Shields

[Nibelung44 (OP)]

Hi,

Can someone explain in a few sentences the difference between standard shield and absorption shield? I have read
http://aurorawiki.pentarch.org/index.php?title=Armour_and_Shields

but that's not very clear.

Also absorption shields require an absorption tech, but I'm not finding it (so anyway I'm stuck witch standard shield, but I don't get what they really do, i.e how many damages absorbed, etc.)
thanks

[Charlie Beeler]

They are a spoiler tech.  Basic function is similair to standard shields, as in the stop damage from reaching the armor.  The real difference is when the rating is reach and internal damage starts.  If standard shield generator takes damage it's just not available for recharge.  If  an absorbsion shield generator takes damage it releases the accumulated points as additional internal damage. 

[TallTroll]

If you've ever played SFB, they are PA Panels. If you haven't, the absorption shields "catch" any energy (lasers, kinetic projectiles etc) that hits them, and stores it. They then release it slowly and safely into space (their "regeneration" function). If the shield generator is destroyed though, all the energy it is still storing is released back into the ship as damage. Ships equipped with them tend to laugh at incoming fire, right up to the point the shields fill up, then they die, messily.

[Erik L]

If you've ever played SFB, they are PA Panels. If you haven't, the absorption shields "catch" any energy (lasers, kinetic projectiles etc) that hits them, and stores it. They then release it slowly and safely into space (their "regeneration" function). If the shield generator is destroyed though, all the energy it is still storing is released back into the ship as damage. Ships equipped with them tend to laugh at incoming fire, right up to the point the shields fill up, then they die, messily.

Actually, the ship using the PA panels can use the stored power to power ship systems. A lot of Andro ship designs required getting hit to operate at peak efficiency.

[Nibelung44 (OP)]

SFB? Starfarer, the indy game?

[Paul M]

Dear god in heaven noooo...

SFB "Star Fleet Battles" the board game to end all boardgames (well except for a few WW2 simulators)...it had the Feds, kzinti, Klingons, Gorn, Romulans, and a bunch of other races.  In many ways Starfire is SFB-lite.  But SFB had awesome but awesomely long battles...you had to allocate energy for your ships every turn for example.  Both Star Trek Online and the computer version of Star Fleet Battles (I can't think of its name but it was a good adoption I thought) were good streamlined versions of the system.

The kicker though was the rules...if you didn't have one of the later versions where they were gathered you had a crap load of books...and exceptions abounded.  Each and every weapon had some unique wacky-ness to it that made it worth your while to pick a race or two and learn them because their racial weapons/ship designs usually required a bit of adaption.

The most fun thing was the cards for allocating damage if you had a set.  It made it actually fun.  Especially when you blew up the chess set or something.

Major problem with SFB was that the game bogged down baddly at even the level of a few ships per person so a fleet of 5 or 6 ships was almost unplayable....then throw in fighters, psuedo-fighters, shuttles, drones, and the rest of the stuff and you were talking counter hell.

[TallTroll]

>>  the computer version of Star Fleet Battles (I can't think of its name but it was a good adoption I thought)

Star Fleet Command

>>  counter hell.

Didja ever look at F&E?

[Nibelung44 (OP)]

oh ok, I have Star Fleet Battle, the boardgame then. This version to be precise. Me and my brother designed new ships, bigger and bigger on vast expenses of paper

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1589/star-fleet-battles

[Paul M]

The expansions added newer and bigger ships that took vast expanses of paper...and added rule and rule plus exceptions and changes to the earlier rules...resulting in one of the most complex games I've ever played...and that includes compared to the Squad Leader Series (Squad Leader, Heart of Iron, Cresendo of Doom and Anvil of Victory)...but those are Avalon Hill rules which are at least organized.

I've seen but never played F&E (Federation and Empire I assume).

I like the Kzinti and Gorn when I was playing SFB the board game.  In Star Fleet Command I added to that the Hydrans.

I have no idea what the status of SFB is currently...or how many new and exotic races they added.

Star Trek wise what I really liked was FASA's role playing supplement: Bridge Simulator?  That had a really good system that gave a much better feel to the whole battle.  I have to admit I had a blast with it when role playing a Klingon crew.  To agonize or not...  "the occulars on grav sleds" the security chief seemed to have everywhere...  Wondering where the next back stab was coming from...  When playing the wimpy namby pampy goody two shoes Federation you can't give orders to lock your weapons on a planet or send in Marine companies...  Not to mention be utterly and totaly politically incorrect:  "Science is womans work!"