Jump To Lightspeed Archive
Thread: An Equitable Alternative to TIE Fighters with Hyperdrives
Page 1 of 9
DaraShaku
Fri May 14, 2004 11:01 am
#1
Hello, everybody!
Let me just start off by saying that I absolutely DON'T want to see the Imperial players get hooped in JTL, but I think we all agree that giving hyperdrives to TIEs is rather silly. But I believe that when a problem presents itself in Star Wars game design, one should first look to Star Wars continuity for the solution! 
Mysolution in this case will 'keep it real' as far as continuity goes, and best yet, nothing much will have to change! The solution? The Kuat Drive Yards Imperial Escort Carrier. Here's a blurb from page 54 of the Imperial Sourcebook, Second Edition by West End Games:
ESCORT CARRIER
The need for a TIE escort carrier became apparent after the Battle of Ton-Falk. In that battle, two Imperial frigates and a Dreadnaught were lost due to, as Naval Command reported, "inadequate TIE support". So the Navy commisioned Kuat Drive Yards to construct a vessel that would serve the specific function of carrying TIE fighters into battle.
The main duties of escort carriers are to augment the starfighter strength of the fleet they are attached to, and to transport non-hyperspace shuttles from system to system. Box-like and inelegant in appearance, KDY's escort carrier performs these missions admirably.
Each carrier bases an entire TIE wing in its cavernous bays. Imperial policy dictates that at least one squadron of TIE Interceptors be included in the mix. Additional bays can carry up to six shuttles.
While carriers are equipped with weaponry, they are not considered combat vessels. They do not engage enemy targets and try to stay as far from the actual battle as possible.
Other missions that carriers regularly perform include augmenting the power of Imperial garrison bases. While the garrison quells planetary problems, The carrier assumes a stationary position in orbit over the planet. From this position, the carrier's TIEs can blanket the world to provide support from above.
All you have to do, devs, is have one of these things appear alongside each Imperial fighter group that 'logs into' one of your space zones. And a whole wing of fighters? That's 72 TIEs... the Imperials could definitely draw from this number for NPC 'pet' fighters, and swarm those Rebels with sheer numbers, just like in the movies. Heck, the Carrier itself could become a great mission objective, since you're going to have NPC Capital Ships in the game anyway. But even if it's just scenery in the distance, that would at least satisfy the continuity freak in me!
Also, this vessel has appeared in SW games before - X Wing Alliance and Rebellion, I believe, so it's not like you're creating something new.
This and lots of other great Space material is already out there, Devs... please use it! 
DaraShaku
Fri May 14, 2004 11:02 am
#2
Sorry about the double post! 
Let's keep replies here and let the other thread die.
Let's keep replies here and let the other thread die.
NarCranor
Fri May 14, 2004 11:06 am
#4
I firmly agree that TIEs should retain their one on one disadvantage with rebel craft, yet have access to greater numbers. Each TIE fighter should be able to call on a squad (12) fighters to fly alongside him with AI varying based on their skill level. This should make up for the player number mismatch between rebels and imps, AND make up for the difference in power levels between the rebel and imperial craft.
The carrier ship should also be something imperial players can dock with to access hyperspace and travel from one spot to another. It should work for ANY imperial craft with docking ability, not just escort carriers. This is how the TIE fighter missions worked in the Xwing series of games.
Not everything has to be uber-balanced to the point where there is no difference between the rebels and imperials except the graphics. Just give them even footing, but keep them different as shown in the films and EU. I believe these are the words that were used to describe the combat rebalance by the devs. I have a hard time seeing why that logic cant apply here as well.
If TIE fighters have shields and hyperdrives (naturally) it is really going to take me out of the game. Now, if someone modifies their TIE to have these things at the expense of something else, speed for example, then I have no qualms at all.
The carrier ship should also be something imperial players can dock with to access hyperspace and travel from one spot to another. It should work for ANY imperial craft with docking ability, not just escort carriers. This is how the TIE fighter missions worked in the Xwing series of games.
Not everything has to be uber-balanced to the point where there is no difference between the rebels and imperials except the graphics. Just give them even footing, but keep them different as shown in the films and EU. I believe these are the words that were used to describe the combat rebalance by the devs. I have a hard time seeing why that logic cant apply here as well.
If TIE fighters have shields and hyperdrives (naturally) it is really going to take me out of the game. Now, if someone modifies their TIE to have these things at the expense of something else, speed for example, then I have no qualms at all.
Formica
Fri May 14, 2004 11:09 am
#5
This is one of those balance vs. continuity things that I just dunno about. I mean, we've already got TIEs with shields (which only Vader's TIE, the TIE Advanced, and the Modified TIE Interceptor have) so giving 'em hyperdrives is just more of the same. I don't dislike it, per se, but the whole TIEs are disposable swarm ships vs. Rebel craft are durable but less numerous can't really be expressed in this game unless the sides get a whole lot more unbalanced.
NarCranor
Fri May 14, 2004 11:11 am
#6
Formica, providing imperials with enough NPCs at their beck and call to rebalance the numbers to what star wars levels should be could fix this problem, and entice more players to the imperial side.
DaraShaku
Fri May 14, 2004 11:20 am
#7
Bravo, NarCranor. And that's how I've felt about the Imperial faction all along, both in Space and on the ground. NPC minions should be much cheaper for the Imperials... it would feel much more like the movies: a gang of troops led by a notable 'Player Character' (Vader, Veers, Fett, etc.), as opposed to the Rebels, who seemed to be much more an assortment of characters (Luke, Wedge, Dak, Hobbie, et al).
JediKnightCZ
Fri May 14, 2004 1:09 pm
#9
The DEVs should better first ask what would we like...
TIE with a Hyperdrive is as same as giving a pig (big)wings. It will work, but it is someting that shouldn't be.
Jaden_Korr
Fri May 14, 2004 1:14 pm
#10
yes give the imps big ships gives us rebels something big to shoot at 
Raano_Geds
Fri May 14, 2004 1:19 pm
#11
Agreed. I'd like to see an Escort Carrier, or something similar. Hyper-drives could be a player option as an upgrade, but should exact a performance penalty when they're mounted on a ship (TIE Fighter, Interceptor, or Bomber) that wasn't designed for them. I seem to recall one of the Rogue Squadron books specifically mentioning shield and hyper-drive equipped Squints, but also noting that they were slower and lost a lot of the Interceptor's agility because of the mods.
Mega_Gogeta
Fri May 14, 2004 1:33 pm
#12
The Escort Carrior is an awesome idea....I swear, some players are more creative than all the devs combined.
Message Edited by Mega_Gogeta on 05-14-2004 01:40 PM
Jaden_Korr
Fri May 14, 2004 1:38 pm
#13
"The Escort Carrior is an awesome idea....I swear, some players are more cretive than all the devs combined. "
im not gonna answer that :/
im not gonna answer that :/
Page 1 of 9