Too many fleets with interceptors?

[Voronesh]

Actually angelus2000s idea is consistent with the show as well. Enemy ships getting trough ints, means the captain ordered all ints to be used already. SO no more defense on that one.

I dont have a problem with the current rules, but then i do not possess a fleet that uses them, and im ok with firing secondaries first. So pulse cannons to negate his ints and then my ion torps for that crit fun. Its just that this method seems to promote a style of play, that is very forced (anyone uses AD without traits after his missiles is only penalizing himself) and not too "realistic" one. Ever see a captain to use pulse cannons to burn ints before the big guns open up? dunno :S

 

[zulu01]

I find the interceptor rules to be one of my least favorite things about B5CTA. They add an unecessary complexity to the game - keeping track of which ship is where on its interceptor roles can be a nightmare in bigger games. Plus it SL O W S down game play way too much.

And the fact that every interceptor armed ship ends up essentially with dodge 6 no matter how much fire it takes slows down game play too.

Demos anyone?

 

[lastbesthope]

To keep track, put dice at the base of the ship, equal in number to the number of remaining interceptor dice, each dice showing the target numebr for the next interceptor roll.

Or use 1 die to show how many dice are l eft, and another (of a different colour) to indicate the next target number, it;'s what I do in my games.

USed a similar idea to keep track of base Stealth target numbers (not including range modifiers) in my 3rd tourney game on Saturday, brilliant idea my opponent used and I swiftly adopted.

LBH

 

[Taran]

I find the interceptor rules to be one of my least favorite things about B5CTA. They add an unecessary complexity to the game - keeping track of which ship is where on its interceptor roles can be a nightmare in bigger games. Plus it SL O W S down game play way too much.

And the fact that every interceptor armed ship ends up essentially with dodge 6 no matter how much fire it takes slows down game play too.

Demos anyone?

Heh. Try keeping track of heat, ammo, capacitor PPCs, pilot damage, etc, etc, etc in a Battalion-size game of CBT. Or even just a Company-size. Or how about all those fun things you have to keep track of in WH?

I will never complain about the amount of stuff I have to keep track of again so long as the game I'm playing keeps it somewhat within reason...

 

[Methos5000]

I noticed something interesting when I was watching 'Severed Dreams'. It seems that EA interceptors were designed to also stop beam shots. When the Clarkstown (a hyperion) was heavily damaged in the battle with the Alexander (an omega), one of the officers on the Alexander mentioned that the Clarkstown's forward interceptors are down and then they fire an aft beam at it to destory the ship. It kind of implies that they were taking the shot because the interceptors couldn't stop it (or at least lessen its effect) since the only gun fired at after that comment was the beam weapon.

 

[emperorpenguin]

it's fairly well known (and has been debated many times before) that that scene (indeed most of the action sequences in that episode) were ham-fisted
The Alexander was "supposed" to fire pulse cannons, while the Clarkstown was "supposed" to do likewise

there was some PSB from someone at Netter to explain an "energy web" but that sounded more like Trek's "science of the week" than B5's harder sci-fi

 

[Sulfurdown]

to explain an "energy web" but that sounded more like Trek's "science of the week" than B5's harder sci-fi

I'm 98% sure that the "energy web" definition came out of AoG's attempt to reconcile the scenes just like that one. For them the EA's interceptors generated enough output that they created a low level shielding effect, IIRC.

 

[locarno24]

Try keeping track of heat, ammo, capacitor PPCs, pilot damage, etc, etc, etc in a Battalion-size game of CBT. Or even just a Company-size.

Mech battalion? Madness!

Interceptors aren't bad - as noted, just mark 'em with dice. I've no problem with using secondary weapons (and fighters) to deplete interceptors - it makes fighter wings rather effective against interceptor-carrying ships, and helps the 'fighters are a major part of space war' aspect which you see in B5.

 

[Lorcan Nagle]

to explain an "energy web" but that sounded more like Trek's "science of the week" than B5's harder sci-fi

I'm 98% sure that the "energy web" definition came out of AoG's attempt to reconcile the scenes just like that one. For them the EA's interceptors generated enough output that they created a low level shielding effect, IIRC.

nope, it came from George Johnsen, a producer on the show.

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/054.html

About the Alexander/Clarkstown battle
The interceptors have two components, one that throws a ball of energy at an incoming weapons charge (physical or energy) and causes dissipation, and the other is a net-like energy web that reduces the severity, but does not deflect or absorb, beam type energy. This allows some time for maneuvers after beam contact.
Note that Major Ryan (He'll always be D-Day to my brother!) was very reticent to fire on the Clarkstown at all. Knowing that the Interceptors were down made his job all the more difficult. The rear facing beamn on the Alexander is similar in design to the front facers on the Clarkstown. When the C-town fired on the rotating section ofthe Alexander, it did not explode, as the interceptors were still active.

George Johnsen
CoProducer, B5

Try keeping track of heat, ammo, capacitor PPCs, pilot damage, etc, etc, etc in a Battalion-size game of CBT. Or even just a Company-size.

Mech battalion? Madness!

I once did a combined-arms regiment - 2 batallions of mechs, 2 of tanks, and a whole mess of infantry too

 

[Taran]

I once did a combined-arms regiment - 2 batallions of mechs, 2 of tanks, and a whole mess of infantry too

See I don't have that many models. just finished my Battaliongame, too. Took 3 months due to work schedules...

 

[Lorcan Nagle]

I once did a combined-arms regiment - 2 batallions of mechs, 2 of tanks, and a whole mess of infantry too

See I don't have that many models. just finished my Battaliongame, too. Took 3 months due to work schedules...

I think 4 or 5 of us pooled our resources for that one, and it was... wow, 10 years ago now. Nowadays I have a Kuritan Mech batallion backed up with a Batt of tanks, another of conventional infantry, and another mixed BattleArmour and support elements like artillery and VTOLS, and a Marik Batallion of just mechs (2nd Regulan Hussars - Tommy boy's been dumping on them since 3055 and they're still one of the toughest units in the league!), and a low-rent militia batallion (8 mechs, 12 tanks, 10 infantry platoons, all 3025 tech). And I've enough stull left over to make another couple of batallions worth! (I'm planning a Lyran Regulars unit, a St. Ives Jannisairres one, some sort of Davion one, maybe a March Militia, and who knows after that!)