From: saab@ais.org (Micheal Marks)
Subject: Re: Btech: Clans will win easily 
Organization: UMCC
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 06:18:53 GMT

In article <29g1H#6x?a@atlantis.psu.edu> ZST@ECLX.PSU.EDU (Zachary S Tseng) writes:
>In <james.722150747@menaik> james@cs.UAlberta.CA writes:
>
>> 
>Vaporizing ground targets with orbital bombardment is not unClan-like; it had
>been done before.  On the surface, this practice is on hold because the humane
>(i.e. soft) Kahns of Clan Wolf railroaded the entire invasion force into not
>doing it.  However, I suspect something deeper: 1. the power that be, a.k.a.
>FA$A, reached the same conclusion as I did that the Clans will be able to win
>easily; so in order to make the game interesting, the Clans' starfleet has to
>be set aside.  2. (the conspiracy theory of mine) the Clan Wolf, knowing that
>it has the best ground forces among the invading Clans, decided to make the
>play ground uneven for the weaker Clans.  So they railroaded us into not using
>our most potent weapon.  Therefore, the Wolves would be able to, and did, win
>the most glory and real estate.  After all, if Clans start using the warships,
>then all Clans will pretty much advance at the same rate, by forcing the
>surrender of all systems in the way.
>
>Still, even without orbital bombardment, the war is still won.  Since after
>destroying 50%+ of the Innersphere's interstellar transports, the war is
>basically a mopping up operation of the stranded defenders of all planets. 
>Naval interdiction/ blockade will still win the war, although somewhat slowly,
>especially against the successor states, where a relatively small number of
>crack (i.e. battlemech) units have to defend large track of real estate by
>relying on mobility ( efficient interstellar transportation) to reinforce the
>threaten sectors.
>
>Here is another way to employ the star cruisers, a somewhat modified, more
>humane way of using orbital bombardment - sail the warships into target
>systems, send warning to the inhabitants below and allow enough time to
>evacuate personnel (and only personnel) from the sites, then proceeds to
>vaporize all war-related sites (mech factories, repair shops, depots,
>aerofighter bases, etc.).  This is the Clans version of the Strategic Air (or
>is that space?) Command.  The bottom line - Clans win (this time by strategic
>bombing.)
>
>Cheers,
>
>
>Zachary Tseng
>Khan, Clan Ghost Bear
>Commander, Sigma Galaxy, Clan Ghost Bear
>
 
Cute.  One problem.  As soon as word that the Clan were targetting warships/
transports, the IS would attempt to NUKE any and all Clan Warships they could. 
The IS would not just sit back and let themselves get defeated so passively.
Whether it would make any difference is debatable, but the IS wouldn't die
sitting on its hands.
 
The thing that makes me wonder what FASA is up to is a) Wolf's Dragoons
know the location of the Clan Homeworlds, and Wolf's Dragoons are helping
the IS.  And b) there are all these hints of alien invasions in the source-
books.  Both have interesting possibilities.
 
But I may also be giving FASA too much credit.
 
MDM


-- 
"To be the man, you have to BEAT the man" Ric Flair, REAL World's Champion
"Pain don't hurt none" "The key to winning is not losing"  Sparky Anderson
"The only battle that counts is the last one"  Leader Desslok
Micheal Marks  On IRC:Drstyle  saab@ais.org  mmarks@nyx.cs.du.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board