A dark matter cloud is similar in composition to a nebula but composed of dense dark matter, a molasses like substance that clings to passing objects. The tactical affects of being in a dark matter cloud are as follows:

Movement cost of all ships is doubled.
Acceleration limited to 5 hexes / turn.
All units without a movement cost have their top speed decreased by half.
Ship and mine explosions create a globular gravity wave of equal strength that dissipates at range 3.
A cloaked ship hit by a gravity wave can be locked onto the impulse it is hit.
Tac-Intel is gathered at ¼ the normal range.
All Tholian Webs are considered anchored.
All units are treated as having 2 natural ECM.
ESGs fail in a dark matter cloud.

I’m just making stuff up here. Anyone else want to chime in with ideas?

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 01:12 pm: Edit

A Tholian fleet with web casters is going to be dang near invincible fighting in one of these clouds, even against an opponent with much higher BPV.

Also, the effect on snares (acting as snares) needs to be clarified. A web caster can cast either free standing or anchored web but a snare can only cast free standing web. (It can, of course, lay anchored web if it is used as a standard web generator.) So you could say that snares can only be used as generators in a dark matter cloud. Or you could say that a dark matter cloud is the specific exception to the general rule that snares can't cast anchored web. But in either case, a clarification on snares is needed.

This will also, I believe, advantage ships with high warp-to-MC ratios. A CA, a CW, and a CX all have an absolute maximum speed of 31, though the speeds they choose to fight at may be different. But in this cloud the CA (assuming 30 warp engine boxes) will have an absolute maximum of 16, while the CW will max out at 19 and the CX (assuming 40 warp) at 21. Most of the DDXs will max out at 25, and easily will outrun even plasma-sabot torps, which will have a speed of 20. Now let's talk about Orions...

Bottom line: Interesting ideas but IMO BPVs will be so far off as measures of effectiveness in dark matter clouds that you might as well ignore them. Other terrain types "distort" BPV also. But I think this will do so far more. Some of the Tholian ships will be almost godlike. I suspect that some Hydran ships (those with hellbores and high warp-to-MC ratios) will also be very strong. Big Plasma will just be lunch against direct fire CWs, fast cruisers, and X-ships.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 01:14 pm: Edit

Tos: Consider the effect of dark matter clouds on: 1) Plasmas, 2) Drones, 3) Shuttles, 4) Monsters, and 5) Souldra in particular.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 01:19 pm: Edit

Its not meant to be balanced, only different. Those same Tholians will do nearly as well in an asteroid field. Even more fun would be to have the anchored web move with a gravity wave.

In the case of snares, I was assuming the snares would create an anchored web, but I could be talked out of it.

We could allow for no ship to generate more than 30 warp movement, which would solve some of the problems you mention; though it would be unique to watch a Fed DDX outrun a PL-R Sabot.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 01:25 pm: Edit

Ted, I considered plasma, drones and shuttles. Haven't considered monsters and souldra, and probably won't unless the idea gains traction.

As noted, what I also hadn't considered was that some X-Ships could move an effective speed of 48. Orions potentially more. This would have a distinct affect on the balance of a speed 16 or 20 seeking weapon. Not sure yet if that works out to a good or bad dynamic.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 01:43 pm: Edit

Tos, ok, the 1/2 top speed applies to the seekers and shuttles.

However, I'd still consider Souldra in this terrain. IMO part of the coolness factor of this terrain is that the Souldra literally live off of dark matter when there's no life to drain. In a way, your idea could gain more traction because this kind of terrain is *just* where Souldra would put their bases. Thus, you'd have an idea that people could use to have Souldra in their campaigns.

Souldra vampirism allows their ships to regenerate their "shields." As a result, I'd see dark matter clouds as giving them some constant, power-free regeneration to their shields.

IMO this would make attacking the Souldra extremely dangerous in dark matter clouds - as they are already overpriced and very dangerous. However, it's like "fighting the beast in his lair," and not necessarily meant to be balanced (as you said).

Just my two cents.

By A. David Merritt (Adm) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 03:18 pm: Edit

What about the Chlorophon subspace coagulators?

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 03:24 pm: Edit

It just occurred to me that PFs will be able to hit speed-31 even in dark matter. A typical PF generates 15 points of power, 12 of which is from the warp engines. Since even speed-30 will be faster than anything else (other than engine doubling Orion X-ships, and maybe some oddball I'm forgeting about (X-tech Fed-X?)), 12 warp for movement and 1 power for shields would leave the PF, already the fastest thing in the cloud, with 2 points of power for weapons (plus 1 from the battery). Some PFs will be able to do a bit better than that. Plus, of course, they get 2 free ECCM and 2 free swing points. And they're nimble, which means that at longer ranges they get free "natural ECM" as well. And being faster than anything else (as long as they haven't taken damage) they can control the range against any opponent except other PFs, Andros with DisDevs, and some Tholians (remember that a cast anchored web solidifies immediately).

If the Tholians will be godlike in this stuff, lots of races will have little demigods running around. Which means the Feds could be in trouble fighting in dark matter clouds.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 03:37 pm: Edit

I think that Dark Matter would run contrary to what I am explaining web to be in PDT. It would anchore the web at every point throughout the entire web, overwhelming it. I don't think it could form BUT if it could pass through wouldn't work, I think (and neither would weapons).

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 03:44 pm: Edit

My sole reason for not considering Souldra is I know nothing about them. I wasn't aware they had a connection to dark matter. Feel free to fill in my knowledge with ideas of your own. Perhaps the Souldra are immune to the movement cost penalty?

I'd be open to making shuttles and/or seeking weapons immune to the drag if needed for balance, but it changes the flavor.

Speed 31 PFs would make them feel like fighter jets.

You are the web-man Loren, how would you define dark matter/web interaction?

By Andy Vancil (Andy) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 04:13 pm: Edit

Tos,

This looks very similar to Drag Space (P51.0?) from module P6 (iirc).

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 04:21 pm: Edit

Tos: My Proposals

Dark Matter clouds do affect the movement of Souldra ships - and otherwise affect Souldra normally except as follows:

1) Dark Matter Torpedoes are NOT slowed in Dark matter clouds - they still move at speed 32. [Note: this is a KILLER, but logical].

2) Souldra shields regenerate at the rate of one point per bank per turn, for free, at the end of the turn - so long as the Souldra unit stated inside the Dark Matter cloud for a complete turn.

3) Souldra ships that have "phased out" are not affected by the Dark Matter clouds, and thus move without penalty while phased out.

As I said, these advantages are logical given that the Souldra are naturally drawn to dark matter and are sustained by it. However, IMO you would about DOUBLE the effectiveness of Souldra units relative to other units in a dark matter cloud without these advantages - maybe TRIPLE or more. And Souldra are already very nasty customers.

By Andy Vancil (Andy) on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 05:45 pm: Edit

Checking, I see (P51.0) Drag Space was originally published in P6 but was republished in the Omega MRB. It is still considered a playtest rule, however. I like the idea of revamping it as a Dark Matter Cloud.

To Ted's proposals, I would note that the (OR13.034) campaign notes apply here, i.e., Souldra units can "recharge" in this terrain.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Monday, September 15, 2008 - 12:41 pm: Edit

To be honest, that's way too much of an advantage to the Souldra player.


Except at the Black Sun (deep in the Void, where their main base of operations lay - until the Loriyill Splinter Collective ruined the party) the Souldra are not known for having massive concentrations of forces at these kind of logistical nodes - and considering that the Loriyill in general managed to do a pretty comprehensive sweep of the nodes the butterflies did find (and others like the Maesrons are said to have managed to take out nodes, also) having the Souldra have such a massive terrain advantage would beg the question as to just how many ships did the Loriyill need to have stockpiled in order to be able to win the War?


Unless, as ancient beings with a fair amount of 'tricks' at their disposal, one is to assume that Loriyill ships can somehow mitigate some of these advantages themselves?