[Spaceships] Choosing Combat Scale and Turn Length

[vicky_molokh]

Greetings, all!

I'm planning my first Space campaign that seriously relies on Spaceships Combat. I'm trying to decide on a single Combat Scale and Turn Length and stick to it.

The ships have sAccel ratings ranging from 0.5G (but usually 1G) to 5G (probably the best fit that can be built at the moment; assume up to twice that in very, very exotic encounters involving Precursor tech). However, ship weapons range from S to (rarely) X.

I'm highly tempted to pick 1-Minute Turns on Close Scale or Standard Scale. However, that's not what Spaceships recommend. Will I get into any sort of trouble if I pick the 1-minute scale?

Could someone with more hands-on SS experience tell me about choosing ranges and turn lengths with various base ship parameters?

Thanks in advance!

[lvk]

First and foremost, you will need Turn/Scale combination that provides +1 to +10 acceleration bonus to most of your ships and prevents instant fuel depletion. Acceleration Bonus table (SS55) is as important in choice of Turn/Scale combination as are guidlines on SS48.

Second, its better to stick to minimum turn length - that keeps battles from ending on the first turn and makes some munchkiney tricks (like missile barrage) less fun-killing. You may even go with shorter encounter scale than Short to emulate sci-fi movies/fiction/games where space combat ranges are ridiculously short, to give more space-fighter than space-bridge-commander feel and to keep relative velocities less harmful. I have house rule for that, but it's in russian.

Very important is just how do you want your space combat to feel. Beam weapon duels? Cinematic "Dogfights"? Long-range "cruise missile" strikes?
Different Turn/Scale choices favor different space combat styles, or even preventing them from happening outright.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by lvk

First and foremost, you will need Turn/Scale combination that provides +1 to +10 acceleration bonus to most of your ships and prevents instant fuel depletion. Acceleration Bonus table (SS55) is as important in choice of Turn/Scale combination as are guidlines on SS48.

Second, its better to stick to minimum turn length - that keeps battles from ending on the first turn and makes some munchkiney tricks (like missile barrage) less fun-killing. You may even go with shorter encounter scale than Short to emulate sci-fi movies/fiction/games where space combat ranges are ridiculously short, to give more space-fighter than space-bridge-commander feel and to keep relative velocities less harmful. I have house rule for that, but it's in russian.

Post it away. I can handle it.

Originally Posted by lvk

Very important is just how do you want your space combat to feel. Beam weapon duels? Cinematic "Dogfights"? Long-range "cruise missile" strikes?
Different Turn/Scale choices favor different space combat styles, or even preventing them from happening outright.

Ideally?
With cruise missiles being relevant but not the iwinbutton.
Fighters of SM+4 armed with beam weapons (a squadron of 10-20) being a serious threat to SM+9 craft (but usually insufficient without a mid-sized ship).
Mid-sized to large craft having time to manoeuvre, each trying to maintain optimum distance (missile cruisers trying to keep away, Skiffs trying to stay in LASER range etc.).

[lvk]

Here: http://forums.rpg-world.org/index.php?showtopic=16206
If you'll find it worthy, I can also translate it for this forum (with my Broken [1 point] Written English :) ).

With cruise missiles being relevant but not the iwinbutton.
Fighters of SM+4 armed with beam weapons (a squadron of 10-20) being a serious threat to SM+9 craft (but usually insufficient without a mid-sized ship).
Mid-sized to large craft having time to manoeuvre, each trying to maintain optimum distance (missile cruisers trying to keep away, Skiffs trying to stay in LASER range etc.).

If your balance is bulid around use of weapons, then maybe a Range table is the first thing what you need to consider when choosing scale. If there is a difference for missile cruiser what range they should keep from "laser" warships, then a Scale should reflect this with inability to reach Neutral-situation target with most of commonly-used beam weapons.

[schmeelke]

Originally Posted by lvk

Here: http://forums.rpg-world.org/index.php?showtopic=16206
If you'll find it worthy, I can also translate it for this forum (with my Broken [1 point] Written English :) ).

Why not use Google Translate?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by schmeelke

Why not use Google Translate?

Because it doesn't have even Broken?

[lvk]

Why not use Google Translate?

'cause the result makes my eyes bleed.

[Trachmyr]

I usually base turn length so that moderately quick vessels get accel bonuses... If a freighter or a big slow captial vessel falls below this, I consider it a feature rather than a flaw. Given your accels, I would reccomend 1-minute turns & Close Range... but read accel bonuses as +1 per 0.5g accel at Close range. For vessels with Long range weapons, either switch to Standard scale (but only your precursor ships will be able to maneuver) or give them a few turns of free shots against an unmaneuvering target (unless the target has at least 5g of accel). Extreme range weapons get additional free shots (unless the target has 50g+ of accel).

[jacobmuller]

Originally Posted by lvk

If you'll find it worthy, I can also translate it for this forum (with my Broken [1 point] Written English :) ).

More like Fluent and, where I'm from, you're better than the Natives - many don't have Broken and their spoken is barely better:)

PS 1 minute, Standard scale, sounds about right. But biggest question might be, will it fit on your table LOL Then again, Acceleration Bonus table would make 1 min/close or 3 min/ standard better, at least if you want any maneuvers to count.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Trachmyr

I usually base turn length so that moderately quick vessels get accel bonuses... If a freighter or a big slow captial vessel falls below this, I consider it a feature rather than a flaw. Given your accels, I would reccomend 1-minute turns & Close Range... but read accel bonuses as +1 per 0.5g accel at Close range. For vessels with Long range weapons, either switch to Standard scale (but only your precursor ships will be able to maneuver) or give them a few turns of free shots against an unmaneuvering target (unless the target has at least 5g of accel). Extreme range weapons get additional free shots (unless the target has 50g+ of accel).

Ironically, the Precursor ship isn't all that fast, consisting mostly of things other than engines.

Anyway, I'm reading and re-reading the appropriate sections on piloting and range, and I'm still confused: Hugging the Enemy requires Zero range, and is used to be harder to hit. Evasive Action (by the large craft) automagically, without needing a roll, breaks all Rendezvous and Engagements. So what's the point?

I also find the differentiation between Attack Vector and Engaged weird, as well as the fact that Engaged can only be gained by winning by +10.