Piloting (Aerospace) rather the the Piloting (Contragrav) usually required for G Carriers. That and the Sickbay is why there is less Cargo room.

OK, Yamamoto is an AK ship?

Do we have any info on her?
No one mentioned she was supplying Aquitaine?

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 85):

Yamamoto is the Hero class freighter, typical of her kind but armed. She is run by Kalishnikov Enterprises, and it was mentioned at Aegir. See message 29 of the IC thread.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:13, Sat 16 Sept 2017.

I'm guessing there's a -3 in there.... :/
Probably greater for Meir since he is related to almost all the colonists. :(

In reply to Meir Galinski (msg # 87):

-2 for everyone except Meir, and -4 for Meir, as he was based here so he would have known both mother and child. But you were all half expecting something like this might happen.

Meir's likely to be out of it for a while....
PTSD is never fun.

So who's our pilot again?
https://youtu.be/bvim4rsNHkQ

Yup!, that's her...

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 91):

Lol, automated rocket are not safe!

Well you two have been going at it like rabbits for many months now....
I'm left wondering who's actually been flying the ship all this time!

;-)  ... our priorities and desired outcomes are different than those of the folks on Aquitaine ... and , of course, we have ways to accomplish those goals.