On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 5:13 PM, Greg Chalik <mrg3105@gmail.com> wrote:

> What I remember us agreeing is that a system- wide system was too expensive.
> A planetary sensor system was going to cost so much that defended were going
> to be rudementary. All this may have changed in T4 & 5.

"to expensive" is a subjective measurement.

If you are some podunk world in the boonies, low pop, ag,
non-industrial, etc then maybe so.

If you are a high-pop industrial world with a billion people and a
booming economy, a trillion credit defense sensor network is a credit
a head for ten years.

> Never assume the obvious is true.

Eh.  YMMV.  IYTU.  Add whatever disclaimers you feel necessary.

>> System defense and traffic control take a look to establish who/what
>> has popped out of j-space.  The closer to the border, the faster they
>> check.
>>
>
> Border? You mean boarding?

Border.  Imperial borders, if we are talking about Impie traffic
control.  I'm sure the Zho are watchful for both Imperial invaders and
whatever is coming out of the Core.  Presumably the K'Kree, herd
animals that they are, have sentries posted so the herd can sleep
easily.

etc.
wo sensor stations give you a reasonably solid fix.
>>
>> After that, passive sensors can track it until system control confirms
>> the identity and is satisfied it's not threatening.  (or, you know,
>> confirms it is a Zhodani/KKree/Solomani/whatever commerce
>> raider/invasion fleet/whatever.)
>>
>
> Confirm how?

Passive sensors?  Telescope and mk1 eyeball?  SDB/Customs patrol?

>>
>> >> Opening stages of the battle are detection and tracking of both
>> >> friendly and opposition forces.  Spot and plot.
>>
>> > How did you get from detecting vessels coming out of jump to BATTLE?
>>
>> Presumably, one of the main jobs of system traffic control is to be on
>> the lookout for any ships breaking traffic control patterns.
>>
>> The Imperium may be one big, happy place (or not, depending) but local
>> traffic control will generally be on watch to look for any sort of,
>> say, Aslan force looking for new land.
>>
>>
>
> And if my force conforms to traffic control patterns?

Single small ships on an expected flight path are unlikely to be much
of a concern.

If your 50kton cruiser pops in unannounced, that's probably going to
cause some excitement.

(and warm up the meson guns....)

While it takes a ship a week to jump, that doesn't mean there's only
one ship in transit from A to B at any given point.

If  the Commodore is going to pop in with a squadron, likely they will
send a scout, first, at least a few hours ahead, to inform the local
system defenses, and to gather tactical intel on the system so that
when the squadron pops in, they have fresh intel available.

Or the commodore at least sends a message to the target system's local
traffic control via an earlier ship, flight plan and ETA, to avoid
unpleasant surprises and so that the Emperor will know to go looking
if the squadron disappears.

(Yes, comms are limited to speed of ships, but there are LOTS of ships. )

--

"Any sufficiently advanced parody is indistinguishable from a genuine
kook." -Alan Morgan