Shield Generation (Civ4)/Final Frontier/Civilopedia

Newton's third law - for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction - was of particular importance to military ship designers. Lighter ships, when struck by a projectile of any size, would often be set slightly off course, making accurate return fire impossible. This made early light ship battles beleaguered affairs, as each ship, tilting through the void, would fire wildly, hoping for even a grazing hit against foes countless kilometers away. The development of modern shields, which displace the shock of a beam strike around, rather than through, the craft, made research into light ships far more attractive. This in turn led to the development of the Alpha class Cruiser as an Anti-Ship Missile platform, coupled with more powerful beam weapons and heavier armor. It was hoped that the new Missile technology would counter the defensive edge provided by shields. The new doctrine greatly spread the belief in the importance of Power. This tradition was inherited by the Colonies when contact with the Earth was lost. With newly-found independence, the need for the development of space warfare techniques became apparent, and the philosophies pioneered on the Earth were quickly adopted.