From: "Ryan Lawson" To: Subject: Re: [B5W] Thunderbolt Pulse Gatling... Date sent: Mon, 31 Aug 1998 18:12:49 -0500 Send reply to: babylon5-wars@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU Ok, me and a friend just gone done doing a short and limited playtest of the pulse gun ideas. Below is the shakedown. We played several short fights to try several different gun ideas. 2 Flights of Thunderbolts without missiles and without the WSO (960 points) vs. 1 Hyperion (705 points) When comparing damage we were comparing it normal Starfury damage. 6D6 full rake all on one location- didn't even test it cause we could tell it would be too powerful. 6D5 half rake all on one location- did a significant amount of damage (we both agreed too much damage) and took extra time to figure the half armor into the damage count. 4D5 full rake on one location- we really liked this the best of the bunch, it was quick and did an acceptable but slightly above normal damage. 4D6 full rake on random locations- took too much extra time to roll location for every pulse that hit and did too little damage. 5D5 half rake on one location- did less than normal damage and took a little extra time on counting in the half armor value. 5D5 full rake on one location or random- we didnt test this because we both felt it gave the Thunderbolt way too much damage potential. Overall we liked 4D5 with full rake on one location. One location makes it simpler and faster and does very closely follow the show. Compared to a Nial and Starfury hitting a target with armor 4- Nial avg damage is 10.5 and max damage is 18 Starfury avg damage is 7 and max damage is 12 Thunderbolt avg damage is 8 and max damage is 16 The Thunderbolt should also get the raking ability against other fighters....this could explain it getting lucky and killing a Vorlon fighter and also gives it the ability to kill a Nial if Lucky. The Thunderbolts also took a lot of punishment in flight level rules but in one for one rules they look really weak with the cockpit hit coming so easily. Also, we thought the Thunderbolt should have a front aspect of 7 and a side aspect of 8.....we imagined that a lot of shots would go between the wings from the front and do no damage....that won't happen on a side shot. A thrust of 14 also seemed excessive but 13 seems at least within reason.