Beams Why?

CZuschlag said:
This isn't too far, now, from the Dilgar concept of rows upon rows of AP, DD weaponry -- in anything, Twin-Linking is better (vs. anything but Hull 6, and even then, it's very close). Will there still be enough of a differentiation between the new Centauri and the Dilgar, or will one sort of be subsumed in the other -- no real tactical differences to be found? This possibility is slightly worrisome to those of us who play Dilgar.

I'll just have to wait and see.

EDIT: The are CAF considerations, now that I think about it, but with CAF based on CQ check, that is Far less relevant than it used to be.
In general Centauri back up their Ion Cannon with Battle Lasers whereas the Dilgar back up with Torpedoes - very different in the way they both play (not counting arcs, toughness, etc.)
 
CZuschlag said:
Will there still be enough of a differentiation between the new Centauri and the Dilgar, or will one sort of be subsumed in the other -- no real tactical differences to be found? This possibility is slightly worrisome to those of us who play Dilgar.
.

EDIT: The are CAF considerations, now that I think about it, but with CAF based on CQ check, that is Far less relevant than it used to be.

I think so, Dilgar still get their masters of destruction bonus which ups the damage from your criticals.
And as you said CAF! is a consideration too.

In all honesty I really like the MoD special rule and think it would perfectly fit the fanheads!
 
Given the disparity in quality of weapon systems (slow-loaders vs. beamy goodness) and the presence of defensive systems on Centarui vessels vs. Dilgar, there had -- I hope -- best be a substanital firepower difference between the two, or why would anyone want an Ochliavita?
 
CZuschlag said:
Given the disparity in quality of weapon systems (slow-loaders vs. beamy goodness) and the presence of defensive systems on Centarui vessels vs. Dilgar, there had -- I hope -- best be a substanital firepower difference between the two, or why would anyone want an Ochliavita?

well the beamy goodness isn't so good anymore

overall the centauri are more fragile with forward weapons where the Dilgar have more of a weapons spread
 
emperorpenguin said:
well the beamy goodness isn't so good anymore

You do know you have just opened a can of worms here...

I can hear hordes of panicing gamers franticly typing at their keyboards...

"WHY MONGOOSE... WHY HAVE YOU RUINED MY LIFE"!

:wink:
 
Court Jester said:
emperorpenguin said:
well the beamy goodness isn't so good anymore

You do know you have just opened a can of worms here...

I can hear hordes of panicing gamers franticly typing at their keyboards...

"WHY MONGOOSE... WHY HAVE YOU RUINED MY LIFE"!

:wink:

Well it was widely held belief that Centauri "beam-teams" were too good and they couldn't very well get better ion cannons without a trade-off (much as I'd have wanted it being a Centauri player!) :P
 
emperorpenguin said:
Well this is what Matt said in the "Progress on 2nd ed" thread :D

Yes I have seen that but we haven't seen any ship stats yet in reality :D How the new primus will look like? How many AD's? Any armour piercing there? Range? Fire arcs? 2nd ed come here soon!
 
tneva82 said:
emperorpenguin said:
Well this is what Matt said in the "Progress on 2nd ed" thread :D

Yes I have seen that but we haven't seen any ship stats yet in reality :D How the new primus will look like? How many AD's? Any armour piercing there? Range? Fire arcs? 2nd ed come here soon!
Well given that even on the fleets that are considered "finished" for the moment, we will be revisiting everything once we've been over it all, the stats are still open to change - in the case of the Centauri, very much so as we're still right in the middle of them.
 
Triggy said:
Well given that even on the fleets that are considered "finished" for the moment, we will be revisiting everything once we've been over it all, the stats are still open to change - in the case of the Centauri, very much so as we're still right in the middle of them.

Which doesn't change the fact I want to see them ASAP :lol:

Hey I'm curious. What's so weird about that one :wink:

I have been curious to see new look of centauri from the second I read Matt's post about them going for ion cannons in next edition. Can't wait to see the finished stats.
 
Well Ive heard mixed things about planned changes to beams and planned changes to the Centauri and I have to say, as far as the Centauri are concerned Im optimistic. The 'beam-team' WAS just boring to play against and left the centauri needing little tactics more than just line up and fire. My big hope is that the Vorchan becomes a worthy ship now :)

Beams.... well in all honesty at the moment I think ACTA is a little too beam dominated and a shift towards different weapons would be a 'very good thing' but Im not sure theres a problem with how beams actually work at the moment, just that they are so prevalent.
 
tneva82 said:
How the new primus will look like?

a little like this...
ctaprimussmall.jpg


:lol: couldn't resist!

How many AD's? Any armour piercing there? Range? Fire arcs? 2nd ed come here soon!

as Triggy said they're in playtest right now but as a general rule just think less powerful beam, more powerful twin array, the ADs could change
 
Locutus9956 said:
Beams.... well in all honesty at the moment I think ACTA is a little too beam dominated and a shift towards different weapons would be a 'very good thing' but Im not sure theres a problem with how beams actually work at the moment, just that they are so prevalent.

I'm worried about the super dominance of interceptors if beams are taken too far down.
 
I'm worried about the super dominance of interceptors if beams are taken too far down.

I wouldn't worry about that. Under the current mechanics interceptors are very easily overloaded and quickly become a non-factor. Generally speaking it only takes 4 hits before the interceptors are down to a single die needing a 6 to block the shot. Any other hits after that are almost certain to go through. Try playing a game of EA Vs. Dilgar. You would think that the interceptor heavy EA would make it through with minimal trouble, but that just isn't the case.
 
Obsidian said:
I'm worried about the super dominance of interceptors if beams are taken too far down.

I wouldn't worry about that. Under the current mechanics interceptors are very easily overloaded and quickly become a non-factor. Generally speaking it only takes 4 hits before the interceptors are down to a single die needing a 6 to block the shot. Any other hits after that are almost certain to go through. Try playing a game of EA Vs. Dilgar. You would think that the interceptor heavy EA would make it through with minimal trouble, but that just isn't the case.
I thought this before i played my dilgar vs EA but i came close to winning which wasn't bad since it was first time i had used them. Interceptors aren't that bad espicially in my hands.
 
I imagine the majority of debate when lists are released will be

who has them
how many
what range / arc

be interesting to see how they work on hull 4,5 and 6 respectively.
 
who has what? beams? lots of people have them, most have been tweaked slightly in AD. the centauri as mentioned still have them but the focus is no longer on their beams.
against differant hulls though you will have to wait and see, or see if matt posts anymore, or perhaps even ask someone who went to Masters of War tourney last year if they can remember how 2e beams worked in the preview.
 
animus said:
I'm worried about the super dominance of interceptors if beams are taken too far down.

I think the term "super dominance" could maybe be a touch of hyperbole...

Lets not jump to extreme conclusions...
 
The problem with interceptors is that they do not scale well with either the size of a fight or the length of a fight.

Low PL/low point games can often produce fights where a ship with an interceptor basically shrugs off all the interceptable hits from a ship of equivalent class. This means two or more ships have to combine fire on a single ship just to have an effect. In large games where 20 or more AD are hitting a ship the amount stopped by interceptors is a small percentage, but when only 8 AD are hitting (normal for 16 AP AD against hull 5) it 50% of the firepower. Its worse for ships with small amounts of AD but each is double or triple damage.

In longer games you have the issue that eventually they end up being smaller game with only a few ships left. I had one game where a Maximus trailed my Raider Battlewagon for four turns unable to put a single point into. Sure I was barely above crippled and had no way of affecting the Maximus, but the interceptors won me the game because he could not cross that threshold and get a hit through. This doesn't happen with other defense systems (or with enhanced damage like the narn have) as there is no threshold you have to overcome.

Not saying that statistically it can't work out, just saying that interceptors scale very oddly, and that accurately pointing them is difficult as they have radically different effects on the game depending on opponent, size of game and how long the game lasts.

Ripple
 
I have to agree that interceptors play crazy.....

But generally myself i roll very bad with them, so i could just trat my Centauri (Oct especially) as having int1.......

OTOH i have defeated interceptors with a single prefect (Yer yer just fire the twin particles and hope for a 6-6 on the DD weapons, it might just work).

So actually i have to say, beams are nice, but i rarely truly use them......my G'Quans live off ship-killers, and im far more fond of Twin particles and Matter cannons with Centauri (yer i guess i dont like the beam team, have to admit to my shame that i ised it once).

So while interceptors scale very funny. I dont think that they play a big role currently. Unless we are talking a skirmish lvl ship tryint to take down raid and above ^^. Hule 6 is already a problem for a Maximus, Interceptors are just too much for it.
 
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