Well i have been playing warhammer 40k sence second editon and for a few months playing warhammer fantasy. I did dable into battletech a bit but have always been eyeing B5. I love the series and own em all. I am interested in the B5 game but need to know more. First off whats the learning curve for the game. compared to the ones i play or have experianced. Is it very detailed or moderately so. No one on base here in japan i know of plays the game but ill be going back to the states in a year and will be able to get involved but i just need to know more about the games mechanics. how dose it play and such. and ill probably get shot for this but I always liked the shadows the volrons and minbari but more info on the game what its like and how it plays would be good. I have been reading through the forums alot and have picked bits and pieces but do not under stand some the of abbreviations and stuff being talked about. that and okinawa sucks for hobby stores and they speak japanese dose not help either.
Eye candy
- Thread starter Drahazar
- Start date
Gargoyle117
Mongoose
Welcome to the game Drahazar,
I'm fairly new as well, but have been reading and planning extensively. I'll leave most of your questions to those who are more experienced and wise than I am.
The first thing you should know is that there will most likely be a second edition out by the time you return to the states. You may consider waiting until then if you do not play on base right now. Personally I could not wait, so I got all the books last month.
The best thing to do would be buy a pdf of the revised rule book from one of the online retailers. It will have 90% of the rules to play the game. Then check the player's resources thread that is stickied to the top. People have made "Ship Viewers", which are really just the stats for each ship. Refer to the ship viewers, since they have the most up to date information from the books and Signs and Portents articles.
You could play online using the Vassal program. There should be a link to that on the Player Resource thread as well. The latest mod is 2.7.5 or something to that effect. There is a recent thread on it. I am also considering playing online. Maybe some of us could work out an online campaign. Let me know if you are interested.
Where in the states will you be going? Chicago seems to have some active players here, but maybe there are some others in your future home town that could step up and help you out.
I find that this game lends itself remarkably well to campaign play. This distinguishes it in my mind from WH40K and others which I always failed to have a good campaign.
Minbari are currently having some difficulty with their stealth traits. People say they are a bit easy to kill. I do not know much about the Shadows and Vorlons, but there have been a few recent threads about them.
2e Update Thread: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24729
Vassal Mod: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=25361
Burger's Ship Viwers (my fave): http://members.lycos.co.uk/chburger/index.html
I'm fairly new as well, but have been reading and planning extensively. I'll leave most of your questions to those who are more experienced and wise than I am.
The first thing you should know is that there will most likely be a second edition out by the time you return to the states. You may consider waiting until then if you do not play on base right now. Personally I could not wait, so I got all the books last month.
The best thing to do would be buy a pdf of the revised rule book from one of the online retailers. It will have 90% of the rules to play the game. Then check the player's resources thread that is stickied to the top. People have made "Ship Viewers", which are really just the stats for each ship. Refer to the ship viewers, since they have the most up to date information from the books and Signs and Portents articles.
You could play online using the Vassal program. There should be a link to that on the Player Resource thread as well. The latest mod is 2.7.5 or something to that effect. There is a recent thread on it. I am also considering playing online. Maybe some of us could work out an online campaign. Let me know if you are interested.
Where in the states will you be going? Chicago seems to have some active players here, but maybe there are some others in your future home town that could step up and help you out.
I find that this game lends itself remarkably well to campaign play. This distinguishes it in my mind from WH40K and others which I always failed to have a good campaign.
Minbari are currently having some difficulty with their stealth traits. People say they are a bit easy to kill. I do not know much about the Shadows and Vorlons, but there have been a few recent threads about them.
2e Update Thread: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24729
Vassal Mod: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=25361
Burger's Ship Viwers (my fave): http://members.lycos.co.uk/chburger/index.html
Hi there,
Mechanically the game is similar to GWs Battlefleet Gothic. However it has a lot of tweks to it that makes for, in my opinion, a far superior game.
The learning curve for the game? It is a very, very simple game to learn, and it plays quite fast. As to details, a lot of the crunchy bits and movement is abstracted to a degree. Each ship has a set number of turns it can make, a set amount of damage it can sustain before it becomes useless, and a set amount of crew. A critical hits system allows for more quantified damage (like knocking out weapons, or damaging engines). Overall the simplicity lets you play around with subtle fleet tactics.
Movement is I move 1 ship/squadron, you move 1 ship/squadron. Fighters move after ships. Firing fighters fire first then, I fire 1 ship/Squadron, you fire 1 ship squadron. (Based off winning initiative).
Weapons have a number of AD and these need to exceed the targets hull to potentially cause damage. These AD and the damage potential is modified by various traits that individualise the weapons.
There are lots of ships for lots of factions for use in game. While many are to an extent similar, each race has its own particular play style, and strengths and weaknesses. Which make for a very different game depending on the fleet you play with and the fleet your opponent plays that game.
The game is very fleet orientated, so some ships look weak on their own when compared to another. But if if you give the weak ship fleet protection for support, they bring useful traits to the rest of the fleet.
There is also a very good campaign system that allows for multiple linked games to be fought between many opponents.
Mechanically the game is similar to GWs Battlefleet Gothic. However it has a lot of tweks to it that makes for, in my opinion, a far superior game.
The learning curve for the game? It is a very, very simple game to learn, and it plays quite fast. As to details, a lot of the crunchy bits and movement is abstracted to a degree. Each ship has a set number of turns it can make, a set amount of damage it can sustain before it becomes useless, and a set amount of crew. A critical hits system allows for more quantified damage (like knocking out weapons, or damaging engines). Overall the simplicity lets you play around with subtle fleet tactics.
Movement is I move 1 ship/squadron, you move 1 ship/squadron. Fighters move after ships. Firing fighters fire first then, I fire 1 ship/Squadron, you fire 1 ship squadron. (Based off winning initiative).
Weapons have a number of AD and these need to exceed the targets hull to potentially cause damage. These AD and the damage potential is modified by various traits that individualise the weapons.
There are lots of ships for lots of factions for use in game. While many are to an extent similar, each race has its own particular play style, and strengths and weaknesses. Which make for a very different game depending on the fleet you play with and the fleet your opponent plays that game.
The game is very fleet orientated, so some ships look weak on their own when compared to another. But if if you give the weak ship fleet protection for support, they bring useful traits to the rest of the fleet.
There is also a very good campaign system that allows for multiple linked games to be fought between many opponents.
phoenixhawk
Mongoose
AD = Attack Dice. Just like GW, you can get rolling a whole handful of dice. 
Silvereye touched upon most of it. It might be good to at least get the basic rules and download Vassal and the ACTA mod for it. You can use this offline as well as online. I use it mostly as a resource for ship info, although with some creativity you can play a solitaire version so you can practice the game and try it out to see if you like it.
As someone who used to play Gothic, I much prefer B5. It is easy to learn the rules, but what you do with your ships is the fun part and where the game really shines. I mean, all games have rules, sure, but it's how well the game plays that sets it apart. B5 ACTA is a fun game with good minis and lots of followers.
Hopefully you can get going with the game and maybe see you out there somewhere.
Chris
Silvereye touched upon most of it. It might be good to at least get the basic rules and download Vassal and the ACTA mod for it. You can use this offline as well as online. I use it mostly as a resource for ship info, although with some creativity you can play a solitaire version so you can practice the game and try it out to see if you like it.
As someone who used to play Gothic, I much prefer B5. It is easy to learn the rules, but what you do with your ships is the fun part and where the game really shines. I mean, all games have rules, sure, but it's how well the game plays that sets it apart. B5 ACTA is a fun game with good minis and lots of followers.
Hopefully you can get going with the game and maybe see you out there somewhere.
Chris
Thanks for the info and links. I did play some Battlefleet gothic as well as a little of full thrust. but no one plays here that i know of just the group called table top warriers play Mainly 40k warhammer SST battletecha and magic the gathering. A new edition coming soon eh ill wait till i get to the states then. as far as where I will be no body knows sometimes the military never knows but the game sounds like it could be fun I always wanted to get in to a starship based game.
but the game sounds like it could be fun I always wanted to get in to a starship based game.Locutus9956
Mongoose
WellI do prefer ACTA due to its B5ness but I must say it DOES have some issues and overall the game balance is a little better with BSG.
Full thrust is better than both though
Shame its not really played as much though 
Full thrust is better than both though
Shame its not really played as much though Silvereye said:
Base rules are very similar(biggest differences: No shields, instead interceptors, and no firepower table). Biggest difference comes with ships and traits. Lot more variety in there(all cruisers don't have 8 points, weapons have different traits so aren't just differentiated by # of dices they roll...).
Which is why I like ACTA more. The ships have more of a variety than they have in BFG.
full thrust was interesting. yeah those differances from BFG to B5 are big enough to make the game a little more tactical and fun. which i why I think im going to enjoy this game . just need to find any players here otherwise i have to wait a year before im back in the states.
blackphoenix
Mongoose
Drahazar said:
Honestly if you're played the math fun of 40k second edition you may fine b5wars more to you liking. Not saying "Don't try ACTA", but giving you ideas.
Welcome!
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