Re: Practical Piracy: the Helm Locater

>Form discussions lately, a huge stumbling block in SJ rules has become
>obvious: how the hell do pirates find their targets?
>
>Except raiding static places, like asteroid bases or groundling ports,
>pirates would have a hell of a job catching any prey, also, this applies to
>privateers and military fleets.
>Wildspace is so vast, while random encounters could happen, it verges on the
>impossible for pirates to attack ships, short of mooring very close to a
>planet/asteroid's major shipping lane, i.e. point blank basically.
>
>So, without the aid of subterfuge, like planted spies, the chances of a
>pirate encountering a ship in the utter vastness of space, is almost
>impossible. (all these points also go for legitimate folk hunting pirates,
>enemies etc)


It's a cool magic item, but these difficulties plagued historical
sailing fleets as well, not just pirates but navies as well.  That's why
most naval battles have occurred near shipping lanes and certain 'choke
points' historically.

Piracy only thrived in constricted locations saw a great deal of ship
traffic.  The Carribean or the East Indies, for example.


-- 
"...How shall a man judge what to do in such times?!"
"As he has ever judged," said Aragorn "Good and evil have not changed since yesteryear..."
J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_

Paul Westermeyer,  westermeyer@???????.net