Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Board and Card Games > Car Wars

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-20-2021, 08:37 AM   #11
Magesmiley
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Snohomish, WA
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

Foam pops if it is pushed into another obstacle. So, it can be destroyed, unlike smoke, which is indestructible.

Despite that, the difference between partial and total cover's defensive benefits are huge, which makes foam a much better choice.

Other designs thoughts:

I keep trying to tinker with various concepts, with mixed results.

I still haven't been able to make a satisfactory ram car. IMO, skip the ram plate and go for the bumper spikes. The ram plate just doesn't seem effective enough, especially when you're giving up the structure for your front.

Sniper Car:
I took a go at making a sniper car that focused on high star damage weapons and a gunner that gave extra star(s). Placed on a side (L/R) with a structure granting the most defense dice you can get. Decent structure F/B. A couple of small weapons... and a smoke screen. Plus computers. Spent the game cruising around the perimeter and doing hideous damage from afar. Kept my speed up (usually 3-4). Seemed to do okay.
One big observation here though... smoke hurts smaller weapons much more than larger ones.
__________________
Dynamax Designs, Designing quality since 2035.

Watch your handling and remember to Drive Offensively!
Magesmiley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2021, 02:13 PM   #12
beetle496
 
beetle496's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Frederick, MD
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

@Magesmiley — the sniper car is intriguing! Have you run it without the Smoke? I am guessing that groups meeting regularly will come to ban dropped weapons.

My impression with trying to build a ram car comports with your own. I guess that is okay, as they were OP in CCW.
beetle496 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2021, 02:19 PM   #13
43Supporter
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magesmiley View Post
One big observation here though... smoke hurts smaller weapons much more than larger ones.
How so? (My copy still hasn't turned up yet.)
__________________
"Dale *who*?"

79er

The Jeremy Clarkson Debate Course:
1) I'm Right. 2) You're Wrong. 3) The End.
43Supporter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2021, 02:33 PM   #14
beetle496
 
beetle496's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Frederick, MD
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

@43Supporter — The (only?) benefit of Smoke is Partial Cover. Partial Cover gives target free Shield on defense. An extra Shield (-1 damage) is significant versus a small weapon (e.g., Recoilless Rifle, mean 1.33 damage), as compared to a large weapon (e.g., Anti-Tank Gun, mean 2.83 damage).
beetle496 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2021, 06:11 PM   #15
Magesmiley
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Snohomish, WA
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

Quote:
Originally Posted by beetle496 View Post
@Magesmiley — the sniper car is intriguing! Have you run it without the Smoke? I am guessing that groups meeting regularly will come to ban dropped weapons.

My impression with trying to build a ram car comports with your own. I guess that is okay, as they were OP in CCW.
Eh. I doubt people will ban dropped weapons, possibly excepting a race, and probably not even then. For the most part, they're simply not real effective. Remember that there is no automatic fire, so its going to just be a little here, a little there. Closer to the 1st edition effectiveness.

Hmm. A side + back mounted mine combo might work better If fired during the same turn. Maybe.
__________________
Dynamax Designs, Designing quality since 2035.

Watch your handling and remember to Drive Offensively!
Magesmiley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2021, 06:26 PM   #16
HeatDeath
 
Join Date: May 2012
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magesmiley View Post
For the most part, they're simply not real effective.
Not quite sure what people are expecting for only 1 BP. One BP doesn't buy you a lot of ranged firepower - it probably shouldn't buy you much of a minefield either.

EDIT: Yep. Most baseline light weapons are 2 BP. 1 BP buys you a light machine gun which is, not to put too fine a point on it, completely useless unless you have a strong preference for tire damage over standard damage [perhaps because you're in a higher division and grinding down tires is easier than grinding through armor and structure - which would also make you more likely to have a BP free for a purely secondary weapon system]. There are a few other 1 BP ranged weapons, but they are also very weak and of highly specialized applicability - not primary weapon systems by any means.

It sounds like expectations might be better met by a 3-4 BP monstrosity like The Slab, except instead of a wall obstacle, it drops a hazard-card-sized minefield that stays dangerous even after people run over it, and takes a few hits of weapon fire to clear.

Last edited by HeatDeath; 10-20-2021 at 06:35 PM.
HeatDeath is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 03:14 PM   #17
43Supporter
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magesmiley View Post
Eh. I doubt people will ban dropped weapons, possibly excepting a race, and probably not even then.
The lack of a "continuous fire" option for 6E DWs doesn't *quite* obviate the need to ban them for races -- remember what Ace Hunter said: "It's all on the wheel; it all comes around." :) (Fancy way of saying: On a closed course, if someone else doesn't run over that DW, it's going to be there on subsequent laps for one to have to dodge... and these things can pile up fast.)
__________________
"Dale *who*?"

79er

The Jeremy Clarkson Debate Course:
1) I'm Right. 2) You're Wrong. 3) The End.
43Supporter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2021, 10:12 PM   #18
Magesmiley
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Snohomish, WA
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

Quote:
Originally Posted by HeatDeath View Post
Not quite sure what people are expecting for only 1 BP. One BP doesn't buy you a lot of ranged firepower - it probably shouldn't buy you much of a minefield either.

EDIT: Yep. Most baseline light weapons are 2 BP. 1 BP buys you a light machine gun which is, not to put too fine a point on it, completely useless unless you have a strong preference for tire damage over standard damage [perhaps because you're in a higher division and grinding down tires is easier than grinding through armor and structure - which would also make you more likely to have a BP free for a purely secondary weapon system]. There are a few other 1 BP ranged weapons, but they are also very weak and of highly specialized applicability - not primary weapon systems by any means.

It sounds like expectations might be better met by a 3-4 BP monstrosity like The Slab, except instead of a wall obstacle, it drops a hazard-card-sized minefield that stays dangerous even after people run over it, and takes a few hits of weapon fire to clear.
The biggest problem with the damaging dropped weapons, and the mines in particular (which only affect the car that hits or is pushed into them) is that they're not terribly safe to use unless you know that you can get clear of them on the next turn.
Given how many moves cars can take before other players move, it is very easy to collide and shove folks using dropped weapons into the weapon that they just dropped. And usually worth doing (especially with mines).
So far, in the games I've played, the player dropping a mine has taken the hit from their own mines at least a third of the time. This might be due to my group's play style, but I think that it is in the ballpark. Paying a point for a weapon that can hurt you as often as it has seemed to happen in our games seems like a very poor investment. Even a light machine gun seems more attractive.
__________________
Dynamax Designs, Designing quality since 2035.

Watch your handling and remember to Drive Offensively!
Magesmiley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2021, 01:16 AM   #19
corwyn
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

Quote:
Originally Posted by HeatDeath View Post
Not quite sure what people are expecting for only 1 BP. One BP doesn't buy you a lot of ranged firepower - it probably shouldn't buy you much of a minefield either.
How much are the largest DWs?
__________________
MiB 7704

Playing: GURPS Nordlond Dragons of Hosgarth
Running Savage Worlds Tour of Darkness (Vietnam + Mythos)
corwyn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2021, 10:30 AM   #20
Magesmiley
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Snohomish, WA
Default Re: Good Build Combos?

Quote:
Originally Posted by corwyn View Post
How much are the largest DWs?
Nearly all are 1 point. I want to say spikes are the exception at 2 points.
__________________
Dynamax Designs, Designing quality since 2035.

Watch your handling and remember to Drive Offensively!
Magesmiley is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:45 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.