Nevynxxx's SFS PbP

Game Master Nevynxxx

That about wraps up the scenario. I've filled out the chronicles and reported the event, so you should all see that session against your characters now if you look.

Last thing to do before I scan and send you all your chronicle sheets. Could you please perform a day job roll for me if you have one, and let me know what was left of your starting gold......

Headed out on vacation. I anticipate having access and probably more opportunities to use it, but one can never be certain. Please bot as necessary - but it shouldn’t be necessary.

Got the chronicle, thanks. And thanks for running the game, Nevynxxx.

Regarding starship combat, another game I played in ran it more like regular combat. Each ship ran through all its actions on its turn. The result wasn't great and you still needed a map.

On maps -- I could continue providing maps. The big obstacle remaining would be you communicating the enemy ship's move. For that we could key the columns alphabetically and number 1 set of 'rows' to provide location. We could label direction starting with 1 pointing up and to the right and continuing clockwise to 6 pointing straight up. Wooden Ships and Iron Men used that system, more or less, to describe starting positions in various scenarios.

Back to running starship combat -- I think it's important that we all know the phases. I've added stuff we might do outside the normal phase order to hurry things along.

0. Pre-Engineering. We discuss a plan for the round and change roles if needed.
1. Engineering Phase-- Engineer decides and rolls the engineering action.

1a. During engineering, pilot posts helm initiative check in a spoiler, so GM can declare initiative order immediately after Engineering check is resolved. Science Officer and pilot determine their order within helm phase.

2. Helm Phase -- The initiative check is already done. Science Officer and pilot execute actions, using spoilers to conceal results from each other if needed. Map updates.

2a. If gun crews know what they're going to do regardless of move results, they post their Gunnery rolls in a spoiler.

3. Gunnery Phase. -- Gun checks rolled if they haven't been spoilered. Gun checks resolved. Damage and criticals noted.

And roll back to Pre-Engineering.

The key to making starship combat move will be everyone posting promptly, and spoilering in advance when possible.

Thanks for that.

My only problem is the maps really. I think I'm one of the minority that thinks the starship rounds are actually better than normal initiative. A bit more communication between you lot as to planning and stuff may be nice. But I think that's a result of not having a map to base discussions on.

I may just see about getting an A4 dry-erase hexmap and using that to keep track myself.

The communication system you describe above sounds workable.