Babylon 5 using these rules?

[Conteshard]

Our group decided to do something simpler.  We're doing Star Wars with the hundreds of minis we picked up when the fleet game came out.  Conversion seems simple enough as the weapons all match pretty well (except the ion cannons).

I know this is out of place for a B5 conversion thread, but since it was brought up here.

Just a suggestion for a quick and dirty ion cannon effects.  Give ion cannons AD like you would any other PW. On a successful ion attack, roll on the critical hit table and apply the effects (toning down the mass destruction elements of 2 and 12 and a few others) temporarily until the end of the target's next activation.
On an ion crit, I suggest either rolling on the table twice, or maybe making the effects last for two activations.

apply ONLY the effect and not the damage\crew loss? Sounds good

Shard

[Commodore Jones]

Basically yes, but for specific ones like 5, 7 and 9 just make the crew loss a temporary effect/penalty. You can always re-flavor it as the crew is distracted trying to bring ionized systems back on-line and your ships overall performance levels (AD and PD penalties) are down because of it.
My suggestions for 2 and 12, make 2 a CUT ENGINES and the ship can do nothing during it's next activation.
For 12 make it a CUT ENGINES and distortion field effect until end of next activation.

[sarcastro01]

2 and 12 are supposed to be catastrophic to the ship.  Put that thing adrift for the rest of the game.  2" of move and no turns.  It may still fire and use PD but for the most part it should not be going anywhere.

I like the idea if you reach the DR you get one roll on the crit table and hit the CR you get two rolls.

Now for the million dollar question - do they ignore shields?  They certainly do in the movie but in that case you have a planetary defense weapon against a capitol ship.  Not sure that a Y-Wing would have the same effect (although apparently a pair of A-Wings can drop the shield generators with little issue so who knows).

[cptkremmen]

Well this might not be the right thing to post here, but I think I am going to look at some of the other rules sets on the market to play my B5 ships with.

I think I will wait with Firestorm Armada until enough of my friends have got interested enough to buy the proper fleets and then I will buy an official fleet.

[Koschai]

The way this reads is that your trying to use FSA to replicate the rules of the last B5 game. If that is the goal just use the last B5 game... if the goal is to use the B5 models to give FSA a B5 feel which sounds great to me as Iloved the show, then just say "I am playing Dindrenzi" and put down your Earth Force Alliance ships, or "I'm playing Relthoza" and put down your Shadow ships.

Yes the rules wont exactly equate to the previous game and may have to be representitive rather than exemplary (am I using my descriptives accuratly here?) of the actual weapons from the show but you'll be using your B5 ships in a fun game.

Hell I'd like to see B5 vs Star Trek fighting it out using FSA rules (picking two roughtly appropriate FSA races for ship stats).

Strikes me this would be far easier and more satisfying than trying to rework the rules. Actually it's not a half bad idea, now the question is where can you still get B5 ships from?

[sarcastro01]

While B5 was a great game there were issues with it.  Book keeping for larger ships bogs the game down and the force organization system was too easy to break (Really? 160 Fighter bases with no capitol ship support?  Oooookay....). FA allows for really large battles to take place in a short amount of time.  A decent sized B5 game could take all afternoon if you had more than just a few of the larger capital ships on a side. (or the previously mentioned all fighters list).  Those of us that are looking into the conversion want more than a "counts as" list.  My game group has already done the "counts as" games with Star Wars figs and while it looks cool there's just something less than satisfying to see the Star Destroyer plinked to death by the Mon Calamari transports or medical frigates if you're a Star Wars fan. 

I think if you look at this thread as a bunch of house rules it may be less offensive (not that anyone's actually been offended from what I can tell).  Gamers do it all the time.  Why should FA be exempt from such treatment?  Besides.  We hopefully will be seeing the FA universe expand.  With that expansion we may see new rules/weapons/abilities that address things we're looking into now with the conversion.  It may even speed the process along (hopes against hope).

[Koschai]

Fair enough and didn't mean to be raining on anyone's parade. Just seemed easier to use the models as "counts as" which I may stil do (loved the show).

I do see your point though they they may not perform exactly as you'd see elsewhere and if you want to go to the effort of mod'ing the game good for you.

Lol I'll butt out of the thread  

[fracas]

wouldn't it be simpler to use B5 models as stand in for FSA ships? when you get down to it isn't what we all want is to play with our models in table top battles?

Terrans = Terrans
Narn = Sorylians
MBari = Aquans
Centauri = Dindrenzi

[sarcastro01]

Simpler?  Perhaps.  Satisfying?  Perhaps not.

[cptkremmen]

I think there are many options.

Yes just using B5 ships and pretending they are fire storm armada ships is fine. I don't think it will then remotely feel like a Narn G'Quan but it is the quick easy option.

I have discovered that there was a very late release from mongoose just before they gave up on a call to arms called P&P this has a new priority level chart and a few other fixes that seems to make the game very good.  Ironic that it happened as they dumped the whole thing 

For now I will go back to ACTA with the P&P add on.

Will keep my copy of FSA though and wait and see how it develops, might get a sorylian fleet, will wait and see.

Whatever you play, enjoy your games

Andy (cptkremmen)

[katadder]

well working on some rules for this now for converting some of the iconic ships plus making sure each fleet is kind of rounded.
EA ships done for now, see what you think:
http://www.mediafire.com/?zintgnocjzd

only rules I have added are:
Additional Rules:
Beams/Mini Beams – count as torpedos but cannot be stopped by PD – cost x2 torps
Cloaking field: still fire at full effect. On small ships ignore hits made against it on 5 or less – cost 20
Energy Mines: Mine that can be placed in forward arc out to range band 4 – cost x5 mines

[IRMcG]

Great stuff, although there's a few stats I don't really agree with you on.

I don't know if the reduced AD at RB1 is necessary for the ACTA ships, they seemed happy enough to fight at close range in the series (different tech, so the powerful short-range ECM of FA isn't an issue)

I'd suggest having the cloak reduce shots against large ships to hit on 6 at range bands 3+4 at least, to bring it in line with the usual ACTA Stealth being much more effective at long range (certainly for Minbari "glass hammers" when/if you stat them). The usual FA cloak rule (with no AD reduction) might also be a good way to emulate ACTA ships with Dodge.

The Hyperion seems to have too much AD on the sides IMO, remember they're not twin-linked like the Omega.

The Avenger seems to have twice as many fighters as it should, compared to the rest of the fleet. Six might be a good compromise (FA stands are actually 2-4 x as many fighters as ACTA ones, but that would be too restrictive if taken literally when statting)



 

[Da Boss]

Thanks Katadder - good work and interesting designs   looking forward to more!!!

@ IRMcG - any thoughts on this pack ?

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?inmyrezj1z4

http://forum.spartangames.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2691.0

comments and suggestions welcomed / sought................ 

[katadder]

updated with all ships I am doing for now:


http://www.mediafire.com/?ixemlgmdwza

[IRMcG]

Thanks Katadder - good work and interesting designs  looking forward to more!!!
@ IRMcG - any thoughts on this pack ?
comments and suggestions welcomed / sought................  

Looks fine to me, although unless you're using Fleet Action models it might be worth taking a tip from Katadder's stats and using RB2 with full AD as the equivalent of ACTA's range 10-12" guns.

Katadder's Minbari: How do you intend to handle the Precise beams ? If you're just using them as standard the ships might be a bit underpowered. How about increasing the cost and doing double damage on 5 or 6 (but rerolls only on natural 6s) ?