[MatthTheGeek]

It could work as a deterrent to guerilla tactics though, couldn't it ?

[An4ximandros]

 But why would you need that when you can have true military ships show up in less than three minutes? We already see this in action during the campaign in For The Wrong Reasons. And besides we all know there would be no space pirates. The amount of control necessary to keep underlings in check and resources needed to make a space fleet would probably put them up as a micro rouge state.

[Raptor831]

<snip> And besides we all know there would be no space pirates. The amount of control necessary to keep underlings in check and resources needed to make a space fleet would probably put them up as a micro rouge state.

Case in point: The Gefs

[Apollo]

Anyway, if for some reason you built a freighter with decent weaponry you'd be better off using it as a gunboat than a Q-Ship.

EDIT: You'd have something similar to an auxiliary cruiser, which would constitute a warship asset, albeit a minor one. Putting it on permanent, hidden escort duty would be a waste of resources. And it would endanger all the civilian ships.

[Drogoth]

Well FS universe is poorly suited to pirates in general, and thus Q ships. Choke points around Nodes make it a lot harder to find merchant ships all off on their lonesome in the deep and too far away to signal for help.

Apollo my point about Q ships only being effective against pirates is because all civilian ships are already targets. The Q ship is a trap, not a hunter.

[Apollo]

Well FS universe is poorly suited to pirates in general, and thus Q ships. Choke points around Nodes make it a lot harder to find merchant ships all off on their lonesome in the deep and too far away to signal for help.

Apollo my point about Q ships only being effective against pirates is because all civilian ships are already targets. The Q ship is a trap, not a hunter.

I agree with you. I was referring to their wartime use, which does endanger civilian ships.

[CT27]

A lot of this thread has (understandably so) focused on what the GTVA's strategy should be militarily. 

To look at it from a different angle somewhat, if you were a GTVA Terran leader (Tocqueville or someone else), what would/should be said to the people to try and keep up GTVA civilian support for the war?

[Flak]

I think if it is just pure civilian convoy, the GTVA have no excuse to attack them. Sending unescorted convoys however, will attack other unwanted visitors, namely Gefs and Pirates. Not to mention the SOC will get them to attack the convoy just to keep their hands clean.

[Scotty]

Pure civilian convoys are absolutely fair game.  It's called commerce raiding, and it's been employed for centuries, if not longer.  That doesn't mean "You are not us, so die," it means "Surrender your ships or we'll make you".

[Mars]

Pure civilian convoys are absolutely fair game.  It's called commerce raiding, and it's been employed for centuries, if not longer.  That doesn't mean "You are not us, so die," it means "Surrender your ships or we'll make you".

That's a total war scenario however, and the GTVA is mostly staying off that game (with the exception of a few raids on Luna and armed convoys)

[SpardaSon21]

No, I think if Steele's timetables could spare the equipment shortages, he'd try to take down military supply convoys in an effort to further restrict Fed logistics.  It is just that any significant military shipping would also have a substantial escort, and he can't spare the materiel needed to take those down while he's busy prepping to blitz Earth for good this time.

[General Battuta]

Pure civilian convoys are absolutely fair game.  It's called commerce raiding, and it's been employed for centuries, if not longer.  That doesn't mean "You are not us, so die," it means "Surrender your ships or we'll make you".

That's a total war scenario however, and the GTVA is mostly staying off that game (with the exception of a few raids on Luna and armed convoys)

And the Blitz.

[Mars]

And the Blitz.

True that.

No, I think if Steele's timetables could spare the equipment shortages, he'd try to take down military supply convoys in an effort to further restrict Fed logistics.  It is just that any significant military shipping would also have a substantial escort, and he can't spare the materiel needed to take those down while he's busy prepping to blitz Earth for good this time.

He really doesn't want to destroy Federal logistics any more than he has to.

[SpardaSon21]

Civilian logistics, no.  Military logistics, yes, since that means their warships, crewmen, fighters, and pilots are stretched that extra bit more when he launches his Second Blitz.

[Phantom Hoover]

Pure civilian convoys are absolutely fair game.  It's called commerce raiding, and it's been employed for centuries, if not longer.  That doesn't mean "You are not us, so die," it means "Surrender your ships or we'll make you".

That's a total war scenario however, and the GTVA is mostly staying off that game (with the exception of a few raids on Luna and armed convoys)

I thought the whole point of the UEF escorts we see in the first mission was that the GTVA were boarding civilian vessels.

[Gray113]

if you were a GTVA Terran leader (Tocqueville or someone else), what would/should be said to the people to try and keep up GTVA civilian support for the war?

I don't think that they have to do anything as the war is almost won, casualties caused by the battle for Earth may cause some disquiet but that would probably be drowned out in the victory celebrations.

On the other hand if Steele manages to **** things up and lose the battle (but not the war) then he will be a convenient scapegoat for the politicians looking to save their own skins. Although if the UEF are in a position to keep fighting after this then I don't think the civilian population would allow the war to continue.

[-Norbert-]

Pure civilian convoys are absolutely fair game.  It's called commerce raiding, and it's been employed for centuries, if not longer.  That doesn't mean "You are not us, so die," it means "Surrender your ships or we'll make you".

That's a total war scenario however, and the GTVA is mostly staying off that game (with the exception of a few raids on Luna and armed convoys)

And the Blitz.

And the hunt for the ships that escaped Jupiter or supplying terrorists with ships, weapons and intelligence and letting them do the dirty work.

[Aesaar]

... or supplying terrorists with ships, weapons and intelligence and letting them do the dirty work.

As an aside, I like that the UEF is doing this too.  Poor, poor gefs being used for dirty work by everyone.

[Gray113]

I wonder what the TEVs have planned for the GEF after Earth is secure.

[Phantom Hoover]

Initially? Not much, bringing Sol under control and its infrastructure to bear on churning out more TEI warships would probably be their primary concern.