GM Advice - Starships and Starship Combat

[yukongil]

"Dr." Cupi wrote:

This hasn't been brought up yet but, has anyone toyed with the idea of giving the players more ships? (like a snub fighter or two, depending on the party size)

our first Starfinder gamer, we did this. All had personal fighters. The only issue I could see was that later on, when you are expected to take on bigger ships, the fighters will lack the firepower to breach its shields or DT reliably while being vaporized by one shot from the other guys cannons.

[BigNorseWolf]

yukongil wrote:

"Dr." Cupi wrote:

This hasn't been brought up yet but, has anyone toyed with the idea of giving the players more ships? (like a snub fighter or two, depending on the party size)

our first Starfinder gamer, we did this. All had personal fighters. The only issue I could see was that later on, when you are expected to take on bigger ships, the fighters will lack the firepower to breach its shields or DT reliably while being vaporized by one shot from the other guys cannons.

Form voltron. Problem solved.

["Dr." Cupi]

The only mechanical hiccup I'm running into conceptually is how well it would work if the PCs split the BP gained each level, let's say, between 2 ships (An interceptor and an explorer). By splitting the resources between the two ships, does that lower, maintain, or raise the PCs effective CR they can face?

This question is under the assumption that every time they level, both ships go up in tier.

[Metaphysician]

"Dr." Cupi wrote:

The only mechanical hiccup I'm running into conceptually is how well it would work if the PCs split the BP gained each level, let's say, between 2 ships (An interceptor and an explorer). By splitting the resources between the two ships, does that lower, maintain, or raise the PCs effective CR they can face?

This question is under the assumption that every time they level, both ships go up in tier.

It lowers it, because they would not, in fact, go up a tier every level. They wouldn't gain enough BP at each new level to provide a tier upgrade.

[Tryn]

"Dr." Cupi wrote:

This hasn't been brought up yet but, has anyone toyed with the idea of giving the players more ships? (like a snub fighter or two, depending on the party size)

I did this in one of my first space combats (the players could control the defense drones of a structure they have to protect) and it was awesome.

I plan to do something similar for the current game (give the player an explorer and a docked two seat fighter).
Regarding the BP: I use a story-BP system where I give them specific items or X free BP to upgrade their ship.
In this case I would keep both ships at the same level and adapt my encounters accordingly.

[Wingblaze]

AtlasSniperman wrote:

I'd love the ability to make multiple actions / round. So you can have a ship dump PC's in 1 crew ships and have little wasp swarms around an enemy ship XD

You can do that now. Minor crew actions.