Matching the Show - Ideas Wanted!

[Da Boss]

that is in the Centauri refits - but would be an interesting option for the Drakh...........

 

[Burger]

allowing ships in an out of hyperspace would have serious balance implications i think.

Very probably, yes. But Matt asked for things seen in the show/fluff that are not possible in the game, irrespective of balance issues or rules. Re-entering real/hypespace is one example of that.

 

[Da Boss]

3) Mining asteroids.

Minelayers generally, in fact. People often comment that the Abbai suffer from a combination of slow ships and short reach, so they can't control the flow of an engagement.

Mines are supposed to be something of an Abbai speciality (I like the Dilgar War novel and that shows some pleasantly dirty tricks pulled with minefields) - at the moment, other than energy mines (which aren't mines in the strict sense of the word, really, are they?), only babylon 5 allows you to actually deploy a minefield. Unless you wish to play an entire game in a minefield, of course.....

The rules needn't be that complex, and B5's mine launchers cover it pretty well.

Centauri blockade mines spring to mind, as well - just basically a floating ion cannon turret, as far as one saw; not enough to qualify a an orbital defences platform, but deployed in swarms.

Sounds good - also gives opportunity for minelaying. mine clearing varients for various races.........

 

[katadder]

allowing ships in an out of hyperspace would have serious balance implications i think.

Very probably, yes. But Matt asked for things seen in the show/fluff that are not possible in the game, irrespective of balance issues or rules. Re-entering real/hypespace is one example of that.

no he said dont worry about going into game stats
so come up with ideas, however whichever ones matt likes he will probably have to come up with stats and then balance them with us.

 

[nekomata fuyu]

It may not have been on the show, but...
I now have this nifty vision of shadow mines working by phasing the area around them (including a chunk of the target ship) into hyperspace. No large explosions or anything, just utter confusion on the victim ship as suddenly one of its sections disappears.

 

[Burger]

allowing ships in an out of hyperspace would have serious balance implications i think.

Very probably, yes. But Matt asked for things seen in the show/fluff that are not possible in the game, irrespective of balance issues or rules. Re-entering real/hypespace is one example of that.

no he said dont worry about going into game stats
so come up with ideas, however whichever ones matt likes he will probably have to come up with stats and then balance them with us.

Thats your problem not mine

 

[TGT]

burger wrote

I don't really see the point of side slide. All firing is done after all movement, and if you're agile, you can pretty much put your ship where you like anyway. What positioning would side slide allow that is currently impossible?

I imagined it as being a movement order prior to a targets move...track that ship kinda thing where agile ships would keep a lock on which might mean they could slide along with a target ship as it moved

 

[Shut Up Hippie!]

I would like a shadow ship to be able to pick up and carry another damaged shadow ship eg as see at the end of the battle sequence in the long twilight struggle


Oh and also for Shadow beams to never miss! (Delenn does say it happens unless they intentionally decide not to!)

 

[Shut Up Hippie!]

What about a tractor beam? Whitestar uses one in an episode I can't recall the name of at the moment. Sharlins also use them... at least they did when they captured Sinclair

 

[Shadow Queen]

Shadow ships Scream in the minds of others

 

[M1ndr1d3rs]

What about a tractor beam? Whitestar uses one in an episode I can't recall the name of at the moment. Sharlins also use them... at least they did when they captured Sinclair

"Ship of tears" IIRC. They use it to capture a psicorps transport.

They could be used to slow down enemies or tow damaged friendlies I suppose.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Thats your problem not mine

You are a hard man

 

[MongooseMatt]

I would like a shadow ship to be able to pick up and carry another damaged shadow ship eg as see at the end of the battle sequence in the long twilight struggle

Take a trip to Planet Mongoose. . .

 

[MongooseMatt]

What about a tractor beam? Whitestar uses one in an episode I can't recall the name of at the moment. Sharlins also use them... at least they did when they captured Sinclair

I always figured that _if_ they could be used in an offensive manner (grabbing a fighter and slamming it into another), this would be accounted for in the Anti-Fighter stats.

 

[Lord David the Denied]

Sliding and and a Special Action for pivoting while firing would be great.
Whitestars use them on several ocassions.

I especially remember the part where the WS slide along the side of a Shadow Omega while firing full guns at it.

Or something to increase the primary weapons energy.

You need an inertia-based movement mechanic for that, not the vaguely-based-on-something-related-to-Newton mechanic we have now.

 

[AdrianH]

Hyperspace: I suggest allowing all races to jump out of, then back into, hyperspace. There should be a delay as the jump drive recharges. As I recall, in "The Long Twilight Struggle", the Narn fleet jumped into Gorash, were ambushed by the Shadows, and had to wait before they could jump out again.

Repeatedly jumping into and out of hyperspace would seriously affect game balance, to the extent that I'd be worried nobody would want to play against my Shadow fleet, turning it into a nice collection of ornaments. Maybe White Stars can do it too, but I've just acquired a couple of those and don't want them to become paperweights either. Either everybody or nobody should be able to do it.

Sliding White Stars: just make them super manouevrable. Then they can also do the full 180 degree turns seen on TV.

Tractor beams: I don't recall them being used to throw one enemy ship against another, so they shouldn't be offensive in that manner. They'd only be used to capture an enemy vessel by pulling it towards your ship. There's not much scope in the game for elite characters in fighters which would make capturing a fighter worthwhile, but tractor beams could open up possibilities for new scenarios.

Ramming: maybe delete the requirement for the ship to be crippled. And allow Shadows to use the "Ramming speed!" special action - the first Shadow Scout we saw ended its TV career by ramming the White Star.

Shadow weapons: the battle in "The Long Twilight Struggle" reminds me that the Shadows need a beam which can reliably slice a G'Quan in half. :twisted: Making them automatically hit would obviously foul up game balance, but perhaps make them Accurate so they can hit fighters.

Shadow scream: did this actually have any effect in the show?

 

[ATN082268]

In the show I think the Shadows shimmered from time to time against the space background. I believe Babylon 5 Wars used the term half phasing for this where the ship was only partially in hyperspace. In game terms, the Shadow ship had a penalty to fire but was also harder to hit, especially by missile weapons.

Sincerely,

Andrew Norris

 

[Burger]

Sliding White Stars: just make them super manouevrable. Then they can also do the full 180 degree turns seen on TV.

They virtually can already! Move 1/4 forward, turn 90, move 1", turn 90 again. Adding a Come About (using their CQ bonus to make it easier) makes it virtually SM already.

And allow Shadows to use the "Ramming speed!" special action - the first Shadow Scout we saw ended its TV career by ramming the White Star.

Good point!

Shadow scream: did this actually have any effect in the show?

They make people cover their ears.. no special actions, like comms disrupters?

 

[AdrianH]

Sliding White Stars: just make them super manouevrable. Then they can also do the full 180 degree turns seen on TV.

They virtually can already! Move 1/4 forward, turn 90, move 1", turn 90 again. Adding a Come About (using their CQ bonus to make it easier) makes it virtually SM already.

"Virtually SM" isn't quite the same thing. For one thing, it doesn't allow the White Star to slide sideways. Besides, the manoeuvre I'm thinking of is where the White Star is going fast one way, does a full 180 on the spot, continues for a little while under momentum as it decelerates to a stop, then accelerates rapidly on its new course.

Shadow scream: did this actually have any effect in the show?

They make people cover their ears.. no special actions, like comms disrupters?

I doubt the scream was actual sound. Partly because in space no-one can hear you scream, and partly because "it's like you hear a scream in your mind" (Warren Keffer RIP). So covering one's ears won't do much, but it might disrupt concentration. Perhaps CQ -1?

 

[Da Boss]

How about :wink:

Psychic Scream: Upon a successful hit, the Psychic Scream will not cause any damage. Instead, it will inflict a –1 penalty per successful hit on all Crew Quality checks made by the target for the rest of the turn and all of the next. A Psychic Scream has no effect on a ship with active GEG, Shields, Shadows, Vorlons or any of the Ancients and cannot be intercepted.

Making Shadow Beams accurate is problematic as it means it ignores Dodge and we see the White Star dodging the beams..........

cool easier ramming

Shadows also use something to grab Garabaldi and they dont presently have AF?

not against White Stars being SM but how do you balance that?
perhaps can only fire one gun per turn?