Babylon 5 A Fighting Chance --- A Babylon 5 AU

[BF110C4]

nBSG? Their bullets are too slow and too weak, very easy to intercept. Good solid ships though.
If it was a crossover and you could stick EA guns on them? They'd be decent ships, very respectable combatants. But they definitely need a huge firepower upgrade, those things aren't even railguns.

Their real strenght in a crossover setting would be their FTL which is tactically superior to even Mimbari bonehead maneouver and the speed they can deploy and recover huge amounts of fighter-bombers. Also their additional mass and volume makes them capable of surviving more punishment that even a Nova (which probably got better armor but is a little too compact to be properly protected against a close range nuke).

 

[mwkillkenny84]

nBSG

their FTL

To be precise, the nBSG FTL is precise (with the right calculations, granted) to Jump a ship DIRECTLY IN-ATMOSPHERE (Adama Manoeuvre) and/or so near to an opposing ship that in any other Sci-Fy Setting collisions alarms would start to blare full volume and using Eyeball: Mark 1 for the turret crews to aim their guns is a valid tactic.

 

[BF110C4]

To be precise, the nBSG FTL is precise (with the right calculations, granted) to Jump a ship DIRECTLY IN-ATMOSPHERE (Adama Manoeuvre) and/or so near to an opposing ship that in any other Sci-Fy Setting collisions alarms would start to blare full volume and using Eyeball: Mark 1 for the turret crews to aim their guns is a valid tactic.

In addition to that their FTL is instantaneous when used, which means that hyperspace pickets cannot be used as an alarm and, unlike B5 in which you can shoot at the jump point or gate, there is no way to interdict a fleet deployment.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

Only issue I have with nBSG vs B5 is of the B5 Weaponry. Neutron lasers and other advanced energy weapons will tear a Battlestar apart. I don't even want to think of what a squadron of White Stars or the like would do to them. Battlestar would never be able to bring their heavy guns to bear and the Vipers MIGHT be able to interdict them.

That doesn't even begin to mention what something like Centauri/Narn/Pak'mara heavy plasma might do. Though I expect the Battlestar's armor to hold up better vs that.

As to the FTL...it would not surprise me if the sensor tech of this AU's Earth & Allies would potentially spot a pre-emergence signature of the FTL drive nBSG uses. May not be A LOT of time before hand, but it would be enough to turn on the interceptors.

 

[Vlad_Dracul89]

With all being said, wouldn't still make sense for EA to also built planet-killing superweapon as a deterrent?

Using MAD strategic logic of the Cold War, would anyone ever tried to declare total war on Humanity, if Earth built weapon to destroy planet with one shot? It could be B4 with massive macrolaser, normally deployed in Solar System as a fortress, but able move at any time.

I remember that one or two Redditors who argued that New Republic should've built Death Star against any potential resurgent Empire or Confederacy.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

With all being said, wouldn't still make sense for EA to also built planet-killing superweapon as a deterrent?

Using MAD strategic logic of the Cold War, would anyone ever tried to declare total war on Humanity, if Earth built weapon to destroy planet with one shot? It could be B4 with massive macrolaser, normally deployed in Solar System as a fortress, but able move at any time.

There's no need. The weaponry deployed on B5 ships is quite capable of rendering planets uninhabitable. Will need more than one shot, but there you go.

 

[Vlad_Dracul89]

Then why they showed so prominently that it's such an ultimate toy for both Shadows and Vorlons, while younger races are absolutely terrified of such stuff?

But okay, if EA already have equivalent of cyclonic torpedoes, it just works too.

However, it could be also smart way to force Earth's enemies to bankrupt themselves over ridiculously expensive projects of mass destruction. Only Centauri would be likely smart enough to see through it and not build it. So it doesn't have to be seriously build at all, just say you are thinking about it. SDI v2.0.

 

[Harlock]

Yeah, Mass Drivers do the job fine, if you were serious you can depopulate a planet in days. Or bioweapons, Earth Force has access to some funky stuff and was ready to use it on the Minbari.

I would guess its a bit like Mass Effect were terrestrial worlds are quite rare so you want to try capture them intact if possible, at least until terraforming tech gets more advanced.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

Then why they showed so prominently that it's such an ultimate toy for both Shadows and Vorlons, while younger races are absolutely terrified of such stuff?

But okay, if EA already have equivalent of cyclonic torpedoes, it just works too.

However, it could be also smart way to force Earth's enemies to bankrupt themselves over ridiculously expensive projects of mass destruction. Only Centauri would be likely smart enough to see through it and not build it. So it doesn't have to be seriously build at all, just say you are thinking about it. SDI v2.0.

1. The Shadows and Vorlons had them b/c they wanted something that could destroy a planet and move on to do it again in not so short order. That and it's a huge fear factor. Young races go, "OMFG!!! We're all gonna die!!!!" It gets the job done thoroughly, whereas a fleet orbital bombardment might leave some survivors.

2. Not necessarily Cyclonic torpedos but orbital plasma delivery, missile bombardment or just dropping heavy rocks on the planet do the job well enough w/out having to expend the investment to build the infrastructure you need to build the planet killer.

3. You don't need that weapon system to do that, just keep building fleet. You're not only able 'nuke' a planet to the stone age, you can also do lots of other missions with a fleet of ships. Arms race goes, "Weeeee!!!" The Centauri already have mass driver equipped ships for lobbing big rocks at planets (see Narn).

 

[The Immortal Watch Dog]

I would guess its a bit like Mass Effect were terrestrial worlds are quite rare so you want to try capture them intact if possible, at least until terraforming tech gets more advanced.

I've always assumed the Vorlons fucked with the DNA of younger races to discourage terraforming projects, because in a sci fi setting, unless you go autismo with the hard sci fi, living space should only be an issue if your technology isn't up to snuff and you can't buy it from your neighbors.

Or they messed with the hyperspace beacon network to make it difficult to explore and terraform worlds off beacon.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

Or they messed with the hyperspace beacon network to make it difficult to explore and terraform worlds off beacon.

B5 always felt a little like Mass Effect in that civilization is anchored to specific points to a large degree. Relays constrain things much more in ME, but expanding the Jump Gate network is NOT a small endeavor. It was doable, but I only ever saw the EA mentioned as making an effort at it in B5.

 

[mwkillkenny84]

It was doable, but I only ever saw the EA mentioned as making an effort at it in B5.

As far as I remember/understand it, the Earth Alliance was the sole space power that had a whole sector of its Space Corps solely dedicated to explore and make new Hyperspace routes plus relative gates.

 

[Harlock]

I think the Vree had some capacity too, or at least liked to explore places including Roswell that one time The Minbari before Valen too when they were still a more dynamic and passionate species.
But yeah, only Earth seems to really care about boldly going

 

[The Immortal Watch Dog]

I think the Vree had some capacity too, or at least liked to explore places including Roswell that one time The Minbari before Valen too when they were still a more dynamic and passionate species.
But yeah, only Earth seems to really care about boldly going

Minbari learned to obey so well they accepted the annihilation of their own race with a smile on their faces.

Shame too.

 

[Harlock]

Old school Minbari seemed very human, explorers, traders, fierce warriors but not completely consumed with pride or their concept of honour. They gave the Shadows a good fight and even earned their respect before Valen and the Vorlons showed up. Even later Valen seems to have tried hard to steer them on a different path but the Vorlons made sure that didn't happen.

One of the things I want is to make the Minbari more like their old selves and it will be the rise of this desire to abandon Valen which drives their overall plot. Unlike Shakiri who talked about tradition but was a wuss the character I'll be using is a true believer.
Should make them a lot more dangerous and a significantly greater challenge.

 

[The Immortal Watch Dog]

.
Should make them a lot more dangerous and a significantly greater challenge.

I can see Lord Refa and Clark's factions both using this as an excuse to innovate, expand and launch certain endeavors.

 

[Harlock]

yeah, wouldn't be much fun just to replay the first Minbari war but now with bigger ships Both sides will largely despise each other and while President Levy might have abided by conventions Clark isn't going to give a fuck

No stealth advantage but the Minbari are instead better trained, highly motivated and have ships designed for a brawl. War to the knife, it'll make people look back on the Dilgar war with warm nostalgia and fondness

 

[Ghostking 666]

B5 always felt a little like Mass Effect in that civilization is anchored to specific points to a large degree. Relays constrain things much more in ME,

Bit of a derail, but no, the relays don’t constrict travel anywhere near as much the realities of hyperspace in B5. Citadel level ME ftl is on its own faster then voyager era warp drive and the static build up problem was already easily accounted for by planning your travel routes even before the development of the ODSY drive. You could, with the right planning and preparation cross a territory the size of B5 Younger Race space in a matter of days, or the entire galaxy in just a few decades. Not for nothing that Citadel space measures itself in thousands of colonized planets(both inhabitable garden planets and even volcanic hellholes where you have to live in domed cities) and the territory of the Younger races is only something like a 100+. Even discounting the lack of a galactic purge every thousand years, travel is just easier.

The reason why the relays are so important and why everyone uses them is because they make things easy. You can travel hundreds or even thousands of light years almost instantly and you don’t even use up fuel while traveling. The relays are too advantageous not to use which is they are such an effective trap, they are basically a river system in space, ensuring that space capable races will always make use of them the same way pre-railroad civilizations on earth usually gravitated towards nearby major rivers.

Sorry about the derail and the rant, but bad ME fanon just annoys me.

 

[Doomsought]

Also in B5 you have various precursors sitting on vast empires and creating no-travel zones. The Vorlon Empire for example is this huge wall of "Explore this direction and die".

 

[The Immortal Watch Dog]

Also in B5 you have various precursors sitting on vast empires and creating no-travel zones. The Vorlon Empire for example is this huge wall of "Explore this direction and die".

"Stay out of the core of the Galaxy...ignore the bountiful resources and fertile planets because you could end up having accidents!"