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Subspace Ansible: Difference between revisions
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** Which is why ships that expect a battle deploy remote probes, and sometimes pre-launch interceptors, missiles with sensors, and so on - big sensors are better, but ability to win time even from light speed lag often matters more. Also, [[Teleporters and Transporters|teraport]] normally starts with sending a bunch of miniature probes first to see whether they'll go "splat" on Teraport Area Denial or see something unpleasant on the other end, though it's mentioned only in rare cases when the probes were ''expected to'' make it, but didn't, or when the ship runs out of probes and have to improvise.
*** The same applies to [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-12-29 area defence]: if you're worried about relativistic projectiles, what you need is some ships with enough of (gravitic) juice to deal with such threats, plus lots and lots of drones to detect the problem while you still have time.
** Also, hypernode jamming or even lasting disruption is possible, though at relatively short ranges. Once the jamming area was appraised by looking which opponents reacted after light from an event could reach them, and which ones before, and thus are able to use information from sensors somewhere closer (being an opportunistic coalition, they weren't networked together).
* The ''[[Starslip]]'' technical manual asserts that FTL communication is actually an incredibly sophisticated computer that anticipates what the other party will say. "Modern" systems are so good, it can predict and initiate a call at the same time it is placed, light-years away. [[FTL Travel]] is almost as preposterously handwaved.
** Only at first though (and hell, the strip is NAMED AFTER their FTL system), the detailed explanation becomes a major plot point and the titular Starslip Crisis when the future declares war on the past to make them stop using it.
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