Minbari - Caste Fleets

[Tredrick]

I wouldn't mind writing an article, Hash - but noone's really commented on the proposed mods that I made (the initiative shuffling and the bonuses/penalties).

Are they too subtle, or too pronounced? Would there be any point in taking a given fleet if it didn't give you a noticeable change?

Like I say, I dont want to play around with ship suggestion - just the underlying things like CQ, CQ checks and initiative.

The Warrior caste should be the base. They are the typical crew.

I like the idea of the Worker caste losing initiative but gaining a bonus to repair damage. Fits their role in the race nicely.

Religious caste is harder. I like the penalties, but not the bonus to initiative. Perhaps give each ship the ability to reroll one failed CQ check per game. This represents their faith and focus and ability to commit themselves to one task.

 

[Alexb83]

I took the tack that normally, a fleet is 1/3 of each, or that on each ship there are 1/3 of each caste in the crew and so they operate with no bonuses or penalties.
The other options are fleets composed entirely of ships crewed by one caste and one caste only.

Religious gain initiative because of their diplomatic ties and their obvious ties with the Vorlons. To summarise: +1 initiative, -1 troops, -2 cq checks to stand down and be boarded (will capitulate more easily if crippled, to spare the lives of their crew), and I'm tempted to add +2 to cq checks to attempt to ram, and to attempt to shield a friendly ship (as they have just as much willingness to sacrifice themselves for the cause where necessary).

Workers lose initiative somewhat, but they gain repair abilities and technical knowledge of the crew means they can make certain SAs more easily (run silent, come about) since they can get more out of the engines etc.

I suppose the CQ reroll alternative is good for the religious - but coupled with the other penalties, if you gave them - initiative, I would've thought they ought to get to reroll /all/ cq checks.

Warriors lose the most initiative, but gain +1 to all their troops, since the entire crew are trained for war. Their fighters are crewed by ace pilots, and so get +1 CQ (these are the guys that train the Rangers, afterall) as well as +2 on checks to skindance.

 

[Tredrick]

The US Navy is trained for war, that doesn't mean every sailor is a rifleman.

I don't see how the warriors lose initiative. They should be the best at figuring out how an enemy will act and getting the jump on them.

I shall think on it more after a very long day of work.

 

[Alexb83]

My reasoning for giving the Religious and Warrior castes their relative changes in initiative was twofold: first, I reckon the religious caste have access to knowledge and intelligence resources which the Warriors do not (the Vorlons, their diplomatic network) which gives them an initiative advantage. Secondly, there needs to be a large disadvantage to offset the pretty big advantages the warriors gain (more troops, better fighters, so on).

 

[Hash]

My reasoning for giving the Religious and Warrior castes their relative changes in initiative was twofold: first, I reckon the religious caste have access to knowledge and intelligence resources which the Warriors do not (the Vorlons, their diplomatic network) which gives them an initiative advantage. Secondly, there needs to be a large disadvantage to offset the pretty big advantages the warriors gain (more troops, better fighters, so on).

I can see why you would do it in game mechanics but initiative seems, in the most part, linked with aggression and tech level. It doesn't seem right that the contemplative Religious caste would have a higher initiative than the Warrior's caste!

...but then I remember saying I didn't care about fluff...so go ahead, sounds good

 

[captainsmirk]

But if you don't care about the fluff then the different castes hardly matter. :shock:

Hell you could have the Minambi Communist Party Fleet List for example...

:lol:


Nick

 

[Alexb83]

I don't think initiative represents belligerence or technological advantage (that's represented in the scout rerolls where you have them).

It's about knowing where to be and when - I suppose it's handy to have much more advanced sensors or the ability to see fleets coming, but that's where I think the Religious would have the advantage over the Warrior.

I suppose it's a point to argue over, but as I point out - it feels right to me, but the penalty is there to balance the bonuses I was proposing. If the Warrior caste got to keep +4 initiative, but get the proposed CQ and troop bonuses, what would you suggest they lose?

 

[Tredrick]

I think the religious caste having an initiative bonus in the campaigns for the selection of who gets to attack first and so on would be a great bonus. They are more closely tied to the Anla'shok.

Actually, I really love that idea.