So ... engine damage causes a penalty on pilot actions (p321).
Does this include the Piloting check at the commencement of the Helm phase to see who goes last (p317)?
RAW I think probably not, as this check is not listed as a pilot action (p324).
But, the simple Fly action doesn't require a check. Neither does the Glide minor action (p326), whose text ("... if no other pilot actions") is certainly suggestive that it counts as one, and therefore that the list on p324 is not exhaustive.
It seems to me like there should be some penalty for all movement, especially at higher states of damage (beyond Glitching). One obvious penalty would be to decrease your chance of going last, by having the engine damage penalty also apply to the initial Helm check.
What do you guys think?
I think you make an excellent point.
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I think the penalty from having damage to engines does not apply because the penalty is applied to the pilot actions.
Rolling to determine who moves first is a Piloting skill check (pg. 317) and not a Pilot action.
Since both the Fly and Glide actions do not require a check there is no reason to apply a penalty. If those actions did require a check, then yes, they would be subject to the penalty.
I think the penalty from having damage to engines does not apply because the penalty is applied to the pilot actions.
Rolling to determine who moves first is a Piloting skill check (pg. 317) and not a Pilot action.
Since both the Fly and Glide actions do not require a check there is no reason to apply a penalty. If those actions did require a check, then yes, they would be subject to the penalty.
As I said up top, I agree that is *probably* RAW, but that seems ... wrong. Surely you shouldn't be able to Glide without penalty with Wrecked engines, and you should take a penalty even to Fly with Malfunctioning engines?
I think for my home games, I'll treat that go-first roll as a Pilot action (and hence penalised by Glitching and Malfunctions; I guess Wrecked engines will have to mean you auto go-first as befits what ought be a sitting duck). I'll see how that goes, and adjust if this becomes the "one true tactic".
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Maybe in real world, but this is still science fantasy so I can live with some things not making perfect sense just to have fun playing.
Keep in mind that the starship only stops functioning when it reaches 0 Hull Points.
But for home games, that is cool.
Having ran several space battles at GenCon, I believe the rules are pretty well balanced to keep the combat moving and not making it totally lopsided as ships start to take damage.
I think the penalty from having damage to engines does not apply because the penalty is applied to the pilot actions.
Rolling to determine who moves first is a Piloting skill check (pg. 317) and not a Pilot action.
Since both the Fly and Glide actions do not require a check there is no reason to apply a penalty. If those actions did require a check, then yes, they would be subject to the penalty.
As I said up top, I agree that is *probably* RAW, but that seems ... wrong. Surely you shouldn't be able to Glide without penalty with Wrecked engines, and you should take a penalty even to Fly with Malfunctioning engines?
I think for my home games, I'll treat that go-first roll as a Pilot action (and hence penalised by Glitching and Malfunctions; I guess Wrecked engines will have to mean you auto go-first as befits what ought be a sitting duck). I'll see how that goes, and adjust if this becomes the "one true tactic".
I could also see fly and glide actions being auto-succeed with a fully functioning engine, but not with a damaged one. Require a check (15+1xtier)? with the associated penalty. Wrecked auto fails. I'd say a failed fly means you move at 1/2 speed and/or receive a -2 to AC/TL. A failed glide means the -2 (or 4) to AC/TL (note a ship below 0 hp continues to move at 1/2 speed in its last direction until destroyed) - so this represents an uncontrolled ship. A wrecked also auto fails. Possibly an interesting possibility on a failed check with a wrecked drive would be tumbling. Move 1/2 speed in current direction. Facing at the end of move is random. +2 to AC, -4 to TL and -4 to all weapons.
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That would make have a couple of good engineers on the ship a priority to try and minimize all that damage.
But if a ship is that damaged, it is likely close to being 0 Hull Points.
Doing what you are suggesting will likely lead to players to take the tactic to target engines all the time because it will make it so difficult to fly the ship.