Nova Idea--Bring Back Laser/Pulse Arrays

E

Enalut

Mongoose
So I am having a markedly unproductive day at work and keep reading these froums, so I thought of another idea that I miss from 1E:

The Laser Pulse Arrays:

Keep the current stats for Pulse Firing, but allow the weapons to be converted to Mini Beams with the slow loading trait (meaning they cann't be fired the next turn in either mode). The Minibeams should keep the same range and AD (since as opposed to 1E they won't gain the AP and beam traits aqnd cann't fire the next turn).

My idea is to give the Nova some punch agaisnt larger targets but nothing game breaking, 14 dice MB/SL harly seems game breaking, but it would allow the ship to better engage armored opponents. Basically you are tradign the next rounds worth of fire for hitting on 4's and ignorign interceptors--definitley a tactical option, but one that gives the ship some added flexibility.

Additionally, these seems like it would work well on the Omega Pulse variant.

Thoughts/suggestions?
 
I agree! L/P arrays were fun!

Don't like the slow loading though, better to cut down the ADs like in 1e.
 
L/P arrays were done away with in 2e, because it was felt that they were too complicated and people didn't use them very much.

And it is true, 1/2 AD worth of AP beams weren't very good, compared to TL guns.

There were several other ships that had multiple firing modes suggested for 2e by one of the playtesters for 2e, but they weren't taken up. Now they are making a come back in P&P (the White Star and Shadow ships).

So who knows, they may reappear. It could be that tactical option that the EA need.
 
They didnt get used much cause they werent worth using, not cause they were too complicated. With the new beam rules they might be worth it even at half AD. If the laser mode had more range then pulse mode that would have been better.
 
Our EA players always liked them in certain cirmcustances.
1/2 AD mightin be enough.
7AD to each side & 4AD to the front could be a little devastating. Turn them into mini beam & you might have a weapon.
 
I like the Nova as is. A brick bristling with simple guns on all sides. I never liked the Laser/pulse mix, and giving it long range lasers on all sides would let it totally dominate a battlefield from the center. I like that it creams smaller less armoured ships but isn't really designed to take out bigger better ones.
 
mrambassador1 said:
I like the Nova as is. A brick bristling with simple guns on all sides. I never liked the Laser/pulse mix, and giving it long range lasers on all sides would let it totally dominate a battlefield from the center. I like that it creams smaller less armoured ships but isn't really designed to take out bigger better ones.
Click to expand...
Weren't the lasers shorter range, 8"
 
Greg Smith said:
L/P arrays were done away with in 2e, because it was felt that they were too complicated and people didn't use them very much.

And it is true, 1/2 AD worth of AP beams weren't very good, compared to TL guns.

There were several other ships that had multiple firing modes suggested for 2e by one of the playtesters for 2e, but they weren't taken up. Now they are making a come back in P&P (the White Star and Shadow ships).

So who knows, they may reappear. It could be that tactical option that the EA need.
Click to expand...

Your observations about L/P arrays seems to be a little limited. I loved having them, they were the best part of a crusade era fleet and I would always have one Nova (at least) with my Omegas because of the L/P arrays. They weren't complicated, they were just one weapon system with two ranges, at one range you could fire them like this, at the other you could fire them like that.

I think it could be JUST the thing the Crusade era needs to give there big ships just that small tweek they need. If the Marathon and Warlock got there Laser Pulse arrays back it would be great, even if they were just mini-beams.

Enalut said:
The Laser Pulse Arrays:

Keep the current stats for Pulse Firing, but allow the weapons to be converted to Mini Beams with the slow loading trait (meaning they cann't be fired the next turn in either mode). The Minibeams should keep the same range and AD (since as opposed to 1E they won't gain the AP and beam traits aqnd cann't fire the next turn).

My idea is to give the Nova some punch agaisnt larger targets but nothing game breaking, 14 dice MB/SL harly seems game breaking, but it would allow the ship to better engage armored opponents. Basically you are tradign the next rounds worth of fire for hitting on 4's and ignorign interceptors--definitley a tactical option, but one that gives the ship some added flexibility.

Additionally, these seems like it would work well on the Omega Pulse variant.
Click to expand...

I'd say make it an Auto special action and it can be used on any Heavy Pulse Cannon for either 3rd age or crusade era.
 
i used them on the marathon quite often, they were worth it on ships that your normal weapons wouldn't do enough hits on eg interceptor laden shjips, even dodge ships, as you "could" get that runaway beam hit that would still get enough hits. obviously with beams now hitting on 4, they would need to be different to how they were
 
I believe the reason they were created by AoG was because if you watch carefully the Nova does actually fire both beams and pulses in one shot from In the Beginning (shortly before being blown up in a torrent of neutron laser fire of course...)

So they are in effect canon, indeed the Omega's guns would appear to work on the same principle as it produces both beams and pulses from not only the same mounting but the same barrel...


Nick
 
I could agree which means we could get rid of the light lasers.
so whats best option? half AD of heavy pulse as mini-beam? gives an option for dealing with hull 6 although probably only about as many hits.
maybe half AD mini-beam but keep the TL. that would actually put a nova one AD up over the ashinta but with shorter range so I think this would work. basically for any ship with heavy pulse in 3rd age and crusade eras.
 
I'd like to get that option on my novas. Especially since against many fast fleets the nova can easily become a one shot wonder. Atleast you can make that 1 shot count.
 
well have bumped it up the chain, ships effected would be:
Chronos, explorer, nova, tantalus, marathan, omegas (all variants), warlock, posiedon
 
katadder said:
well have bumped it up the chain, ships effected would be:
Chronos, explorer, nova, tantalus, marathan, omegas (all variants), warlock, posiedon
Click to expand...

hmmm, I don't think it should be on the Chronos, explorer or tantalus, it doesn't feel right. I'd even be uncomforatble with it on a poseidon, but the other 3 would definately be worth having it as an option. That said, it again makes you question "some" races secondaries
 
I had suggested MB/SL w/ full AD because the MB on the Omega are currently SL and 1/2 AD SL would mean they never get used; although in terms of look and feel, I think that 8" MB/TL with 1/2 AD would "feel" better.

Additionally, with just 1/2 AD MB, I think we will run into the same issues with the 1E Laser Pulse Arrays--the situation where they are only used in some rare 2% of situations. Now that they can't get a beam chain or be redirected, the MB/TL seems reasonable.
 
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