Surprise Attacks, Ambushes and Intersellar Communication

[Grass4hopper]

I don't know if this has been discussed already, but I was thinking about transit gates and intrasellar communication. For example: if a SU gate is taken by FC or Ijad forces, and there was no gate traffic during the conflict, then further SU forces would be taken by surprise the next time they came through. That should work for sure at least once, possibly more times if we start taking about multiple other gates connecting. Especially because of the (presumably) slow nature of information being disseminated through a factions gate network.

This also would work well for invading other gates, because if the last contact a transit gate had was friendly, they would presume the next contact would be friendly as well. I think this is supported by the provided game material, where it mention that several of the ships can sneak through enemy gates because they have a civilian profile.

Of course as time goes on, and the conflict expanded, perhaps transit gates would always be on guard during an incoming transit. Possibly fully deploying all Ships and TTM frames at the time of connection.

What do you think?

EDIT: I meant interstellar, I was thinking of intergalactic (face palm)

[CmdrRook]

I'd presume some level of scheduling, but I also don't know what significant events occur prior/during transit at a gate. If Battletech lended anything to the process, the energy signature from the destination point is the first sign of incoming traffic. Prior scheduling would be the only thing to tell you it's friendly traffic (omitting the Battletech invention of Hyperlink communications) and anything else would be an emergency at best, hostility at worst, both of which requiring mobilization and action of frames and ships.

"Unscheduled offworld activation" is a cause for concern in Stargate SG-1, and their protocol of securing the gate; establishing contact with travellers; then restoring contol of the gate's systems, would be how I'd handle things on my station.

I apologize for only offering examples outside the system, but the general rule is "if you can imagine it, it could happen," right?

[Shades_Corvid]

This concept is the bases for one of my armies, displaced Transit Marines because there was a surprised attack from incoming gating. The book states that incoming transfers are rarely canceled because the time for spin up and cool down can be very long. Though two way transmission is possible with gates without a full wormhole.

[Grass4hopper]

[Soren]

Also keep in mind, this isn't a wartime setting (yet. Always yet). If you want to take a gate by surprise, far more effective to do it by stealth; infiltrate your frames and equipment under cover (there are some very large freighters in this setting: you can pack two or three frigates or multiple frame squadrons into one behind a screen of false cargo cans) and attack at very close range once you're through.

There are also plenty of jury-rigged armed ships with concealed weaponry or launch bays; they're not as effective as purpose-built warships (both because they lack the same level of protection and firepower, and because they have poorer drive systems and sensor networks, with less redundancy), but if you open up at close range, by surprise, you've got a fighting chance... for a while.

Most such Q-ships, whether single ships with concealed weapons or whole squadrons hidden in a superfreighter, would be jury-rigged; the Solar Union's elite intervention units and intelligence services might have one or two prototype purpose-built designs in use by 0245...

[Shades_Corvid]

I will have to go through the books when I get home. It could also be they will open wormholes for comms use only because they use a fraction of the power/cost.

[Grass4hopper]

[Soren]

[Blorf]

[CmdrRook]

The whole system harkens back to the law that a circle's area increases much faster than it's circumference. Between the two options, it is much more efficient to design a larger hull than build two different ships. Adding a few meters to a ship's bulk increases its capacity by those few meters cubed allowing you to store larger objects, to boot.

[Blorf]

[Grass4hopper]