Ship availability idea

[Nightmares about Minbari]

Hi all

This idea came up while replying on another thread, but additional thought makes me thing that it could be a good one.

The intent is to put a game mechanic limit on ship selection in pick up games, and ensure that rare ships don't put in too many appearances.

Each ship would be listed with a density or availability rating. Original idea was a maximum number of them that might be found in a standard size fleet. However an alternative would be availability bands, such as common, uncommon etc.

The point is that the use of one rare ship doesn't stop you using others, just stops you building a fleet from the same hull type.

Don't know if there are already plans for the new game to cover this. If there arn't, then maybe this is something worth considering.

Incidentally, it would also rule out the single hull fleets that give some people kittens.

 

[Commador Q]

the problem with rarety rules is that they inevitably cause a lot of comotion because theres really no way to justify claims like "There would never be more than 5 Sagitarious in a single 5 point raid fleet", so no mater what the system somone will always complaine about it. granted some ships could peobably be limited but really if you don't want a ship to be over used it's best to give it some weekness that can be exploited if it's relied on to hevily.

as for banning single class fleets, you would have to have indavidual bannings for certain ship classes, abecause it's unreasonable to ban all single class fleets. The ISA for example shouldn't be expected to field multi-class fleets at all priority levels.

 

[Ripple]

Also not true to the show to ban single class fleets which we see fairly regularly.

G'quans - seven of them I believe in one group.
Vorchan/Demos - several times nothing but these
Whitestars - many times
Omegas - couple of times during the civil war.

Shrug.

ripple

 

[Voronesh]

Yer and never forget, the numbers we sometimes see is JUST HUGE!!!

Shadow Omegas: All that ever existed.
WS: Scores of them. During Season5 practically all of them are sent to same way off world. Where they await a Drazi fleet.
Omegas: Basically all thats left loyal to Clarke at Mars.

 

[B5freak]

I think some of you are missing the point. Restrict a few ship types to reflect the general availability compared to other ships classes. You wouldn't restrict mainline ships like the Hyperion or Omega, but you could reasonably restric the Apollo, Sagittarius, Delphi, and Oracle since those are all fairly specialized ships.

So what if somebody complains? Someone will always complain about something. Someone has to lay down the law, and if not the game company then the local community. If you've got one guy whining because the rule doesn't let him bring the uber-broken fleet, then he needs to find somewhere else to play.

 

[Alexb83]

The PL system already restricts certain ships (somewhat arbitrarily). Making them difficult to take in a given scenario/FAP situation.

Take the Sharlin for instance, in a 5 pt raid game, you can have 1 at most.

That's just how the system works. Personally I think it's strange that the Primus (which we see far less frequently or ubiquitously than the Sharlin) is more common in the game system, but I guess they had to try and give the game a modicum of balance.

 

[Voronesh]

Yes thats the whole point of my post.

Why create a system for restrictions, which is something that can be discussed greatly. Plus Shadow Omegas hardly count as mainline ships.....

When you could just go about further balancing the ships.

I think that its great, that there are few restrictions based on actual ships, but rather on their lvl. It duirectly steers you to nice fleet selections.

Funny how that happens with certain ships, but others break that scheme.

Sag sure you can restrict it, but its still WAY overpowered.

Prefects and Tertius, uhh their main line ships. Both of them. So you still have slightly too good ships. No restrictions there.