Re: EFSB

Imre A. Szabo wrote:
> 
> Jim 'Jiji' Foster wrote:
> >
> > At 20:51 1/20/98, Winchell Chung wrote:
> > >I'm going to be playing a few games of EFSB along
> > >side some games of B5 Wars, but just by reading
> > >the rule books I'm already biased in favor of EFSB.
> >
> > For the sake of those of us not flush enough to buy both, could you
give a
> > rundown of how B5 Wars works? I've yet to meet anyone who owns, let
alone
> > plays it....
> 
> I've played B5 Wars alot.  You roll dice to hit, you roll more dice
for
> damage, you roll even more dice for locations, and you roll still more
> dice for critical hits.  Too much pointless die rolling for my likes.
> 
> The game components looks cheap, and there are no player aid sheets.
> Which means if you don't want to have to dig through the rule book
> evertime a critical hit is scored, you have to type up the critical
hit
> charts yourself (or memorize them).  The background for the counters
are
> too dark, so they don't look as colorful as they ought.  They are also
> mounted on cheap cardboard.  The map is straight black with white
> hexegons.  Even SFB has "color" maps that are much nicer to look at.
> 
> Don't fight the Mimbari.  The official point values are only correct
if
> the Mimbari player is stupid.  If he's smart, your going to pounded
> scrap while only doing at most moderate damage in a "equal point
value"
> fight.
> 
> The fighters are too powerful compared to what you see in the show.
> 
> EarthForce is good "up close and personal" (short range).  The
Centauri
> are good at medium range.  The Mimbari are good at long range.  The
> Narns aren't good at anything (so-so at everything).
> 
> That's B-5 Wars.
> 
> IAS

I actually like the system.  Its a nice change of scale from FT, where
you command an
entire task force and still have a good game, in B5W I can have just as
good a game and
only have to worry about a single ship and its fighters.
I do agree about player aid sheets and the maps and counters.  a player
aid sheet would be
a godsend and i don't ever plan on using the map sheets once the hexless
rules (pormised
in the narn centari war suplement if memory serves me correctly) comes
out. 
the die rolling isn't so bad once you get the hang of it.  the game uses
simoultanious
fire so players can pair off and resolve all gun play fairly quickly
(once agian a player
aid sheet would help greatly).
Fighters are fairly effective aginst captial ships.  tho there are many
suggestions for
fixing this...

for a quick run-down of the game...

opening phase:
	everybody sets the electronic warfare and declares
acceleration/decceleration, then rolls
initative

movement phase:
	ships then fighters move according to initative (notice that you
had to declare
accel/deccel a ohase ago, makes movement pretty tricky, especally for
fighters)

fire phase:
	simoultanious fire takes place now.  
thats it.  not to difficult once you get the hang of it.  but diffenetly
not like FT.   

chris "damn i'm long winded today" pratt
valen10@flash.net