[gurps] [VEHICLE] of the week 680 ? Hybrid Starfighter

[Onno Meyer]

> > Even with retarded sensor technology, Vehicles gives a linear
> > relationship between sensor volume and sensor range while the
> > relationship between ship volume and sensor signature is 
> > logarithmic. (That rule is fishy, BTW, but it is the one 
> > Vehicles plays with.) 
> > 
> > So retarded sensors would hurt small fighters just as much. 
> 
> So, if sensors scaled in a logarithmic progression would this be enough to
> justify small starfighters? Would you not also need to scale weapon damage
> on a logarithmic scale also? Or do you just need to make sure weapons can
> do enough damage that a capitol ship must fear their armament? 

A new sensor scale is not sufficient, just necessary. But if 
it is bad enough it could cripple point defense enough to let
small nuclear torps through.

> How about ECM? Anything else that in a "hard science" reality as based on
> current GURPS technology definitions would need to adjusted? 

Is ECM effective against ALL sensors? If so, it might help. I'm
looking at stealth shields from the expansion, but if you have 
those you get beyond the Cowboy Bebop TL. 

Two more ideas:

* Eric mentioned the London Treaty. IIRC it excluded carriers 
  below a certain tonnage. So there could be fighters which 
  are (a) to small to be covered by a future treaty ("they're
  armed police flyers, honestly") and (b) manned so they don't
  get counted among the treaty-limited number of drones.

* One of the Cowboy fighters was based on a racer, right? They
  could be based on arbitrary size limitations, and if you have
  a spacecraft arming it might be worthwhile where similar 
  designs from scratch are not effective.