New Babylon 5!

[Diamond]

Use the ICON system with the Earthforce Sourcebook for Starship combat. You'll be glad you did.

[Christian]

And B5 Wars is an EXCELLENT starship combat game.

First game I've ever seen that deals damage by type of weapon first and foremost - it highlights the difference between lasers (which can pierce through to the other side of the ship), pulse weapons, explosions (which do 'flash' damage splashing the outside of the ship but don't often affect core systems internally), etc.

Tres cool.

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[Don Mappin]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Christian:
First game I've ever seen that deals damage by type of weapon first and foremost</font>

Renegade Legion: Interceptor by FASA, cira 1988 did this. Way cool. Take a damage overlay template and "blow away" pieces of armor based on the "cone" of the weapon's damage type. Lasers go straight through (up and down), PPCs and EPCs do traditional cones, some inverted.

Awesome game. Still is.


------------------
Don
trekrpg@trekrpg.net

[Phantom]

All I have to say about the above is:

AVE RENEGADE LEGION!!!

My all time favourite Tactical "RPing" system. Wish they had kept it around, the RL universe was ten times better then BT.

B5 Wars rocks as well. I think they maybe going a little overboard with all the new alien vessels, but still a great game. I eagerly await GROPOS as well.

[Perrryyy]

Ressurrecting this thread from the grave (the movie's tomorrow!)

Edit: and A Call to Arms is on tonight

[qerlin]

Here's the stuff that was in the teleplays that never mkade it to screen for Crusade : the ship that kiled Cerberus -- the ship Gideon was an ensign on -- was an Earthforce prototype using Shadowtech...including making people into CPUs without the aid of the Shadows. They were still around during the first season. Gideon goes to expose them and gets sniped in the final episode of the first season (well...that was supposed to happen...)

The technomages are using Shadowtech -- that's why they had to clear out; the Shadows could find them and perhaps usurp control of the mages. It was one fo the mages working with the Shadows that killed Galen's girl.

Bester is still alive as of 2268 & on the run.

[Angry_Cartman]

Well I hope this time they improve the looks of the show... I understand that they accomplished A LOT with the fraction of the budget that went with DS9 or Voyager, but look closely and you'll notice that wherever you are in the B5 Universe (the station, a Narn warship, on Minbar, etc) all the floors are made of black shiny tiles

Also, they used too many bright colours in the show, be it with the spaceships or the costumes.
And please, no more officers with mullets, like Sheridan once sported

Don't get me wrong, there was a time I actually preferred B5 over ST shows that were on the air at the time. But I never liked that Ranger/interstellar alliance business, too corny for me.

One thing though we have to hand over to JMS, apparently he has always been very receptive to RPG/wargames endeavours, making it much easier for companies like AOG (B5 Fleet Action is an awesome game BTW) to handle the licence.

[JALU3]

Furthermore I liked how B5 was far less ideolistic about the future, which is comforting about ST, but yet unrealistic. There are still little dark secrets, religious differences, etc. etc.

Very pleasing.

But I will admit about that IA thing . . . WAY to corney . . . Federation with the realistic twist to it . . .

But the new project seems promising. Though, I wasn't that big fan of the Rangers except for Marcus . . . he was one cause of a debt to his late brother. Now there's modivation!

[Aldaron]

Well, I just downloaded the trailor for LotR (That's: Legends of the Rangers...not Lord of the Rings )

It looks pretty good, though I'm worried it's going to be too "actiony", without enough plot/character concentration. Let's face it, one of the best things about B5 was the amazing, long-term story arc, something completely lacking in any other Sci-Fi series (except maybe the last couple of seasons of DS9).

I still reckon B5 was the best sci-fi show made - until the 5th season. Seasons 1 - 4 were brilliant, inspired science fiction. Season 5 was...well...largely garbage, IMO. I couldn't stand Captain Lochley - she looked like a Dallas supporting cast-member in an Earthforce uniform, and the whole telepath thing was badly done, IMO ("Remember Byron...Remember Byron...Remember Byron"...bleh!).

That said, there was a couple of crackers in there, but it was more like the first season of a ST series than the final season of the best SF made, and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

I was never impressed with Crusade. I didn't like the Captain (Gideon, was it?) - I kept seeing him as either the dad in the Brady Bunch Movie or Satan in American Gothic. Galen (the technomage) was pretty cool, but it annoyed me the way technomages became just another bunch of guys. I loved in B5 how they were mysterious and secretive...Galen made them too...well, human.

And that woman...the thief-type who joins the crew - the last of her race. Well, she just bugged me no end.

Rant over now...

My ratings, out of 10, for the sci-fi series'/movie spin-offs that I watch now, would be as follows, I think:

Star Trek: The Original Series...............5
Star Trek: The Motion Picture...................6
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan..................8
Star Trek: The Search for Spock...............6
Star Trek: The Voyage Home...................7
Star Trek: The Final Frontier....................2
Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country......9
Star Trek: The Next Generation............8
Star Trek: Generations.............................7
Star Trek: First Contact............................9
Star Trek: Insurrection.............................7
Star Trek: Nemesis..................................TBA
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine..................8
Star Trek: Voyager................................6
Star Trek: Enterprise.............................TBA
Babylon 5: The Gathering.........................6
Babylon 5: (Seasons 1 - 4)....................9
Babylon 5: (Season 5)...........................6
Babylon 5: Thirdspace..............................7
Babylon 5: The River of Souls...................5
Babylon 5: In the Beginning.....................9
Babylon 5: A Call to Arms.........................5
Babylon 5: Crusade.................................4
Babylon 5: Legends of The Rangers........TBA
Stargate SG-1..........................................8


Hmmm...looking forward to seeing the "To Be Announced" ones ASAP!

[JALU3]

I'll have to agree with the last commenter there.

Seasons 1-4 of B5 were great. Each character had their own unique flaws, and not everything was peachy. Furthermore, the underlining story arch and graduale evolution of each character was great. Not to mention. OK, so what does one do with Religion when one encounters other races? I Loved how they showed that in Season 3.

As far as Season 5 was concerned. I jumped ship from show one. Sad, sad, sad, how the mighty have fallen.

Captains. I would say that the first one was the best. The one who became Vahlen. No stick up his ass . . . a lot of questions, little answers. He was fresh, new . . . and I liked his Second in Command. Yay! An Asian! Female, and not to bad to boot. What more can you ask for.

However, I will admit my two favorite characters have to be the Centauri Ambassadors side kick. Lanier I think is his name. He has a good heart through out the entire show, some what blind loyalty, and always worried. Fun character to watch.

Also, another good character is Ivanava. No Nonsence Second in Command with a great sence of humor.

Anyone else here remember the 'Baberlon 5' teddy bear that they had at the end of one episode that ended up being sent out an air lock?

Now how classic is that when it hits the windshield of that patrolling starfury?

[Phantom]

Originally posted by JALU3

Captains. I would say that the first one was the best. The one who became Vahlen. No stick up his ass . . . a lot of questions, little answers. He was fresh, new . . . and I liked his Second in Command. Yay! An Asian! Female, and not to bad to boot. What more can you ask for.

However, I will admit my two favorite characters have to be the Centauri Ambassadors side kick. Lanier I think is his name. He has a good heart through out the entire show, some what blind loyalty, and always worried. Fun character to watch.

Also, another good character is Ivanava. No Nonsence Second in Command with a great sence of humor.

Anyone else here remember the 'Baberlon 5' teddy bear that they had at the end of one episode that ended up being sent out an air lock?

Now how classic is that when it hits the windshield of that patrolling starfury?

1) the character is Cmdr Jeffery Sinclair. Can't remember the name of his first XO, Lt. CMDR Nakashima...I think.

2)Lenier was the assistant to Delenn (Minbari Ambassador) the character you are thinking of is Vir Cotto assistant to Ambassador Londo Mollari.

3) "Trust Ivanova..." Great character. One of my favourites to be sure.

4) Pilot "...Wait a second...There is something..." SMACK
Babylon control "Can you identify?"
Pilot "No sir, not on a bet. Heading back to the barn."

[JALU3]

Thanks for the corrections . . . it's been so long.

But one other thing . . . Gotta Love Starfurries. Not as cool as lets say VF-19s from Macross . . . and not as well known as the X-Wing Fighter . . . but nice design and good for their size.

I have to wonder . . . if there was a cross over design in ST . . . would it work? I mean . . . we've shown the success of the Peregrine . . . but they're like flying Torpedo Gunships.

[Phantom]

The Starfuries are the best overall in B5 Wars. The Minbari Nials have more fire power and stealth tech, the Narn Frazis are a little more armoured and the Centauri Sentris are nimble, but the Starfuries pack all those qualities (less the stealth tech) into one package. The T-Bolts have all the qualities of the Furies and the ability to enter atmosphere. One of the reasons I like the EarthForce so much.

[JALU3]

Have you seen the specs for the New Warlock Class? I hear that Ivanova got the first command. Designed to actually do damage to planet based targets of considerable size and has enough fire power to make the Omega's Class Destroyers look like peashooting dingies. Furthermore they carry a fairly large complement of Starfurries and Tbolts.

But the best thing. Shipwide Artificial Gravity where needed, and partially based on Earth Based Research.

Oh, another thing . . . Love how the Fighter Jocks are. They where a uniform like those of Modern USAF fighter Jocks . . . Blue with 5-point white star neckerchifs to boot :-D.

And can someone tell me. On the Earth Force uniforms, there's the symbol for Earth Alliance on one of their upper sleeves. But what is that Winged one on the other upper sleeve?

[Phantom]

The insignia of Earth Force;

Rank on shoulders.

EA insignia on left shoulder patch.

Wing insiginia on right shoulder patch=qualified pilot (shuttle, VTOL Attack Craft, fighter.)