Dogfighting: Gunner or Vehicle Skill?

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Here's a simplified version of dogfighting combat, which is how I'd play it:

Contest of Piloting vs Piloting to get a favorable maneuvering for attacking. The Hnd stat comes into play here.

Gunner (Machine Gun or Rockets) or Artillery (Guided Missile) for the actual attack. If using multi-second deals - like the system in Spaceships - use the Acc of the weapon to adjust the target number, along with Size, Speed, and Range modifiers, as at least part of the time will effectively be taking Aim maneuvers.

Pilot-Based Vehicular Dodge roll to avoid incoming attacks.

That help?

After a bit of research (read: watching War Thunder gameplay with Squire), I've come to the conclusion that Piloting really would come into play before actual gunfire, as far as more "historical" dogfights are concerned. It seems to be just as important as infantry formations, flanking and such is on land.

I'd like to mention that the rules for tracers and tracking your shots would be very useful, but I'm afraid I don't recall where those rules are. Probably HT or Tactical Shooting.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Tallor

I'd like to mention that the rules for tracers and tracking your shots would be very useful, but I'm afraid I don't recall where those rules are. Probably HT or Tactical Shooting.

Walking the burst is on Tactical Shooting p16. Tracer effects are on HT 175. It seems like the mechanics are cumulative?

Walking the Burst probably should be more of a problem in air-to-air combat, because you can't usefully observe the bullets' impact when, if they miss the target, they're landing a very very long way off behind and below. Whether that should invalidate the mechanic altogether or just add in an unlisted penalty I'm not sure.

(Also, War Thunder! ...ATGMs coming soon.)

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Tallor

It seems to be just as important as infantry formations, flanking and such is on land.

Those would be Tactics, and while useful, that skill isn't a roll to replace your to-hit roll with (say) Broadsword. They're also somewhat less integrated with the second-to-second results.

I'd use MoS in a Piloting Contest to give a TDM to the Gunner roll. High deflection shots aren't as easy as the rear-quarter ones.

[Anders]

Or you could use Piloting as a complementary skill. That would be another way to solve it.