Dogfighting!

[Christougher]

Dogfighting

For fighter scale craft in separate megascale hexes, normal direction and firing arcs rules are used, but when they enter the same hex, it becomes a dogfight and different rules apply. A Combat Piloting roll must be made every phase, gives the ship the DCV of its own or the pilot's DEX(whichever is better) minus the craft's Size modifiers. For every two points the roll is made by, they gain a +1 OCV or DCV bonus.

 

Fighters are considered to be constantly moving and turning, and firing except in special cases, so the default manuever is Firing.

Lock On maneuvers place the attacker behind his target, giving the attacker equivalent of the Cover maneuver - automatic damage on the held attack, first action

in following phases, and preventing return fire from the target except by rear mounted weaponry.

Evasive maneuvers are used to Dodge enemy attacks and Lock Ons, and may be aborted to.

Positioning maneuvers are used to evade enemy firing lines and maneuver into a superior position, giving them the first action in the following phase. It is mechanically similar to Block, but cannot be aborted to.

Trick maneuvers combines some of the effects of Evasive, Positioning and Lock On maneuvers. Incoming attacks are Evaded, and Lock Ons broken, and the attacker moves

into a Lock On position behind his target. Using a Trick requires a successful Combat Piloting roll, and there is a -1 cumulative penalty applied for each additional trick used in the same dogfight.

 

Firing -0/+0 Attack

Lock On -2/-0 Cover, Must follow Position/Trick

Evasive --/+3 Dodge, Abort, Break Lock On

Position +0/-0 Block, Break Lock On

Trick -1/-2 Block, Abort, Lock On

 

 

Questions, comments, observations? Will it work?

[brionl]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

There's already a section on dogfighting in the Advanced Player's Guide.

[Christougher]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

I know, I read it. This is my attempt at replacing it.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

Sounds like it might work just fine. I'm more curious about why the attempt to replace it. (I haven't read the APG dogfight rules yet, but the 5ER dogfight always seemed to work fine for us).

[prestidigitator]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

I kinda like it. It's simple. I haven't read the ones from the APG yet though, so I can't exactly compare.

[Christougher]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

Sounds like it might work just fine. I'm more curious about why the attempt to replace it. (I haven't read the APG dogfight rules yet' date=' but the 5ER dogfight always seemed to work fine for us).[/quote']

 

The APG dogfight rules are the 5ER dogfighting rules. Why change? It didn't feel Hero-y or "cool" enough to me. One skill vs skill roll doesn't seem to do justice to it. Star Hero went a step farther, giving penalties to the roll to simulate things. Essentially, what I've done was replace that with maneuvers instead. To my mind, it gives a better mix of things happening - flying, circling, firing, dodging, weaving, trying to get behind a target and lock on.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

At one point I actually wrote up "Martial Arts" for Dogfighting. Can't find it now.

 

But, basically, I had Maneuvers which adjusted CV, and then some that also "tailed", "broke tail", or "reversed tail" if you won the roll.

 

So, you could Juke for +0 OCV / +2 DCV, or do an Emmelman for +1 OCV / +1 DCV (Reverse Tail), or a Sideways S, Jink, Barrel Roll, etc. Some even adjusted your Combat Piloting roll (either overall, like -2 for a harder maneuver, or vs. specific maneuvers, like +2 to break tail, etc.) There was some discussion about it on the old, old forums (this was.... 6? 8 years ago?) that helped us determine which maneuvers should add what bonuses, etc.

 

I could probably do a write up again if anyone is interested - as I'm not able to get a good sci fi game going, I have little need for this myself at the moment.

[Escafarc]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

At one point I actually wrote up "Martial Arts" for Dogfighting. Can't find it now.

 

But, basically, I had Maneuvers which adjusted CV, and then some that also "tailed", "broke tail", or "reversed tail" if you won the roll.

 

So, you could Juke for +0 OCV / +2 DCV, or do an Emmelman for +1 OCV / +1 DCV (Reverse Tail), or a Sideways S, Jink, Barrel Roll, etc. Some even adjusted your Combat Piloting roll (either overall, like -2 for a harder maneuver, or vs. specific maneuvers, like +2 to break tail, etc.) There was some discussion about it on the old, old forums (this was.... 6? 8 years ago?) that helped us determine which maneuvers should add what bonuses, etc.

 

I could probably do a write up again if anyone is interested - as I'm not able to get a good sci fi game going, I have little need for this myself at the moment.

Sounds like the Manuever cards from the old Fight In the Skies/Dawn Patrol game...mmm..I think I might still have that stashed away somewhere...

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

Here, found the "original" version and spruced it up a bit - probably needs a good amount of scrutiny for balance, duplicates, etc.

 

Lead: 0 Phase, +1 OCV, 1/2 DCV (basically Set)

Juke: 1/2 Phase, - OCV, +3 DCV, Dodge, vs. all Attacks; Abort

Jink: 1/2 Phase, - OCV, +5 DCV, -v/3 all CP Rolls; Dodge, vs. all Attacks; Abort

Climb: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, -1 DCV, +v/3 to attain or break Tail; Stall

Dive: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +1 DCV, +v/5 to attain or break Tail; Stall

Overtake: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, +v/3 to attain or break Tail; -2 all other CP rolls

Undertake: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +2 DCV, +3 to break or reverse tail; Reverse Tail; Stall

Barrel Roll: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, +2 to break Tail; Stall

Lead Pursuit: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, -2 DCV, +v/3 to attain Tail; -3 vs. Tail

Pure Pursuit: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, -1 DCV, +v/5 to attain Tail; -1 vs. Tail

Lag Pursuit: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, +v/3 to attain or reverse Tail; Reverse Tail

High Yo-Yo: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, -2 all CP Rolls; Reverse Tail; Stall

Low Yo-Yo: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, +v/3 to Attain Tail

Lead Turn: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, -2 DCV, +2 to attain Tail

Nose-to-Nose Turn: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +0 DCV, +v/3 to attain Tail

Nose-to-Tail Turn: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +2 DCV, +v/5 to attain Tail

Flat Scissors: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +1 DCV, +v/5 to reverse Tail; -3 all CP otherwise

Rolling Scissors: 1 Phase, +1 OCV, +1 DCV, +v/3 to reverse or attain Tail; -3 all CP otherwise; Stall

Defensive Spiral: 1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +2 DCV, +v/3 to all CP rolls; Stall

Immelmann: 1 Phase, +1 OCV, +2 DCV, +v/3 to attain or reverse tail; -v/3 all CP rolls otherwise; Reverse Tail; Stall

Sideways S: 1 Phase, -1 OCV, +2 DCV, +v/3 to break or reverse tail; -v/3 all CP rolls otherwise; Reverse Tail

 

This was originally an idea that may have been mine or someone else's, and we had a lil' thread and worked out what was what. I don't think the above is the complete list, just a scrap of it I found, and then added some stuff - using this online manual I found for reference.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

And basically, this adds to the default Dogfight rules. At the beginning of your phase, you select the maneuver you want to do (or hold your action), then make a CP roll as normal. Then the applicable bonus or penalty applies depending on if you are trying to attain, break, or reverse a tail. "Stall" means that if you fail your roll, you stall and begin falling, and must make piloting rolls each phase to recover before you hit the ground. Only maneuvers that have "Reverse Tail" can be used to reverse a tail in a single segment - otherwise you have to break tail first, then attain tail in a following action phase.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

This is some brilliant stuff. I was always meaning to do some work on dogfighting maneuvers around these parts, even researched it heavily almost 2 years ago, but never got around to starting the thread. Now i don't have to! *cut 'n paste* Save As: Kick Butt Dogfighting!

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Dogfighting!

 

This is some brilliant stuff. I was always meaning to do some work on dogfighting maneuvers around these parts' date=' even researched it heavily almost 2 years ago, but never got around to starting the thread. Now i don't have to! *cut 'n paste* [i']Save As: Kick Butt Dogfighting![/i]

 

Thanks, but as I said, more expert eyes than mine might want to adjust some of the CV modifiers and such on this. Was a quick-and-dirty reworking of the very limited notes I could find from the old thread.