You either love it or hate it.... marmi.. i mean Chronos

[H]

Well then, EA players, it's time to look at that bastion of hope, or that marzipan of defeat, the Chronos. Like marmite, it seems we either love it or hate it, and the news coming through is that the 2nd ed ship is going to be a Skirmish choice. So I ask you EA players and enemies alike, what are your thoughts on the centrepiece of many a EA crusade fleet, dropping down a level?
I know Playtesting is progressing, and 2nd ed is due for publication in about 2 months, but maybe, just maybe, we could nudge matt and the playtester community into a change.. or it might make them stubbornly drop it to patrol :lol:
Triggy stated it was for game balance to give the EA some lower level choices, which is a fair comment as the assault hyperion was a bit naff, but we could be looising a raid ship to become another naff skirmisher? or we could be gaining the new Ka'Toc of Earth force!

so then, make your choices. I can't cover every eventuality. Personally, I love the Chronos, I accept it's tendancy to pop when looked at a bit funny by a beam, as it has won contless fights for me, plus at £8.50 for a box of 4, it's one of my most cost effective ships, and you will rarely ever see me not field one. so I therefore relaly weant this ship at raid!

 

[Tank]

I voted upgarde speed and guns but as that was closest choice, I think the guns are already good enough but givei ti a smigeon extra damage and crew and more speed and leave where it is!

I agree that as a fleet becomes more technologically advanced it will become top heavy and I accept the current EA Crusade list for that reason

 

[emperorpenguin]

I agree that as a fleet becomes more technologically advanced it will become top heavy and I accept the current EA Crusade list for that reason

that's not so, what Armageddon failed to do was introduce advanced escorts, instead concentrating on too many "big ships"

No fleet just keeps building bigger more advanced ships, they also build more advanced smaller ships too

 

[H]

I agree that as a fleet becomes more technologically advanced it will become top heavy and I accept the current EA Crusade list for that reason

that's not so, what Armageddon failed to do was introduce advanced escorts, instead concentrating on too many "big ships"

No fleet just keeps building bigger more advanced ships, they also build more advanced smaller ships too

I agree with both points, yes, as technology advances. you get bigger ships cheaper, so you build more, but there should always be a place for the advanced escort. I liked the design of Urobachs chardybis as a direct Hyperion replacement.

 

[H]

this was a double post, ignore it...

 

[emperorpenguin]

I agree with both points, yes, as technology advances. you get bigger ships cheaper, so you build more, .

not with current spiralling costs and military budgets! :lol:

 

[Stonehorse]

I'd say drop it to skirmish Its a good ship just in the wrong Priority for what it can do.

 

[tneva82]

they also build more advanced smaller ships too

Which by default would then be better than less advanced smaller ships now wouldn't they?

Better=need higher point cost...

 

[emperorpenguin]

they also build more advanced smaller ships too

Which by default would then be better than less advanced smaller ships now wouldn't they?

Better=need higher point cost...

but there is no linear progression in tech in ACTA, otherwise Crusade era would beat Dilgar War era hands down......

 

[tneva82]

but there is no linear progression in tech in ACTA, otherwise Crusade era would beat Dilgar War era hands down......

That's because this thing called point cost is used...

 

[katadder]

lets see, current crusade list has 1 skirmish, 4 raid choices. 2e version has 2 skirmish 3 raid choices. and 3 raid choices isnt a bad amount either compared to some fleets.

 

[Calistan]

I would think that the EA would have a number of low PL ships because it is again rebuilding its fleet. It is easier to put low PL ships into service faster, than large capital ships.

If there was a replacement, what stats do people think a new ship should have?

 

[H]

lets see, current crusade list has 1 skirmish, 4 raid choices. 2e version has 2 skirmish 3 raid choices. and 3 raid choices isnt a bad amount either compared to some fleets.

nope, but then 2 of said raid choices are specialist ships.
If it's done, it's done, I'll just be very sad to loose my raid Chronos' and I think some others will be too

 

[Chernobyl]

its fine where it is, just needs a few more damage points.

 

[Ripple]

First comment is on the 'PL creep' approach to showing higher tech.

As noted above we don't actually do this so that we can have fleets from several different era's all compete at the same tourney. Dilgar, ISA and Vorlons all have to be able to use the same system of points, which sadly only has 6 (maybe 7 if you include ancient) levels. So as a game mechanic approach most fleets need something at every on of those six levels.

Also, just because the small military vessels are moving up the list doesn't mean we wouldn't have other vessels move up from the civilian/security field to fill the lower spots. In planetary assault why do all races use the same armed system patrol ship? Maybe the EA equivalent of a coast guard cutter could move onto the list, as surely if the other vessels are all moving up ships of that nature would as well.

Second comment is on the poll topic

I like the Chronus as a raid choice, with the change in beams maybe it needs more damage as hull 6 is now meaningless as a means of defense against primary weaponry. I mean the ship already had issues with survivability vs beams, now with follow on hits going up substantially its just gift wrapped vps. Only issue is that folks without beams would be screwed at lower pls where you can't concentrate enough dice to deplete the interceptors quickly enough. But its a rock paper scissors game so I guess that's just going to be a problem.

Ripple

 

[Nomad]

I voted to drop the ship to Skirmish PL - with a reduction in AD & possibly interceptors - with a new class of ship appearing at Raid.

This is due to the small size of the Chronos mini - there would be resistance to increasing the number of damage & crew points, which it needs to survive at Raid level. Also, the original fluff said the Chronos was intended to be a replacement for the Olympus; as a Skirmish ship, it would be.

As for the new Raid ship...the simplest solution would be a refitted 'advanced technology' Hyperion, the same mini but with hull 6, 3 interceptor dice and TL on the Pulse Cannon...or possbly a non-scout 'combat' version of the Delphi.

I'm suggesting re-using existing models because asking for yet another all-new hull for the EA might be seen as...greedy

 

[emperorpenguin]

but there is no linear progression in tech in ACTA, otherwise Crusade era would beat Dilgar War era hands down......

That's because this thing called point cost is used...

nope it's called Priority Level :wink:

 

[Valen is my name]

i want it to stay the same.

i can see both sides of the arguement about being top heavy, but don't forget crusade era was mainly focussed on finding the drakh and killing them, and a big ships is better at that than a small ship. but the argument about still making small ships is true, but that doesnt mean make the chronos skirmish

 

[Target]

Torn between the last options. Went the last.
I big fan of ships in every priority lvl. Never liked it's low priority, im going to have to be very lucky to even have chance in this.
Big ships always needed screens of smaller ships unless you more big ships than the other guys ships in total.

 

[Tankdriver]

Speaking as a sometime EA player, I would say drop it as is. It is a solid Raid choice, but would make a better skirmish option. And please no raid variant, it is hard enough to chose an EA fleet already.