Burger said:
The rules for JPB are actually nothing like the show.
- In the show, there is no scout "on the table". Just a lone Minbari Flyer.
- The JP bomb can only be performed in a specific pre-determined location, that is why the Flyer had to lure them there.
- It had to be done in an asteroid field so that the EA couldn't simply move out of the way when they detected the JP forming.
- The JP opened and (I believe?) completely destroyed a Nova and a Hyperion, and badly damaged another Hyperion. That is far more damage than in ACTA, or else it is extremely lucky crit rolling!!
- It was only ever performed by the Black Star, the most elite of the elite Minbari crews. If every ship with AJE could do it, why wasn't it much more common in the show?
I disagree.
The flyer may have been all that the EA fleet saw, but the stealth systems on minbari scout ships are described as being better than those on a Sharlin (which were more than enough to render EA's tracking systesm usless). The flyer may simply have been bait, not a spotter. Alternatively they could have been using a different tactic than the traditional JPB (see below for more description).
As for the pre determied location, i'll give you some credit there, but i believe the CQ check is ment to give it the same feal, even if it's not technically the same. Alternatively, the pre determined location could have been beauce they didn't have a scout on hand. So since they couldn't figure out exactely where to open the vortex to catch their prey they brought their prey to where they were going to open the vortex.
As for the destructivness, yes but that's in the interst of making a fun game rather than a dramatic scene. some ground has to be given in that regard or the tactic will be to dangerous. again, the feal of the effect is preserved by making JPB's very damaging even if theyr aren't as damaging as they should be based on the show.
as for it having to be done in an asteroid field, there isn't any evedence of that. It WAS done in an asteroid field, but corelation does not causality make. certanly it helps if your target can't manuver easily, but i don't believe there's any indication that the asteroid field was essential to the sucess of the tactic.
As for the black star being the only ship to use it, first of all it required advanced technology, so it's possable that only minbari jump engines were advanced enough to be used as such (thus why other races didn't try it), and the balack star might simply have been the first ship to think of it. Alternatively it could have been a common minbari tactic, but was only used occasionally as it was unessesary in the war with earth, and not fesable against raiders or the shadows (the only other forces the minbary would have fought on a regular basis). I'd also like to point out that the Black star had accuired several kills prior to the fatefull engagment we saw and there is no reason to believe that those attacks weren't executed in a similar manner.
And finally, given the overal portrayal of the rangers, and their use of advanced scouts and the precision of a white star's jump engines when attacking earth. I'd say it's very reasonable to assume that when they have the ability to have a white star or an allied scout in place ahead of the main strike force, they would use JPBs. The reason thsi doesn't hapen often is usually the White Star fleet is primarily a peacekeeping force, so outside of the shadow war, they don't engage in very many ofencive campaignes, and when the do (war with earth) they usually aren't trying to eliminate the enemy, just end their ability to fight (and thus the destructive force of a JPB is taken off the table)
as for the bluestar specifically, i have to believe that it's JPB potential was conciderd when it was created. After all it's flavor text itself cites it's jump engines as the only real asset at it's disposal. I'll agree that there is potental for abuse, but i think the actuall reults of such an attempt would be less effective than it's made out to be (unless the offending player has put enough effort into his tactics to deserve some reward even if they are annoying).
