Hi,
In the PF forums I have been asking for some advice how to play PF while visually impaired. I assume that just about all advice I can get there will help with SF as well.
So why am I here?
Because SF has space combat. I'm curious to know how complex/convoluted the space combat is, and whether or not it's something you can do "in the theatre of the mind" or if you really NEED to use miniatures.
If the latter, how complicated is the miniatures portion of space combat? Are firing arcs and the like very finicky and you'd really need to be able to see to use them?
I'm especially interested in the viability of the space combat for NOT using a hex map and minis. Although if firing arcs are done in hexes or combos of hexes I imagine a little notch at each corner might settle that out.
Thanks so much :)
Yeah, everything in space combat is measured in hexes, from your ship's facing, to weapon arcs and ranges, to how long it takes a ship to turn 60 degrees.
It could be done through description, but there would need be to be someone who could see to use the visual. "There's four ships at the edge of our sensors Captain. Twelve hexes (space units to stay in character) away on the starboard side."
Notches at the corners may be useful for navigating the map through touch. Keeping track of your ship's facing though may be difficult.
Do you think it's too complicated to describe verbally?
Back in the D&D 2nd ed days we only used minis for show, or to make a rough battle map. We mostly described the battle meticulously and called out distances (An orc croching behind a boulder 30 feet 10'o'clock sort of thing). We did sketch it out quickly though for battles with more than like 10 things to a side.
How big can space battles be in SF? How finicky are the arcs and facings? Do you think getting rid of the hexes and just using measurements (an inch a hex or whatever) would work if you are clear about which hex-arcs on the bases face where?
I was unsuccessful in finding any descriptions of space combat in SF that weren't videos, so I'm not clear on how it works out atm.
Hopefully someone here will have enough patience to fill me in :D
I know, I'm asking a lot! :-\
Edit: Has anyone ever seen a hex board that had the hex-lines raised? Cuz that would also work for tactile feedback!
Everything but the pilot is very easy to keep track of. Everyone else is just making a skill check or shooting every round
What's the pilot have to manage?
What's the pilot have to manage?
The pilot's skills directly affect the ship's defenses, and they're the one doing all of the movement. An average maneuverability starship needs to move at least one hex forward before it can turn once, and there's a list of stunts the pilot can perform. The pilot needs to ensure the ship has the correct side facing the enemy, evade the opponents, and decide how the ship will move each helm phase.
Space combat is played on a hexagonal grid. You'd need to know where the pieces are in relationship to each other, and its hard to describe (because one row left or right is also half a row up or over) , you'd need to know your facing, the enemy facing, how your four shields are doing, how their four shields are doing, and what the options for flying do to try to get you behind them do.
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Hello again!
I think you can do starship combat without a map. However you need a party that is willing to work with you.
My current go to is to in character present a map on the ships primary display as part of a suite of "Combat Protocols" embedded into every starship.
As such a common callout would be like this
DM: As your starship streaks out of the drift your sensors detect a starship. The ship refuses all attempts at hailing and your shipboard computer drops into Combat Protocols.
A large map is drawn on your screen showing the enemy ship at seven hexes out with a large four hex object between the two of you and several large asteroids scattered throughout the battlezone. Your computer calculates your ship will move one hex in distance before you can overcome it's inertia and successfully turn.
The players then have a mental map.
This works better if you are willing to do the battleship grid trick and label quadrants or sections of the grid.
Right on, thanks all :)
How big are the hexes out of curiosity? Are the turns measured out in 60 degree chunks? I'm starting to wonder if the hexless movement from another game could be applied. In that game you have minimum movements and the like before you can maneuver again, too.
Other game being Star Fleet Battles / Federation Commander (great games! trying to figure out how to stay with those, too).
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You can easily remove the map, in my view.
All you’d need to do would be some kind of opposed pilot check/checks to determine range and which arcs are in play for each ship (those are the only real statistics of any meaning).
I’d modify the ability of each pilot to affect the range based on the speed of their ship and have two pilot checks for position - one to get your chosen arc facing the enemy and one to be shooting at the arc you prefer to target.
Right on, thanks all.