MBS Podcast Episode 35

[Ruckdog]

Greg and Andy are back earlier than expected for Episode 35 of the MBS podcast! First up is a review of the game 5150 Star Navy by Two Hour Wargames. Later, Greg and Andy dig into how Electronic Warfare is portrayed in Space Naval Games!

http://www.manbattlestations.com/blog/2018/10/14/episode-35/

[KazadHarri]

I think I tend to believe that EW or Cyber warfare in space games or others is best just done as part of the Hit mechanic.  Now maybe in the specific genre or game you can give benefits to hit or not if that function is not a good capability of faction.  But I think you can also have more development of non-kinetic weapons in space games as well.  Which would give you some interesting design space.
/Jeff

[voidstarsinger]

will you guys stop worrying so much about how long you are running , you do one show a month some times your going to have a bit to say besides i paint when i listen to podcasts so the more you talk the more i get done .

[Landlubber]

@KazadHarri Yeah, that's part of my thought process too, and I think (?) I mentioned that in the episode. I assume that when you're rolling dice to fire on ships in a space-themed game, all of the ships innate defenses are represented in that roll--it's just easier and faster to roll dice for one attack than have to resolve all sorts of back-and-forth with targeting, jamming, etc. But I still maintain that this is something that could be used a more in space-themed naval games.

[Covertwalrus]

 Another great episode - Always love the podcasts and the length is never a problem for me

 Fascinating look at 5150; Have heard about it on TMP and other forums frequently, but never really as in depth as your review. I don't need a game to have a continual level of support so I might look into it.

 The discussion on Electronic warfare was very interesting. my only experience with EW in games is the attempts to do something with it in Full Thrust and thsoe attempts were limited as for all intents and purposes such factors as target spoofing and such like are covered by the dice rolls for beams, PDS and suchlike for missiles and so forth: However, your ideas have given me much to think about and talk to others on.

 The other place i am exposed to EW is in the Weber/White Starfire novels, and as I have not played the game I don't know how much of their quite elaborate stealth and ELINT operatison are actually playable game features; there is some cyber warfare in the books too, but like the limits of stealth and such in the physics of that universe there are in-story and therefore in-game reasons why the limits to such operations exist.

 Also a couple of points to note on new models - The current "Warcradle Classics" pre-orders DO include some Spartan Kickstarter models, namely the ligghter ships for the League of Crimson and Egyptian forces ( You may no longer have to be Australian to get the latter ), the Britanina Light carriers ( UPDATE: Those are gone without even a "Restock Expected" so I assume the molds have died ), and the Praxilla submarines for the Covenant. Reviews might be forthcoming . . . And from Ground Zero Games, not only have the Kra'Vak fleet been remastered with 3D mastered  redesigns ( Which look great from the pictures I've seen ) they also have their fisrt laser-cut acrylic items - a more robust "spider" for mounting six fiighters on a stand. The metal ones with their tendency to bend or snap are being replaced with these startign with orders recieved from last week.  Finally, the lads at Brigade Models of the UK have released some new heavy units for the Japanese in Aeronef, includign a rather magnificent carrier.

[Landlubber]

@Covertwalrus, thanks for the feedback! I had a good time researching the use of EW and CW in space-themed games. Like I said before, I think it's an underused mechanic that doesn't necessarily have to be a difficult thing to use.

Yes, I saw that the Egyptians made a showing in the latest Warcradle Classic wave. And yeah, I missed the GZG update...have to take a look at those!