Starship turning radius clarification

[Matthew Busch]

During one of my groups recent Starfinder starship combat battles, our group manuevered into combat. We followed a straight line towards an enemy craft making no manuevers other than following a straight line. On the next turn I being the pilot wanted to turn towards the aft of the enemy craft as we had approached it from the port side aft. Our GM then informed me that I could not immediately turn until we had fulfilled our turn mode which at the time was four.
I would like clarification on the rule of how manuevering works. Is the turn mode fulfilled when a) you have progressed along a straight line and it carries over from turn to turn as long as no turns are made or b) Turn modes are reset at the beginning of each turn regardless of the previous movement?

[HammerJack]

From CRB page 319:
Turns
While moving, a starship can make turns, altering its forward movement direction, firing arcs, and shield quadrants. One turn changes a starship’s forward facing by 60 degrees, or one side of a hex. Every round in which a starship turns, it must move a certain number of hexes before each turn, determined by its maneuverability (see the table below). For example, a ship with average maneuverability making two turns in a round must move at least 2 hexes before its first turn, and at least 2 more hexes before its second turn. If a starship has perfect maneuverability (the distance between turns is 0), the ship can make two turns for each hex that it moves (allowing it to turn around a single point). The number of turns per round a starship can take is limited only by its speed and maneuverability. Turns don’t count against a starship’s movement speed. If a ship with average maneuverability has a speed of 8, it can usually turn a total of four times during a single round. A ship’s maneuverability also modifies Piloting checks for it

So, you need to move forward in that round, before you can turn.

[breithauptclan]

Matthew Busch wrote:

I could not immediately turn until we had fulfilled our turn mode which at the time was four.

Turn rating of 4? How are you guys piloting something that large?

Anyway, official rules: yes, you have to make straight line movement for a minimum of your turn rating before turning the first time on your turn.

Now, a houserule that makes sense is that you can carry over any straight line movement from the previous turn to pay for the turn rating cost. But then you would have to track how much straight line movement you had made when you ended your last turn. Normally that isn't worth it, but for a ship with a turn rating of 4 - it might be.

[BigNorseWolf]

One piloting option is to reduce your ships maneuverability

Which you may want to look into as you're apparently flying a grand piano

Maneuver (Helm Phase)

You move your starship up to its speed. You can also attempt a Piloting check (DC = 15 + 1–1/2 × your starship’s tier) to reduce your starship’s distance between turns by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

(this is really weird it works like a stunt but its listed elsewhere)

[breithauptclan]

BigNorseWolf wrote:

this is really weird it works like a stunt but its listed elsewhere

It is a bit odd.

The only reason that I can see for not listing it with the other stunts is so that it doesn't become a Push action.

[Samantha DeWinter]

If you're piloting a Colossal or Supercolossal ship, I think your strategy generally has to become "pound the enemy into paste with your turrets". You don't dogfight in a Dreadnaught.

[HammerJack]

I don't think that's necessarily accurate. If you've got a spinal cannon, you're going to have some desire to use it.

[Xenocrat]

Turn in Place exists for dreadnoughts and larger ships.

Samantha DeWinter wrote:

If you're piloting a Colossal or Supercolossal ship, I think your strategy generally has to become "pound the enemy into paste with your turrets". You don't dogfight in a Dreadnaught.

And gravity guns in the turret nicely immobilize your foes so that you can keep them where you want them.