Space Combat

[SID]

I want to run cinematic sequences of space-combat.

I am thinking of something really basic: Playing spaceships like people with machineguns, maybe that’s a good start. Have you played like this?

I heard there are additional mods for piloting and shooting like handling, steering and speed. I could use those! But where do I find them (for spaceships)?

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by SID

I want to run cinematic sequences of space-combat.

I am thinking of something really basic: Playing spaceships like people with machineguns, maybe that’s a good start. Have you played like this?

I heard there are additional mods for piloting and shooting like handling, steering and speed. I could use those! But where do I find them (for spaceships)?

Well first, you look at the vehicular combat rules that are right in the Basic Set.

If you're looking for less than that, you don't want to consider things like the Spaceships books. Maybe Action's chase rules or something from some Pyramid article would help.

[fdsa1234567890]

There are also the more cinematic rules for space combat from Spaceships 4, but those also could get fairly complex and Spaceships takes a bit of work to make workable as well.

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Well first, you look at the vehicular combat rules that are right in the Basic Set.

If you're looking for less than that, you don't want to consider things like the Spaceships books. Maybe Action's chase rules or something from some Pyramid article would help.

Pyramid 53's adaptation of chases to aerial dogfights is probably workable if you want fairly simple action rules that could be adapted to space combat. It is meant for aerial dogfights with modern fighters, but it otherwise works fine in a Star Wars sort of way.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by SID

I heard there are additional mods for piloting and shooting like handling, steering and speed. I could use those! But where do I find them (for spaceships)?

The straightforward answer to that question is "in the GURPS Spaceships series, which are available in PDF from Warehouse 23". In particular, there are basic space combat rules in the basic book GURPS Spaceships, and I think that those would probably do for cinematic WWI capital-ship combat. GURPS Spaceships 4 contains a combat-rules expansion for cinematic WWII naval combat, and an alternative combat system for space-is-not-an-ocean space combat.

Be aware that GURPS Spaceships (like much of GURPS) is something of a toolkit to build your own game with. It has to cover a vast range of sci-fi sources that make radically different assumptions about spaceship technology and performance. You will have to choose what drive and weapons tech your setting will involve, and then either build your own spaceships or revise the examples thoroughly.

[SID]

Thanks, it's clearer now.

[David Johansen]

You might want to look at the Space Opera Combat System from GURPS Lensman and Compendium II. It's a simple, abstract system where contests of piloting skills give gunnery bonuses. Shields flicker, busbars explode, and the crew runs from the left side of the bridge and back again.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by David Johansen

You might want to look at the Space Opera Combat System from GURPS Lensman and Compendium II.

Is that the same as the one found in GURPS Space (the 3e Space, that is)? Reminded me of the feel of the old FASA Star Trek RPG -- good at giving all the PCs something do to while fighting their one ship together, long on the operatic drama, ablating defenses and emergency damage control, without much regard for detailed power and momentum calculations to see which eggshell gets deleted by the enemy hammers first. Roll and shout!

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Is that the same as the one found in GURPS Space (the 3e Space, that is)?

No, Space for 3e (and probably the 3rd edition of that) was rather Traveller derived. Space Opera Combat System comes from Gurps Lensman.

The combat systme from Space 1e was quite abstract.

[Rolando]

3ed Space combat and 3ed Space Opera Combat System (SOCS, Lensman and Compendium II) can be used together and take the best of each. The "make everyone have something to do" and the fast and dramatic action of SOCS.

But using just what is in the 4ed Basic book is enough to play a game with simplified space combat, just make sure to have something for each player to do and inject dramatic actions, chases and dogfigts.

Most dogfighting scenes in movies and series have nothing to do with real combat, it is basically a contest of skill for advantageous positioning and the winner have a chance to shoot (shooting and damage as any other ranged combat).

But, for cinematic/space-opera combat I would lean towards the SOCS, but I think the dogfigthing rules in Pyramid is mostly that (contest of skills for positioning) with some added interesting nuances, but I haven't read it.