Hooking new players.

[nekomata fuyu]

A friend and I are planning on introducing some of his friend to ACTA and to the B5 universe in general. By a happy coincidence, I should be receiving my B5 Universe boxset today, and so part of the plan is for me to watch a couple of the episodes with epic battle scenes.
The first two episodes that sprung to mind are the Severed Dreams pair (although they're not set in stone), just because I loved them so much. For the other battle though, we were thinking of showing a battle that shows off ships from most of the different races, probably from when the war turned into Shadows vs Vorlons vs everyone else.

Any ideas on which particular episode(s) I should select?

 

[angelus2000]

Severed Dreams. The full amount of ships actually shown fighting was 5 Omegas and Babylon 5 plus fighters, its a much more manageable size for doing demos, and there already exists a scenario for recreating the battle in 1e rulebooks (just adapt for 2e as necessary). For a bigger game, just presuppose that instead of fleeing at the sight of the Sharlins, the Clarkist reinforcements stayed behind and fought.

 

[nekomata fuyu]

You misunderstand. These are just episodes to watch, with no demos involved, so as a rule of thumb bigger battles are better

 

[Chernobyl]

Season 4/episode 6 - Into the Fire (culmination of the shadow war)
Season 4/episode 15 - No Surrender, No Retreat (liberation of proxima III)
Season 4/episode 20 - Endgame (battle for earth)
Season 3/episode 10 - Severed Dreams (B5 secedes from EA)
Season 2/episode 22 - Fall of Night (Centauri attack B5)
Season 2/episode 20 - The Long, Twilight Struggle (Fall of Narn)

Chern

 

[nekomata fuyu]

Thanks Chern

 

[Itkovian]

If you have access to Youtube there are several B5 Battle montages you could use.

Also 'Acts of Sacrifice' for Narns fighting Centauri and also 'And now for a word' for the same thing, both season 2

'Movements of Fire and Shadow' Season 5 HAs Drazi Vs Centauri

Just a few more for you

 

[Arch Lector Petrovski]

Then you could also consider the movies; A Call to Arms, Thirdspace and In the Beginnig all have copious amounts of wonderfully rendered battle sequences.

 

[Banichi]

Don't forget the battle with the red helmet aliens in series 5.

 

[Shadow Queen]

Battle of the Line

 

[Lord David the Denied]

Then you could also consider the movies; A Call to Arms, Thirdspace and In the Beginnig all have copious amounts of wonderfully rendered battle sequences.

The battle in A Call to Arms was terrible, though. Whoever directed that film needs to be whipped, and whoever edited it needs to be kicked in the nadgers. I noticed the first few episodes of Crusade had the same rubbish battles, but when Stephen Furst took over as director the battles were good...

 

[Arch Lector Petrovski]

I agree it could have been better but they seemed to be going more for the mood than the visuals during it.

 

[Digger]

Why not the movie "In the Beginning" - A great place to start! :lol:

 

[Arch Lector Petrovski]

Mentioned it already, and yes it has some GREAT battle sequences.

 

[vae victas]

in the begining not only has some excellent battle scenes but the only example of a ship jump point bombing perfect for showing new players what tactics not to use

 

[Chernobyl]

not true, you see some raiders get run over by the Victory's vortex in "A Call to Arms"

Chern

 

[Arch Lector Petrovski]

Which is a very nice sequence, as it's jump bombing in reverse; sort of a last ditch shot as they flee the area. Oh, and if that's how powerful a jump point forming is just imagine how powerful the effects of performing the 'bone head' manouvre would be.