[High Guard] Preview/Date?

[Cleon the Mad]

I am very excited about High Guard, but I am not a big fan of any of the new skills in Mercenary and I'm doubting the need for new skills. As a Game Designer myself, I understand how dangerous new skills can be to the balance of any game. New skills should not be added to the game like new toys. New skills need to be added only when a awkward hole is found in the game mechanics. What hole in the mechanics could "Discipline" possibly fill? Why don't non-Navy careers need "Discipline." If there is hole that it needs to be filled and this is the skill that fixes it, then that is awesome, otherwise why not use a skill that is already in the game.

True, but if you look at Mercenary, they explain how to take the new skills it introduced in careers not found in Mercenary. For each Core book career, it gives where if a roll of "X" skill comes up, one may pick "Y" skill, Y being one from Mercenary. Thus any career can take a Mercenary book skill if they so desire. I would suspect that if Discipline is a new skill for High Guard that they might do the same for those Core (and I'd assume Mercenary) book career(s) that might need or want the skill.

 

[Cleon the Mad]

Finally, there's the listing in the mustering out chart under "Retainer". Hmmm...do flight officers possibly start out with a NPC retainer if they roll that when mustering out?

Either that or they get dental added to their medical costs.

Hey, free dental on mustering out isn't bad! But..what if one rolls that benefit twice? Do they then get free dentures too incase the dental care just doesn't quite cut it?

 

[Klaus Kipling]

Discipline was an explicit skill or ability in the McAffrey/Moon Sassinak series. Perhaps that is the inspiration...?

 

[Xoph]

True, but if you look at Mercenary, they explain how to take the new skills it introduced in careers not found in Mercenary. For each Core book career, it gives where if a roll of "X" skill comes up, one may pick "Y" skill, Y being one from Mercenary. Thus any career can take a Mercenary book skill if they so desire. I would suspect that if Discipline is a new skill for High Guard that they might do the same for those Core (and I'd assume Mercenary) book career(s) that might need or want the skill.

I hope it works the other way around, if they insist on creating a bunch of random new skills. I would like to let my players use the new classes (if they're better then the Mercenary ones) and make a separate decision on the Skills

 

[Cleon the Mad]

True, but if you look at Mercenary, they explain how to take the new skills it introduced in careers not found in Mercenary. For each Core book career, it gives where if a roll of "X" skill comes up, one may pick "Y" skill, Y being one from Mercenary. Thus any career can take a Mercenary book skill if they so desire. I would suspect that if Discipline is a new skill for High Guard that they might do the same for those Core (and I'd assume Mercenary) book career(s) that might need or want the skill.

I hope it works the other way around, if they insist on creating a bunch of random new skills. I would like to let my players use the new classes (if they're better then the Mercenary ones) and make a separate decision on the Skills

This didn't hit me initially when I first replied to you, but in a way with Mercenary (if I recall right, I may not) many of the new skills introduced in it are MGT versions of new skills introduced with CT Mercenary. I don't have my original LBB here with me and the only reprints of those I bought were some of the adventure suppliments, but I do think I remember this.

So, for better or worse I think they are copying what CT Mercenary did, and introduce more or less the same skills with MGT Mercenary.

Having said that (If my memory serves which again it might not at all), to me I would have possibly just put them into the core book. That and I don't remember a "Discipline" skill in CT High Guard at all, so I have no idea where they are going with that.

 

[Cleon the Mad]

(Sorry for the double post)

 

[Vang]

I love the new preview, it's really got me chomping at the bit for the full deal now.

One problem though, according to this section of the preview:

The armaments allowed to a small craft are further restricted by its power plant type. It may only equip up to the number of ship–scale lasers and, particle weapons – allowed by the following table.

According to the table in the preview, small craft with a Class A-F power plant can not mount any energy based weapons. The Light Fighter design included in the Main Rulebook has a Pulse Laser Weapon in a single fixed mount and a Class A power plant. According to the preview of High Guard, the Light Fighter design would be invalid, unless Pulse Lasers are special case energy weapons.

 

[cmdrx]

According to the table in the preview, small craft with a Class A-F power plant can not mount any energy based weapons. The Light Fighter design included in the Main Rulebook has a Pulse Laser Weapon in a single fixed mount and a Class A power plant. According to the preview of High Guard, the Light Fighter design would be invalid, unless Pulse Lasers are special case energy weapons.

The way I read it is that those power plant letters refer to the new Small Craft scale power plants. Look at the stat sheets for the Fighter and Salvage drones. They use drives and power plants that have an 's' in front of them such as the class 'sA' power plant. In the core book this was an <A drive or power plant. I am guessing from extrapolation here that in the new High Guard that fighter is using a class sC drive for 6 Thrust and a class sG power system to get enough power for the pulse laser.

What I am wondering is how Starship scale power and drive systems work under the new system. For example the modular cutter in the Core book uses a full Starship scale class-A power system. What is that equivalent to? Is it a step above the sZ-class and could therefore mount a triple laser? I would like to think so.

You just know there are going to be designers (like myself) who want to see how far they can go with cramming power and speed into a small craft. ;-)

 

[Dark Lord Skippy]

Personally, I love the Mister Roberts themed mishap. Thats hilarious.

 

[dmccoy1693]

Personally, I love the Mister Roberts themed mishap. Thats hilarious.

I'm assuming its the potted plant, yes? I'm not familiar with Mr. Roberts.

 

[waylandson]

Yes, I think we can safely say it was the film Mr Roberts starring James Cagney, Henry Fonda and Jack Lemmon.

I have just looked at the preview and I looking to forward to getting my mitts on it. I especially liked the section on Railguns, a most underused weapon.

Matt, Is High Guard going to be ready for the Open Day on the 18th October 08 or not?

 

[Vile]

I especially liked the section on Railguns, a most underused weapon.

Except that it says:

Railguns are huge gauss weapons, using a coil of electromagnets to accelerate ferrous projectiles to great speed.

Now, either it uses a coil, and then it would be a Gauss weapon, or it's a railgun and uses rails. :twisted:

 

[MongooseMatt]

Matt, Is High Guard going to be ready for the Open Day on the 18th October 08 or not?

We are planning on airshipping copies over for the B5 Open Day.

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

Matt, Is High Guard going to be ready for the Open Day on the 18th October 08 or not?

We are planning on airshipping copies over for the B5 Open Day.

Best get rowing then Matt

 

[Paladin]

Railguns are huge gauss weapons, using a coil of electromagnets to accelerate ferrous projectiles to great speed.

Now, either it uses a coil, and then it would be a Gauss weapon, or it's a railgun and uses rails. :twisted:

What if it uses both?

 

[MongooseMatt]

Best get rowing then Matt

Are we going to be seeing a Hiver on the Open Day?

 

[Vile]

Railguns are huge gauss weapons, using a coil of electromagnets to accelerate ferrous projectiles to great speed.

Now, either it uses a coil, and then it would be a Gauss weapon, or it's a railgun and uses rails. :twisted:

What if it uses both?

Ah, that would be the holy Grailgun. :lol:

 

[dmccoy1693]

Ah, that would be the holy Grailgun. :lol:

Ahhh, just use a coil and slap on a few rails. :wink: It would be fun to watch the coil flying with the projectile.

Or maybe you can have the rails inside the coil ... yea ... that's the ticket.

 

[Deniable]

They're big rounds, so I think it uses the coil to shoot rails at the target.

 

[Jame Rowe]

According to the table in the preview, small craft with a Class A-F power plant can not mount any energy based weapons. The Light Fighter design included in the Main Rulebook has a Pulse Laser Weapon in a single fixed mount and a Class A power plant. According to the preview of High Guard, the Light Fighter design would be invalid, unless Pulse Lasers are special case energy weapons.

This is a rule I will either ignore or, at best, rework. For me, light (10-ton) fighters ought to be able to mount one laser in addition to at least one missile rack, when including reloads for said missile launcher. IMTU light fighters may well be slaughtered by that 20,000 ton dreadnought*, but they will strip sensors, hole armor and destroy weaponry carried by the armor, softening it up for the 6 or so 2,000 ton destoyers.

*Also IMTU, 20,000 tons is the upper economics-to-power-ratio size for warships, while 100,000 tons is the upper limit for merchants