Targeting modifiers

[Chris Goodwin]

Sure, but if you've played maybe three times in the past three years, with some total new folk and some others who may not have played in ten or twenty years, it's nice to have all of that stuff at a glance. :)

[Magesmiley]

Originally Posted by jimmylogan

Speed is easy to learn. 30 gives a -1, 40 a -2, etc.

In the DCW era this was true. Compendium 2nd edition is a bit more complex.

[Chris Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Magesmiley

In the DCW era this was true. Compendium 2nd edition is a bit more complex.

Not much more. 2.5 says 30-37.5 is -1, 40-47.5 is -2, 50-57.5 is -3, on up to 80mph or faster which is -6. For vehicles with 5mph or better acceleration, that was good enough.

[Chris Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Chris Goodwin

For starters: I'm working on a set of play aids. It's a set of cards that you can print out (edit: a set for each player, each containing a card for each speed increment from 5mph to, say, 200mph). Split down the middle lengthwise; one side is meant to be read by the other people at the table, the other is meant to be read by you. (You can fold it along the center line if you want.)

...

I'm running a game on the 31st with two old Car Wars buddies and two local MIBs who've never played; I'm planning to have a set of the cards for each of them, plus the updated vehicle record sheets, done by then. I will mention how it goes.

I've got my document built, and will post a card for feedback sometime in the next day or two. Aside from any tweaks, they're at the stage where all I need to do is print and cut. 5 mph increments from 5-200 mph; the idea is that it's everything you need, at a glance.

[Magesmiley]

Originally Posted by Chris Goodwin

Not much more. 2.5 says 30-37.5 is -1, 40-47.5 is -2, 50-57.5 is -3, on up to 80mph or faster which is -6. For vehicles with 5mph or better acceleration, that was good enough.

The complexity isn't in the actual minuses, it was in figuring the relative speed to determine what speed value to use the modifier for.

[Chris Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Magesmiley

The complexity isn't in the actual minuses, it was in figuring the relative speed to determine what speed value to use the modifier for.

Yeah, I keep forgetting about that.

There are nine cases, of which two say to use the target speed. Four are half the target speed, two are half (T - F) and the one left is T - F. If it was up to me, and I'll probably do this as a house rule:

• Both nonmoving: +2 (this is standard rules)
• One nonmoving: Moving vehicle's speed, reduce penalty by 1
• Parallel (side arc to side arc, same direction) lesser of target or attacker's speed.
• Head on, tail on, or tail chase (F to F, F to B, B to B) Lesser of target or attacker's speed, reduce penalty by 1
• Crossing the T? Target's speed.
• Joust position (side arc to side arc, opposite directions)? Greater of target or attacker's speed

And that's probably "good enough".

But I'm teaching MIBs, and I think they'll want the "right way".

Edited to add: Too many cases!

Edit edit: added case for F to F, F to B, B to B.

[Chris Goodwin]

Argh. Another idea just occurred to me. I think this is based on something I saw in one of the GURPS books.

The penalty is (R + I) / 4

R is the range in inches.

I is a speed in inches per turn (mph / 10), rounded down to the nearest inch.

If the cars are in a joust position (side arc to side arc in opposite directions) I is the speeds added together.

If the cars are in a T position (F or B to side arc) then I is the crosser's speed.

In a head on or tail chase (F or B to F or B) or parallel (side arc to side arc in the same direction) then I is the faster speed minus the slower speed.

This replaces both the range modifier and the existing speed modifiers.

[kabson]

Good ol' speed modifiers. ;)

I'll resurrect something from an old thread.

My old attempt needs a rewrite. I think this is as simple as I can get the speed modifiers:

1. The speed modifier is based on the target's speed; except if the vehicles are moving in the same direction (side-by-side or tailgating*): if so, subtract the firer's speed from the target's speed (negative results count as zero**).
   
2. If the firer's arc is entirely within the target's front or back firing arc, the penalty is (Speed/20)-2 (round down, cannot be negative)
   
3. Otherwise, the penalty is (Speed/10)-2 (round down, cannot be negative)
   
4. Maximum penalty is -6.

* if there is any doubt about direction/arcs, do not modify the speed (this works in the defender's favor).
** Actually, any result under 30 and you can quit here - the speed mod will be zero.

As far as I can work out, this is exactly the same as the Compendium table; though some edge cases might change... e.g. the definition of 'same direction' might cause problems.

To simplify this, you could give all weapons +2 to hit and use -(Speed/10) or -(Speed/20), which give the same penalties in most cases.

Or a general +1 and remove the -1 penalty for targeting front/rear, but add +1 for targeting the side. Somehow swapping a penalty for a bonus seems more streamlined :/

Other than that, it would be useful if vehicle (and maybe component) size modifiers were on the vehicle record sheet (along with vehicle DM). This could take things like Sloped armor into account.

[jimmylogan]

Originally Posted by Chris Goodwin

Not much more. 2.5 says 30-37.5 is -1, 40-47.5 is -2, 50-57.5 is -3, on up to 80mph or faster which is -6. For vehicles with 5mph or better acceleration, that was good enough.

Actually that's exactly the same thing I said.

[jimmylogan]

Originally Posted by Magesmiley

The complexity isn't in the actual minuses, it was in figuring the relative speed to determine what speed value to use the modifier for.

If you look at it graphically it's actually pretty easy... Don't get bogged down in the minutia. Are you shooting out the front? Is the target moving side to side or at you?

Are you shooting out the side? Is the target moving side to side or at you?