Zeppelins & Bombers - New/Old Info

[Patrick]

Anyway, the question I had was what would the zeppelin counters be like? Are they modelled on the zeppelin from the sky map or will they be modelled on how the CS2.0 SMOCS would have them be? Having read that article and done a spot of experimenting, I like the SMOCS zeppelin idea as they seem to flow more with the maps. Smaller counters so I think the fire arcs would be slightly more deadly, but broadsides would be interesting as you can no longer fire directly out. Anyway, I have made some counters and multiple fire arc diagrams to figure this and am currently working on my fifth set of rules for them... Drats!

Am eagerly awaiting them!

The size will be similar to the zeppelin map, though some will be larger. The difference is these zeppelins can move and turn (albeit slowly) which can make what hexes they fire into unpredictable for the attacker. There won't be as many opportunities for avoiding firing lanes.

[Patrick]

6th Update: Finished cleaning up the Bomber Rules section, and started working on the layouts for the bomber spec sheets. I had forgotten that bombers have overlapping armor (not just nose, tail, wings, but sides as well.)

Also you can "call shots" on bombers. Want to target her engines? Or blast the canopy until the pilot and co-pilot are dead?

As the bomber's player you have three different options for your bombing runs, can carry different load outs, and your aircrews can build their experience.

The bad news: bombers cannot be used in campaign play, except for escort missions (i.e. your campaign unit cannot operate bombers, they can only escort them to targets). This was a balancing game play outcome. They can only be used once or twice per campaign (depending on the bomber), kind of like orbital bombardments were used in the old MechCommander PC games, if you remember those.

A formation of bombers turned loose on your aerodrome by your opponent would pretty much be the end of the campaign unless you offered up some stiff (and I mean STIFF) resistance.

The good news: house rules for allowing bombers for campaign play are an option of course. The crews can gain experience, the bombers, ordinance, etc all have prices attached to them, etc, so you would just need to figure out repair and combat turnaround times.

Tonight will be hopefully finishing the style sheets for the bombers (sans graphics at the moment - I've got a special agent working on that) and formatting the paragraphs. Once that is done, if I still have time tonight, I'll go ahead and start building the record sheets for the bombers. In the interest of time, I might just build one template, but I'm not sure. I'm a perfectionist, so I might just do them all. (Or even make them available here and everyone can make them for me!) hehehe

[Jerba]

That all sounds pretty sweet. I've always wondered what bomber vs bomber combat would look like, can that be house-ruled into effect? Imagine B-17's flying at each other and blasting each other with their .50's, now if that isn't pure pulp goodness I'm not sure what is.

[Patrick]

That all sounds pretty sweet. I've always wondered what bomber vs bomber combat would look like, can that be house-ruled into effect? Imagine B-17's flying at each other and blasting each other with their .50's, now if that isn't pure pulp goodness I'm not sure what is.

I'd have to double check, but I'm pretty sure escorting bombers only occurs in Enemy Zones during the campaigns, which means your bombers in your opponents airspace and his/her bombers in your airspace. As a result, the scenario above would have to be a standalone or custom mission. (Doing a "training bombing run" for example I guess would work, but since you don't control the bombers during the campaign - except during the mission they are involved in - it wouldn't help to create such a mission.

The nice thing is most of the pieces will be in place when this book is released to literally have a full fledged war against your opponents. You could have multiple opponents, multiple targets and aerodromes, even a "front." Imagine every turn of every campaign was fighting for the capitulation not of your opponent's fighter squadron, but of your opponent's government? MWAHAHAHAHA!

[Khy]

Ah, so this is where all those rumors about a 'Great North-American War' were from...

[Patrick]

Ah, so this is where all those rumors about a 'Great North-American War' were from...

If I was the Crimson Skies Line Developer (which I'm not and never was), this is the direction I would go/would have gone. It would start with a border war (like the scenarios at the end of Pride of the Republic), and the other nations would get sucked in.

Some nations would stay neutral as long as possible, fiercely defending their borders, while others would throw their lot in with their allies....or would they? Imagine the ISA and ES in full fledged war, bolstered by their friends and threatened by their enemies. The sourcebook name?

WAR! (Maybe I should write it after Z&B!

[Jerba]

WAR! (Maybe I should write it after Z&B!

Yes, please.

[Cyagen]

Strangely, I always saw CSWW2 starting with Japan. Of all the great power it is the one that seems to be the least divided and on track to make their ressources grab.

It could start in Alaska, then on the west coast, then North America, then THE WORLD!!!!

Although the point of pulp heroes is to prevent these things from happening....

[Patrick]

It could start in Alaska, then on the west coast, then North America, then THE WORLD!!!!

I was thinking Alaska too because it would destabilize Pacifica and put the Collective in a bad mood. Hollywood could pounce on their Northern enemies to test their resolve and everything snowballs from there, with the central and east coast countries using the distraction to start their own campaigns.

Although the point of pulp heroes is to prevent these things from happening....

...or to win the wars that happen anyway.

O'Malley, Crawford, Whittaker, Steele, et al are heroes now, but imagine what they could be when the fate of their nations hang precariously in the balance. Not counting the nefarious plots and mustache twirling villains the heroes match wings against on a weekly basis!

"*insert pilot here* fired the shot that destroyed the *insert enemy nation name*'s zeppelin as it moved over our capital, loaded to the gills with bombs and invaders. We owe that pilot and the veterans who saved our nation a debt of gratitude!"

[Phoenix]

Ah, so this is where all those rumors about a 'Great North-American War' were from...

I'm thinking we need to do this.

WAR! (Maybe I should write it after Z&B!

Yes, please.

+1.