Dear Folks -
Dave wrote:
> How do I address you, Mr. Hyphen_DJW?
"Hyphen" or David will do, we don't stand on ceremony at Tavonni.
;-)
[snip excellent exposition]
> So it's background-focused more than anything.
This makes more sense than any discussion I've ever read on the topic - THANK YOU! :-)
So one possible approach, one that allows both the before-and-after scenarios, is to say that prior to TNE only the Navy had such weapons, but afterwards the "rules" (Imperial, Of War) either disappeared (in the RCES area of ops) or were relaxed (in the Regency), allowing PCs to tote nukes aboard ship.
Although I admit to allowing some trusted starmerc bands the possibility of having them as part of a Letter of Marque, even back in 1105. "Trusted" wasn't that onerous to prove either, since there was ALWAYS the threat of the real Impies coming down on you if you f---ed up:
<http://members.tip.net.au/~davidjw/tavspecs/adifux/marque_a.htm>
Here's a blank one:
<http://members.tip.net.au/~davidjw/tavspecs/maint/marque.htm>
> Low-end v. low-end is the niche I think we are maybe talking about
I think you're right. But when I went back and read earlier in this thread, Derek reminded me that chemically-pump XRay laserheads were also developed in TNE, and they'll do just fine for the Regency or the CT-era.
> I think I got at this above, with the Challenge article, where in Free
> Trader vs. Far Trader scenarios, all lasers are PD lasers, so skin-skin
> missiles still don't buy you that much.
Got it. Rules change. I was still thinking of Striker's horribly high-priced PD.
> God yes, as I hope the discussion above gives you some taste.
Good to know it's not just list grognards, then. ;-) ;-)
----------------------------------------------------------
David "Hyphen" Jaques-Watson Beowulf Down (Tavonni/Vilis/SM 1520)
http://www.tip.net.au/~davidjw
"I file things in historical order, with a hashing algorithm of gravity"