• Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 330

Topic: Drones, Anti-drones & Fighters (oh my)

Sorry if this has came up before, I'm in a hurry to get my thought down before a 12 hour drive...

I love both of the SFB crossover books (must save money for the cool miniatures) and I was wondering about the interaction (if any) between incoming fighter attacks and using drones in their Anti-drone capacity.  You see, I'd like to use the modifed drone/anit-drone rules in found in the Armada books for allSstarmada games (using seekers to be able to stop incoming attacks), but I'm worried that the 'defensive' nature of said weaponry was not calculated in the CR.

If not, what do you think the cost of the "anti-drone capacity" would be (and how 'off' would that make drones in the SFB universe compared to say regualr fighters/seekers/strikers in starmada).  If usable, I think the defensive seekers (since players could make up new 'anti-drones') should get a to-hit penalty if their speed was not equal or greater than that of the flight they were trying to shoot down. Just a thought.

Thanks!
-Bren
Ps. Finally something to 'stop' the fighter swarm and something that my battlestars desperately need!

  • From: Denver, CO
  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 3,578

Re: Drones, Anti-drones & Fighters (oh my)

The problem with moving anti-drones over to non-SFU settings is that drones in KLA and RMA are a constant -- whereas in Starmada at large, incoming seekers could be really cheap or really expensive, thus making the value of anti-drones a variable.

I would be tempted to set an arbitrary value for the "anti-drone" capability, and then allow natural selection to determine whether players find it cost-effective to load up on really expensive seekers...

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2008-12-22
  • Posts: 654

Re: Drones, Anti-drones & Fighters (oh my)

cricket wrote:

The problem with moving anti-drones over to non-SFU settings is that drones in KLA and RMA are a constant -- whereas in Starmada at large, incoming seekers could be really cheap or really expensive, thus making the value of anti-drones a variable.

I would be tempted to set an arbitrary value for the "anti-drone" capability, and then allow natural selection to determine whether players find it cost-effective to load up on really expensive seekers...

I for one would favor a trait for seekers/strikers that would be used like SFU anti-drones because I can see someone building the absolute cheapest possible Seeker, loading up on them, and using it purely for defensive purposes. I also like the idea that there should be a negative modifier for making it slow, as was suggested by Jygro.
Maybe "Point Defense", or something snazzy like "Snap-Fire" for a trait?
my 2 cents
Erik

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,424

Re: Drones, Anti-drones & Fighters (oh my)

The cost of Drones in Starfleet Battles is not constant. I can change the speed and armor at least.

I can look up the costs in my old books if you like.

  • Registered: 2010-07-08
  • Posts: 44

Re: Drones, Anti-drones & Fighters (oh my)

Against strikers and seekers anti drones work fine, but if I 'm thinking right, they have little to no effect against fighters because of them attack adjacent hexes. Is that right?

I can see loading up on cheap seekers for defense only, as there are several analogs in the real world to this (such as SeaRam's vs. an expensive cruise missile)

I think the effectiveness of the anti drones against other striker and seeker models would be offset by either, numbers (four ADD vs a flight of 8 fast drones), or by defense values if the striker/seekers bought the increased defense.

  • Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 330

Re: Drones, Anti-drones & Fighters (oh my)

In my opinion, making a trait that allows a seeker/striker to be fired at incoming "small craft" (fighter, striker or seeker) would be an easy way of handling the whole thing.  The cost for the trait might be an issue, but I can defintely see allowing the masses 'decide' what is the best "anti-drone" flight and let it at that.  My thoughts on the actual rules would be as follows.

1. A flight (be it seeker/strike/fighter) attempts to attack a ship.
2. The defensive player may opt one and only one flight (seeker/striker) from the targeted ship a chance to destroy incoming 'craft' (pending they have the 'trait').
3.  The defensive player rolls a number of dice equal to the flight size/ROF of the selected flight.
4.  The To-hit is modified by the following :

-1 for attempting defensive fire
-1 if the defensive flight is slower than the incoming flight in terms of MP
-1 if the defensive flight has non-piercing and/or no hull damage (or any of those type of negative modifiers)

5. A defensive flight IMP and DMG are set to 1 for these attacks (if needed).
6. Any remaining offensive 'craft' may finish their attack.

Thoughts?
-Bren

  • Registered: 2009-11-11
  • Posts: 20

Re: Drones, Anti-drones & Fighters (oh my)

while I like the mechanic of defensive drones, I don't think it's worth it very often. If I fire my drones offensively they will pretty much under all circumstances do more harm than they prevent when used defensively.

Why sacrifice 4 drones to kill (on average) 1.33 enemy drones? The numbers just don't add up.

  • Registered: 2008-12-22
  • Posts: 654

Re: Drones, Anti-drones & Fighters (oh my)

vejlin wrote:

while I like the mechanic of defensive drones, I don't think it's worth it very often. If I fire my drones offensively they will pretty much under all circumstances do more harm than they prevent when used defensively.

Why sacrifice 4 drones to kill (on average) 1.33 enemy drones? The numbers just don't add up.

In close with the Feds drones seem to be best for defense. Say you are in the engagement range of the drones at their launch and can't or choose not to move out of their movement range before they attack you...that is one instance in which I might use them to shoot defensively if a had them, and especially if I don't have enough of them to be decisive. Keep in mind that if you are that close to an enemy vessel firing drones you are most like in a position to do more damage with your energy weapons (especially overloads) than with a flight of drones one way or another.
Also keep in mind that if "defensive drones" become a global mechanic for Starmada in general and not just SFU products, they will become the kind of active anti-fighter/missile defense that many players have wanted.
Cheers,
Erik