Topic: Andros (SFB Guru's)

[Hexx]

What exactly were the Andro's trying to do?
Were they trying to conquer?
Kill Everyone?
Come back with a "I saw J'inn crash into a rock and all I got was this stupid T-Shirt" franchise?

From the little bit I have on them it seems to suggest they were here to conquer, but the scenarios and history I
can piece together seems to have them do nothing more than randomnly attack planets while getting intercepted
by Galactic fleets.

[GDA-S'Cipio]

What exactly were the Andro's trying to do?
Were they trying to conquer?
Kill Everyone?
Come back with a "I saw J'inn crash into a rock and all I got was this stupid T-Shirt" franchise?

From the little bit I have on them it seems to suggest they were here to conquer, but the scenarios and history I
can piece together seems to have them do nothing more than randomnly attack planets while getting intercepted
by Galactic fleets.

They were trying to conquer.  What they were going to do with those they conquered is an open question.  No one who has ever seen an Adro has lived to tell the tale, so maybe they'd have done the whole genocide thing and wiped out everyone.  (They used robotic boarding parties, so I always wondered if they were really Berzerkers out to kill all life.)  We won't know for another couple of game centuries, when the second wave is set to arrive.

But there is no reason you have to use them in that fasion if you want them in your campaign.   The first Andromedan scenario in the game was really cool, because you didn't know what the Andro player wanted to do.  Kill?  Make diplomatic contact?  Scan and run home with the data?  The Andro player rolled on a chart at the beginning of the scenario and didn't tell you the result.

If he wanted to talk and you shot him, you lost.  If he wanted to kill you and you let him have the first shot, you were in deep trouble.

You could use them in whatever role you wanted.

-S'Cipio

[Hexx]

Thanks S'Cip- you have any info on how they were "toned down" from previous editions?

I'm not actually sure they were, but it seems from comments I've read that the Andros used to
be pretty much unbeatable, now they're just tough

I'm kinda looking for Near-Unbeatable
-I realize I can set them up however I want, but I'd kinda like to stay as close to SFB andros as I can
After all, The JemHadar fighters I've got will possible already cause issues

[el-Karnak]

What exactly were the Andro's trying to do?
Were they trying to conquer?
Kill Everyone?
Come back with a "I saw J'inn crash into a rock and all I got was this stupid T-Shirt" franchise?

From the little bit I have on them it seems to suggest they were here to conquer, but the scenarios and history I
can piece together seems to have them do nothing more than randomnly attack planets while getting intercepted
by Galactic fleets.

The ISC hate the Andros for ruining their Pacification campaign and losing 2/3rds of their fleet in a surprise attack.  Those DisDev played havoc on the ISC echelon formations.

[FPF-DieHard]

I'm kinda looking for Near-Unbeatable

I guess that rules you out as the pilot 

[762_XC]

As I recall the toning down involved some rules changes to the PA panels and batteries. Among other things leak-through damage was added, with a bonus for dizzies (since they really sucked against PA panels).

[FPF-DieHard]

As I recall the toning down involved some rules changes to the PA panels and batteries. Among other things leak-through damage was added, with a bonus for dizzies (since they really sucked against PA panels).

t00l is correct, but non of that matters in SFC as you need to use sheilds anyway.

[KBFLordKrueg]

Well, according to my "OutDated" Commander's Edition Vol III...
The Adromedends were bent on complete domination of our entire Galaxy.
Only after heavy losses by most races did they form a Coalition and ALL races united in "Operation Unity" and drove the Andros back with a 3 pronged assault, fighting all the way back the the Magellanic Clouds, the Andromedens Home space, where they finally defeated the Andros once and for all, again after heavy losses by all concerned.
The entire Operation Unity lasted 2 years.
The Andros have weapons that do massive damage, and the ability to "teleport" your ship (The Displacement Device), to practically anywhere they want, coupled with the powerful Tractor-Repusler beam, made them heavy with offensive firepower.
Weakness: Lack of decent Point Defense, mostly Ph-2s, supseptable to massed drones and fighters. Plasmas can do a real number on them also. Their Power Absorber panels (what they use for shields) can be hit and destroyed, causing them to explode with the amount of energy stored, causing further damage. But, they can channel that Absorbed power back into ship systems every turn, making them able to dissipate stored energy.
Played out the campaign once in SFB for over 2 months, never coming to the end due to RL.
I found Lyrans and Feds having the most difficulty handling the Andros, since they need to get fairly close to use their main weapons, the T/R beam is tremendous at closer ranges.
The satellite ships (DD and FF class ships, typically, a CA carried 2 FF and one DD) made fighting groups of Andromedens...interesting...

Gonna be hard to duplicate Andromedens effectively for OP...GL...

[Kzinbane]

Andro toner downer moves...
IIRC the power absorbers now become less and less efficient as time goes by.  I don't know the rules exactly, but they can't absorb as much damage on turn 10 as they did on turn 1.
Disruptors degrade panels faster OR some "bleed through" damage gets around the panels.  Again I can't remember the specifics.  I know that originally dizzy's were terrible vs Andros.  Dizzy's are a "peck to death" weapon and the original Power absorber panels could just absorb and dissipate the energy easily.
Finally the Andros got a lighter version of their Tractor/Repulser beam (TR).  Originally even the little ships had the big TR - which is about like a phaser 4!
Ouch...
Finally they could fly around at speed 31 all day AND displace in addtion up to 5(?) hexes.  Properly done plasma could not catch them.

Kzinbane

[FPF-DieHard]

Gonna be hard to duplicate Andromedens effectively for OP...GL...

Duplicat =  Imposible.  Emulate, we shall see.

[KBFLordKrueg]

The PA panels absorbed 10 pts of damage each.
Let's say they have 8 FA PA panels, they absorb 40 pts of damage...they dissipate 25 pts into ships systems, they next time they can only absorb a max of 65 more pts before damage goes internal.
Once all the absorbed power had been dissipated, they could again absorb 10 pts.

[FPF-DieHard]

The PA panels absorbed 10 pts of damage each.
Let's say they have 8 FA PA panels, they absorb 40 pts of damage...they dissipate 25 pts into ships systems, they next time they can only absorb a max of 55 more pts before damage goes internal.
Once all the absorbed power had been dissipated, they could again absorb 10 pts.

The idea is give them shielding with enough APR to reinforce to a certain level. A lot of trial and error will be needed to get this close.

So is you had 6 FA PA-Panels, the 3 front shelds will be 20 each with X amount of APR to compensate. 

What I'm kinda thinking for Andros is "SFC3" ships in SFC:OP.   Fast, lots of direct-firepower, and limited Tac Warp using special mission script.  The Tac Warp will make up fot the lack of the DD.

[Hexx]

Hmm

Leave the concept in the hands of DH , who *seems* to know what he's talking about or
just keep floundering around until I find a solution I think is cool..

[Dfly]

PLayed out the full Andromedan Invasion Campaign from SFB years ago.  It took just over 3 months to finish.  Guess I got lucky with the Andromedans as they commanded 2 of the 3 fronts, and barely lost the 3rd front, which became their downfall as ships started getting through.  Was really fun, and I loved flying Andromedans, but ya they have very limited point defences. 

[Corbomite]

Didn't the overloaded PA panels have a chance to explode into the landing bay and cause a chain reaction of exploding satelite ships?

[Kzinbane]

One PA panel can set of another, so you can get a chain raction that way.  I think a sat. ship can have a panel go up in the bay too and cause problems.
As far as point defense there are a couple good things.  One is you can displace away from the drones, fighters, or whatever which is helpful.  Second, not having shields you can beam out a TR bomb any time withing having to concern yourself with someone firing at you while you're doing it.
Finally, as long as someone shoots at you on occasion you can put that energy to good use and fly around at speed 31 constantly and have planty of power for ECM, etc. too.
When I ran the andro's it took a LOT of work to nail me with seeking weapons or fighters!''

Kzinbane

[el-Karnak]

The PA panels absorbed 10 pts of damage each.
Let's say they have 8 FA PA panels, they absorb 40 pts of damage...they dissipate 25 pts into ships systems, they next time they can only absorb a max of 55 more pts before damage goes internal.
Once all the absorbed power had been dissipated, they could again absorb 10 pts.

The idea is give them shielding with enough APR to reinforce to a certain level. A lot of trial and error will be needed to get this close.

So is you had 6 FA PA-Panels, the 3 front shelds will be 20 each with X amount of APR to compensate. 

What I'm kinda thinking for Andros is "SFC3" ships in SFC:OP.   Fast, lots of direct-firepower, and limited Tac Warp using special mission script.  The Tac Warp will make up fot the lack of the DD.

Hmm, yer getting closer.  I have some special ideas for implementing Andros.  Keep talking.