New Beam rules.

[MongooseMatt]

If a weapon can slice through titanium as easily as cheese, it'll slice through thin aluminium armour a lot faster than it will go through the advanced energy-resistant armours used in Babylon 5.

Well, no. Not unless thin aluminium is weaker than cheese. . .

This new always-hits-on-a-4+ mechanic is an arbitary number,

No it isn't. There is a very good reason why we picked 4. Anyone?

 

[MongooseMatt]

Well to justify it with common sense you could argue as Cordas suggests that beams are sufficiently penetrative or work in such a way that armour is IRRELEVANT therefore its just as easy to hit a lightly armour target as a heavily armoured one.

You get a coconut too

 

[MongooseMatt]

I just cant wait to field 6 Haltonas in a squadron. 36 AD of Beam, DD, Slow Loading hitting on a 4+. I'm sorry Mr. Adira did I just get 36 hits on you doing 72 and 72 with 6 Criticals? I'm terribly sorry about that. I know with the old rules I would have only done 12 and 12 with 1 critical, but that's not how things work these days. :roll:

Well, considering you have just used an Armageddon point to damage, not destroy, an Armageddon level ship, it is not too surprising, plus you then have to wait a turn to be smacked silly before you can do it again. . .

 

[MongooseMatt]

Say goodbye to your scouts against the Minbari now.

Which will be important, as they are one of the fundamental methods of swinging Stealth in your favour.

What we have done is create a second battlefield, as it were, revolving around Stealth - it is possible to completely eliminate the Stealth on most Minbari ships. Not reduce, eliminate. However, you are going to have to work for it. What we have also done is to provide the Minbari with tools to stop enemy fleets doing this.

It adds a new dimension to battles with Minbari ships, and rewards tactical players, not just lucky ones.

Which, I believe, was the main criticism of Stealth

 

[Davesaint]

I just cant wait to field 6 Haltonas in a squadron. 36 AD of Beam, DD, Slow Loading hitting on a 4+. I'm sorry Mr. Adira did I just get 36 hits on you doing 72 and 72 with 6 Criticals? I'm terribly sorry about that. I know with the old rules I would have only done 12 and 12 with 1 critical, but that's not how things work these days. :roll:

Well, considering you have just used an Armageddon point to damage, not destroy, an Armageddon level ship, it is not too surprising, plus you then have to wait a turn to be smacked silly before you can do it again. . .

Not necessarily Matt, it really depends on what the criticals are. The point I was trying to make, and I prob. did not make it very well, is that some ships, such as the Haltona and the Avioki get significantly better with the new beam rules, while others get toned down. I will wait until after I see the new fleet lists before I give a definate opinion on these rules. I imagine that there are going to be radical changes in the ship stats.


Dave

 

[MongooseMatt]

some ships, such as the Haltona and the Avioki get significantly better with the new beam rules, while others get toned down. I will wait until after I see the new fleet lists before I give a definate opinion on these rules. I imagine that there are going to be radical changes in the ship stats.

Umm, yes

If you think we are going to rebalance ships to take into account new rules then, err, you would be right. . .

 

[greenboy]

Well, no. Not unless thin aluminium is weaker than cheese. . .

In my professional capacity i would say some cheeses are much harder to cut than thin aluminium

 

[Da Boss]

Plus from what I read about the Minbari scout is it appears to be gaining the advanced scout trait AND can completely strip the stealth off of an enemy ship. Say goodbye to your scouts against the Minbari now.

I presume this does not work against Ancients or the Shadows / Vorlons if the latter gets Scouts?

 

[cordas]

Plus from what I read about the Minbari scout is it appears to be gaining the advanced scout trait AND can completely strip the stealth off of an enemy ship. Say goodbye to your scouts against the Minbari now.

I presume this does not work against Ancients or the Shadows / Vorlons if the latter gets Scouts?

I would imagine the Ancients are going to get all sorts of goodies to keep them kicking butt.

 

[Locutus9956]

I cant see why not. Stealth is stealth, if its sensors and targetting arrays are good enoughit should be able to do it to anyone. Not necessarily 'fluffy' but for the purposes of game balance. That said I'd hope first one scouts would have some kind of similar ability so they can if they choose simply turn around and obliterate Mr. Leshath (with what is no doubt now about 5 or 6 AD of quad damage precice new beam rule beams.....)

I must admit I had some reservations when I first heard about some of the planned changes a while back but as time has gone on I am starting to get a bit more confident that 2nd Ed maybe, just maybe, might be the answer to alot of problems weve been discussing for some time now on these forums.

Stealth for example sounds like it could well be a MASSIVE improvement.

The beams, whilst potentially scary, will no doubt have a few less attack dice around and from what I hear the lists are getting there, slowly but surely, in terms of balance. Im hoping a few things will be fixed (the new Troligan for example....). And if I see minibeams on the final released Omega I shall be most annoyed.....

But that aside, its looking hopeful.

 

[Lord David the Denied]

The type of weapon very much has an effect on how armour works. What we are saying is that Beam weapons are so powerful (subject to AD) that they are potentially capable of slicing through anything with little trouble.

Kinda like what you see on the screen in B5. . .

I can see the point you're making, Matt. I wouldn't do it this way, but I understand why you have. I'm not convinced it's the right way to go, but I shan't throw the dummy out of the pram over it...

 

[emperorpenguin]

And if I see minibeams on the final released Omega I shall be most annoyed......

oh dear.....

 

[H]

Minibeams, on an Omega?! oh my! seems a strange one, no doubt it's based on the ISN news feed or somesuch

 

[Lord David the Denied]

The Omega-X has mini-beams, but the standard Omega doesn't... Pulse cannons in those pods.

 

[Locutus9956]

I can see what the reasoning behind it is, particle BEAMS. But it just seems to me that particle beams should NOT be powerful enough to ignore armour with the 4+ thing.

 

[cordas]

I can see what the reasoning behind it is, particle BEAMS. But it just seems to me that particle beams should NOT be powerful enough to ignore armour with the 4+ thing.

There is a difference between the weapon name, and the trait..... Particle Beam is a weapon name, it could just as easily be Particle cutter / projector / cannon / whoppy cushion.... it makes no odds. The weapon trait Beam is something else entirely, its a game mechanic that says how the weapon works.

 

[emperorpenguin]

The Omega-X has mini-beams, but the standard Omega doesn't... Pulse cannons in those pods.

Are you that certain? :wink: Want to bet on it?

 

[emperorpenguin]

I can see what the reasoning behind it is, particle BEAMS. But it just seems to me that particle beams should NOT be powerful enough to ignore armour with the 4+ thing.

Nope not based on weapon names but on show evidence

 

[Lord David the Denied]

Are you that certain? :wink: Want to bet on it?

I only gamble with my life... but I can show you clips on youtube of the Omega's side pods firing pulse cannons and nothing else.

 

[emperorpenguin]

Are you that certain? :wink: Want to bet on it?

I only gamble with my life... but I can show you clips on youtube of the Omega's side pods firing pulse cannons and nothing else.

and I can show you two or three episodes of side turrets firing beam weapons