Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Archive through January 08, 2010	16		01/08 08:30am
	Archive through July 24, 2011	25		07/24 10:06am
	Archive through June 22, 2022	25		11/28 12:27pm

If I'm being honest, I don't think either the Loriyill or the Ymatrians are good choices for a group just starting to get into the Omega setting.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but I would much sooner advise starting with the Mæsron Alliance, along with the four Superpowers (Koligahr, Trobrin, Vari, Probr), and possibly the Federal Republic of Aurora.

The Loriyill are for the most part an isolationist faction, intervening only on behalf of the Singers (in Module Omega #3) and against the Souldra (who are also presented in that same volume). Whereas the Ymatrians show up just long enough to threaten the Drex before the latter bombs them back into the Stone Age; perhaps their most relevant legacy is as a source of antiproton weapons for the Worb and the Omega-Paravians (and, through those empires, the Zosman Marauders).

In contrast, the Mæsrons and the four Superpowers are key drivers of a large portion of Omega history. While the FRA provides a "home away from home" for someone visiting Omega from the Alpha Octant - but even then, are quite distinct in their own right.

Also, the various speed caps for different Omega empires' starship designs was intentional on the part of the original designer. In effect, the ships as portrayed thus far are, for the most part, in what would be the Omega equivalent to the Middle Years of the Alpha Octant technologically-speaking. (Consider how the unrefitted Kzintis and Hydrans have similar problems speed-wise.)

More powerful warp engines do begin to show up in Omega during the Y170s, but the bulk of those warp refit ships have yet to be shown in SSD form. Indeed, the first "war" classes are noted as appearing in Omega during the late Y180s, but they have also yet to appear in print thus far.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 - 04:08 pm: Edit

This'll be a bit of a blathering rant, but...

At long ranges (over thirteen hexes away), the Loriyill will have an increasingly significant direct fire advantage over both Trobrin and Ymatrians. Also, as I'm sure you already know, distances like that are one of the best ways to give you the time you need to neutralize plasma type weapons, so at those long ranges, you have an even greater advantage over the Trobrin.

The Ymatrian rely on forward centerline direct fire (and lucky dice rolls) more than any other race in the game and, while their ships are maneuverable to facilitate this, yours are more so.

Gut feeling? You remain aloof and distant and the fight it yours.

If you DO get closed with (and overrun), your superior turn modes may force them to fire when opportunity presents itself and NOT when the situation is perfect for them. Your Fireshields will make them pay for firing on you at those times, if you time your release of them well, so again, you have advantages.

You are right about the damage potential of Implosion Bolts, but they don't have very many (standard CA has two; one LS, one RS) and they are three turn arming weapons. Yeah, they fire one at you and it can hurt, but if it misses, you might get two fireballs from each launcher on them before they can rearm the blasted thing (one "This Turn," one on their second turn of arming )

The Antiproton Beam, the primary Ymatrian heavy weapon, is, like your Fireballs, a two turn arming, hit-or-miss weapon with variable damage when it hits. On the downside for them, they have three to the fire Fireballs on your respective CAs, but to their advantage, they have the Antiproton Lance, which doubles damage from Antiproton Beams when fired/hitting simultaneously. However, it is a single hex row weapon and your ships have, class for class, a better turn mode, so again, the advantage is yours.

By Ginger McMurray (Gingermcmurray) on Thursday, June 23, 2022 - 02:44 pm: Edit

Mental note: stay off of the hex row.

Mental note 2: keep away from implosions.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Monday, October 17, 2022 - 03:18 pm: Edit

As a corollary to the discussion being held elsewhere on the BBS at this time of typing, I thought it might be interesting to consider the various size-1 fighters presently available for the empires of the Omega Octant here.

Be it for use as dogfighters; as "space superiority" types when outside of dogfighting; for anti-ship strikes; or perhaps for special (and/or empire-specific) missions: there are plenty of criteria to consider. Which would also include the broader context in which a given Omega empire uses, or perhaps does not (or cannot) use, their respective size-1 fighters for.

-----

In the Omega Octant, the use of fighters is very different from that seen in the Alpha Octant.

For one thing, the number of size-1 fighters in given squadron can vary widely from one empire to another. The robotic Drex are able to deploy as many as 16 fighters in a given squadron! In contrast, the Alunda Host deploy their Remora fighters in squadrons of 8, perhaps due to the biological limitations involved in attaching these parasitic life forms to their living ships.

For another, there are various squadron deployments used by most Omega empires which limit the number of heavy weapon and/or missile fighters present at any given time. For example, the Mæsrons deploy 14 size-1 fighters per squadron as standard, but with an 8-4-2 (or, from Y197, 7-4-2-1) breakdown of superiority fighters to tachyon gun fighters to tachyon missile fighters (to EW fighters from Y197).

And then here is the nature (literally in some cases) of the fighter design itself. Be it a standard "metal-hull" type akin to those built in the Alpha Octant (such as Mæsron, Probr, or FRA fighters); the unique Hiver Barbs, which are considered by the Hivers themselves to be frigates (and which function in certain ways like miniature starships); the organic creatures used by the Alunda and Branthodons as fighter equivalents; or even the "exotic" types fielded by the Loriyill and Souldra - to include the latter's vampiric Black Shards.

Fortunately, with no drone-armed or phaser-G-armed fighters present in this galactic octant, there is perhaps more room for the local fighters to be considered on their respective merits, without one type or another unduly skewing the discussion.

-----

Actually, when it comes to the Hivers, it should be noted that the Barb types currently accounted for are those used by "orthodox" Hives, armed with wide-angle phasers and/or sting torpedoes. We have yet to see how those "heterodox" Hives - those which use particle phasers instead of wide-angle phasers, and/or which use tachyon guns or particle beams in place of sting torpedoes. should we see such variants one day, it might be interesting to revisit this topic to see how well, or not, they work out relative to the "orthodox" Hiver standard.

Also, while the Hivers have perhaps the greatest degree of operational and strategic degree of flexibility with their various Barb "frigates" - at last so long as their network of landing pads remains active - the Souldra have the opposite problem: since Shards literally crumble into dust when more than 35 hexes from their host ship, they cannot be used on "independent" fighter strikes. A small comfort for most of their enemies, perhaps...

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Monday, November 28, 2022 - 12:27 pm: Edit

In the Alpha Octant, there are distinct challenges - and opportunities - for squadrons or fleets of "allied" ships: be it historical allies (such as the Klingons and Lyrans); alliances made possible in one or more "lost empire" timelines (such as the Gorns and ISC); or instances where former allies and enemies are obliged to find common cause (not least during Operation Unity).

Of course, the same is true for several factions over in Omega. Be it relatively long-standing allies (such as the Mæsrons and the FRA); former rivals turned allies of convenience (see the Trobrin and Omega-Paravians); or more temporary coalitions against common threats (to include Operation Concerted Strike).

And while the Alpha empires have the option of hiring Orion mercenaries, most Omega factions have Iridani, Bolosco, or Zosman choices to consider - though while the first two of those factions have no issues working alongside one another, neither is in any sort of hurry to associate with the third (and vice versa).

So, I was wondering what kind of synergies can be found when players take allied and/or mercenary forces in Omega - or, in contrast, which allied factions might find it more difficult to function as a combined force.

-----

With a recent discussion elsewhere on the BBS in mind, I was thinking about how the Loriyill and Chlorophons might collaborate against Souldra opposition. (The Loriyill typically keep non-Singer alien species at a distance, but have been shown to support other Omega empires in battles against their Souldra nemeses.)

Both fleets lean heavily on quantum phasers, allowing them to co-ordinate their long-range sniping efforts. Between energy howitzers and overloaded fireballs, both forces can oblige Souldra ships to spread out their soul shield blocks. The Phons can use spore casters to influence Souldra movement. Whereas a combination of T-bombs (which Phon destroyer escorts have in abundance), flame shield projectors (which Loriyill escorts can use to protect allied ships), and Loriyill fighters and (later) "volatile warp" PFs can be used to support the allied force against incoming Souldra Shards.

True, the Phon ships are quite ponderous in comparison to the Loriyill - but then, perhaps this could encourage the latter to weave in and out of formation, which works thematically if one considers a swarm of butterflies flittering to and fro amidst a forest of trees...

-----

So, are there any other examples one might consider to be of interest, in terms of how allied Omega empires can leverage their respective technologies and tactical doctrines in a combined action?

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Monday, November 28, 2022 - 05:19 pm: Edit

Chlorophon, with their Energy Howitzers, can strip the shields off a target, making them vulnerable to Alunda Plasma Whips or the exotic Drex ammunition types.

Bolosco advanced tractor technologies can bind up ships making Branthodon overruns much easier or the same immobilization can increase the accuracy of Worb SubSpace Rockets.