Search found 156 matches

by wminsing
Wed Jul 29, 2015 8:02 pm
Forum: Officer's Lounge
Topic: Crossover Works
Replies: 41
Views: 13312

Re: Crossover Works

Sure the Omega Beta would have differences. The Beta drops 4 Heavy Lasers for 2 Heavy Pulse and 4 Medium Pulse. Pulse weapons are much more accurate against fighter craft. So an Omega Beta would have better AF defences. If one wants to game it they could even drop the Beta's AS a point or so and in...
by wminsing
Wed Jul 29, 2015 1:17 pm
Forum: Officer's Lounge
Topic: Crossover Works
Replies: 41
Views: 13312

Re: Crossover Works

Well, I'm pretty sure in some cases the variant did actually become the base class; wasn't the base Hyperion class by the 'show era' the Theta-variant? And there was the whole common/uncommon/rare aspect to variants which I think was supposed to show that some variants were just harder to construct ...
by wminsing
Wed Jul 29, 2015 12:06 pm
Forum: Officer's Lounge
Topic: Crossover Works
Replies: 41
Views: 13312

Re: Crossover Works

I think there's room to get creative with all the different variants. Command Hyperion for example might have less AS but higher CR. Maybe the Railgun version has Gunship for example depending upon how that trait works. Yea, the command variants would be another clear-cut case for a different varia...
by wminsing
Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:25 pm
Forum: Officer's Lounge
Topic: Crossover Works
Replies: 41
Views: 13312

Re: Crossover Works

A thought I've been tossing around over the weekend is to create a 'base list' of Year 0 (3000) ships, build a list up from there (along the lines of what Jay is thinking); keep some common variants, but get rid of some redundant ones and put in 'upgrades' such as, say an "Omega-II" or &q...
by wminsing
Sun Jul 26, 2015 7:10 pm
Forum: Officer's Lounge
Topic: Crossover Works
Replies: 41
Views: 13312

Re: Crossover Works

For ISD that works with the VBAM rules and is roughly balanced between factions, it's probably more important to get the relative order of appearance right rather than directly translating the years. So what I'd do is sort each faction ship list by ISD, and start assigning ships to 3xxx years starti...
by wminsing
Sun Jul 26, 2015 3:07 pm
Forum: Hotlabs
Topic: Your Wishlist for Companion and First Contact?
Replies: 62
Views: 37781

Re: Your Wishlist for Companion and First Contact?

I'm 100% sure that a lot of this is already on the docket but here's what I'd like to see: Companion: Breaking systems out into individual planets- something like the 1st Edition rules, which tended to work pretty well, though maybe updated to match some of the findings we're seeing in exo-planet as...
by wminsing
Sat Jul 25, 2015 5:49 pm
Forum: Victory by Any Means - Second Edition
Topic: VBAM Second Edition Errata
Replies: 43
Views: 20467

Re: VBAM Second Edition Errata

Yes, shields are always tricking since in some settings it makes sense to call them out and in others they should just be rolled in the DV values. Another option might to make it 'regenerating' DV; damage always takes out shield value first, and the ship regains it's shields value after every combat...
by wminsing
Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:05 pm
Forum: Second Edition Development Archive
Topic: VBAM 2E Playtest Files (Was: Any Updates?)
Replies: 174
Views: 63862

Re: VBAM 2E Playtest Files (Was: Any Updates?)

My reply for the industry 'stat' is the other thread. Re: Research, I am forced to agree. Building up Research doesn't seem like a good use of resources, as most of the actual Research points accumulated are 'bought' with EP's. And the cap could just as easily be based on Economy (or Industry) as it...
by wminsing
Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:54 pm
Forum: Second Edition Development Archive
Topic: Expanded System Resources
Replies: 9
Views: 3180

Re: Expanded System Resources

To play devil's advocate here, I'd point out in 'real life' major production centers were often created not based on some special local feature but simply due to being at the right place with the right level of population. The great ship building centers of history required a good harbor and enough ...
by wminsing
Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:58 pm
Forum: Second Edition Development Archive
Topic: 2nd Edition Playtest Report- Terran Commonwealth
Replies: 91
Views: 39861

Re: 2nd Edition Playtest Report- Terran Commonwealth

Thanks for all the feedback Tyrel! The process you went through for creating the new emerging empire looks right, Will. There is a bit of manipulation that you have to do to get things right, and it's really up to the player/CM to decide which systems to explore and where to place them on the map, o...
by wminsing
Tue Jun 19, 2012 12:40 pm
Forum: Second Edition Development Archive
Topic: 2nd Edition Playtest Report- Terran Commonwealth
Replies: 91
Views: 39861

Re: 2nd Edition Playtest Report- Terran Commonwealth

Realized I'm quite a few turns behind. Rather than post every single turn for everyone I'm not going to post every 5 (or so) turns and the campaign trackers. If people want to see the non-posted turns for play test purposes I will be happy to post them. Terran Turn 30: https://docs.google.com/docume...
by wminsing
Mon Jun 18, 2012 6:32 pm
Forum: Second Edition Development Archive
Topic: Expanded System Resources
Replies: 9
Views: 3180

Re: Expanded System Resources

Agree that special encounters/strategic resources is enough in this regard. Add separate stats for industry and science seems to be increasing the noise-to-signal ratio without a lot of benefit. Right now with cap/raw/bio I can tell at a glance which systems are good colonization candidates and whic...
by wminsing
Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:28 pm
Forum: Second Edition Development Archive
Topic: 2nd Edition Playtest Report- Terran Commonwealth
Replies: 91
Views: 39861

Re: 2nd Edition Playtest Report- Terran Commonwealth

Ok, to keep the campaign rolling along I've decided to keep the hostilities/limited war/war/total paradigm, and each gives a -10 to the ER score, so eventually the Geidi can drive the war to the point where they can actually invade Bran.

-Will
by wminsing
Sat Jun 16, 2012 9:53 pm
Forum: Second Edition Development Archive
Topic: War Scores and ER
Replies: 6
Views: 2784

Re: War Scores and ER

Check out page 105 of the May 21st draft- already has rules for colonies surrendering to orbital bombardment!

-Will
by wminsing
Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:39 pm
Forum: Second Edition Development Archive
Topic: War Scores and ER
Replies: 6
Views: 2784

Re: War Scores and ER

I think War Score is an important element to include in the core book, or least whichever book contains the rules for NPE empires, as right now the diplomacy rules don't really account for how long/hard a war has been when calculating treaty offering chances. I'm a little worried that NPE empires wi...