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I'm gonna go through and find an image that shall represents the general design of my ships. If no one objects, I will lift one from the unknown origin ships on the DITL library

Sounds good to me.

A note on arranging in person meetings to attempt to avoid intel.

This CAN in very limited circumstances work. However not in the way many of you wish.

First, in person meetings do almost nothing to stop direct, human intelligence. If someone has an operative in your Military R&D programs or something of that nature they are likely to eventually find anything until you find them.

Second, it is very hard to move a person important enough to handle highly important matters of state without that person also being noticed by other nations intel agencies. But if you are negotiating to make war on someone or some such thing you need at least a cabinet level minister or a member of your high command doing it. Those kind of people are generally known and tracked. And presumably those people will need to commuincate with their governments for final approval so that means your decision time if you want to keep everything off the communication net is the travel time there and back.

More than that once you get whatever plan in place, treaty negotiated or trade finalized you have to communicate that information out to the internal organs of your government. The fact that two cheifs of state met and one was given the plans to a death star is really just the starting. You now need engineers, industrialist, workers, drafters, military and all other manner of people to know at least some of what is going on for you to do anything with it.

In short if you really want to obscure your operations from someone you need to spend the money on counter-intel in a variety of areas against a variety of opponents. Yes, it is very expensive. It is designed to be that way because running a proper security program is expensive and time consuming.

Okay, this is the vessel I've found so far. It's from DITL's unknown bank, but it is very similar in design to the Nehydron ships from VOY: Year of Hell pt II.

I had a crazy idea. What would you all think of building and maintaining a Babylon 5 style style station? I mean, insofar as maintaining it in neutrel space, and as a point of diplomatic discussions? All the powers would house ambassadors there, and allow our "group" of ambasssadors a central meeting place?

A few new rules that will go into effect on the next spreadsheet update (possibly this week, possibly the next week). This deals with two issues I got questions about recently that prompted me to make the changes. Comments welcome.

Planetary Shields

Planetary Shield systems can now be developed for your major and minor planets. For every credit you invest in the system you will gain protection against two ratings of attack. To illustrate:

If you spend 500,000 credits your shield would be rated against 1,000,000 combat points (defined as the short range firepower of a fleet). Any fleet of less power than that would be unable to deplete the shield faster than it can regenerate and would effectively be unable to damage it.

While the shields are operative on a planet you cannot bombard its surface or launch an invasion. Orbital installations are not protected by this (shipyards and space-stations).


Invasion and Blockade of Shielded Planets

You cannot invade a planet until its shield is destroyed. You cannot starve out the occupants. Planets are assumed to be self-sufficient.

A planet that has its shields up to resist an active attack contributes nothing to your economy until the blockade is relieved or the enemy leaves of its own accord.


Destroying a Shield

If you possess firepower in excess of the shields rating (you can scan the rating from in the system once it is in operation) then you can start to take down the shield, which can be a long or short process.

A shields rating is expressed basically by dividing its total output by 1 million (the smallest shield allowed). So a 5 million-unit shield is rated as a 5 for game purposes.

The rate of attrition is determined by dividing the combat power of the fleet by the rating of the shield. If the fleet is rated at 5.01 million it would reduce the shield by 1 unit per week, destroying it when it reached 0 during the 5th week.

This would be the case up to 10 million combat power for the fleet, when it would then reduce the shield by 2 ratings points per week, destroying it after 2.5 weeks.

If a fleet leaves before a shield is destroyed either of its own free will or because it is driven off in battle the shield returns to its full strength.

If your fleet is equipped with Plasma Torpedoes, Tri-Cobalt devices or some other such demolition weapon your attack rating is modified upwards. Tri-Cobalts are cheap to develop and deploy so if you want the bonus you should bite the bullet and do the work.

Special Supply Rules for Attacking a Shield

Attacking a shield uses up a large quantity of torpedoes and energy (in the form of anti-matter to power the beam weapons). You must have a fleet in supply to assault a shielded world. It must have clear supply lines back to the nearest logistical base in your empire or to a supply depot you have constructed.



Trade Rules

Circuitous Trade Routes

Trade is highly difficult when the ships cannot transit directly between two points. Cost associated with the contracts, the capabilities of the trade ships themselves and the value of the goods being ship are all dictated by the cost of moving the goods through space.

Trade is assumed to occur along a direct line between the two appointed gateways designated by each empire. If you are denied direct transit of trade ships for some reason or another and have to dictate an alternate route then trade will lose its value according to the following method.

Draw a line between the two gateways, this is your base distance in light years. Now draw the line around the route you propose to take. This is the circuitous distance.

If the circuitous distance is more than twice the distance normally traveled then the value of the trade route drops by 50%.

If it is more than 4 times the distance normally traveled the trade route is considered economically unviable and must be cancelled.

Question....

Regarding the trade rules, we are already collecting tarrifs for ships with liscenses coming through our space. But can we charge a higher tarriff percentage if ships are being diverted into our space?

For example, if Cardassia forbids trade with the Breen from passing through our space, then the Ferengi convoy would have to detour either into neutal space and all the risks assosiciated (pirates, anomolies, and so forth), or through Fed space. Could the Feds charge higher tarriff rates for these ships being forced to detour into their space?

Yes, you are free to charge whatever you want for trade ships to pass through your space to another power. This is intended to add another layer to the trade game.

Remember that blocking trade can end in a domino effect where trade gets cut all over the place. Its a useful tactic in war but IMO should be mostly avoided in times of peace. Otherwise the people you block, may block you in return. Then things get risky when tempers flair.

Deepcrush wrote:Remember that blocking trade can end in a domino effect where trade gets cut all over the place. Its a useful tactic in war but IMO should be mostly avoided in times of peace. Otherwise the people you block, may block you in return. Then things get risky when tempers flair.

Yes, one could expect tarriffs to be mirrored right back upon you. That is why you see few fees when it comes to trading in the game thus far.

Just pointing out its not a one sided issue.

Deepcrush wrote:Just pointing out its not a one sided issue.

I agree. Free trade generally makes everyone better off.

But it would, nevertheless, be a viable negotiating tactic. I mean, if Mexico ships goods to Canada through the US, the US charges a tarrif right? So, if the Ferengi are shipping the Breen goods through Cardassia space, I'd get a tarrif as well. BUT, say I open trade with the Pakleds, I would have to negotiate a treaty with the Ferengi that would allow free trade for both of us, but I'd still be charging the Breen, until I start trading with the Tauri.

I'm a little hazy on this point of law so please correct me if i'm wrong.

The US, Canada and Mexico have a free trade area where goods move freely across borders (free of tariffs at least).

Ok, if we have free trade, then what are smugglers for?