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Rift Generator

Strangelove

Strangelove

Inactive Member
https://wiki.stararmy.com/doku.php?id=rift_generator

A while back some may have noticed I was looking at the "pirate problem". Specifically, 'Why is there nothing stopping a military from simply steamrolling over them?' So I played with a few ideas, then took a look at the Vietcong, arguably one of the most successful guerrilla fighters in modern history. The secret of their success was tunnel networks, which allowed them to resupply and reposition almost invisibly.

I realized that a form of jumpgate-style technology fitted on a carrier could offer a similar form of protection and mobility (if put on a mobile platform like a ship), and would logically the best way to protect guerrilla forces from simply being overwhelmed by the sheer firepower/numbers of military forces.

I chose to make a separate "rift" technology rather than using traditional jump gates because I was unsure if they were interdictable; an interdictable network would defeat the entire purpose of the system, which is to give guerrilla forces the mobility advantage. These rifts would be sustainable rather than single-shot, acting as an actual portal or gateway rather than a hyperspatial catapult like jumpgates.


Overview
The Pros:
- The system is immune to interdiction and jamming (through the physical gateways are still susceptible to destruction)
- Provides instantaneous travel
- Protects a ship from "unstable space" anomalies
- Inversely can create an aura of unstable space as a defensive measure against incoming attacks or PA (but only while the gateway is inactive).

The Cons:
- The system currently only works for objects below a certain size threshold (fighters, bombers, patrol craft, etc).
- The system requires a gateway to stabilize it, so no ship can travel through its own rift. Said ship would have to resort to traditional propulsion, making it vulnerable to interdiction, etc.
- The rift-stabilizing gateway is especially susceptible to damage; a rift is too structurally destabilizing to be buried deep within a ship, thus will always be kept along the outside of the hull and vulnerable.
- The destruction of a rift gateway will destroy the entire ship
- The unstable space aura is indiscriminate; it will damage friendly and enemy ships alike. The aura is therefore mutually exclusive with having any reinforcements on the battlefield.

As you can see, I've taken a careful effort to add a number of balancing factor to prevent the "omg-wtf" effect of potential abuse issues. Hopefully I've covered all my bases here. Oh, and I apologize if the article may seem incomplete -- I always custom-tailor the description of each component for the ship I use it on, so it may not seem like a well-written "stand alone" article.
 
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1) It generates turbulent spacetime -- think of it like a stormy sea. It vastly reduces the accuracy of incoming attacks, but it does the same to your own. Less accurate, not literally un-hittable. It doesn't actually fold space around it to create damage immunity like the CFS.

2) If you want overpowered, go look at the CFS.

Not only is the CFS a shield/propulsion system, it can do both at once. And provide it's ship 100% immunity from damage while running properly (it blocks phasing, to boot). And you can fire through it without skewing your own attacks, giving you full firepower while active. And it can be used as a cloaking device. It performs interdiction, too. Did I mention it can also be weaponized in the form of beam attacks?

My device is far more limited in functionality, far more vulnerable to attack, and far more risky to use (implodes the ship if broken). The system is inferior in almost every possible respect except for its interdiction resistance.
 
Provided it's used sparingly, I'm fine with this system. It's really not that over-powered.

Also, CDD travel is immune to interdiction as well, it just slows down a bit. Maybe if Jess added something of a damper to its effectiveness in an interdiction field (like I suggested earlier), would this be approvable? I think it's a refreshing new piece of technology that opens up lots of new tactical venues and fits the Freespacers quite well.
 
Since the gate would be carried on a hyperspace-using ship, you already can't use it in interdiction fields. Let me explain:

If a ship is generating a 1 AU radius interdiction field, then the gate-carrier has to stop at 1 AU to deploy ... either that or proceed extremely slow(er-than-light) towards the interdicting ship during which time it'll probably be bombarded into oblivion. So it can't really be abused in an offensive role.
 
Strangelove said:
Since the gate would be carried on a hyperspace-using ship, you already can't use it in interdiction fields. Let me explain:

If a ship is generating a 1 AU radius interdiction field, then the gate-carrier has to stop at 1 AU to deploy ... either that or proceed extremely slow(er-than-light) towards the interdicting ship during which time it'll probably be bombarded into oblivion. So it can't really be abused in an offensive role.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with Wes, I am worried about this being abused despite your assurances and justifications otherwise. I need some time to look at this in more detail. I will sit down with it again on Friday when I have the day off.
 
Strangelove said:

A while back some may have noticed I was looking at the "pirate problem". Specifically, 'Why is there nothing stopping a military from simply steamrolling over them?' So I played with a few ideas, then took a look at the Vietcong, arguably one of the most successful guerrilla fighters in modern history. The secret of their success was tunnel networks, which allowed them to resupply and reposition almost invisibly.

I realized that a form of jump gate-style technology fitted on a carrier could offer a similar form of protection and mobility (if put on a mobile platform like a ship), and would logically the best way to protect guerrilla forces from simply being overwhelmed by the sheer firepower/numbers of military forces.

I chose to make a separate "rift" technology rather than using traditional jump (age friendly and enemy ships alike. The aura is therefore mutually exclusive with having any reinforcements on the battlefield.

As you can see, I've taken a careful effort to add a number of balancing factor to prevent the "omg-wtf" effect of potential abuse issues. Hopefully I've covered all my bases here. Oh, and I apologize if the article may seem incomplete -- I always custom-tailor the description of each component for the ship I use it on, so it may not seem like a well-written "stand alone" article.
Click to expand...

glomps Strangelove...
....I glad someone else want to create wormholes... aka "rifts"

There are to one complication that you forgot about. It comes from the work that scientist have done creating wormholes and rifts using negative energy. It the main reason for the size restriction like you suggested is not only necessary but realistic. Perhaps also this will put Wes's mind somewhat at ease to the problem of Rift generators replacing or conflicting with FTL technology.
(drumroll while still hugging stranglove in a PLATONIC-way).............


The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics!!!! (I never though I would have a good reason to bring this up in a Scifi RP 😭)

http://www.uky.edu/~holler/CHE107/media/first_second_law.mp3
Yes, that great and wonderfully law not only requires that their be a limit on wormhole size but also:
1) Limits the time interval that the wormhole can stay continuously activated (like 30 mins)
2) Limits the distance (in lyrs) in that a wormhole can span or short-cut in normal space-time called the "short-cut distance"

I was suggesting that we start out with wormholes only being able to shortcut a few light -years (like 5 ly since SA is 120 ly across). Then, Wes has an assigned GM adjust this "short-cut distance" so that wormholes and rift generators seamlessly become more involved the SA realm without replacing FTL drives...
 
Note the restrictions in the article, then I will look at it again.
 
Dusk, there is already a precedent for long-distance gate/wormhole travel set by the NovaCorp gate system.

Anyway, I have a plot device coming up which would be brutally maimed by such a limitation.
 
dusk said:
Yes, that great and wonderfully law not only requires that their be a limit on wormhole size but also:
1) Limits the time interval that the wormhole can stay continuously activated (like 30 mins)
2) Limits the distance (in lyrs) in that a wormhole can span or short-cut in normal space-time called the "short-cut distance"

I was suggesting that we start out with wormholes only being able to shortcut a few light -years (like 5 ly since SA is 120 ly across). Then, Wes has an assigned GM adjust this "short-cut distance" so that wormholes and rift generators seamlessly become more involved the SA realm without replacing FTL drives...
Click to expand...


Well.... you could probably extending to 10 or 20 ly. However, I would still have to say you would need to still get this approved by Wes or the GM he assigns because, Yes I still believe a distance regulator is a good idea. Hell, you could even ask Wes to BE that GM.....
 
10 LY or less sounds good to me.

This submission is pending.
 
dusk said:
dusk said:
Yes, that great and wonderfully law not only requires that their be a limit on wormhole size but also:
1) Limits the time interval that the wormhole can stay continuously activated (like 30 mins)
2) Limits the distance (in lyrs) in that a wormhole can span or short-cut in normal space-time called the "short-cut distance"

I was suggesting that we start out with wormholes only being able to shortcut a few light -years (like 5 ly since SA is 120 ly across). Then, Wes has an assigned GM adjust this "short-cut distance" so that wormholes and rift generators seamlessly become more involved the SA realm without replacing FTL drives...
Click to expand...


Well.... you could probably extending to 10 or 20 ly. However, I would still have to say you would need to still get this approved by Wes or the GM he assigns because, Yes I still believe a distance regulator is a good idea. Hell, you could even ask Wes to BE that GM.....
Click to expand...

Dusk? Do you have any idea who you're talking to? I am my own GM, thanks.
 
Bump, you guys ready for final review?
 
I have to protest against a <10 LY cap. While the "inner" planets are quite clustered together at <5 LY ranges, many the outer planets often are spaced up to 10-25 LY apart (depending on which direction you go).

The entire point of it having unstable space nullifying capability is to be able to explore new frontiers. This is especially a concern since the Free State core worlds are now being "boxed in" by Nepleslian and Abwehran colonization, prompting migration and exploration deeper into space in the search for resources. Likewise, PATHENON's omnipotentcy range is farther than ever with its probe upgrades -- meaning criminal activity is moot unless it's a fair distance from Yamatai.
 
A problem with this system is that I see nothing to prevent someone following you through the rift, aside from the best efforts of whatever forces you have dedicated to rearguard action.

The obvious countermeasure is to close the rift behind you. There are two problems with this.

First, some of the enemy's forces might make it to the rift before you can close it, or before the last of your own forces are through. The next obvious layer of defense, then, is to have defenses in place at the destination gate to deal with any unwelcome company (like the SGC gate room defenses in Stargate: SG-1). Having adequate defenses at the destination rift is definitely something you would have to consider when making your plans, but if you can at least close the rift before the bulk of a large enemy force enters it, dealing with your uninvited traveling companions shouldn't be too difficult as long as you did all your homework beforehand. In this case, the size limitation of the rift actually works in your favor - enemy warships, no matter how fast (or sneaky), cannot follow you through the rift - only fighters/mecha and light patrol craft can.

The second, and potentially larger, problem, is interdiction fields.
SUBLIMEinal said:
As I said before, Interdiction essentially stabilizes space. As this is by all purposes a disturbance in space, it should be affected by that.
Click to expand...
Interdiction fields appear to resist changes in the structure of space, whatever that structure may be, and so would not adversely affect a standing rift, but would actually "prop it open" and make it difficult to close. If so, then a pursuing force might be able to use interdiction fields to hold a rift open after you deactivate the rift generator. You could, at that point, try to collapse the rift (with SDM munitions, for example), but then it comes down to a power contest (between the enemy's interdiction field generators and whatever you can throw at the rift, or at the ships on the other side propping it open) which you may, or may not, win.

On a side note, it is worth noting that, in the SA universe, a single 17cm-diameter torpedo can blow something the size of a Borg Cube or Super Star Destroyer out of the sky without scoring a catastrophic critical hit. How much damage do you suppose a 25m-diameter cruise missile could do?
 
What good would propping open the entrance to the rift do if the exit closes? Would the exit remain open if the framework on that side was destroyed or shut down?

That might be interesting...closing one half of a wormhole would create a black hole.
 
I would expect the interdiction field to propagate through the rift - both sides would be propped open.

There is still the issue of whether someone could follow you through a rift by being mere meters behind you or right next to you - entering at about the same time as you while using some form of stealth.

There are a lot of parallels to the stargates of Stargate:SG-1, and several of the same pros and cons.
 
Then what this needs is a very strong shutter system...or for mines to be laid in the wake of the fleeing ship. Then the stealth ship would be all alone in an area possibly saturated with hostiles.
 
Wes.

Give Yamatai something to worry about for a change. When characters have stuff to worry about, things become interesting in terms of roleplay. Things become less linear and above all: less boring. Life's far too easy for the cats right now.


It's why I refuse to play one.
 
I seem to remember my characters worrying about becoming very very extinct.

Edit: So in other words I'm not sure where you're basing that from, in character there are plenty of things to worry about without a rift generator..can you expand on what you mean, please?
 
Osaka's being snarky, and his comments aren't relevant to the technology proposed. So he doesn't need to respond here — he can respond in PM.
 
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