Starfinder Senior Developer
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F4jH93Y6KP4 this video is pretty good to give you the idea. Think this came out before the book that expanded on starship combat a bit more, especially for magic users.
Thanks for sharing the video—link added
In running starship combat, I’ve noticed three recurring themes in what helps make a great experience:
Variety: In deep space, two starships quickly fall into the same circling pattern, usually with one consistently outmaneuvering the other and firing at the same quadrant repeatedly. That’s good strategy, but it’s sometimes underwhelming gameplay. Good encounter design often involves adding terrain, complications, multiple foes that have to be prioritized, secondary objectives beyond damaging the foe, and so on. Add layers to the encounter for a memorable time.
Description: Adding description helps bring the starship combat alive, as the encounter mechanics involves a lot of die-rolling—much like conventional combats in the 5-foot-square scale. But if you add banter, describe battle damage as the PCs experience it, and help narrate the PCs’ successes and failures, starship combat becomes more than a numbers game.
Pacing: Keep it moving. It’s a new subsystem for people to learn, and that can slow down gameplay, and the slower the gameplay, the more likely you are to have folks zoning out. Having cheat sheets for starship roles (or the Starship Combat Reference Cards) helps compile key information for players’ use, meaning less flipping through the book. Helping encourage fast-paced decisions at the table keeps the round moving. Knowing when a gunnery check is so high that it doesn’t need to be calculated—just say it hits—saves some time and gives you more bandwidth for description. And most of all, starship combat doesn’t always need to go to 0 Hull Points; if things risk getting repetitive yet one side has obviously prevailed, consider hand-waving the last few rounds or having the enemy vessel surrender. Wrapping things up while the energy is high means everyone ends on a high note.
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The real phases of starship combat
Musical Chairs. Everyone Pick your role
Captain. Ask the captain what they’re doing this round. In all likelihood assisting the pilot with a flyby or aiding the biggest gunner with the biggest gun.
Engineering Phase. First mate goes here. The Engineer goes here. The First Mate goes here if attempting a targeting aid. Actually, just have the first mate go here.
Precog. If you have a Mystic Officer they attempt to aid initiative with Precognition
Pilot Initiative. The Pilots roll initiative
Pre-Flight. The Science Officer Scans so the Pilot knows where to go to avoid the big guns. If the Science Officer is aiding the gunners with Lock On or Targeting Lock instead it doesn’t really matter if they go before or after the Pilot.
Loser Stunt and move. The Losing Pilot makes their stunts and move their ship
Loser Post-Flight. The Science Officer on the losing ship should re-balance shields here.
Winner Stuntand move. The Winning Pilot makes their stunt and moves their ship
Winner Post-Flight. The Science Officer on the winning ship should re-balance shields here.
Gunnery. Finally. FIRE AWAY!!!