Book 2 vs Mayday

[Jeffr0]

I've played some Mayday and was hoping to ramp it up a bit with the design and damage rules from Book 2.

After a brief glance it appears that...

1) Ships and Missiles move about 3 times as fast in Book 2.

2) Small ships die a LOT quicker.

3) To hit penalty due to range isn't that bad.

What's up with this? They're totally different games!

 

[Jeffr0]

I've played some Mayday and was hoping to ramp it up a bit with the design and damage rules from Book 2.

After a brief glance it appears that...

1) Ships and Missiles move about 3 times as fast in Book 2.

2) Small ships die a LOT quicker.

3) To hit penalty due to range isn't that bad.

What's up with this? They're totally different games!

 

[mike wightman]

A better way to approach this is to use book 2 but add rules from Mayday.

The ones I recommend are:

sandcasters from Mayday (since they aren't explained in book2), adapted slightly so that a single sandcaster turret provides a -1 DM, a double sandcaster turret a -2, a triple sandcaster turret -3, with one turret only protecting one "hex side" (thus six sandcaster turrets would be needed to completely protect a ship);

applying a DM of -1 to hit small craft, and -2 to hit missiles (if deliberately targetted rather than the use of anti-missile) which is derived from the Mayday Attack Table.

More later, I have to go and watch the last episode of Battlestar Galactica.

 

[mike wightman]

A better way to approach this is to use book 2 but add rules from Mayday.

The ones I recommend are:

sandcasters from Mayday (since they aren't explained in book2), adapted slightly so that a single sandcaster turret provides a -1 DM, a double sandcaster turret a -2, a triple sandcaster turret -3, with one turret only protecting one "hex side" (thus six sandcaster turrets would be needed to completely protect a ship);

applying a DM of -1 to hit small craft, and -2 to hit missiles (if deliberately targetted rather than the use of anti-missile) which is derived from the Mayday Attack Table.

More later, I have to go and watch the last episode of Battlestar Galactica.

 

[hcobb]

Actually Sand does work in Book 2.

Each sandcaster produces a 25 mm blob of sand which causes a -3 modifier to laser fire.

Unless you like tracking every missile and blob of sand as it travels through the universe I suggest using High Guard with Mayday for a cleaner, faster system.

-HJC

 

[hcobb]

Actually Sand does work in Book 2.

Each sandcaster produces a 25 mm blob of sand which causes a -3 modifier to laser fire.

Unless you like tracking every missile and blob of sand as it travels through the universe I suggest using High Guard with Mayday for a cleaner, faster system.

-HJC

 

[mike wightman]

And does this blob of sand surround the ship, stick out of one side, or form a narrow cone in the direction it is fired?

Is it 25mm long or 25mm wide or both?

25mm=2500km, it must get launched with some kick - in which case does it continue in the direction it was launched? Hence if you fire the sandcaster again the next turn do you now have a 50mm sand cloud between you and the target?

Does a triple sandcaster turret form a 75mm long cloud for a -9 DM to be hit, or is it wider for a -3 DM from a greater angle?

Mayday and LBB2 combat is all about tracking every missile and sandcloud - it's part of the fun
HIgh Guard has a totally different paradigm and doesn't mesh with LBB2/Mayday combat very well.
IMHO of course

 

[mike wightman]

And does this blob of sand surround the ship, stick out of one side, or form a narrow cone in the direction it is fired?

Is it 25mm long or 25mm wide or both?

25mm=2500km, it must get launched with some kick - in which case does it continue in the direction it was launched? Hence if you fire the sandcaster again the next turn do you now have a 50mm sand cloud between you and the target?

Does a triple sandcaster turret form a 75mm long cloud for a -9 DM to be hit, or is it wider for a -3 DM from a greater angle?

Mayday and LBB2 combat is all about tracking every missile and sandcloud - it's part of the fun
HIgh Guard has a totally different paradigm and doesn't mesh with LBB2/Mayday combat very well.
IMHO of course

 

[kaladorn]

Sigg, a triple turret might produce triple density for -9 to hit or 75mm in length (which, if you fired along it might have the same effect) or provide one triple wide. Really, 3 options.

Besides, how does sand work? Fired in a cone? Density would drop off prettty fast I'd think.
Plus the 'push' to get a large sand cannister out would be not inconsequential.

I always imagined it more as a sensor-loaded garbage can full of sand that detected a laser beam and blew out the sand across the path - sort of like a sand-loaded depth charge or like an anti-laser aerosol/laser warner combination on modern IFVs. Lasers have to stay on you for a bit of time to deliver meaningful damage, so if you can detect the beam quickly at the ship and trigger the launched sand to blow into the path of the beam, you'll get the requried effect. And without breaking laws of sense about the spread of sand over thousands of kms....

 

[kaladorn]

Sigg, a triple turret might produce triple density for -9 to hit or 75mm in length (which, if you fired along it might have the same effect) or provide one triple wide. Really, 3 options.

Besides, how does sand work? Fired in a cone? Density would drop off prettty fast I'd think.
Plus the 'push' to get a large sand cannister out would be not inconsequential.

I always imagined it more as a sensor-loaded garbage can full of sand that detected a laser beam and blew out the sand across the path - sort of like a sand-loaded depth charge or like an anti-laser aerosol/laser warner combination on modern IFVs. Lasers have to stay on you for a bit of time to deliver meaningful damage, so if you can detect the beam quickly at the ship and trigger the launched sand to blow into the path of the beam, you'll get the requried effect. And without breaking laws of sense about the spread of sand over thousands of kms....

 

[mike wightman]

As I said, they aren't explained in LBB2

There is too much left to interpretation.

With hindsight and the benefit of games like Mayday, Brilliant Lances, and Power Projection, then rules for sandcasters in LBB2 are easy - but as originally written

 

[mike wightman]

As I said, they aren't explained in LBB2

There is too much left to interpretation.

With hindsight and the benefit of games like Mayday, Brilliant Lances, and Power Projection, then rules for sandcasters in LBB2 are easy - but as originally written

 

[jappel]

Someone (Ian Ferguson, I believe) did a really excellent analysis of sandcasters last year and published his results on the ct-starships mailing list. You can find his document (in Wordperfect format, most wordprocessors should be able to convert it) here in the ct-starships Yahoo group archive. Look for "sandana.wpd".

John

 

[jappel]

Someone (Ian Ferguson, I believe) did a really excellent analysis of sandcasters last year and published his results on the ct-starships mailing list. You can find his document (in Wordperfect format, most wordprocessors should be able to convert it) here in the ct-starships Yahoo group archive. Look for "sandana.wpd".

John

 

[Enoff]

I made a post in the software section about a gaming aid called "Cyberboard." I think this would be a great tool to set up space battles. Someone has already made gameboxes for "Triplanetary" and "Mayday." I hope to develop one soon for myself to resolve Traveller space battles. Its also a PBEM tool.

 

[Enoff]

I made a post in the software section about a gaming aid called "Cyberboard." I think this would be a great tool to set up space battles. Someone has already made gameboxes for "Triplanetary" and "Mayday." I hope to develop one soon for myself to resolve Traveller space battles. Its also a PBEM tool.

 

[Jeffr0]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
And does this blob of sand surround the ship, stick out of one side, or form a narrow cone in the direction it is fired?

Is it 25mm long or 25mm wide or both?

25mm=2500km, it must get launched with some kick - in which case does it continue in the direction it was launched? Hence if you fire the sandcaster again the next turn do you now have a 50mm sand cloud between you and the target?

Does a triple sandcaster turret form a 75mm long cloud for a -9 DM to be hit, or is it wider for a -3 DM from a greater angle?

Mayday and LBB2 combat is all about tracking every missile and sandcloud - it's part of the fun
HIgh Guard has a totally different paradigm and doesn't mesh with LBB2/Mayday combat very well.
IMHO of course

Blech.

I'd just this sort of thing that makes me think that nobody finished designing the space combat system for Traveller.

I wish somesort of "Doomsday" project had taken place... or at least a "Compendium." Its why I spend money on a Game Designer-- so I don't have to make the game myself!

Grr....

 

[Jeffr0]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
And does this blob of sand surround the ship, stick out of one side, or form a narrow cone in the direction it is fired?

Is it 25mm long or 25mm wide or both?

25mm=2500km, it must get launched with some kick - in which case does it continue in the direction it was launched? Hence if you fire the sandcaster again the next turn do you now have a 50mm sand cloud between you and the target?

Does a triple sandcaster turret form a 75mm long cloud for a -9 DM to be hit, or is it wider for a -3 DM from a greater angle?

Mayday and LBB2 combat is all about tracking every missile and sandcloud - it's part of the fun
HIgh Guard has a totally different paradigm and doesn't mesh with LBB2/Mayday combat very well.
IMHO of course

Blech.

I'd just this sort of thing that makes me think that nobody finished designing the space combat system for Traveller.

I wish somesort of "Doomsday" project had taken place... or at least a "Compendium." Its why I spend money on a Game Designer-- so I don't have to make the game myself!

Grr....

 

[Enoff]

High Guard right off seems like the rules for combat in Imperium with some slap-stick addons that came from Traveller. Yep the space combat rules in Traveller don't really seem complete.

I don't have Mayday rules but I have Triplanetary. Right off I notice how much reference to minatures there are in the Traveller rules. Almost like someone was fudging Triplanetary rules to make minatures battles for a Traveller campaign.

My impression is to start with Triplanetary rules and add on Traveller and High Guard as supplements and suggestions. Neither seems a complete combat system however.

 

[Enoff]

High Guard right off seems like the rules for combat in Imperium with some slap-stick addons that came from Traveller. Yep the space combat rules in Traveller don't really seem complete.

I don't have Mayday rules but I have Triplanetary. Right off I notice how much reference to minatures there are in the Traveller rules. Almost like someone was fudging Triplanetary rules to make minatures battles for a Traveller campaign.

My impression is to start with Triplanetary rules and add on Traveller and High Guard as supplements and suggestions. Neither seems a complete combat system however.