Hi, I suspect this may have been asked in the past, but based on some recent discussions here, I'm interested in seeing what everyone thinks a space battle in Traveller might look like?
Will everything happen at such great distances that enemy ships are really no more than blips on a computer screen?
Will speed & acceleration be significant factors, or not?
Will fleets try and maintain some semblance of a fixed formation?
Will things break into close range melees?
In previous posts I listed some of my thoughts. Specifically for me, since distances are so great, I would suspect that battles would mostly only occur if each side does something to allow it to occur, such as knowingly entering into an area where you know that the enemy is located.
However, I suspect that there will a fair bit of pre-battle prep by both sides as they close to battle distances (unless one side decides to jump blindly into an areas where the enemy might be, etc). Part of this prep would likely include setting formations and such, and because of the distances to be covered I'm not fully sure the two sides would necessarily close at a slow speed. And, because each side may be composed of both high-g, medium-G, and low-G vessels, I could see each side being broken into relatively small(er) sub units which may try and use their relative accelerations to their benefit.
In the end then, I could see the potential for some units to maybe try and make sweeping strikes, while others maybe might hold back and try and use their heavy weaponry to effect, and maybe other ships might try to help act as a screen and/or interrupt the other sides moves.
To me then my thoughts are maybe that maybe a battle might end up looking a bit like a cross between "Napoleonic" type maneuvers, with some units acting as "infantry in formations", others acting as "heavy artillery", and others acting as a swift striking force like a form of "cavalry", all trying to engage the enemy while trying to make best use of their own capabilities and advantages while trying to exploit the enemy's potential weaknesses, while also trying to protect their own "backfield/reserves".
In this respect than, I can also see the operations also maybe even looking a bit like American rules football, where each sides front "lines" engage and grapple, potentially trying to over power and/or draw enemy vessels out of position (or into disadvantageous positions), while either protecting their own "backfields" and/or penetrating into the enemy's "backfield" in an attempt to eliminate or disrupting the enemy's cohesion, etc.
In addition to all that though, because of the potential 'grappling" going on in the font "lines" as well as potential slashing attacks by higher-G units, I'd also suspect that some of the actual action may also end up looking either like WWII era aerial combat and/or maybe some later jet-age "slashing-type" attacks (though medieval "jousting' may also be an applicable type analogy).
Anyway, I'm curious to see other peoples thoughts are here.
Regards
PF
Will everything happen at such great distances that enemy ships are really no more than blips on a computer screen?
Will speed & acceleration be significant factors, or not?
Will fleets try and maintain some semblance of a fixed formation?
Will things break into close range melees?
In previous posts I listed some of my thoughts. Specifically for me, since distances are so great, I would suspect that battles would mostly only occur if each side does something to allow it to occur, such as knowingly entering into an area where you know that the enemy is located.
However, I suspect that there will a fair bit of pre-battle prep by both sides as they close to battle distances (unless one side decides to jump blindly into an areas where the enemy might be, etc). Part of this prep would likely include setting formations and such, and because of the distances to be covered I'm not fully sure the two sides would necessarily close at a slow speed. And, because each side may be composed of both high-g, medium-G, and low-G vessels, I could see each side being broken into relatively small(er) sub units which may try and use their relative accelerations to their benefit.
In the end then, I could see the potential for some units to maybe try and make sweeping strikes, while others maybe might hold back and try and use their heavy weaponry to effect, and maybe other ships might try to help act as a screen and/or interrupt the other sides moves.
To me then my thoughts are maybe that maybe a battle might end up looking a bit like a cross between "Napoleonic" type maneuvers, with some units acting as "infantry in formations", others acting as "heavy artillery", and others acting as a swift striking force like a form of "cavalry", all trying to engage the enemy while trying to make best use of their own capabilities and advantages while trying to exploit the enemy's potential weaknesses, while also trying to protect their own "backfield/reserves".
In this respect than, I can also see the operations also maybe even looking a bit like American rules football, where each sides front "lines" engage and grapple, potentially trying to over power and/or draw enemy vessels out of position (or into disadvantageous positions), while either protecting their own "backfields" and/or penetrating into the enemy's "backfield" in an attempt to eliminate or disrupting the enemy's cohesion, etc.
In addition to all that though, because of the potential 'grappling" going on in the font "lines" as well as potential slashing attacks by higher-G units, I'd also suspect that some of the actual action may also end up looking either like WWII era aerial combat and/or maybe some later jet-age "slashing-type" attacks (though medieval "jousting' may also be an applicable type analogy).
Anyway, I'm curious to see other peoples thoughts are here.
Regards
PF