Date sent: 22-AUG-1996 10:30:12
After messing about last night, I've decided that the idea I came up with is
too complex. I'm going to revert to Mark's idea of using Railguns to represent
the beams.
I'm still adamant (gedit?) that the pulse cannons can block beam fire, (I know
this doesn't sit well with some people. Tough.) and the idea of charging
should stay.
So you still have a central power store. The only things that draw from this
are the beams and the jump drive. You gain 1d6 points each turn (provided the
Jump Drive is intact. I assume a ships reactor is part of the jump system, and
only jump capable ships have reactors powerful enough to charge a beam weapon)
and can store a maximum of 6 points. These points can be used for. (The power
system is assumed built into all Jump Capable hulls for free)
- Open a Jump Point cost 6. (No charging of power core while point is
held)
- Fire a Beam. cost = Beam Class.
- Self Destruct (Happens on critical to Jump System) d6 damage per point
stored. Can be done volunteraly in unusual circumstances (only if mixing Role
Playing with Wargaming)
Which reminds me.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Jump Drive Criticals. Roll d6 (add 1 for each previous critical to the drive
system)
1-3. Minor damage. Roll d6 each turn a point is held open.
1-4 OK. 5 or 6 point collapses, destroying ship
and any ship on jump point template.
4 Heavy damage. May no longer jump. Charge now only 1/2 d6
(round down) per turn.
5 Destroyed. No more Jumping. No more charge.
6 Explosion (see above)
A repair crew can modify Destroyed to Heavy Damage and Heavy to Minor Damage.
Minor is the best they can get it to in the field. A Drive that has Exploded
may not be repaired.
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Modification to firing. Damage is reduced by one per shield factor. Within 12"
shield factor is penalised by 1. Within 6" shield factor is ignored. May
attack a fighter as if it were any other ship (Obviously a hit on a fighter is
going to be pretty fatal)
You no longer have to declare firing, and can now use other weapons in the
same turn. (Because these beams are less powerful, such a balancing factor is
not needed).
I'm quite pleased with the arc reliant interceptors. Most ships
can manage level-3 defence in one arc, but few can cover more
than one arc effectively, and it forces a choice between attack
and defence. C-bats and ADAF are now the weapon of choice.
(Older ships should have PDAF, with B as main armament. Newer
ships can fit either a ADAF defence grid, or multiple C-bats,
with smaller ships going for the Cs. Main cannons are usually A)
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Minbari BGEW (Big Green Energy Weapon)
As BREW, but it don't need to charge. Minbari screens subtract from the Hit
roll. Ships also have armour 1, but lack intercept mode for their energy
weapons, which themselves can not be intercepted. (Usually fitted with
multiple ADAF, some As and a 4) With Minbari screens, you simply don't need
interceptors.
BGEW may optionally fire as a needle beam, provided a detailed scan of the
target ship is made in the same turn.
I always class the White Star as a Destroyer, but despite it's small size, it
can fit a Jump Drive, and a BGEW. It uses Plasma Cannons, so can go on
intercept mode, has Minbari Screens and Armour 2, is Fast, and nearly
invincible by ordinary ship standards.
Yes, that's right folks. The Minbari use a class 4 beam as standard. That's
enough to cause a threshold check with each hit on most ships.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Vorlons and Shadows BYEW and RBREW (Big Yellow Energy Weapon and Really Big
Red Energy Weapon)
Treat as the normal energy weapons, costing a number of bio points equal to
three times the weapon class. (You can choose what class you want to fire
with, with no upper limit, but can only make one attack a turn like this. You
want to fire a class 10 beam? That kinda puts the slice and dice beam in it's
place.)
Bio screens, like Minbari stealth screens reduce the chance to hit by one per
screen level.
All Vorlon ships have class 2 armour as standard. All Shadow Battlespiders can
phase in and out of hyperspace (treat as cloaking) as per jump drives.
> Adam wrote:
--So you still have a central power store.
Agreed the energy capacitor seems to fit, is the accounting easy in play
testing? Your rules sound logical but it doesn't stick as easily as the A beam
= 3 dice rules of the core do. I know its a trade off between simplicity &
accuracy. I'd certainly need to keed referring back for all the if then else
clauses about jump drives collapsing and capacitor brew ups.
--I'm quite pleased with the arc reliant interceptors.
I agree this gives nice tactical play with the right feel. Couldnt we say that
the B%EW are the equivalent to A bats in other genres and using them for point
defence is impossible. Why create a new class? B%EW == AA or == A bats. I'd
limit interceptor point defence to%DAF & C bat systems.
--Minbari BGEW (Big Green Energy Weapon)
Good, better tech == no charge time.
-- but lack intercept mode for their energy weapons
But NOT earth / Narn lower tech weapons?
-- and a 4)
a 4 what?
--I always class the White Star as a Destroyer
Its hard to get the scale against Shadow Ships, I always felt it was a
cruiser.
--RBREW (Big Yellow Energy Weapon and Really Big Red Energy Weapon)
On my Tv Shadow cutting beam is Magenta or Violet, Earth Force & Narn have
BREW.
:-) Vorlons have an energy ball weapon that the ships hold then release?
This isn't covered.
Date sent: 22-AUG-1996 13:55:36
> --So you still have a central power store.
> Agreed the energy capacitor seems to fit, is the accounting easy in
Yes, provided you have a good play sheet. (I used OHP pens on a laminated play
card)
> Your rules sound logical but it doesn't stick as easily as the
The explosion itself is dead easy. Just roll a number of dice equal to the
number you have in the box, and add them up. The Jump drive criticals may be
too complex. I've been thinking of changing it to
1-3 minor, 4-5 inoperative, 6 Kaboom. So the results will be graduated
in the same way as weapon fire. A minor damaged jump drive could then
use the same grades. 1-3 works, 4-5 works, but roll again next turn,
6 Kaboom.
I'm thinking of changing the box with a number to a thermometer type bar that
you fill boxes in to represent charge, and rub em out as you use it.
One thing I've found is that as I'm working on these rules, they are getting
simpler. And perhaps I'm the wrong person to playtest them.
> --I'm quite pleased with the arc reliant interceptors.
> I agree this gives nice tactical play with the right feel. Couldnt we
There does seem to be some confusion here. Using B*EW for defence IS
impossible. The point of contention is, do defenses work against them? I say
they do (Reduce damage by defence level, just as you would for armour from a
railgun), most everyone else says they don't. I'm quite happy to have all the
pulse cannons have some defensive capability. The heavier ones are wasted in
this role, but the option is there.
In effect they are not a new class, they are simply a new use for the railgun
rules. (I reverted to that last night because the others were too complex)
> --Minbari BGEW (Big Green Energy Weapon)
> Good, better tech == no charge time.
Changed for tonights test to faster charge and bigger capacity.
> -- but lack intercept mode for their energy weapons
> But NOT earth / Narn lower tech weapons?
It's better not to be hit at all. It's the same thing with why Kra'Vak don't
have screens. They don't defend against their own weapons, so why bother?
Besides, the mechanics I'm using preclude mixing the two. Both count as FT
screens. (With armour and Screens all functioning, a Minbari Warcruiser has
defence 3 all round anyway, but it is different
(better) with a BREW attack. (-2 to hit -1 damage))
> -- and a 4)
> a 4 what?
Class 4 railgun (beam) 8-)
> --I always class the White Star as a Destroyer
> Its hard to get the scale against Shadow Ships, I always felt it was a
I always felt cruisers could fit Jump Drives, so I want for a maximum mass
escort. Besides, I'm allowing it to overfit on weapons to represent it's
superior tech.
> --RBREW (Big Yellow Energy Weapon and Really Big Red Energy Weapon)
> On my Tv Shadow cutting beam is Magenta or Violet, Earth Force & Narn
The Vorlon ball projects a beam. And if you wanted to go into every shade in
exacting detail, we'd be here all day.
SNIP
> --I always class the White Star as a Destroyer
I like to think of the big Vorlon cruisers' weapon as a "STBFW", ie
a "Stitch This, Bastard-Features! Weapon" :-)
White Star is _really_ wee next to a Minbari Warcruiser (which
I think of as a capital), and I'd call her a superdestroyer or destroyer in
FT.
Rob
> Adam Delafield wrote:
Does that mean that we go back to individual cannons? (Like on the Omegas: Two
in front, 4 in the aft.)
> I'm still adamant (gedit?) that the pulse cannons can block beam fire,
O.K. We'll assume that the "forward interceptor are down" qoute
in
the begining secene in "Severed Dreams" during the battle between the
Clarkstown and the Alexander was not a technical gaffe. As for charging rules
are we charging all avaiable BREWS in one roll, or are do we have to charge
each cannon?
Later,
> After messing about last night, I've decided that the idea I came up
I'm for representation of ships as best as possible but don't hafta have exact
number of guns if we can't fit 'em with FT. Like Adam said, a ship
(SW) with 72 guns/cannons can be represented by 7 batteries.
I'm for (in regards to the Omegas) 2 forward heavy BREWs and 1 or 2 aft
medium BREWs. I'm slowly changing the HBW rules on my B5/FT page to
reflect more Adam's ideas.
> I'm still adamant (gedit?) that the pulse cannons can block beam
Still feels funny to me. :-/
> As for charging rules are we charging all avaiable BREWS in one
I was thinking individual cannon. But that's me. ;-)
Mk
Date sent: 23-AUG-1996 09:20:25
> Adam Delafield wrote:
> Date sent: 22-AUG-1996 10:30:12
> After messing about last night, I've decided that the idea I came up
> Does that mean that we go back to individual cannons? (Like on
We are down to separate systems for the BREWs, but we don't need a number of
BREWs equal to the number of barrels. (Two fore and Two aft would be
sufficient on an Omega Carrier)
> I'm still adamant (gedit?) that the pulse cannons can block beam
> O.K. We'll assume that the "forward interceptor are down" qoute
It's also the only explanation as to the Agamenmons short engagement range
later on in the ep.
> As for charging rules are we charging all avaiable BREWS in one
Charge is stored centrally (In the Jump Drive System. So only Jump capable
ships can use BREWs)
> Later,