If you could change space combat, how would you do it?

[Disco Soup]

So I'm working on a project. I want to know what you, reader, would change about the way space combat works in MgT if you had the opportunity to do so? I'm interested in the following: What do you like/dislike from High Guard? What functionality would you like to see given to the different crew positions (Captain, Pilot, Gunner, etc.)? Anything you want to see added? Removed? Just plain kept?

 

[Ulsyus]

Simultaneous movement and firing needs to be added. Players have to anticipate or work out likely moves by their opponent, plan theirs based on their assessments and what their mission is or immediate outcomes need to be, and it allows for special benefits like an initiative holder or player with a special game skill benefit to have that make a big difference in the moments when it's used.

 

[Disco Soup]

I may be making just the thing you're looking for. It's going to be called All Hands to Battle Stations!, and it will feature expanded roles for every crew member, including perils for civilians. Just how the Captains get to give orders, pilots can choose some maneuvers and gunners get to fire offensively and point defense, the science officer/sensor officer (if you have one) gets more to do, all sorts of problems and opportunities for the engineer and damage control, and fun things for marines and fighter pilots.

I'm going to include some flowchart-based encounters. Each one gives the ref a few options at various points, then directs him to which player he should call out next. There's going to be an asteroid belt chase, a gas giant atmospheric battle, running pursuits to race to the jump limit and more.

 

[Timerover51]

Make it much shorter range in general, remember that any hard objects launched keep moving in the same vectors unless bent by a gravitational field, and that you are limited by the range and angular accuracy of your sensor systems.

 

[Putraack]

I'm leaning towards fewer opposed die-rolls, that seemed to drag things out in the last few fights I've refereed.

Expanded crew functions would be nice, I've been using some of that. Perhaps if most crew members had options, rather than doing just one thing over and over.

 

[dilettante]

I would change how damage is calculated. Six points of armor renders two of the most common weapons on PC ships -- missiles and beam lasers -- ineffective.

 

[McPerth]

I would change how damage is calculated. Six points of armor renders two of the most common weapons on PC ships -- missiles and beam lasers -- ineffective.

I partially agree with you in this point, but I guess any armor over 4 (5% volume using cristallion) puts the ship on the military range armor, as it either needs quite a lot of volume (5% with Bonded superdense to 15% with Steel armor) and cost (50% with Bonded Superdense to 15% with Steel). This loss of volume or increase in price could not be practical in merchant ships.

This aside, that's the answer Aramis gave me on a similar comment:

McPerth: you're forgetting one aspect of MGT - margin of success adds to damage. A 1D laser with a good gunner can get a good shot and pen that armor.

As we discussed latter (you can read in the next posts on the thred the quote is taken from), it seems that was on playtest, but was not specified in the rules (I must assumed it didn't pass playtest), but it's quite coherent with personal combat, and I think it's a useful house rule.

Off course, this will only push up the treeshold at which you're invulnerable to those wepons, but I gues sthis teeshold should exist (and pushing it to armor 10-12, that is a heavy curiser/battleship armor, is fine IMHO).

 

[dilettante]

Skill check effect vs. armor

As we discussed latter (you can read in the next posts on the thred the quote is taken from), it seems that was on playtest, but was not specified in the rules (I must assumed it didn't pass playtest), but it's quite coherent with personal combat, and I think it's a useful house rule.

I agree that the effect of the gunnery skill check should affect the effectiveness of an attack as it does with personal combat and barrage attacks. This would make space combat considerably more deadly for no-armor vessels (most PC ships). A highly skilled gunner could make a sandcaster a deadly weapon.
If I were to introduce this as a house rule I think I would have to limit it. Perhaps allowing the attacking vessel to ignore armor points up to the effect of the skill check. That is, skill would allow the attacker to circumvent armor, but damage would still be governed largely by the power of your weapons.
Still thinking about this but good fodder to chew on.

 

[McPerth]

I agree that the effect of the gunnery skill check should affect the effectiveness of an attack as it does with personal combat and barrage attacks. This would make space combat considerably more deadly for no-armor vessels (most PC ships). A highly skilled gunner could make a sandcaster a deadly weapon.

Well, IDK about your players, but most ships mine have had (Scout, Seeker, Free/far traders) have some armor. In fact, the classic ships without it in MgT are the fat trader, lab ship and corsair...

If I were to introduce this as a house rule I think I would have to limit it. Perhaps allowing the attacking vessel to ignore armor points up to the effect of the skill check. That is, skill would allow the attacker to circumvent armor, but damage would still be governed largely by the power of your weapons.
Still thinking about this but good fodder to chew on.

IMHO, adding the effect to the damage roll is a good way to reflect a good hit and discriminate it from a marginal one, and, as said, quite coherent with personal combat, so, again IMHO, if applied, it should be regardless armor.

See that in the case of missiles, the effecdt that would aply would be the one for the final rol (without direct effect from the gunner, as it's an independnet roll).

A good gunner (let's say skill level 3) with good computer support could obtain, by rolling boxes, about effect 10 hit or more, meaning what in many games would be a critical hit, and able to damage even a battleship (though probably it will hardly feel it, as it would be a scratch).