Re: Babylon 5 Wars (LONG)

On Tue, Mar 18, 1997 at 2:30:57 PM, Mikko Kurki-Suonio wrote:

> > second choice I would settle for an elegant non-vector movement
system 
> > that replicated the TV show.  
>  
> Would you have settled for the "almost correct" version RL:Interceptor

> and Aerotech use? 

The AeroTech rules also suffer from the 60 degree turn increment
problem, in 
addition to coupling facing witrh direction of travel.	This is okay in
BT -- 
it's FASA's universe, if they want to claim that ships always face the 
direction they are travelling, more power to them. <grin>  IIRC, the RL
rules 
are pretty darn close.

It all depends on the background.  I like FASA's Star Trek game, but
since it 
doesn't pretend to represent ships that can coast (and the scale, IIRC,
is 
1000 km/hex), the hex stuff doesn't bother me as much, because the ships
are 
applying power to move to every hex.  The AoG system would make a fine
Star 
Trek-type system -- which is exactly why it's a bad B5 game.

Incidently, I'm really looking forward to Tuffley's take on B5 movement
and 
combat, for two reasons:  First, using the two different methods of
movement 
based on the races tech level makes a lot of sense, and seems consistant
with 
the show.  Second, based on FT and MT, I am confident that the rules
will be 
simpler yet more comprehensive and elegant than the AoG offering.

> > I find it somehow revealing that those whom I consider to be some of

> > the best SF designers (such as Chadwick, Miller, and Costikyan) also

> > have a substantial	historical game design credits as well.  
>  
> ...and some demerits too. 

True -- everybody has some bad ones.  Overall, though, I think that
historical 
designs emphasize good models -- they have to, because they need to at
least 
recreate the battle they are based on.	That approach, when applied to a
SF 
game, makes it feel more real (to me at least) because the reality seems
to be 
more consistant as well.

> Chadwick's Ironclad & Ether Flyers is an interesting game and has good

> background info, but "battleship" simulates naval warfare of the era
just 
> about as well. 

I don't think I would go _that_ far, but I haven't played it since it
was 
still in print, so I can't offer a specific defense.  I played it with a

couple of friends, and we joked about how, at somepoint during the game,
we 
would come upon the Missing Rule or Table which all GDW games have. Sure

enough, we did -- in that game, I believe, it was the Fire Table,
referred to 
in the text but not present in the rules.

> Volley & Bayonet is a constant source of argument with the Nappy crowd

> (then again, they seem like a very argumentative crowd anyhow...). 

Somehow fitting, given Napoleon's personality.

-- Chris Weuve	 [My opinions, not my employer's.]
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