[Colonol Dekker]

Based on the fact that the aquitaine/or 3rd fleet hq:cappella is able to communicate with you in other systems (otherwise where the f**k is command.ani coming from) in an instantaneous fashion, i make the perfectly logical assumption that comms are FTL (faster than light) in which case in by the time fs2 comes around Hoo-Mans have had 32 years to get to Delta Serpentis Yell "How the hell are you ?? " to eath and get at least one reply, comms being ftl mean that distance between  is a MAXIMUM possible wait,  So what the hell happened did GTA forget to call or something?  (not that i ever do )

[Black Wolf]

Yeah, it's pretty stupid when you think about it - worst case scenario they go to Alpha Centauri and shoot radio messages off to Earth 4 years there, 4 years back, but still, it's contact.

[RandomTiger]

Unless they cant reply

[karajorma]

Well it's possible that FS2 FTL comms use the jump nodes so if they are down then you can`t communicate with that system by any FTL means.

As to why no one has sent a message from Alpha Centuri I can only think of a few explainations

1) Earth is no longer in a state to answer (either civil war, a shivan invasion or some sort of natural disaster has meant that Earth has spent it's money elsewhere)

2) Earth sent a reply and the GTVA are keeping it a secret (which almost certainly means it's bad news).

[an0n]

Maybe they just forgot how to make (or haven't thought to use) a simple radio.

Or maybe the screwed-ness of subspace scrambles the transmissions.

[Colonol Dekker]

My first assupmtion was and always will be signorance on :V: part, but if i had to pick a non slagging :V: it would have to be GTVI keeping hush, it is their way....   But still, if aliens in futurma can get an ally macbeal rip off, Earth should get GTVA Radio one....

[Stunaep]

The FTL comms are subspace messages, according to the FS Reference bible, but don't quote me on that.

And about using a simple radio

it would have to be GTVI keeping hush, it is their way....

[Goober5000]

I agree with karajorma: they can't use FTL communication because all the jump nodes broke...however there's nothing stopping them from using radio.

The FS2 intel database even says, about the destruction of the Lucifer, "According to declassified transmissions, the mission succeeded."  That implies there were classified transmissions.

Probably there has been sporadic radio communication between the GTVA in Alpha Centauri and whatever is left on Earth, but we never hear about it because it's mostly classified.

[diamondgeezer]

It's like the DS9 wormhole, innit? You need relay gizmos on either side of a subspace node to transmit your comms between systems, most likely.

And since intra-system jumps are more or less instant (supposedly), intra-system comms would be just as quick.

If I need to make a mission with a delay in comms between, say, a ship and command, I usually make up some bollocks about interferance or having to encrypt/decrypt the message, as I always assume 'normal' comms in FS are instant (give or take).