Closed Warp Points

Been rereading The Shiva Option and was struck by the number of closed WPs found in Home Hive systems. HHs 3 and 1 both were attacked by the Grand Alliance via closed WPs and HH 5 also had one revealed from the System Which Must Be Concealed. The Bugs also found one in Alpha Centaurus which was equivalent to a Home Hive. So........how many other core systems of the Grand Alliance have unrevealed Closed WPs? The odds as shown to us by The Author would seem to indicate MANY such WPs in core systems.
This would seem (to me) to show a need for energetic exploration of systems outside the areas already explored. This would be useful for both offensive and defensive purposes. Defensively, it is much to be desired that such WPs be found by one's own ships (and then properly fortified) rather than be revealed by an enemy attack. Offensively, of course, having such a weapon in your hands is very useful, history having shown that it is usually much better to fight on The Other Guy's territory than on your own.

IIRC, there's a comment in one of the books to the effect that the boffins suspected that the majority of warp points were closed - and, in fact, that most warp lines are closed at both ends. Meaning that you will never find them unless you trip over them. Of course, given how likely that is, that implies that most of them aren't a defensive concern anyway.

It's also implied that both the Federation and the Khanate do explore pretty aggressively already, and have from the get-go, so I'm not sure what more you expect from them. In any case, for the sort of program you seem to be suggesting to do any good, it would have to find those semi-closed lines quickly rather than after dozens or hundreds of intermediate transits. Most of which, inevitably, would be through other peoples systems - something that could attract vigorous disapproval from said people. Making the cure possibly worse than the disease.

zuluwiz wrote:Been rereading The Shiva Option and was struck by the number of closed WPs found in Home Hive systems. HHs 3 and 1 both were attacked by the Grand Alliance via closed WPs and HH 5 also had one revealed from the System Which Must Be Concealed. The Bugs also found one in Alpha Centaurus which was equivalent to a Home Hive. So........how many other core systems of the Grand Alliance have unrevealed Closed WPs? The odds as shown to us by The Author would seem to indicate MANY such WPs in core systems.
This would seem (to me) to show a need for energetic exploration of systems outside the areas already explored. This would be useful for both offensive and defensive purposes. Defensively, it is much to be desired that such WPs be found by one's own ships (and then properly fortified) rather than be revealed by an enemy attack. Offensively, of course, having such a weapon in your hands is very useful, history having shown that it is usually much better to fight on The Other Guy's territory than on your own.