Mouth of Sauron
Mongoose
Thanks for the replies guys. 
She does have a whole lot of guns. lol
She does have a whole lot of guns. lol
ACTA: Battlestar Galactica - Some input please...
- Thread starter Court Jester
- Start date
Hokay, today TGT and I (with Tank looking on) ran a small game using the 8th draft.
They may have their suggestions, but here are a few things we found and some of my reflections:
We played Mercury vs. 2 Basestars, being as we didn't hold much stock in the points as they're written out (they stray towards 3 basestars to one mercury!!). Personally I'm all for putting it back to Acropolis=Basestar=1/2 Mercury - with caveats.
We did equal rolls for initiative.
Raiders are too tough, and too numerous. 6 hits makes them far, far too tough on attrition alone, even with -1 to CQ and the reduced dodge which have been put in the more recent drafts.
Vipers are nowhere near tough enough, and should be better in dogfights (either/or - bumping them to 2 hits with no penalties when they lose a hit, or putting them to +5 might do the trick).
Gunship raptors - are their missile racks an either/or selection?
Basestars - combined with the toughness of the raiders and the ease with which they can run in on a battlestar and eat up its PDS (yes, 12>8, so even leaving 1 each behind on the basestar, you can run in 2 swarms onto a mercury assuming 2 basestars vs. 1 battlestar, and keep all of their vipers in dogfights)
Their missiles are just too much without the slow loading trait. Also, it might be an idea to split their weapon systems so that they have conventional missiles ~10AD and a separate system with nuclear payload 4AD, both slow loading, and still using the rules as stated for firing the nukes.
Reasoning: 12 AD of conventional is almost too much as it is. 12 AD of nuclear would be obscene.
Make them both slow loading and the Cylon player can alternate fire, whilst giving the colonials a remote chance to fend it off.
Also, Cylons should not be able to close blast doors... simple reasoning being that they wouldn't have any inside a semi-organic ship.
General game dynamics: we noticed very early on that the Mercury has to run down the basestars to get any chance of killing them - it relies heavily on initiative, and absolutely must get into 18" with a basestar in its front arc to take advantage of the obscene AD it can put out from its batteries. TGT didn't even need to take advantage of the outnumbering - though if he'd been canny, he could've played chase with one basestar, whilst the other took a flanking position pretty much unmolested.
I would suggest that in any game, the person who wins the setup is allowed to keep back 1 of their ships to FTL in at their discretion from turn 2 onwards - it's more in keeping with the battles in the series. The loser has been ambushed or otherwise lured into a trap, and the winner has the upper hand.
They may have their suggestions, but here are a few things we found and some of my reflections:
We played Mercury vs. 2 Basestars, being as we didn't hold much stock in the points as they're written out (they stray towards 3 basestars to one mercury!!). Personally I'm all for putting it back to Acropolis=Basestar=1/2 Mercury - with caveats.
We did equal rolls for initiative.
Raiders are too tough, and too numerous. 6 hits makes them far, far too tough on attrition alone, even with -1 to CQ and the reduced dodge which have been put in the more recent drafts.
Vipers are nowhere near tough enough, and should be better in dogfights (either/or - bumping them to 2 hits with no penalties when they lose a hit, or putting them to +5 might do the trick).
Gunship raptors - are their missile racks an either/or selection?
Basestars - combined with the toughness of the raiders and the ease with which they can run in on a battlestar and eat up its PDS (yes, 12>8, so even leaving 1 each behind on the basestar, you can run in 2 swarms onto a mercury assuming 2 basestars vs. 1 battlestar, and keep all of their vipers in dogfights)
Their missiles are just too much without the slow loading trait. Also, it might be an idea to split their weapon systems so that they have conventional missiles ~10AD and a separate system with nuclear payload 4AD, both slow loading, and still using the rules as stated for firing the nukes.
Reasoning: 12 AD of conventional is almost too much as it is. 12 AD of nuclear would be obscene.
Make them both slow loading and the Cylon player can alternate fire, whilst giving the colonials a remote chance to fend it off.
Also, Cylons should not be able to close blast doors... simple reasoning being that they wouldn't have any inside a semi-organic ship.
General game dynamics: we noticed very early on that the Mercury has to run down the basestars to get any chance of killing them - it relies heavily on initiative, and absolutely must get into 18" with a basestar in its front arc to take advantage of the obscene AD it can put out from its batteries. TGT didn't even need to take advantage of the outnumbering - though if he'd been canny, he could've played chase with one basestar, whilst the other took a flanking position pretty much unmolested.
I would suggest that in any game, the person who wins the setup is allowed to keep back 1 of their ships to FTL in at their discretion from turn 2 onwards - it's more in keeping with the battles in the series. The loser has been ambushed or otherwise lured into a trap, and the winner has the upper hand.
Hokay, TGT here
Acropolis=Basestar=1/2 Mercury - didn't realise Basestars were so powerful!
equal rolls forgetting you had command bonuses Alex
Raiders are too tough, by far and too numerous. not sure about that!
I think the 6 hits is fine the problem is you got engaged too early by my raiders so you were stuck fighting impossible odds. I think the trick is to whittle down the fighters with flak then jump them with Vipers
as you see in the show.
Vipers are nowhere near effective enough in dogfights
see above but i guess +5 is reasonable
you also get a +1 for the Raptor i think?
Gunship raptors - are their missile racks an either/or selection? I'd be tempted to just make them akin to javelin systems
Basestars - combined with the toughness of the raiders and the ease with which they can run in on a battlestar and eat up its PDS (yes, 12>8, so even leaving 1 each behind on the basestar, you can run in 2 swarms onto a mercury assuming 2 basestars vs. 1 battlestar, and keep all of their vipers in dogfights) as happened in our game!
I wonder maybe if all missiles should have the half move torpedo-esk system
so flak barrages can be used to shoot them down
Their missiles are just too much without the slow loading trait. not sure about SL I don't think that'll be much fun for the cylon player
yes split their weapon systems so that they have conventional missiles ~12AD and a separate system with a SL nuclear payload 12AD, and still using the rules as stated for firing the nukes. but for all missiles
I say that as i think a flak barrage would easily stop it
... maybe SL for the nukes
Also, Cylons should not be able to close blast doors... simple reasoning being that they wouldn't have any inside a semi-organic ship.
absolutely!
yep below sounds good, remembering its a plot driven game system
I would suggest that in any game, the person who wins the setup is allowed to keep back 1 of their ships to FTL in at their discretion from turn 2 onwards - it's more in keeping with the battles in the series. The loser has been ambushed or otherwise lured into a trap, and the winner has the upper hand.
cheers Alex
Acropolis=Basestar=1/2 Mercury - didn't realise Basestars were so powerful!
equal rolls forgetting you had command bonuses Alex
Raiders are too tough, by far and too numerous. not sure about that!
I think the 6 hits is fine the problem is you got engaged too early by my raiders so you were stuck fighting impossible odds. I think the trick is to whittle down the fighters with flak then jump them with Vipers
as you see in the show.
Vipers are nowhere near effective enough in dogfights
see above but i guess +5 is reasonable
you also get a +1 for the Raptor i think?
Gunship raptors - are their missile racks an either/or selection? I'd be tempted to just make them akin to javelin systems
Basestars - combined with the toughness of the raiders and the ease with which they can run in on a battlestar and eat up its PDS (yes, 12>8, so even leaving 1 each behind on the basestar, you can run in 2 swarms onto a mercury assuming 2 basestars vs. 1 battlestar, and keep all of their vipers in dogfights) as happened in our game!
I wonder maybe if all missiles should have the half move torpedo-esk system
so flak barrages can be used to shoot them down
Their missiles are just too much without the slow loading trait. not sure about SL I don't think that'll be much fun for the cylon player
yes split their weapon systems so that they have conventional missiles ~12AD and a separate system with a SL nuclear payload 12AD, and still using the rules as stated for firing the nukes. but for all missiles
I say that as i think a flak barrage would easily stop it
... maybe SL for the nukes
Also, Cylons should not be able to close blast doors... simple reasoning being that they wouldn't have any inside a semi-organic ship.
absolutely!
yep below sounds good, remembering its a plot driven game system
I would suggest that in any game, the person who wins the setup is allowed to keep back 1 of their ships to FTL in at their discretion from turn 2 onwards - it's more in keeping with the battles in the series. The loser has been ambushed or otherwise lured into a trap, and the winner has the upper hand.
cheers Alex
WRT Flak - I don't know quite how you would do it. Perhaps it should be a special action whereby the battlestar declares which batteries are going to set up flak that turn (before movement) and gets a certain size template to place on the table within the arc and range of that battery (size dependent on no. of AD in the battery)
No raider or viper can pass through the barrier, or through the area between the barrier and the ship firing it - this creates fire lanes that the heavy raiders/raiders will have to fall in to, and the colonial player can put his vipers there to engage them.
Downside would be that nukes can get through the flak because they're small, and raiders can't get into the flak zone to engage them - so when they get within 15 inches, the basestars can throw their nukes in with a pretty good chance to hit (less the battlestars' PDS only).
No raider or viper can pass through the barrier, or through the area between the barrier and the ship firing it - this creates fire lanes that the heavy raiders/raiders will have to fall in to, and the colonial player can put his vipers there to engage them.
Downside would be that nukes can get through the flak because they're small, and raiders can't get into the flak zone to engage them - so when they get within 15 inches, the basestars can throw their nukes in with a pretty good chance to hit (less the battlestars' PDS only).
WRT Flak - I don't know quite how you would do it. Perhaps it should be a special action whereby the battlestar declares which batteries are going to set up flak that turn (before movement) and gets a certain size template to place on the table within the arc and range of that battery (size dependent on no. of AD in the battery)
yeah only those that have the FC trait and I'd say use the BFG templates 1 per AD. Place them in the movement phase
No raider or viper can pass through the barrier, or through the area between the barrier and the ship firing it - this creates fire lanes that the heavy raiders/raiders will have to fall in to, and the colonial player can put his vipers there to engage them.
If they do pass through they need to dodge per AD in the barrage
Downside would be that nukes can get through the flak because they're small, and raiders can't get into the flak zone to engage them - so when they get within 15 inches, the basestars can throw their nukes in with a pretty good chance to hit (less the battlestars' PDS only).
well missiles are point to point weapons so they'd have to fly throught the barrage and then the vipers and then the pd's
I guess missiles should have a 2+ dodge rather than a 6 to hit?
yeah only those that have the FC trait and I'd say use the BFG templates 1 per AD. Place them in the movement phase
No raider or viper can pass through the barrier, or through the area between the barrier and the ship firing it - this creates fire lanes that the heavy raiders/raiders will have to fall in to, and the colonial player can put his vipers there to engage them.
If they do pass through they need to dodge per AD in the barrage
Downside would be that nukes can get through the flak because they're small, and raiders can't get into the flak zone to engage them - so when they get within 15 inches, the basestars can throw their nukes in with a pretty good chance to hit (less the battlestars' PDS only).
well missiles are point to point weapons so they'd have to fly throught the barrage and then the vipers and then the pd's
I guess missiles should have a 2+ dodge rather than a 6 to hit?
Court Jester
Mongoose
But multiple times we see the Raiders flying through the flak fields strafing the Battlestars (and often exploding)... :wink:
I wouldn't want to inlcude something quite that fiddly in the rules.
I haven't done any updates yet. But I have a few ideas for bringing the size of the ships down and the size of the raider waves and simplifying some of the other rules.
I wouldn't want to inlcude something quite that fiddly in the rules.
I haven't done any updates yet. But I have a few ideas for bringing the size of the ships down and the size of the raider waves and simplifying some of the other rules.
Court Jester
Mongoose
New version in the works. There are some pretty major changes in store but mostly for better. Less fancy rules, more feel for the show. 8)
