Minbari Valen-class cruiser - ideas? (Lost Tales spoilers)

[Shallowain]

That's not a Vorchan.

It's something based on, or developed from the Vorchan.

In ACtA, you could say it's a Vorchat, or give it some new stats to reflect a later design.

Possibly Drakh-influenced, with GEG, a flight computer and some funky beam weapons.

you mean, something like, you could say, a Liati?

.

Similar technolgy, different ship. The ship in the film is based on the vorchan, not a completely new hull, like this ...

I know, but this awful sculpt does in no way represent *any* centauri vessel adequately. Except maybe a junkfreighter...

I think, that a larger Vorchan like ship would be much better to represent this design.

 

[Nerroth]

As far as the weapons systems goes, there's one thing to remember.


When the Minbari use a vessel to transport the Grey Council, or make other such voyages, they don't send any old ship.

They use a Sharlin!


And if a ship being built on Minbar was being designed to play a diplomatic role, I'd bet that they would not leave it with an unsuitable weapons suite.

(With passengers such as the President of the Interstellar Alliance aboard, would they want to take chances?)


No, I don't think that ship would be a pushover - at least compared to comparable ships in its PL (whatever that is decided to be).

 

[MustEatBrains]

I remember from an old audio commentary of a B5 episode, that JMS considers one of the defining factors of Minbari ships that they are both beautiful and deadly. I suppose that the all-new presidential cruiser of the Interstellar Alliance would fall into that category, too. Sharklike as it looks, I´m sure it packs quite a punch... personally, I´d like to see it at battle level (there are also just too many good ISA choices at levels below that).

 

[tneva82]

(With passengers such as the President of the Interstellar Alliance aboard, would they want to take chances?)

How much weaponry does Earthforce One posses?

It's more feasible to have warship escorting it than having president charging headon with guns blazing...

 

[MustEatBrains]

It's more feasible to have warship escorting it than having president charging headon with guns blazing...

Of course, when the president in question is John Sheridan, he might want to try a slightly different approach, just in case the galaxy needed saving again...

Besides, there is no escorting warship, and when the Minabri built a ship including the newest reverse engineered Vorlon tech, they might want it to be able to defend itself. And Earthforce One never looked that powerful/aggressive, did it?

 

[Methos5000]

If I had to guess I would say the presidental cruiser, while appearing sleek an elegant, is probably the toughest ship ever built by the Minbari.
-Stealth 6+
-Improved Neutron cannons and mini-beams galore (though probably hidden behind weapons port covers to conceal the deadliness of this ship if cornered.
-Extremly Fast maybe not whitestar fast but I would still say speed 14 to outrun any opposition.
-Probably still hull 5 to keep with the rest of the minbari fleet.

Truth betold outside of gameplay restrictions the ship would probably have some form of adaptive or crystalline armor and hull 6, though that would probably make this tiny little cruiser an armageddon choice.

Now as its a IA(i guess that is the term to use now) Presidental cruiser it should be limited to IA use only though im sure some people will complain that since it was built by Minbari the Minbari fleet should be able to use it to (the Whitestar arguement).
I guess it will depend if this is a special built one of a kind ship for the president (unique even in the IA fleet list) or a unique variant of a new model of Minbari ship. If its a unique variant I see no problem with having the variant in the IA fleet list and the standard version in the Minbari fleet list (though I would think the unique variant would be a superior ship since a)its one of a kind, and b)it was designed for use by the President of the IA, you dont really want to cut corners on the construction of a ship like that.

Now granted all this is just my opinion so Im sure many people on here have much better ideas for this ship then I do.

 

[Nomad]

you mean, something like, you could say, a Liati?

.

Similar technolgy, different ship. The ship in the film is based on the vorchan, not a completely new hull, like this ...

I know, but this awful sculpt does in no way represent *any* centauri vessel adequately. Except maybe a junkfreighter...

I think, that a larger Vorchan like ship would be much better to represent this design.

Each to his own. Personally, I quite like the Liati.

 

[tneva82]

And Earthforce One never looked that powerful/aggressive, did it?

Maybe because it's presidential cruiser(like this one) and as such not supposed to be in thick of a fight...

As it is ship shouldn't even be available normally to fleet since only time it realisticly would show up would be if it gets ambushed. Never as reqular part of fleet. The second you start to think taking presidential cruiser over proper warship since it would be so good you know rules have gone astray.

 

[MustEatBrains]

I wouldn´t say that - take the transport of the Centauri Emperor for example, that´s a Primus (variant). The IA-One might simply be the first of a new battleship line; maybe not as battleworthy as the rest of the class, but there could still be more ships of that kind.

Hey, this ship looks so cool that I deseperately want to use it - even if it had no engine and all it´s weapons were firing to the left...

 

[Lord David the Denied]

The Centauri Royal Transport is unarmed, though. You can see funky gold minarets where the ion cannon turrets would be on a standard Primus.

 

[MustEatBrains]

The Centauri Royal Transport is unarmed, though. You can see funky gold minarets where the ion cannon turrets would be on a standard Primus.

Right, but there is a battleship looking like that nonetheless? :wink:

I don´t say I want the IA-one, all I´m saying is that the Valen as a whole class might still be a usable battleship

 

[tneva82]

I wouldn´t say that - take the transport of the Centauri Emperor for example, that´s a Primus (variant).

Yes. Key word is variant...Not primus.

If presidents were running around in warships then EA president would have his private warlock to run around...

And just because ship isn't armed to teeth doesn't mean ship can't be used. Am I only one who could see use for well protected command ship? And I'm not saying it shouldn't have weapons. Fusion cannons enough to give serious worry for patrol ships and fighter wings would be realistic option.

Just because ship isn't armed to teeth doesn't mean it's useless. Why everything would have to be armed to teeth anyway? Improved Neutron Cannons or similar would be "bit" too beefy guns. Resources would be more logically spent to make ships defences better, ship faster and jump generator able to recharge faster to ensure ship can get out sooner if need be. Not in neutron cannon batteries which they won't likely use if captain of ship knows his responsibilities...

 

[MustEatBrains]

Noone said armed to the teeht, only usable in the game...

 

[Lord David the Denied]

If this new ship appeared in the game, it should be a scenario-specific unit. It's not often a presidential transport would be used as a fleet command ship, there are already perfectly good command ships for that.

The yanks' Air Force One doesn't go jetting off to warzones, does it, despite the electronics suite on board. That's not what it's for.

 

[emperorpenguin]

If this new ship appeared in the game, it should be a scenario-specific unit. It's not often a presidential transport would be used as a fleet command ship, there are already perfectly good command ships for that.

The yanks' Air Force One doesn't go jetting off to warzones, does it, despite the electronics suite on board. That's not what it's for.

Quoted for truth

 

[MustEatBrains]

The yanks' Air Force One doesn't go jetting off to warzones, does it, despite the electronics suite on board. That's not what it's for.

But there are other planes of the same class flying around, without a president in them... :wink:

 

[Lord David the Denied]

All of which are unarmed, civilian airliners...

 

[tneva82]

Noone said armed to the teeht, only usable in the game...

Doesn't need heavy weaponry with Improved Neutron Cannons for that.

Seriously you couldn't find use for well protected stealth 6+ ship with say +2/+3/+4/whatever command bonus as useful?

Though for all fairness this shouldn't be usable freely in any fleet list. More appropriate as scenario specific since it would see battle only when it's ambushed.

 

[MustEatBrains]

Made a poll out of it; I´m really curious how people look at this!

 

[Methos5000]

I think a powerful stealth and fast charging jump engines would definatly be part of it. The main reason I would think there would be powerful weapons on it as well if Sheridan was never one to back down from a fight and would always jump into a dangerous situation with or without support, I would think the Minbari would have designed the ship with that in mind. You dont want your president jumping into a dangerous situation by himself without any weapons to back him up.