• Registered: 2012-04-21
  • Posts: 99

Topic: Converting from Starmada X Brigade to NOVA

So, I've decided to kill time by converting the ships from S-X Brigade over to Nova. It's been easy going doing the weapons (built a spreadsheet to convert from AE to Nova; converting from X to AE is relatively simple). But when doing the ships I've run into a couple of issues.

1) Hull sizes. Some ships I end up having to increase the hull to accommodate everything. Should I be doing that, or should I be using tech levels to increase the available spaces? Also, for hulls with excess spaces, should I be decreasing them?

2) Spinal Mounts. This I'm having a hard time converting. For example: The CDSU Longzi Dreadnought has a S-X Spinal Mount equipment. Converting that to AE I get a RNG 27, ROF 1, ACC 5+, IMP 1, DMG 12 [G] weapon. Now the range I can change to 24 or 30, but how should I convert the DMG 12?

3) Drones. There's a couple of CDSU ships that mount an impressive amount of Drones. Effectively converting from S-X to Nova means doubling the amount of S-X Drones. GOing from 20 to 40 drones seems a touch excessive in my mind...

4) Armor. Armor Plating and Armored Gun Batteries both convert to Armor Plating in AE, which converts to 1/3 Hull in armor in Nova. When ships have both, should I do 2/3 Hull in Armor, or should I maybe do normal armor and reinforced systems?

5) Battle Satellites. These simply don't convert to Nova. Should I drop them, or convert them into fighters or drones?

I'll likely be adding more as I convert more ships. I might even post them if the Powers That Be okays it.

  • Registered: 2006-01-17
  • Posts: 740

Re: Converting from Starmada X Brigade to NOVA

Here are some ideas to simulate the Spinal Mount's damage & hull size:
To achieve close to the Spinal Mount's damage in S:NE, use Dx3+Cts.  This will give you an average of 10.5 damage. 
If you want a heavier blast, use Dx2+Dx3+Cts, which would give an average of 21 points. 
If you Really need exactly 12 points, use Dx2+Dx2+Dx3 yielding 12 points.  Although using Dx2 twice is technically not allowed, it would be adequately pointed and would work. If you want to get exactly the right amount of hull to be the same as StarmadaX, use Tech One.  If there is to much extra space, either ignore it or use Tech -1.  This should work.  8-)
Cheers

  • Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 859

Re: Converting from Starmada X Brigade to NOVA

You could always do a creative fudge. As the S:X PEN and DMG had the same costs, you could always change it from PEN 1, DMG 12 to PEN 4, DMG 3. That would then allow it to be a triple damage weapon with a lot of attack dice. Unfortunately, it isn't going to translate perfectly, no matter what you do, and two conversions is really going to create some...interesting results...

If you are doing strict, by-the-book conversions, I'm not entirely sure space units really 'matter', as I was told when I was doing a Cascor B5W to S:X conversion once and worried that I had over half the SUs remaining. The only thing that matters would be the CRat.

Of course, if you can't get over the feeling that isn't right (I know that feeling), if it is  over-filled, maybe give it a +1 to compensate.

I had a similar problem myself, and only with SAE to SNE. I did state as a house rule for my conversions (before I hit a low in my mental cycle, so to speak) that removed one sixth of the drones for the ability to double the rate of fire (effectively adding the launch tubes from AE)

For armour, I'm not sure, because I gave up using armoured gun batteries a long time ago and that question didn't cross my mind. As a very provisional answer, doubling the armour, or going with the re-inforced systems, seems reasonable, but wait for confirmation 'from on high', so to speak...:D

For battle satellites, I think Dan stated in his authors notes in the Admiralty Edition that the expanded fighter design rules were meant to replace battlesats as well as the other fighter-like objects in S:X, so although they kinda go against the German fleet's philosophy in Brigade of no fighters, I'd say replacing them with fighters would be the way to go.

As for conversions, I'm not one of the Powers That Be, but I can't see any reason why it would be a problem. After all, more ships to blast into smithereens is always a good thing, right?  wink

  • Registered: 2006-07-24
  • Posts: 158

Re: Converting from Starmada X Brigade to NOVA

I loved the original Battle Satellites sad