[Star Wars] Astrogation

[GoblynByte]

Originally Posted by Urban

How to be able to jump across the galaxy in a few hours without hitting any object in between do seem like pure magic

Exactly. Conversations about how it works are ultimately moot because it really just boils down to the fact that (in the movies) ships traveled at the "speed of drama." Ships are neither fast or slow, they arrive precisely when the author intends them to. However, that's a tough thing to work into an RPG when players and GMs are partial to having such things defined.

I would simply work out a simple formula for skill (of a navigator or computer) modified by the difficulty of the jump (NOT the physical distance of the jump!!) and the sophistication of the computer (if it is helping a navigator). Have the duration of the jump be a factor of their margin of success or failure.

By focusing more on the difficulty of the jump (rather than the distance) provides the GM with endless wiggle room in which he can exercise dramatic license. If they succeed well, they arrive in time to gain an advantage (the bad guys don't know they're coming). If they don't succeed very well (or fail) they arrive too late and lose the advantage (the bad guys warn someone of their arrival). And it will all keep with that Star Wars feel of being inconsistent and nigh magical.

[Phaelen Bleux]

Originally Posted by GoblynByte

Ships are neither fast or slow, they arrive precisely when the author intends them to.

Hmmmm. . .sounds a lot like wizards.

and the sophistication of the computer (if it is helping a navigator).

Although this then leads to the question of how much does the gear cost for more or less sophistication and more or less data.

Which then is dependent on how Astrogation works. . .hence my interlinked questions.

And BTW, I don't have an answer. . .I was just plugging for ideas.

At this point, I might go with advanced computers (Complexity 7+) and parsing the galaxy into more managable "gazetteers" that the PCs might have to buy piecemeal for the areas they want to travel in/to.

Astromechs would then hold pre-calculated jumps, and the older the calc is, the more of a penalty to Astrogation when the course plot is used.