[Star Wars] Astrogation

[Phaelen Bleux]

I'm trying to collect bits a pieces to start a SW campaign at some point. I began looking at Astrogation as it might apply to SW. A few quandries:

(1.) How hard should Astrogation skill be? M/A seems a little generous for the SW universe.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Astrogation

(2.) What Complexity computer would be needed to handle astrogation calculations?

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Navigation_computer

(3.) How large of a database to you need to keep track of 180 billion objects in constant motion with X,Y,Z coordinates and basic planetary descriptions?

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_galaxy

[Wildcat]

Just off the top of my head, I would place Astrogation as a Very Hard skill with no default. Minimum equipment for astrogation would be an astromech droid, which I would say would have you rolling at -2 to skill, unless it was an especially good astromech droid. An on-board astrogation computer (rare on even the biggest fighters, but common on everything bigger) would allow you to roll at full skill. There could conceivably be high-quality computers that might give as much as +2 to skill.

Updating your database frequently is important to keeping everything safe. After a week without updating your computer, you're at -1; after a month, -2; six months, -3; a year or more, -5.

I couldn't say about questions 2 and 3.

[vicky_molokh]

I wouldn't bother changing difficulty from whatever Basic Set offers. Instead, I would take a closer look at the range penalties to be employed for the rolls, and what Equipment Modifiers should be.

This is another one of those cases where it is unclear how exactly should Intuitive Mathematician behave.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Phaelen Bleux

I'm trying to collect bits a pieces to start a SW campaign at some point. I began looking at Astrogation as it might apply to SW. A few quandries:

(1.) How hard should Astrogation skill be? M/A seems a little generous for the SW universe.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Astrogation

I don't agree. Interstellar Navigation with a charted route is a pretty routine task undertaken reliably by people who don't seem to have much of an education like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Hard mental skills usually require significant academic credentials.

(2.) What Complexity computer would be needed to handle astrogation calculations?

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Navigation_computer

The fact that Astromech droids can manage minimal navigation computer duties in addition to all their other capabilities says to me that a personal computer would be adequate for a small ship but large ships or scout vessels probably use a a micro or main frame for the bigger database.

(3.) How large of a database to you need to keep track of 180 billion objects in constant motion with X,Y,Z coordinates and basic planetary descriptions?

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_galaxy

Yeeeah. Nobody has that much information about the galaxy. The existence of new charts allowing for surprise attacks from new directions has been a plot point on Clone Wars.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I wouldn't bother changing difficulty from whatever Basic Set offers. Instead, I would take a closer look at the range penalties to be employed for the rolls, and what Equipment Modifiers should be.

Do range penalties generally apply to Navigation rolls? I could see using the Long-Distance modifiers for this, though it's not mentioned in the skill description. Of course, while that keeps terrestrial range penalties relatively modest, interplanetary and interstellar distances would still give oppressively heavy penalties.

This is another one of those cases where it is unclear how exactly should Intuitive Mathematician behave.

If Astrogation can be done with just a hyperspace chart and scientific calculator, then Intuitive Mathematics would count as basic equipment. If it's considerably more involved (requiring a computer to model the projected path and all nearby bodies in 4D, for example) then IM isn't sufficient, being Improvised Equipment at best.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

I don't agree. Interstellar Navigation with a charted route is a pretty routine task undertaken reliably by people who don't seem to have much of an education like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Hard mental skills usually require significant academic credentials.

Agreed. The hyperspace mishaps that occur in the fiction all seem to come about from external factors, like damaged equipment, inadequate charts, and insufficient plotting time.

[Walrus]

Originally Posted by Phaelen Bleux

(1.) How hard should Astrogation skill be? M/A seems a little generous for the SW universe.

What don't you like in Navigation (Space) and Navigation (Hyperspace)?
And do you just stick to use 3e terms (M/P skills) or use them actually?

(2.) What Complexity computer would be needed to handle astrogation calculations?

They don't seem to be very complex. Complexity 2 or 3 seem appropriate.

(3.) How large of a database to you need to keep track of 180 billion objects in constant motion with X,Y,Z coordinates and basic planetary descriptions?

It's no more than 1000 Tb including some calculation and encoding software. Even with nowadays technology it's not so much.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

Do range penalties generally apply to Navigation rolls? I could see using the Long-Distance modifiers for this, though it's not mentioned in the skill description. Of course, while that keeps terrestrial range penalties relatively modest, interplanetary and interstellar distances would still give oppressively heavy penalties.

Or you can declare that a 2-pc jump is +0, and use the Speed/Range Table, substituting parsecs for yards. Just an example. It's your campaign, some decisions have to be made.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Wildcat

Just off the top of my head, I would place Astrogation as a Very Hard skill with no default. Minimum equipment for astrogation would be an astromech droid, which I would say would have you rolling at -2 to skill, unless it was an especially good astromech droid. An on-board astrogation computer (rare on even the biggest fighters, but common on everything bigger) would allow you to roll at full skill. There could conceivably be high-quality computers that might give as much as +2 to skill.

Updating your database frequently is important to keeping everything safe. After a week without updating your computer, you're at -1; after a month, -2; six months, -3; a year or more, -5.

I couldn't say about questions 2 and 3.

I disagree.
Several fighters can jump into hyperdrive in the movies.
This tells me its not that hard a skill, you dont train that many people to do something like that and failures would be too big a problem so they would have to buy up the skill.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Several fighters can jump into hyperdrive in the movies.

All fighters with hyperspace have Astromechs. At least according to the WEG rules, Astromechs aren't capable of calculating a new hyperjump but can hold preprogrammed settings for several jumps with known entry and exit points.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

All fighters with hyperspace have Astromechs. At least according to the WEG rules, Astromechs aren't capable of calculating a new hyperjump but can hold preprogrammed settings for several jumps with known entry and exit points.

Sure but the post I replied to was using Astromechs as a -2