Shields

[Xyon]

This is an idea I had, if a second edition were to be made, to consider changing the way shields work.  Similar to now, they would absorb damage, but they would not automatically be overwhelmed and go down,  there would be a chance that the shield could absorb the damage and stay up to absorb another hit.


Something like...  an imperial cruiser gets 6 hits against it,  and has 2 shields.   The 2 shields absorb 2 hits,  then the player rolls a d6 for each shield,   maybe on a 5+ the shield stays up.  Lets say one shield stays up,  it absorbs a second hit but fails the roll again.  So 3 are absorbed by shields into 3 blast markers,   and 3 hits go onto the ship.   

A system like this would allow for a lot of variety between ships inside each fleet and between fleets as well.  In theory you could have ships with stronger shields either have more shields, or have a lower d6 roll to stay up, or both.  Escorts could be 6+ or have no roll allowed to keep them weak, or of course some shield-specific escorts could be created.

As with all my posts in here,  I invision this as part of a different bfg 2.0, as a whole and complete thing,  its just kind of hard to show each individual part.

[horizon]

...aka that shield upgrade from the rulebook campaign section.
more or less.  

I am not such a fan to be honest. I like the straightforward approach of shields in BFG.

Though this note:
I would like to see a D10 system. This would create more diversity in armour etc.

Not necessary but worth a look at.

[Xyon]

D10's are so fiddly dont you think?  I agree with you in concept,  allowing more possible dice results would allow for more variation in stats.  The trouble with D6's is they stack too damn well in those little boxes.  D10's are like... little diamond shaped monsters that dont stack well at all.  And D20's make you feel even nerdier than you all ready feel playing a future timeline naval spaceship combat tabletop boardgame.



I completely forgot about the campaign upgrade section, naturally campaign upgrade to shields would modify the roll to regenerate.


Although I don't think all shields would necessarily have to work like this. But maybe it could come standard on some battleships,  some cruisers.  Maybe eldar shields (stolen from one of the idea's about their regen in MMS),  Tyranids perhaps would have it on all their BB/Cruisers.   I just think adding it into the main rules of shields would be good,  and letting the design of fleet lists decide how to incorporate them.

[Eddie Orlock]

D12's stack fairly well, but getting ahold of them may be problematic, and maybe even dweebier than d20's.

On the plus side, we could practically straight up translate to them by doubling the armour and leadership values of all the ships, the curves and odds would remain the same. Suppose we might want to have nova's deviate by 0.5 cm per pip rather than one. It'd be easy to say that lances hit on a 7+.

[Xyon]

Another alternative idea I had would be shield regen after each barrage, not necessarily during the barrage.

A squad shoots at a cruiser,  its 2 shields absorb 2 hits, and the cruiser takes 2 more hits.  Then you roll to regen the shields, say one comes back up.   So if another squad shoots at the cruiser again 1 hit will be absorbed by shields before other hits are applied,  and you can roll to regen that single shield again (or roll to regen both,  testing would be needed)

[Sigoroth]

Another alternative idea I had would be shield regen after each barrage, not necessarily during the barrage.

A squad shoots at a cruiser,  its 2 shields absorb 2 hits, and the cruiser takes 2 more hits.  Then you roll to regen the shields, say one comes back up.   So if another squad shoots at the cruiser again 1 hit will be absorbed by shields before other hits are applied,  and you can roll to regen that single shield again (or roll to regen both,  testing would be needed)

Hmm, another idea you had?

[Xyon]

Maybe some things in gaming are universal laws that people come to to via the normal process when coming to conclusions, I dont remember anything else thats similar,  but I'd hardly say its hard enough to come up with where I probably wasn the first one to come up with it, nor was anyone else who has come up with it.     But.  outside of any other influence, I thought of it.

[Sigoroth]

Maybe some things in gaming are universal laws that people come to to via the normal process when coming to conclusions, I dont remember anything else thats similar,  but I'd hardly say its hard enough to come up with where I probably wasn the first one to come up with it, nor was anyone else who has come up with it.     But.  outside of any other influence, I thought of it.

You've read the Eldar MMS v1.9 thread right? These ideas are in there. So I wouldn't say "outside any other influence".

[Xyon]

I read it a long time ago before I registered for the forum.   I quite honestly havent checked the MMS rules in over a year.   If some part of me remembers the MMS rules, it doesnt associate the shield regen with eldar MMS.   Either way, I think its a good idea.

[lastspartacus]

I do think its a damn good idea for MMS Eldar, anyway.  Or something very similar. 

Light but regenerative shielding is the way to go.