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Vector Movement Made Simple

S

Supplement Four

SOC-14 5K
I just posted this in another thread, but I thought it might deserve it's own thread (for visibility).

The Book 2 starship combat system is the best, most role-playing-focused, Traveller space combat system I've ever used. It's my space combat system of choice.

But, the damn vector movement rules turns people off. I should know--it turned me off for years.

People want something simple to play. This is one reason why the simple Range Band version of Book 2 space combat in Starter Traveller is so popular.

Well, you can certainly use the Range Band method in Starter Traveller. I do.

But, you can also get a very good game out of the vector movement system, if you throw out the protractor and string, stop measuring mm, and plot out movement on a sheet of graph paper.

Here's how to get the most out of your Book 2 space combat vector movement system....


VECTOR MOVEMENT IN BOOK 2 STARSHIP COMBAT


VECTOR MOVEMENT MADE SIMPLE


Nobody I know (locally or on the net) uses the vector movement system in Book 2 for space combat. It's too bad, too, because the Book 2 space combat system is extremely fun and very focused on role playing (I typically cut back and forth between what's happening outside/inside the ship...or you can just play Book 2 space combat as a typical map-style game...but I always make it visual and put the players there aboard ship.).

Part of the problem with Book 2 space combat movement is the way it's written. It turns people off.

Try this, though...

Simply take a piece of graph paper (or a big sheet you'd buy from an artists' supply store) to plot movement.

Each square = 25mm (represents 2500 km in the game world).

Then, forget using a protractor to figure degrees. Simply use the squares for generalized direction: 0 degrees; 45 degrees; 90 degrees; 135 degrees; 180 degrees; 225 degrees; 270 degrees; 315 degrees.

Each of the sides and points of a square is an allowed direction of travel, moving clockwise around the square. So, a ship traveling along a vector at 135 degrees would be travelling down the south right point of the square. 180 degrees is travelling due south on a square. 0 degrees is travelling due north on the map. Etc. Should be easy to figure out (just pick a "north" side to the map).

Now, as you play Book 2 space combat, you're moving your ship a number of squares each turn. Remember that 4 squares (at 25mm each) will equal 10,000 km in the game world. A 1G ship can accelerate or decelerate up to 4 squares per round. Multiply the ship's M-Drive G rating by 4, and this will be the maximum number of squares the ship can accelerate/decelerate each round.

So...

You've got a 3G vessel at relative stop on the game board. Your ship can accelerate up to a max of 12 squares per round, or any number of squares less than that. If you accelerate at max for 3 rounds, your ship will be moving at 36 squares per round. If you want to slow down, you can slow your ship up to a max of 12 squares (so it will take you 3 turns to slow down to relative stop again). In one turn, you could decrease speed from 36 squares to 24 squares per round (but no more in one round).

Remember that a vector is a measurment of both speed and direction. So, your ship's vector will always include it's direction.

Let's say the top of the map is considered "north". If this is true, then:

0 degrees is "north".

45 degrees is "north east".

90 degrees is "east".

135 degrees is "south east".

180 degrees is "south".

225 degrees is "south west".

270 degrees is "west".

315 degrees is "north west".

(Just to make this cool, consider "north" as Galactic North on the map.)

If a ship's vector reads: 16 @ 315 degrees

Then that ship is travelling "north west" at 16 squares per space combat round.


And, that's it. Vector movement made simple. Follow what I've written above plus the rules in Book 2 for space combat, and you're in for a romping good time playing some Traveller starship encounters.
 
I just posted this in another thread, but I thought it might deserve it's own thread (for visibility).

The Book 2 starship combat system is the best, most role-playing-focused, Traveller space combat system I've ever used. It's my space combat system of choice.

But, the damn vector movement rules turns people off. I should know--it turned me off for years.

People want something simple to play. This is one reason why the simple Range Band version of Book 2 space combat in Starter Traveller is so popular.

Well, you can certainly use the Range Band method in Starter Traveller. I do.

But, you can also get a very good game out of the vector movement system, if you throw out the protractor and string, stop measuring mm, and plot out movement on a sheet of graph paper.

Here's how to get the most out of your Book 2 space combat vector movement system....


VECTOR MOVEMENT IN BOOK 2 STARSHIP COMBAT


VECTOR MOVEMENT MADE SIMPLE


Nobody I know (locally or on the net) uses the vector movement system in Book 2 for space combat. It's too bad, too, because the Book 2 space combat system is extremely fun and very focused on role playing (I typically cut back and forth between what's happening outside/inside the ship...or you can just play Book 2 space combat as a typical map-style game...but I always make it visual and put the players there aboard ship.).

Part of the problem with Book 2 space combat movement is the way it's written. It turns people off.

Try this, though...

Simply take a piece of graph paper (or a big sheet you'd buy from an artists' supply store) to plot movement.

Each square = 25mm (represents 2500 km in the game world).

Then, forget using a protractor to figure degrees. Simply use the squares for generalized direction: 0 degrees; 45 degrees; 90 degrees; 135 degrees; 180 degrees; 225 degrees; 270 degrees; 315 degrees.

Each of the sides and points of a square is an allowed direction of travel, moving clockwise around the square. So, a ship traveling along a vector at 135 degrees would be travelling down the south right point of the square. 180 degrees is travelling due south on a square. 0 degrees is travelling due north on the map. Etc. Should be easy to figure out (just pick a "north" side to the map).

Now, as you play Book 2 space combat, you're moving your ship a number of squares each turn. Remember that 4 squares (at 25mm each) will equal 10,000 km in the game world. A 1G ship can accelerate or decelerate up to 4 squares per round. Multiply the ship's M-Drive G rating by 4, and this will be the maximum number of squares the ship can accelerate/decelerate each round.

So...

You've got a 3G vessel at relative stop on the game board. Your ship can accelerate up to a max of 12 squares per round, or any number of squares less than that. If you accelerate at max for 3 rounds, your ship will be moving at 36 squares per round. If you want to slow down, you can slow your ship up to a max of 12 squares (so it will take you 3 turns to slow down to relative stop again). In one turn, you could decrease speed from 36 squares to 24 squares per round (but no more in one round).

Remember that a vector is a measurment of both speed and direction. So, your ship's vector will always include it's direction.

Let's say the top of the map is considered "north". If this is true, then:

0 degrees is "north".

45 degrees is "north east".

90 degrees is "east".

135 degrees is "south east".

180 degrees is "south".

225 degrees is "south west".

270 degrees is "west".

315 degrees is "north west".

(Just to make this cool, consider "north" as Galactic North on the map.)

If a ship's vector reads: 16 @ 315 degrees

Then that ship is travelling "north west" at 16 squares per space combat round.


And, that's it. Vector movement made simple. Follow what I've written above plus the rules in Book 2 for space combat, and you're in for a romping good time playing some Traveller starship encounters.
 
Was the Starter Traveller range band re-published? I didnt notice in the Classic 0-8 reprint. Maybe I'll find it in the JTAS reprints...

Personally I love the idea of book 2 as it is and was considering using it in the upcoming games I am running, although it does take a bit of space, and the time scale seems VERY wrong - 10 minutes per turn, with one chance to attack per weapon, if I recall correctly?

An issue I see with your proposal is that a ship moving diagonally is moving 41.4% faster than if it moved horizontally or vertically.
 
Was the Starter Traveller range band re-published? I didnt notice in the Classic 0-8 reprint. Maybe I'll find it in the JTAS reprints...

Personally I love the idea of book 2 as it is and was considering using it in the upcoming games I am running, although it does take a bit of space, and the time scale seems VERY wrong - 10 minutes per turn, with one chance to attack per weapon, if I recall correctly?

An issue I see with your proposal is that a ship moving diagonally is moving 41.4% faster than if it moved horizontally or vertically.
 
Originally posted by MaineCoon:
An issue I see with your proposal is that a ship moving diagonally is moving 41.4% faster than if it moved horizontally or vertically.
Click to expand...
Yes, because the squares are longer diagonally rather than up-down or across the middle.

But, it's simple. And, it works well (about the same as Range Band movement).

You could use a piece of hex paper rather than graph paper. I just chose graph paper because it's easier to obtain at an artists' supply store (or an office supply, or even a drafting supplies store).

Note that the extra movement is not a big issue because (1) both sides can do it, and (2) because the only real penalties are for laser combat at range (-2 at 2500mm and -5 at 5000mm).

I would definitely use this system (and I might in my game--the squares is actually a little more detailed than the range band method).

I wouldn't worry about the diagonals at all--it has very little effect on gameplay.

But, if it does bother you, then absolutely play Book 2 space combat as written.
 
Originally posted by MaineCoon:
An issue I see with your proposal is that a ship moving diagonally is moving 41.4% faster than if it moved horizontally or vertically.
Click to expand...
Yes, because the squares are longer diagonally rather than up-down or across the middle.

But, it's simple. And, it works well (about the same as Range Band movement).

You could use a piece of hex paper rather than graph paper. I just chose graph paper because it's easier to obtain at an artists' supply store (or an office supply, or even a drafting supplies store).

Note that the extra movement is not a big issue because (1) both sides can do it, and (2) because the only real penalties are for laser combat at range (-2 at 2500mm and -5 at 5000mm).

I would definitely use this system (and I might in my game--the squares is actually a little more detailed than the range band method).

I wouldn't worry about the diagonals at all--it has very little effect on gameplay.

But, if it does bother you, then absolutely play Book 2 space combat as written.
 
Originally posted by MaineCoon:
Was the Starter Traveller range band re-published? I didnt notice in the Classic 0-8 reprint. Maybe I'll find it in the JTAS reprints...
Click to expand...
No, it wasn't re-published. But, all you need to know about it is included in the that link I posted above referring my (and Sig's) discussion of the Starter Traveller range band method. Just click on the link, pull out your Book 2 space combat, and read those couple of posts. You'll have the range band method in your game without purchasing Starter Traveller.
 
Originally posted by MaineCoon:
Was the Starter Traveller range band re-published? I didnt notice in the Classic 0-8 reprint. Maybe I'll find it in the JTAS reprints...
Click to expand...
No, it wasn't re-published. But, all you need to know about it is included in the that link I posted above referring my (and Sig's) discussion of the Starter Traveller range band method. Just click on the link, pull out your Book 2 space combat, and read those couple of posts. You'll have the range band method in your game without purchasing Starter Traveller.
 
Robject has reminded me that I've forgotten one thing about using these simple vector movement rules...


FUTURE POSITION


You can use graph paper or hex paper for your playing map. I sometimes use hex paper and counters from Mayday. But, I'll also pull out some graph paper, tack it to a cork board I purchased from an office supply store, and then use pins (with those colored sticky dots for the tops of the pins) to represent ships. Keeping the ships (pins) on the cork board like this means that your positions won't be lost in-between games, even if you take the cork board and lean it up against the wall behind the couch.

You can use counters from another game (Brilliant Lances, Mayday, etc), minis, pins (as I describe above), or even pencil marks on your graph paper to represent your ship positions.

You can even to to this page http://zho.berka.com/goodies/ and make your own counters using the counter generator you'll find there. Print them out (color, if you want) and past them to some cardboard...and walaa...you've got customized counters for your game.

But...the point of this post is...

Each ship on your board requires two counters.

You'll need one counter to represent your ship, and you'll need another counter to represent the ship's future position.

You see, this is vector movement--much more realistic than what you see in Star Wars. Your ships just can't flip on a dime at a 90 degree angle if their M-Drive can't adjust velocity in such a manner.

If you've got a 1G vessel, and you're moving at 12 @ 0 degrees, then that means your ship is moving 12 squares per round in the "north" direction.

Well, if you want to, say, turn to a similar vector at 90 degrees, you can't do that in one round. Your M-Drive doesn't have the juice.

This is where your future position marker comes into play.

When you move a ship during space combat using these rules, you can move the future position maker by any amount up to the limits of your ship's M-Drive.

Using the above example, that ship's future position marker can be moved, in any direction, by a number of squares equal to M-Drive rating times 4. So, since that ship has a 1G drive, the future position marker can be moved by up to 4 squares in any direction.

The ship's Future Position marker shows the exact spot the ship will be moved to during its movement phase.

But...

The ship's momentum in a certain direction must be maintained. (You will find that it takes a long time, at any sort of speed, to make your ship go in a circle or drastically change position....it's like a large ship out on the water having to take a long time to make a 90 degree turn).

So, to account for this, here's what you do.

When you are moving your vessel during the movement phase, before any adjustments are made to the ship's Future Position marker, count out where the Future Position marker would be if the FPM was not influenced by the ship's M-Drive.

For example, if your 1G vessel were moving at 0 degrees at a speed of 12, then your ship would be in one square. 12 hexes north of the ship's positon would be the ship's FPM.

Take your finger and count out where the new FPM would be if the ship's velocity remained unchanged.

In this example, you'd have your ship in one square. 12 squares north of that position would be the FP marker. And, 12 squares north of that would be your finger.

Now, simply adjust your finger as you would the FPM (an amount, in any direction, equal to the ship's G rating times 4). Make the exact same adjustment to the FPM.

Then, just move the FPM to where your finger is, and move the ship to the old position of the FPM.

And, you've preserved your ship's direction of momentum and angle of thrust.

Simple as that.
 
Robject has reminded me that I've forgotten one thing about using these simple vector movement rules...


FUTURE POSITION


You can use graph paper or hex paper for your playing map. I sometimes use hex paper and counters from Mayday. But, I'll also pull out some graph paper, tack it to a cork board I purchased from an office supply store, and then use pins (with those colored sticky dots for the tops of the pins) to represent ships. Keeping the ships (pins) on the cork board like this means that your positions won't be lost in-between games, even if you take the cork board and lean it up against the wall behind the couch.

You can use counters from another game (Brilliant Lances, Mayday, etc), minis, pins (as I describe above), or even pencil marks on your graph paper to represent your ship positions.

You can even to to this page http://zho.berka.com/goodies/ and make your own counters using the counter generator you'll find there. Print them out (color, if you want) and past them to some cardboard...and walaa...you've got customized counters for your game.

But...the point of this post is...

Each ship on your board requires two counters.

You'll need one counter to represent your ship, and you'll need another counter to represent the ship's future position.

You see, this is vector movement--much more realistic than what you see in Star Wars. Your ships just can't flip on a dime at a 90 degree angle if their M-Drive can't adjust velocity in such a manner.

If you've got a 1G vessel, and you're moving at 12 @ 0 degrees, then that means your ship is moving 12 squares per round in the "north" direction.

Well, if you want to, say, turn to a similar vector at 90 degrees, you can't do that in one round. Your M-Drive doesn't have the juice.

This is where your future position marker comes into play.

When you move a ship during space combat using these rules, you can move the future position maker by any amount up to the limits of your ship's M-Drive.

Using the above example, that ship's future position marker can be moved, in any direction, by a number of squares equal to M-Drive rating times 4. So, since that ship has a 1G drive, the future position marker can be moved by up to 4 squares in any direction.

The ship's Future Position marker shows the exact spot the ship will be moved to during its movement phase.

But...

The ship's momentum in a certain direction must be maintained. (You will find that it takes a long time, at any sort of speed, to make your ship go in a circle or drastically change position....it's like a large ship out on the water having to take a long time to make a 90 degree turn).

So, to account for this, here's what you do.

When you are moving your vessel during the movement phase, before any adjustments are made to the ship's Future Position marker, count out where the Future Position marker would be if the FPM was not influenced by the ship's M-Drive.

For example, if your 1G vessel were moving at 0 degrees at a speed of 12, then your ship would be in one square. 12 hexes north of the ship's positon would be the ship's FPM.

Take your finger and count out where the new FPM would be if the ship's velocity remained unchanged.

In this example, you'd have your ship in one square. 12 squares north of that position would be the FP marker. And, 12 squares north of that would be your finger.

Now, simply adjust your finger as you would the FPM (an amount, in any direction, equal to the ship's G rating times 4). Make the exact same adjustment to the FPM.

Then, just move the FPM to where your finger is, and move the ship to the old position of the FPM.

And, you've preserved your ship's direction of momentum and angle of thrust.

Simple as that.
 
I'm sorry ... where is that post? I want to read it!

Paul E[

QUOTE]Originally posted by WJP:
Originally posted by MaineCoon:
Was the Starter Traveller range band re-published? I didnt notice in the Classic 0-8 reprint. Maybe I'll find it in the JTAS reprints...
Click to expand...
No, it wasn't re-published. But, all you need to know about it is included in the that link I posted above referring my (and Sig's) discussion of the Starter Traveller range band method. Just click on the link, pull out your Book 2 space combat, and read those couple of posts. You'll have the range band method in your game without purchasing Starter Traveller. [/QUOTE]
 
I'm sorry ... where is that post? I want to read it!

Paul E[

QUOTE]Originally posted by WJP:
Originally posted by MaineCoon:
Was the Starter Traveller range band re-published? I didnt notice in the Classic 0-8 reprint. Maybe I'll find it in the JTAS reprints...
Click to expand...
No, it wasn't re-published. But, all you need to know about it is included in the that link I posted above referring my (and Sig's) discussion of the Starter Traveller range band method. Just click on the link, pull out your Book 2 space combat, and read those couple of posts. You'll have the range band method in your game without purchasing Starter Traveller. [/QUOTE]
 
Originally posted by flykiller:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Then that ship is travelling "north west" at 16 squares per space combat round.
Click to expand...
so we're talking one enormous sheet of paper here. </font>[/QUOTE]I always just keep track of the distance between two ships. The paper doesn't have to be that big for that.

It doesn't matter if velocity is 16 squares or 50 squares per space combat round. It's the distance between two combatants that counts.
 
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