Layout issue: the PDF I got from Warehouse 23 is missing the line dividing the columns on each page.

Illustration of unit not in book: On page 11 is an illustration of an “expanded” MB with an outer ring of six more pods and two more augmentation modules, but (R1.24) does not address it in the Construction section. I know I have seen this expanded mode at least described as something that is possible but I can’t recall if it ever received a formal rule.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - 01:27 am: Edit

The expanded MB I did decades ago was "just a doodle" but I wonder if it wouldn't make a fun SSD for SFB/FC. I also wonder just what pods you could/would put in the outside. Imagine six fighter bays clipped to the outside of the ring!

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - 11:33 am: Edit

I’m sure the F&E folk aren’t sure if they should be excited or terrified!

A little more seriously: there would be the question of how the mountings affect pod shuttle hatches and the like. Both ends of the pods in the outer ring have mounting structures attached, but from the graphics they look more open than how the inner pods plug into the center of the base. I could see still allowing for shuttles to launch, but (spitballing) maybe increasing the (J1.50) launch rate to one per every three or four impulses to represent the awkwardness of the arrangement. Same for the outwards facing hatches on the inner pods.

I think the reasonable approach would be to limit the outer ring the same way as the inner: a max of two pods that aren’t cargo or repair. So you end up with a tougher, more capable MB that isn’t necessarily that much more heavily gunner. More augmentation modules can give it more offense from the extra attrition units, and perhaps one could make a case of some of the extra cargo pods being used for fighter storage (or even incorporating a fighter resupply pod).

To look at it as a “Why do this in F&E when you can just upgrade it to a BS or BATS?” question: maybe have it as a self-upgrade option? End up with something that’s not as good as a BATS, but you don’t have to tie up (and risk) a tug to accomplish it? If adding in special mission pods to add additional capacities is a rabbit hole worth going down, then having those taken permanently out of the pod pool to be replaced normally is an obvious approach.

From there it would be tweaking and tuning EP costs and resulting factors to something that’s an interesting option, even if a rarely used one (ie that “wow, I never thought I would do this but I’m really glad I can now” fallback) without being “Of course I’m gonna do this as much as possible.”

By John Wyszynski (Starsabre) on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - 02:39 pm: Edit

Somewhere it was called the snowflake (vs the star). Years ago I drew up my version of a SSD which used a second pair of MB pods. I attached one MB pod between Pod #5 and #6, modified the phaser arcs to LS. The other MB pod was attached between #2 and #3 wich a RS phaser arc.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - 03:01 pm: Edit

I went to Warehouse 23 and found the Module R1 Rulebook, but not the SSD book. Do you have an estimate for when the SSD book will be available as a PDF?

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - 03:05 pm: Edit

Alan, Jean has said on the FB page that the B&W SSD books is done and they are holding it to release at the same time as the color one, sometime next month.

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - 03:28 pm: Edit

The lines are now between the columns, and the revised file has been updated on DTRPG/WV. It has been sent to W23 and should show up later today.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - 03:59 pm: Edit

Alex,

Thanks. I find I greatly prefer color SSDs and always buy them (when available) in spite of the slightly greater price. They just make it so much easier to find systems, calculate how much power you have, etc.

By John Wyszynski (Starsabre) on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - 06:43 pm: Edit

In (R1.30) there is a paragraph "WPN is either 2xtype-A drone racks (FD3.1) or 2xdisruptors with a range of 22 hexes. Phaser-X is always phaser-2-360°s." which appears to be out of place. These are defined for each race in the included table.