Response to the question about CAV...

On Sun May 4 2003 01:21 pm, Scott Clinton wrote:
> <   Here is a loaded question (on this list at least <g>)   >
>
> Has anyone tried Reaper's CAV?

I have the rules and a couple of miniatures, but I haven't played a game
as 
yet.  It looks interesting, and there's some interest in my parts (Grand

Rapids, MI) so after Origins I might get some CAV games in and thus be
able 
to comment in a more informed fashion.

> The company is just up the road thus they have a decent following in
the
> area.  But, I know zilch about it.  It seems to be a bit more
Mechwarrior
> type-soft sci-fi to me.  Is that a fair evaluation?

Lucky you... everyone should have a top-notch mini manufacturer just
down the 
street.

The setting is soft-sci-fi to be sure, but without the "So much lost
knowledge 
that technologies are "black box"" crapola that B-Tech explained away
tech 
incongruities with.    The big "gee-whiz" thing that makes CAVs work
isn't a 
neural link to the pilot's equillibrium and they don't have artificial 
muscles like battlemechs... they have "Bellar Joints".	 Oooh... 

The background setting isn't real rich, but it's based on a great
foundation 
with lots of potential.  The rulebook is mostly background, with the
back 
section being the actual rules.  One thing I find annoying about the 
background though is that it's mostly economic, social and political. 
So I 
don't know what the Rache look like, 

> How does it compare to DSII?	DSII and SGII are all but unheard of for
the
> most part in D/FW.   :-(

Die rolls are opposed like DS, (meaning you roll to see how well you
shoot and 
your opponent rolls to see how well he defends against the fire, the 
difference determines success/failure) but in CAV it's using the same
dice 
with skill/capability and situational modifiers making up the difference

between the rolls instead of using different types of dice.  One thing I
like 
is that the game takes into account ECM/ECCM systems by requiring a 
target-lock roll before the actual firing roll.  I'm not sure how that
works 
out in actual game play, but just reading the rules I appreciated the 
attempt.

The game is pretty fluid too, with cards being used for initiative by 
"section" or squad so it avoids the IGO-UGO syndrome, but the models
have no 
"facing" as far as weapon mounts go.  The assumption is that CAVs can
twist 
360deg. at the torso, so for firings sake, their full firepower can face
to 
the rear.  I'm not too keen on that as it removes the joy of flanking a
unit 
and blasting at it without suffering return fire.  

While CAV doesn't specifically say it's suitable for use with any minis
(well, 
maybe it does in the CAV design area, I haven't read that in-depth yet)
they 
do provide rules for designing your own units so you can probably fit in

whatever models you want to use, so the same end-result might be there.

I do no know what "scale" the CAV models are cast in, but that's pretty 
flexible as the cockpits lack anything like hatches, etc, that would
make 
force them to be a certain scale.  They could be giant city-sized
walkers in 
DS2, or just really big 'mecha in 15mm SG or big robots in 25mm SG.

One thing that I notice the most about CAV is the $$ of the models. 
$10.00 a 
pop... Woah.  I knew I switched to historicals and 6mm or 15mm for a 
reason... 

--Tim