Twilight of the Galaxy (OOC, Open) [Reupload in Progress]

[Plzen]

I still stand by that it wouldn't be able to turn. Most of it is given to gigantic thrusters for moving forward. Any turning thrusters would be tiny by comparison, not able to match the acceleration of another vessel.

Easily solvable with a two-stage rocket.

The first stage - just a gigantic straightforward rocket - gets the projectile into a relativistic interception course with the target. The second stage - basically identical to a starship engine - adjusts said interception course to account for the target's movements.

Even if that rocket has to shed 90% of its mass in discarded stages and propellant, it would still be an extremely powerful shot.

Maybe it's a temporally invincible ship that can return to a state before its destruction through probability or some shit. It's magic, I ain't gotta explain ship.

Remember what I said about realism a few weeks back?

Life inside an RP doesn't need to be realistic at all. That's what soft science fiction is - unrealistic. On the other hand, life inside an RP does need to be self-consistent or everything falls apart.

So if your ship survives relativistic bullets because "magic says so," then you need a magical reason why that protection doesn't apply against other types of weapons.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

I still stand by that it wouldn't be able to turn. Most of it is given to gigantic thrusters for moving forward. Any turning thrusters would be tiny by comparison, not able to match the acceleration of another vessel.

Easily solvable with a two-stage rocket.

The first stage - just a gigantic straightforward rocket - gets the projectile into a relativistic interception course with the target. The second stage - basically identical to a starship engine - adjusts said interception course to account for the target's movements.

Even if that rocket has to shed 90% of its mass in discarded stages and propellant, it would still be an extremely powerful shot.

Turning in itself is still very difficult. You're also essentially doubling the price and weight by adding more thrusters. Just slowing down the moment before impact is enough to dodge, even if it can turn. And the target presumably can tell where a superfast missile that's moving where it thinks the target is going to be is, so shooting it would be easy.

And yes, shooting it would work. It doesn't need to destroy it (Though it probably would), it just needs to stop if from either turning or telling where the target will end up.

Remember what I said about realism a few weeks back?

Life inside an RP doesn't need to be realistic at all. That's what soft science fiction is - unrealistic. On the other hand, life inside an RP does need to be self-consistent or everything falls apart.

So if your ship survives relativistic bullets because "magic says so," then you need a magical reason why that protection doesn't apply against other types of weapons.

Maybe it does apply to other types of weapons. I didn't ever say the concept was exclusive to relativistic projectiles.

[Alinora]

Yeah so Atlas needs some allies, even if they're lowkey. Anybody wanna get some dank advanced tech from Atlas for some $$

[Plzen]

Turning in itself is still very difficult. You're also essentially doubling the price and weight by adding more thrusters. Just slowing down the moment before impact is enough to dodge, even if it can turn. And the target presumably can tell where a superfast missile that's moving where it thinks the target is going to be is, so shooting it would be easy.

And so? As I said, even if such a rocket has to shed 90% of its mass in discarded stages and propellant, it is still an extremely deadly weapon with ridiculous energy content.

Turning a rocket is a vague phrase. If you mean changing the direction which the front of the rocket is pointing, that is completely unnecessary. Unless the rocket is so designed as to have a fixed nozzle, there is no reason why that rocket needs to reorient itself. If you mean changing the direction in which the rocket is moving, which is what I think you mean, then that is not a challenge at all. Just match the acceleration of the target (which should be easy enough if the target and projectile has similar engine tech), and the missile is good.

If the target tries to dodge the missile by slowing down, that is just one more way the target can accelerate, not some special case. Match the acceleration of the target, and it hits.

[Zoblus]

Yeah so Atlas needs some allies, even if they're lowkey. Anybody wanna get some dank advanced tech from Atlas for some $$

The Lekhassans would love another trade partner

[Alinora]

Yeah so Atlas needs some allies, even if they're lowkey. Anybody wanna get some dank advanced tech from Atlas for some $$

The Lekhassans would love another trade partner

Cool, cool. We could send you Synths, since they make up a lot of our manpower.

[Plzen]

Atlas would do well to keep concealing its existence from the UNS.

An organization with robotics technology more advanced than the UNS. A private organization. An organization whose activities are secret. And one that is anxious not to release information or technology.

The UNS would certainly not approve of such an organization. The United Nations' free society means that Atlas can't legally be suppressed, but when you have as many paperwork apparatchiks under your pay as the United Nations does, there are always ways.

[Alinora]

Atlas would do well to keep concealing its existence from the UNS.

An organization with robotics technology more advanced than the UNS. A private organization. An organization whose activities are secret. And one that is anxious not to release information or technology.

The UNS would certainly not approve of such an organization. The United Nations' free society means that Atlas can't legally be suppressed, but when you have as many paperwork apparatchiks under your pay as the United Nations does, there are always ways.

Ah, Terrans. In DoS Atlas was to created a Terran Empire, but we never got to that.

People with active trade agreements with Atlas would basically not know they're dealing with the organization, but some business or corporation they made up to cover their tracks. Actually, that's a good idea. What if a robotics business in the UNS released this highly advanced domestic synth to the public and that made the UNS start poking around?

[Zoblus]

The Lekhassans would love another trade partner

Cool, cool. We could send you Synths, since they make up a lot of our manpower.

Awesome. The Tetrarchy can approve sending shipments of whatever you need in exchange for the synths, as well as a non aggression pact

[Plzen]

Atlas would do well to keep concealing its existence from the UNS.

An organization with robotics technology more advanced than the UNS. A private organization. An organization whose activities are secret. And one that is anxious not to release information or technology.

The UNS would certainly not approve of such an organization. The United Nations' free society means that Atlas can't legally be suppressed, but when you have as many paperwork apparatchiks under your pay as the United Nations does, there are always ways.

Ah, Terrans. In DoS Atlas was to created a Terran Empire, but we never got to that.

People with active trade agreements with Atlas would basically not know they're dealing with the organization, but some business or corporation they made up to cover their tracks. Actually, that's a good idea. What if a robotics business in the UNS released this highly advanced domestic synth to the public and that made the UNS start poking around?

...if you think that a shadow corporation can cover your track in the UNS, you really don't realize the true extent of our bureaucracy.

There is absolutely zero chance that a corporation in the UNS can do anything in secret without having some AI apparatchik or some nosy robot inspector noticing the discrepancy in your paperwork.

[Zeon Refounded]

What does it have a mini nuclear warhead launcher?

That's an option, yes.

Wow, you too?

[Alinora]

Ah, Terrans. In DoS Atlas was to created a Terran Empire, but we never got to that.

People with active trade agreements with Atlas would basically not know they're dealing with the organization, but some business or corporation they made up to cover their tracks. Actually, that's a good idea. What if a robotics business in the UNS released this highly advanced domestic synth to the public and that made the UNS start poking around?

...if you think that a shadow corporation can cover your track in the UNS, you really don't realize the true extent of our bureaucracy.

There is absolutely zero chance that a corporation in the UNS can do anything in secret without having some AI apparatchik or some nosy robot inspector noticing the discrepancy in your paperwork.

If Atlas is good at anything, it's covering their tracks.

[Ordei]

I'm gonna applt for this. Please be aware that I'm on a mobile, though. I won't be able to write as much as others until I get my ChromeBook back from Toshiba.

[Plzen]

...if you think that a shadow corporation can cover your track in the UNS, you really don't realize the true extent of our bureaucracy.

There is absolutely zero chance that a corporation in the UNS can do anything in secret without having some AI apparatchik or some nosy robot inspector noticing the discrepancy in your paperwork.

If Atlas is good at anything, it's covering their tracks.

Well, hope you have a good lawyer or two under your pay.

It's going to be a bit difficult to explain why, for example, a person entered a planet, didn't leave, but didn't show up on that planet's weekly census. Or, for example, why your papers and records don't exactly match the copy in our electronic database. Or why the total number of goods sold or scrapped don't equal the total number of goods produced from all known facilities. Incomplete documentation and credentials for an archaeological or mining site? No documented usage for industrial quantities of whatever that you bought? Uninspected manufactory, dig site, or laboratory? Inconsistencies between what is actually in a production facility and what the paperwork says there should be? Product contains components that aren't manufactured in UNS space? Personnel lacks relevant UNS birth records and credentials? etc., etc., etc...

There are always ways. Most of those regulations are anti-terrorist and anti-fraud in nature, but they are also good for other things. An illegal can of peas or a stray spider might slip through the nets of UNS recordskeeping, but a foreign secret organization operating in UNS space sure isn't going to.

Think real-life Switzerland, but even worse. Basically, if you want to do stuff in the UNS, you need to do so with UNS citizens, using things made within the UNS using materials bought in the UNS, and have a good explanation for all purchases.

[Alinora]

If Atlas is good at anything, it's covering their tracks.

Well, hope you have a good lawyer or two under your pay.

It's going to be a bit difficult to explain why, for example, a person entered a planet, didn't leave, but didn't show up on that planet's weekly census. Or, for example, why your papers and records don't exactly match the copy in our electronic database. Or why the total number of goods sold or scrapped don't equal the total number of goods produced from all known facilities. Incomplete documentation and credentials for an archaeological or mining site? No documented usage for industrial quantities of whatever that you bought? Uninspected manufactory, dig site, or laboratory? Inconsistencies between what is actually in a production facility and what the paperwork says there should be? Product contains components that aren't manufactured in UNS space? Personnel lacks relevant UNS birth records and credentials? etc., etc., etc...

There are always ways. Most of those regulations are anti-terrorist and anti-fraud in nature, but they are also good for other things. An illegal can of peas or a stray spider might slip through the nets of UNS recordskeeping, but a foreign secret organization operating in UNS space sure isn't going to.

Think real-life Switzerland, but even worse.

Well the plan was for you to figure it out lmao, but I get what you're saying.

[Plzen]

Well the plan was for you to figure it out lmao, but I get what you're saying.

Well, you could try creating an ATLAS branch in the UNS. ATLAS trying to branch into the UNS without getting tripped up in the maze of red tape would be an interesting storyline for us to do.

You'll need to start by figuring out a way to get in without triggering the National Civil Defence. Since Atlas is technologically advanced, I imagine that you have an experimental stealth ship or two that might go unnoticed by the Civil Defence.

[The Orson Empire]

So today, I saw Star Trek Beyond.

Plzen, I witnessed your idea to use small drones instead of normal-sized starships in action. It was fairly terrifying.

[Alinora]

Well the plan was for you to figure it out lmao, but I get what you're saying.

Well, you could try creating an ATLAS branch in the UNS. ATLAS trying to branch into the UNS without getting tripped up in the maze of red tape would be an interesting storyline for us to do.

You'll need to start by figuring out a way to get in without triggering the National Civil Defence. Since Atlas is technologically advanced, I imagine that you have an experimental stealth ship or two that might go unnoticed by the Civil Defence.

Most of our smaller ships (like frigates and smaller) are equipped with stealth drives and cloaking technology. But what do you mean, branch into the UNS? Like establish a base there?

[The Moscow Metro Red Line]

No one wants to visit the ASR.... I feel like the kid that no one wants to play with on the playground so he draws comic books during Lunch.

[Alinora]

No one wants to visit the ASR.... I feel like the kid that no one wants to play with on the playground so he draws comic books during Lunch.

I'll interact with ya

[The Republic of Atria]

I'm still kinda here. Anyone want to interact?

[Alinora]

I'm still kinda here. Anyone want to interact?

Sure. Might as well start shet with everyone.

[Plzen]

Well, you could try creating an ATLAS branch in the UNS. ATLAS trying to branch into the UNS without getting tripped up in the maze of red tape would be an interesting storyline for us to do.

You'll need to start by figuring out a way to get in without triggering the National Civil Defence. Since Atlas is technologically advanced, I imagine that you have an experimental stealth ship or two that might go unnoticed by the Civil Defence.

Most of our smaller ships (like frigates and smaller) are equipped with stealth drives and cloaking technology. But what do you mean, branch into the UNS? Like establish a base there?

Or, actually, how about say that Atlas already has a few sleeper cells in the UNS?

It would not be able to actually do anything without being detected, but they could feed you intelligence from within the UNS and also just be there if you suddenly have an emergency you need to break cover for.

[Alinora]

Most of our smaller ships (like frigates and smaller) are equipped with stealth drives and cloaking technology. But what do you mean, branch into the UNS? Like establish a base there?

Or, actually, how about say that Atlas already has a few sleeper cells in the UNS?

It would not be able to actually do anything without being detected, but they could feed you intelligence from within the UNS and also just be there if you suddenly have an emergency you need to break cover for.

We do love sleeper cells.

[The Orson Empire]

Got a new tactic:

J-4 "Biden" - Also called "Suicide Ships", they are usually remote-controlled vessels with near-light thrusters that are used to go near-FTL into enemy ships in order to literally tear them apart. They are commonly sent in swarms of thousands, and are horribly deadly.

Hopefully makes sense.

Using sublight engines to accelerate to near-lightspeed is problematic, as it would take far too long for these ships to accelerate to that speed (and these ships would also need some sort of exotic substance, like antimatter to accelerate to that speed, and they would need to be much larger as a result).

The easiest and cheapest way to do this would be to fit your ships with a small FTL drive. They would then do a micro-FTL jump, and then come out of FTL at near-lightspeed. The enemy ship would not be able to react in time before it was hit.

This entire sequence would occur in a very short time period (likely only a few microseconds).