"Bones, did you ever hear of the doomsday machine?"

[GalagaGalaxian]

One of the things I remember most from reading a copy of Star Fleet Battles ages ago was the Doomsday Machine, Star Dragon, Space Amoeba and other "space monsters". I always thought that they made for a neat break from the usual "ships/fleets fighting" scenarios.

Will they be appearing in Call to Arms: Star Fleet? I'm really hoping so, after all, you gotta have something for all those labs and probes to do.

If not, what purpose do the labs and probes serve? Just potential future-proofing?

Thanks.

 

[Rambler]

The Death Probe, Space Ameoba, and the Planet Killer should be farily straight foreward conversions when Matthew is ready for them. They are really just X number of weapons and a buttload of hull hits. Some Lab time to see what you have to kill them with (straight damage or something special like a Suicide Shuttle) and, as damage is scored certain wepons stop functioning. Juggernaughts and Dragons may be a bet tougher but not much.

 

[Totenkopf]

what purpose do the labs and probes serve? Just potential future-proofing?

Some scenarios will give players victory points or potentially require players to get information from an objection via labs and probes, I believe this was mentioned in a blog post describing ship stats. They will definitely have a use in campaign games. However, this would not preclude the possibility of said "monsters" being released for play some time in the future.

 

[Nerroth]

I can't recall exactly where I saw it, but I thik it was said (perhaps over on the ADB BBS) that the monsters from the FC modules used for the first book were left out for now; since they apparently don't play too well in fleet battles.


While I won't argue the point too much one way or the other for most of them, the Juggernaut has seen some interesting developments as of late. In SFB, there has been a series of additional variants of the standard Juggy (not least with the inclusion of the fearsome Shriek missiles) shown in Captain's Log; as well as an array of "Juggernaut Empire" ships ranging from frigate- to battleship-sized. (And yes, that Juggernaut BB is even bigger and scarier than the original!)

While it might be a long time before anything could be done with them, I think that for the purposes of ACtA:SF, the broader "Juggernaut Empire" fleet might work better if presented together, rather than only offering the standard Juggernaut (or Juggernaut DN, as it would be referred to now) for consideration.

I should probably try not to get too carried away with that line of reasoning just yet, however.

 

[GalagaGalaxian]

Hmmm, I wonder how the Juggernaut's rotating shield and hull armor (and unarmored rear) would work? Simply shift from 6 direction to 4 for the shield and let shots from the rear quarter do either bonus damage or ignore the armored trait (I think I recall there being an armored trait for the Texas and the old warbirds?).

I dunno.

Damn I want the CTA:SF book, so many questions and half-formulated ideas bouncing around my head wanting hard data to work off of.

 

[locarno24]

Well, there's an existing "directional armour" trait in use for the klingons. Easy enough to use and abuse.

The ancients were an interesting lot in the B5 version. With the new critical system they'd probably be a lot more playable.
Whether you could have them as a standard 'fleet', I'm not sure, but it'd be interesting.

Maybe have them be really tough but have the enemy able to reduce their defences/hull/stealth/whatever through the applications of probes, labs, raised eyebrows and the word "fascinating..." and you can probably make them a standard(ish) combat opponent without needing special scenarios. That also leaves open the possiblity of 'grades' of monster (by giving them extra alien-eyness) that allows them to take on bigger or smaller fleets.

Should work out. The feds get an advantage long-term in such a game due to their greater number of labs but the klingons get a single target they can point their heavy forward shields at, and the Romulans get to attack in waves then fall back and can easily exploit blind spots due to cloaks.

 

[Rambler]

There are lots of different ways you could handle the Juggernaught and in the end it is going to need some playtesting to figure out what works best.

On the shield a few options come to mind. First it would only cover one of 4 facings at any given time. Then you could use the Klingon Shield Rule applied to F, P and S facing, or give it a leaky shield penalty say 1 and 2 bypasses the shield, or say that the shield always faces the last ship to fire at it. Add to that that the shield regenerates to full at the start of every turn and you got it.

The Hull seems easy enough. Give it a Regeneration Trait of like 10 every turn.

When taking damage to the rear adding something like the Devistating Trait to all weapons that strike the Aft Quater of the ship might work.

Bottom line is it is a mean mother and Matthew will have lots of fun figuring out how to tourture us with it.

 

[Captain Jonah]

Don't work well with fleets you say.

Admiral, sensors report movement from behind the gas giant.

What, more Klingons, I thought we had their entire fleet tracked and in front of us.

No sir, these are strange signals, the labs are identifying them now. Oh crap its a family of space amoebas and they seem to be hungry :shock:

Cue random moveable terrain feature that will chase ships that get too close and eat your hulls :twisted: