|
This page last updated Tuesday, 06-Sep-2005 12:28:28 EDT.
|
Role Playing News
Volume 2, Number 4 - May 30, 1995
The Roving Gamer is Mark Christopher. To submit articles contact him at:
The Roving Gamer
21 Claymoss Rd
Apt. 2
Brighton, MA 02135-4202
or e-mail markus@shore.net
Volume 2, Number 4
May 30, 1995
SFB: Kzinti Tournament Command Cruiser
by Brian Woodring
Toys. If you like to play with toys, the Kzinti tournament command cruiser (TCC) is the ship for you. This ship has won more often in the tournament's history than any other ship besides the Romulan Firehawk tournament cruiser. Let's take a look at why.
Toy #1: Drones. This is the only tournament vessel that can launch and control a wave of up to twelve drones. On a closed map that is a devastating ability. Done correctly, very few opponents can deal with that many seeking weapons and still remain offensively capable.
Toy #2: Scatterpack. The Kzinti TCC is one of two ships allowed to arm a scatterpack. The scatterpack allows you to put up to six standard-sized drones on a shuttle and launch the shuttle. Once release conditions are met, the shuttle lets the drones go. If you add these drones to the four your ship can launch, you can have a pretty impressive swarm. You however have to make sure your scatterpack survives to build up a big enough wave of drones. Launch it far enough away from your foe so that he can't easily shoot it down. Send out decoy shuttles so he has more targets to choose from. If your scatterpack survives to `bloom' you're in good shape.
Toy #3: Upgrade points. Tournament rules allow the Kzinti to modify up to eight drones to fast speed. This gives your drones a much better chance to catch your opponent. Normally, drones move at a speed of twenty, but fast drones move speed thirty-two, the maximum speed allowed in SFB. Using these points can be tricky, so be careful.
This is a finesse ship. Do not try to rush into close range unless you have made some preparations. Remember that this is a disrupter ship (i.e.: Death of a Thousand Pinpricks). Federation range-four tactics will get you killed. Build up your drone wave and come in behind it. Timing is critical with this ship. Making sure you have the correct spacing with your two groups of drones takes practice and experience. Using the Klingon Saber Dance tactics (medium range disrupters, turn off, come back again next turn) can be effective until you set up your drone waves. Do not get in close until you've followed in your drones. If you have, nail him with your disrupters and eight phaser-3's. They call this the Kzinti Firehose.
Now a few specific tactics to watch out for. If your foe tries to Wild Weasel; well, you should have been following those drones, so ride up on top of him and give him the firehose. He deserves it. Watch out for the sneaky Romulan. His cloaking device can make your day miserable (ask me, I know!). It might be wise to unload your scatterpack into your drone racks. If he cloaks out and you had a ten-drone wave out there, a good percentage of your drone power has just gone bye-bye. Only lob a couple of drones at a time so he doesn't chicken out and cloak.
The Kzinti TCC is a fun ship to play if you like toys. It's a fairly forgiving ship for a novice to play, but it can be devastating in the hands of an experienced captain. I would recommend playing it at least once. As Admiral "Cat-Who-Loves-Drones" says, "Plasma torpedoes come and go, but drones come at you in waves."
This is the fourth in a series of articles on SFB tournament ships.
Volume 2, Number 4
May 30, 1995
NUCLEAR WAR: Fun for the whole family
by John Reardon
The game Nuclear War is the beer and pretzel version of Illuminati. The mechanics of the games are similar, but this is stress relieving rather than inducing. The idea being to destroy all the population of your opponents (measured in millions) while still retaining some of your own. For you earthy-crunchy peace mongers out there, there is a way to win peacefully (Yawn!).
The various cards are warheads, missile systems, propaganda and special. The warheads do the actual killing but they must be carried by missiles or special cards (i.e. bombers, space platforms...). The propaganda convinces other players population that you have a better form of government and cause them to defect (hence the peaceful win.). Some of the special cards are spies, saboteurs, interceptors and my personal favorite "Skippy" the Super-Virus (Yes! you can use germ-warfare.)
If a player gets taken out when at war, they are allowed `Final Retaliation'. This is a really neat aspect. The player gets to attack with all the remaining firepower they have in an attempt to take out the other player. The great thing about this is that last player in the game could be wiped out by 'Final Retaliation. Thus in Nuclear War there can be no winners only losers.
|
