Re: New mechanic for strategic speed

> It's not just map. Now, _what causes the ship size increase? Distance
> from gravity wells or the helm? If it is distance from gravity wells
> then _everything_ would expand, and everyone would be seeing huge
> meteor that appear to be larger then the sun zooming about.

No, because then the light would "shrink down" and you'd see just what
you see now.  Anyway, could be.

> >No _rational_ merchantman would follow a trade lane so precisely
> >so as to allow for easy interception by pirates.
>
> Of course they would, if the alternative is getting lost. This
> matches historical trends. Nautical navigation is difficult, and
> celestial navigation must be even more so. You stick to the routes
> you know.

More importantly most navigation is probably between known, locatable
points.  Such as that asteroid covered in continual light spells, a
certain (very obvious) constellation, and so on.

> If you look at blockades historically they are porous things. The
> hundred ships depends on the size of the planet, of course, but I do
> not find a hundred ships to blockade a planet too many. I think
> blockading a major planet like Toril or Oerth should be almost
> impossible, anyway. Blockading Spiral, the Rock of Bral, or a moon,
> on the other hand is very feasible with the current system.

To put a planetary blockade in perspective (if that's possible) even in
the Empire Strikes Back the entire fleet under Vader was incapable of
blockading a single moon (Hoth).  Instead they just bloackaded the
shielded area where the transports were most likely to come from.  And
that's with great sensors, tie fighters, and all.

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