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I see they're getting progressively crazier as time goes on. This is honestly a good thing!
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Feb 28, 2015 10:03
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| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 14:53 |
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Hawk have published their pre-Salute newsletter and it's full of hints that something space-related is coming. Looks like more of the new infantry types will be on show too. Salute is on Saturday. I'll take a camera and keep the thread posted...
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Apr 23, 2015 23:29
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I have photos of the display and UCM models uploading now. I also managed to get ahold of one of the pewter UCM carrier pre-release models - the detail levels are as high as anything you'd expect from Hawk. If this is representative of the final game miniatures, it'll be superb in quality of stuff.
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Apr 25, 2015 15:09
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Okay, here's my gallery of photos - variable in quality, but the spaceship ones are pretty good and I got an excellent shot of the Avenger's big Okudagram blueprint. http://imgur.com/a/FTDPB There are also some excellent photos on the Orbital Bombardment twitter feed linked a few posts up. I was one of the group who got to chat to Dave and Andy about the game mechanics. A lot of the important stuff about orbital bands and sensor signatures has been mentioned already, but they also revealed a few details about the factions will play and how the fighter/bomber systems will work. The UCM will be a wide-arc faction with a lot of good turret coverage and a focus on heavy ships (as discussed, it'll only be the troop-carrying ships that can score points). They'll have some very tough small ships and escorts. The PHR will have stealthy small ships and powerful but very unwieldy capitals. Andy mentioned the PHR ships will mostly have directional weapons and are intended to be huge whales that have to carefully pick their shots. No word on the Shaltari, but the Scourge will be in-your-face fast ships with a lot of fragile short-range weapons. Someone asked about Resistance ships. Dave is considering "old empire remnant" ships as pirates or allies, but not as a full faction on release. The fighter mechanics also came up and have some interesting ideas behind them. At short range, fighters/bombers etc will be like FSA ones in that they work like a weapons system with a token attached. But at longer ranges, you play them on an enemy ship like a hand of cards - the target can pick up the signatures incoming, and knows when they'll arrive. Your opponent then has the choice of trying to bull through, dispatching interceptors if he has any, or using special orders that boost speed or manoeuvrability to try and shake them off. Those special orders will cut the target's firepower, letting a savvy carrier commander tie down big enemy capitals. There will be no ramming and probably no boarding - Dave says that's not the style of game he wants. Likely release date for the starter box is Christmas this year.
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Apr 25, 2015 15:59
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The Salute show special (aside from the first-run Avenger minis) was a double-decker Resistance battlebus. I can't wait to see some painted examples hit the net.
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Apr 29, 2015 21:44
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Every time I look at those gorgeous ships, my brain starts playing the Quake 2 intro theme. This is in no way a bad thing.
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May 1, 2015 21:18
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I went for Captain. I'd meant to go for Admiral but drat, sold out in under an hour! If it's like Battlefleet Gothic then extra cruiser variants will not go amiss. I'd like to be able to swap the second box if Hawk add that option, but I won't feel like I'm losing out on anything if I end up with double UCM/Scourge.
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Oct 30, 2015 18:25
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The comments were mostly gushing with praise when I last looked. I think I won't hit refresh though. I imagine we'll see PHR soon enough. This thing smashed Hawk's funding goals in seconds, so they're probably scrambling to reset all the pledge levels.
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Oct 30, 2015 21:39
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Hawk have posted a second update basically saying yeah, they've been totally overwhelmed by the incredible pace of pledges and are recalibrating their unlocks. They've confirmed that the PHR are virtually certain to have been unlocked by now. I twitch a little at the three Shaltari cruisers though. I was hoping they'd get 7-8 playable classes like the UCM and Scourge - anyone else getting flashbacks to Battlefleet Gothic's Eldar and Orc fleets? Those eventually got filled out after release, but on launch they were pitiful.
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Oct 30, 2015 22:32
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drat you Bulbasaur, you had my hopes up for a minute there.
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Oct 30, 2015 22:51
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I was surprised Hawk set the funding barrier so low, actually. Then again there's "we'll probably see a successful Kickstarter" and then there's "holy poo poo it funded in 15 minutes and people are still throwing money at us! What is this, Star Citizen?" level. I'm certainly happy for Hawk, and I hope all this money gets used to pay everyone, put the company on a solid financial footing, and give us lots and lots and lots of Dropfleet loot.
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Oct 31, 2015 00:55
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The goals say the maps are made of paper and that has made me wary. While the idea is excellent, I'm not sure how long a paper sheet would last on the average tabletop.
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Nov 3, 2015 11:07
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Hmm. Hawk's Update #5 is out and includes an FAQ. The very first question in that FAQ is "Will I be able to swap out factions in the starter box pledges?", and the answer is no. I'm considering dropping my pledge to Lieutenant plus bolt-ons. I don't need that many UCM and Scourge cruiser sprues, and the high-rank extras so far don't seem enough for the extra outlay. I'll hold off on a final decision until the pledge manager arrives, but this is something of a kick in the teeth. EDIT: On the plus side, the same update includes a podcast interview which confirms 9 cruiser classes for the Shaltari and PHR, and goes into detail on how Shaltari teleporter gates work (short summary: those "voidgates" are relays for teleporting troops, and they just need to position the relay to be able to teleport troops over. They can also move troops already on the planet from one sector to another). The update also has a pretty space station render. If that's a bonus model, I might keep my pledge where it is. Loxbourne fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Nov 3, 2015 |
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Nov 3, 2015 20:25
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I've just finished listening to the podcast and it included an intriguing side-note. Apparently BFG-style placed-marker torpedoes will be a PHR special weapon. They're described as steerable and guided, and explicitly work by being tough and having damage points to survive PDS hits. They're a PHR "dreadnought-killer", and might be a rare sight in other factions as well. EDIT: Also, that UCM frigate with the big domes gets a mention. It's an electronic warfare and targeting ship; it hands out spikes to other ships. Loxbourne fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Nov 3, 2015 |
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Nov 3, 2015 22:02
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The Sisko posted:I hope at some point they introduce a Reisiatnce faction in Dropfleet , perhaps something akin to a Battlestar Galactica wandering fleet. This is exactly what Hawk have said they're thinking about doing, just not as part of this Kickstarter. He mentioned a "Survivor" faction that might raid for supplies or be forced into the battlezone by necessity, or ally with the UCM as support ships.
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Nov 4, 2015 00:25
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Ugleb posted:I think I was expecting wider but shallower, like the Athena. I imagine they'll go with the Athena shape for PHR frigates.
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Nov 4, 2015 21:54
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From the Beasts of War videos, the Scourge seem to focus on fast, fragile ships with short-range high-damage weapons. Their close-action weapons aren't shown, but their standard guns are short-ranged and do two points of damage per hit. Likewise their burn-through lasers come in pairs, but are less accurate.
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Nov 4, 2015 22:27
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The art of Scourge cities in Reconquest Phase One depicts human structures with Scourge-y bits grown on top of them, so there may be a "Scourge accessory sprue".
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Nov 10, 2015 23:38
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Or "Dictator", "Overlord", and "Lunar" for the cynically-minded. Nice to see them in the flesh at last, though.
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Nov 12, 2015 00:06
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Yes, I was referring to the BFG Imperial cruiser classes - specifically the plastic cruisers that used the same two-block armament system. The "block of broadside guns" + "two large turrets" particularly gave me flashbacks. None of the above is a bad thing, of course. I'm just not surprised that this particular project is waving its inspiration so boldly for all to see. I was never very fond of BFG as a game but the models were nice, and the gameplay demo demonstrated they've removed most of the things I found obnoxious about BFG so here's hoping.
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Nov 12, 2015 13:53
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There's also a heavy carrier with both slots filled with fighter bays and a long, deep nose, and another heavy cruiser with medium guns on the flanks and a double laser? nose. I'm guessing that thing on the bow of the Achillies-class murderbarge up there is a PHR torpedo.
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Nov 13, 2015 23:04
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Funny, that's exactly what I called the UCM cruisers when I saw them for the first time.
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Nov 14, 2015 01:42
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I've just got back from WARFARE in Reading (hey Dropzone goons, I probably spoke to you unawares as I hung around the DzC tables a lot and talked to everybody). Hawk had a medium-sized presence, a little cramped due to lack of space, but they did have a big cabinet full of Scourge ships. I cornered Hawk Simon and had a chat, and some new tidbits came to light - particularly about Scourge frigates. Firstly, they were showing a new Scourge bombardment frigate. Apparently the Scourge fleet won't have bombardment cruisers, the focus for bombardment missions will be on having the little guys rush through and break past enemy defensive lines to strafe the planet below. Secondly, remember this guy?  I thought those vertical pipes were going to be some sort of cloud weapon...nope! This class of Scourge frigate has its weapon batteries deliberately fixed upwards, allowing it to ambush ships from below. Schrage musik has come to Dropfleet! This all suggests Scourge frigate classes will be focussed on being irritating little gits...which is as it should be! I'm suddenly very tempted to run a Scourge "tiny space bastards" force, and look forward to giving it a try. The other big thing we discussed was post-Kickstarter releases. Simon confirmed that Hawk are planning lots of variant classes like big dreadnoughts, alternate battleships, destroyers for each faction and so on. These are intended to be in resin down the line once the game is released at retail. It's not a particular surprise that Hawk are planning this, but it's good to have confirmation.
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Nov 14, 2015 18:00
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Ugleb posted:Still, I did manage to kill his Ferrum. Heh. Was he the guy who had his Ferrum converted to have a big set of fan engines? I wondered if he was proxying the UCM command gunship.
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Nov 14, 2015 23:08
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How are people finding the UCM Gladius? I used to see them at tournaments as an area-denial unit you popped down and used as a roadblock, but lately they've disappeared. Did the metagame move on? You never see the Scourge heavy tanks either, although the Shaltari and PHR equivalents are pretty common.
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Nov 17, 2015 18:27
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I'm rather wondering what function a liner could have. Nobody would send one into an invasion frontline, unless it's requisitioned as a troopship.
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Nov 18, 2015 00:15
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I'm surprised to see Minders! How are you finding them? I don't think I've ever seen them in action.
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Nov 21, 2015 16:16
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The battlecruisers look interesting! The UCM Avalon is decidedly cooler than the Atlantis, which looks like a weird experimental hybrid. Is the Adamant asymmetrical there? It looks like one side has the "rack of turrets pointing forward at 45 degrees" upper prong, while the one closest to the camera has a particle cannon instead. That could make for a very interesting vessel if it has a powerful nose cannon but a dead zone on the forward port quarter. The Basilisk has something going on with those eye-like mounts on the nose "deck", too.
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Nov 25, 2015 22:10
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We know the UCM weapons are kinetic, aside from their burnthrough lasers (and the point-defence turrets). The PHR do use lasers on some of their mechs, so it could go either way. I would imagine kinetic though, just because that seems to be the style Hawk are aiming for with their human factions. We know their bow guns are definitely lasers.
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Nov 26, 2015 01:35
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Ugleb posted:dropfleet's answer to the super star destroyer. The UCMNS gently caress Your poo poo, Hideous Space Jellyfish.
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Nov 27, 2015 14:19
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The PHR heavy cruiser jaws are really off-putting. If I get any, I plan to mount the jaw weapons laterally on the lower hull and ditch the gargoyle look.
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Dec 1, 2015 12:48
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It was also mentioned that raising a Shaltari ship's shields also shuts down all point defences. There were comments in the video that the UCM could fire all their close-action weapons and the Shaltari could do nothing about it - that suggests they'll be very vulnerable to bomber/torpedo strikes when their shields are up, too.
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Dec 2, 2015 00:09
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It is starting to seem as if Scourge cruisers will be fast, fragile, and carry a small number of powerful multi-hit weapons. They'll lose in a one-on-one but their frigates will be on hand to make sure they never get into a one-on-one. Looks like that UCM triple-turret frigate's main job will be clearing out the other faction frigates! There's a Shaltari frigate with upward-pointing guns too, so it'll be interesting to see if they can also pull the firing-upwards trick.
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Dec 2, 2015 12:08
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It's possible Hawk themselves haven't decided yet. I think they commented earlier that Shaltari fighters were proving a pain to get right.
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Dec 3, 2015 12:03
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We've seen a PHR "Vanguard Carrier" with flight deck modules in the cruiser gun slots. Given the faction's supposed preference for big ships, I imagine they'll have a battleship-scale carrier eventually. Possibly a battleship-scale mothership as well, to put all their troops in one basket. It's worth mentioning the Reconquest Phase 1 book has a fluff piece with a UCM scout ship scanning the Scourge fleet in orbit of Earth, and identifying two "Super-Dreadnought"-class ships. So the squids will be getting a doomsday ship down the line eventually.
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Dec 3, 2015 14:03
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I've just come back from Dragonmeet in London, where Hawk had ships from all factions on their display stand. It isn't immediately apparent, but PHR cruisers are physically much bigger and bulkier than the equivalents from other factions. They look "large and in charge" - the Ajax's main hull is the length of a UCM cruiser even before you add on the manoeuvring fins. The overbite is also a bit less pronounced in person.
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Dec 5, 2015 17:29
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koreban posted:Is there anyone here big on them that can do a quick write up? Or has someone done that already hidden in the mid-teens pages somewhere? The Resistance come in two official flavours - "Allied" and "Feral". Allied lists get access to some UCM units, an air hero, and an unusual drill-hero that looks a bit like a C&C Generals character. Feral lists get access to really crazy fragile units, a fluff bad guy in his megatank, and an aircraft full of crazy Norwegian death-metal rockers with chainsaws. In reality this is a smokescreen for their real flavours - tank-heavy and Mad Max Crazy Horde of Nutjobs In Technicals. Tank-heavy Resistance gives you some very tough armoured units and an extremely nasty AA gun that won't hit as often as you'd like, but can down a medium dropship in a single shot. The drawback is having to use the Lifthawk as your own dropship. It isn't completely bad, but you pay a lot of extra points for a fighting dropship when fighting with your dropships is the last thing you want to do! The Alexander is capable but doesn't have the insane firepower of a Thunderstorm with a Warlord's Retinue. You wouldn't think so to look at it, but the huge not-Mammoth Tank is actually your budget command option. Going for the technicals means you're the lovable crazies of Dropzone. Fast, fragile, astoundingly cheap...you can drown the enemy in bodies and your infantry's not that bad either if you bring large quantities. Using the drill to deploy them takes a bit of getting used to, but lets you threaten your opponent's backline like nothing else. Freeriders got a nerf but are still excellent harassment units. The rocket artillery wagons aren't as bad as the online whining suggests, but they do suffer from Not Being The Helicopters. Just play them like the fragile coked-up hate-fuelled nutters they are and you'll do well. Speaking of helicopters, your air force is surprisingly solid. The attack helicopter is virtually a must-have in the current meta. The big space A-10 is a bit expensive but tough, and should be flown aggressively. If you're taking Allied then you get access to upgraded UCM Archangels which are an excellent interceptor if you don't want to shell out for Zhukovs. The Praetorians also help cover for the loss of Berserkers and have the advantage that they can actually find objectives, whereas the Feral berserkers will clear out a building for you precisely once. Likewise the Barrel Bomber will flatten a building for you...once. If you're going Feral, go for pure shock power. Grey Hunter posted:Wade is a Famous Commander - which means he's not at all balanced, and should only really be used when both sides have a FC. That said, I've never played with/against one, so I can't help there. Wade is the UCM's answer to all their frontline commanders complaining about PHR Type 4 walkers. That railgun... 
Loxbourne fucked around with this message at 11:44 on Dec 29, 2015 |
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Dec 29, 2015 11:39
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muggins posted:Alexander tanks are so mediocre =( which is sad because they come in the starter The Alexander's not that bad. DZC just isn't kind to heavy tanks with only a single gun, and it suffers by comparison to the hilarious monster that is the Thunderstorm Custom.
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Jan 2, 2016 21:37
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Will you need a ticket to get in on Friday night? I'm not that interested in the tournament, but I would like to hang out.
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Jan 10, 2016 13:30
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| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 14:53 |
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I live quite close to the London one, so if anyone has a spare +1...
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Jan 20, 2016 01:24
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