cmryan
02/26/04 05:06 PM
67.227.44.232
|
The Battle Tech Universe has over 1000 yrs of history covering hundreds if not thousands of worlds and the only mention of large scale meteor impacts that I am aware of is Word of Blake during the Jihad. This does not seem to be entirely logical.
So did the Star League Navy include identifying and eliminating metor impact threats as part of its duty?
If they did I wonder how far into the future they could look?
|
Cray
02/27/04 06:25 AM
68.200.107.8
|
I don't recall any incidents of large meteorite impacts during BT history. They apparently weren't noteworthy, even in some asteroid-laden systems that the Taurians had.
With the efficiency of BT fusion engines, they'd be easily to deal with. Nudge a Mule or other common dropship into a threatening asteroid or comet, run the engines for a couple of months, watch it deviate from the target by several centimeters/second. Problem solved.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
|
Toontje
02/27/04 07:41 AM
217.123.31.80
|
There is mention in objective raids about a planet that had a geological recent clash with a planet or comet, putting it from the 'plants' organic development back into barren tundra. Other than that I'm not aware of it.
As Cray put it, deviating the course is quite possible. Also, moving asteroids is done, using the ice ships for interstellar travel, and somehow further to the planets. Maybe during the 1st and 2nd SW they were employed as during the Jihad to wipe out cities, but I'm unaware of that. Sending in a WS and level the target with either some nukes or AC/40 shells is faster, and more reliable, and after the 1st and 2nd SW the Ares Conventions came back in effect more or less.
Rather to blow up, then.
|
Cray
02/27/04 10:43 AM
147.160.1.5
|
Quote:
and after the 1st and 2nd SW the Ares Conventions came back in effect more or less.
Less in effect. The difference in the number of Conventions' clauses used between the 1st/2nd SWs and the 3rd/4th were minimal - a few small sections were obeyed, like treatment of prisoners and civilians. Behavior on the battlefield essentially never involved anything resembling the nearly bloodless dance described by the Conventions.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
|
Toontje
02/27/04 11:40 AM
217.123.31.80
|
Heh, can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs now can you? But the point was, in line with the original poster's question, were there asteroids used in combat before the Jihad. I say no due to the faster and more reliable nature of hitting with a WS, and both options more or less destroy what you're fighting for.
Back to the original post, from the Operational Warfare sourcebook, there are IIRC 2100 settled planets in the IS and near pheriphery, for an average of 800 years (bit on the high side but near enough.) settled. That makes 800.000 years of (e)planet(/e) history.
Taking the solar system as an example, every how many years will there be an impact (e)on earth(/e)? I read it somewhere but forgot the exact timing that was estimated. Something about a decent size every 100.000 years, and devastating like the one 65 million years ago.. well IIRC that was every 100 million years something like that.
So, according to this estimation there would have been 8 impacts in the whole IS of decent size, and 0.008 impacts of devastating size. With an unknown standard deviation, there ought to have been some impacts (e) on inhabited worlds(/e). This is all a rough estimation, and feel free to correct the thing or shoot the whole estimation down.
Rather to blow up, then.
Edited by Toontje (02/27/04 11:44 AM)
|
Cray
02/27/04 01:30 PM
147.160.1.5
|
Excellent Math Fu Do, sir. I have no corrections to that back-of-the-envelope 'rithmatic.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
|
davion76
03/01/04 01:38 AM
138.163.0.42
|
Though as other posters have said, if they locate the errant asteroid, they can pretty easily push it out of the way of planetary impact. Not to mention that many planets aren't nearly as well oppulated as earth. Most decent size impact will have about as much impact as the 1908 Tunguska impact - none other than COOL!
|
Ignorant_Savage
03/05/04 04:28 AM
24.197.176.136
|
Quote:
You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs now can you?
thank you, chairman Mao
"Those who trade away essential freedoms for a little saftey deserve neither freedom or saftey."
- Benjamin Franklin
|
Toontje
03/06/04 04:59 AM
217.123.31.80
|
reading back I see an error, 800*2100=!800.000, but ~1.680.000 plateary history years. roughly double the estimates I gave.
Rather to blow up, then.
|