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CRMcNeill Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 16281 Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 2:21 am Post subject: Preferred Combat Rules: 1E, 2E, 2R&E or House Rules |
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As part of a larger project, a few of us are looking at what set of rules best represents starfighter vs. capital ship combat, specifically scale, coordination methods and bonuses, precision ship location targeting, etc. I've reached the point where I use my own house rules for scale and coordination, but I'd like to hear some input on what the rest of you think are the best rules to use, and why. _________________ "No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
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wildfire Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 19 Feb 2006 Posts: 234 Location: Scotland
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:40 am Post subject: |
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Mainly 2nd R&E with various house rules used and changed over the years.
Have changed the scale rules recently and have used the optional targeting rules before , coordination hasn't been a big factor in most games, as massed fighter strikes tend to get shunted to cut away scenes and the game focus on the players attacks, which are normally pin point to hit vital targets. |
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DougRed4 Rear Admiral
Joined: 18 Jan 2013 Posts: 2272 Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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Like wildfire, I mainly use 2R&E with a few house rules. Coordination is one I'm planning on changing (plan to discuss it next session) and we just started using crmcneill's new scale rules (though I figure you should probably use RAW for others, being as it will make things the most accessible).
I haven't done large scale battles with capital ships yet, though I have seen it done in a different campaign. Like wildfire, the action for the PCs tended to focus on what they were doing, with the GM narrating what happened elsewhere (rather than rolling a bunch for NPCs). _________________ Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green |
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Mikael Hasselstein Line Captain
Joined: 20 Jul 2011 Posts: 810 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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As Crmcneill knows, I'm not particularly well-read into the different rulesets, but I'm interested in the rationales you choose when choosing what rules to go with. I can see three logics:
1) The rules that are the easiest
2) The rules that are the most realistic
3) The rules that are happen to be in the book you have/use.
Which best characterizes your reason for your decision to use the rules you use? |
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wildfire Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 19 Feb 2006 Posts: 234 Location: Scotland
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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3) they are in the book I have, 2nd R&E also it the book most of my players have/had access to, saves explaining rules too often during games.
My house rules get written up and passed round each session for reference. |
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DougRed4 Rear Admiral
Joined: 18 Jan 2013 Posts: 2272 Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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For the most part I just go with 2R&E, but my house rules is worth a page or two of additional/supplemental rules.
I have them printed out and at the table (for my use, as well as any player that wants to see them), and they're also listed on our webpage.
I don't do house rules because it's easier, most realistic, or that simply happen to be the ones I have access to. I/we do rules changes to tighten up or fix problems we see in the game, to make things more streamlined and consistent, or to better model the world(s) of the franchise. _________________ Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green |
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atgxtg Rear Admiral
Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 2460
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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We'll I went from 2E to 2R&E a few years back, when I discovered R&E existed. Then I houseruled a few things. Now I'm finding that there are a few rules from 2E (segmented movement in in space/vehicle combat, the ability to attack while going all-out, the old combined fire rules), 1E (haste, targeted attacks, capital ship battle rules, no templates, simpler Force rules, the old combined fire rules ), and even stuff from Star Warriors (pretty much the entire thing- it's better at space combat than the RPG rules) that I miss. |
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garhkal Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 14168 Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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IMO the scale of 2e revised is quicker to use, but the base 2e ones were more 'balanced'. _________________ Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk! |
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Mikael Hasselstein Line Captain
Joined: 20 Jul 2011 Posts: 810 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:00 am Post subject: |
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garhkal wrote: | IMO the scale of 2e revised is quicker to use, but the base 2e ones were more 'balanced'. |
I urged CM to start this thread as part of our overall conversation about the balance between starfighters and capital ships. When you say 'balanced' that implies a certain kind of balance. Could you expand on the subject of what the proper balance is? |
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atgxtg Rear Admiral
Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 2460
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Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:56 am Post subject: |
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garhkal wrote: | IMO the scale of 2e revised is quicker to use, but the base 2e ones were more 'balanced'. |
Frankly I've been considering adopting D6 Space's scale system. Rather than added dice each vehicle gets a scale number. Modifiers are the difference between scales. For instance a scale 10 speeder firing at a scale 20 starfighter would add 10 to hit, but the fighter would add 10 to soak.
One of the nice things about this method is that it address some of the issues we've been having over the years. For instance the large size and mass of the AT-AT would up it's Scale number to something comparable to a starfighter.
And it would be easily to scale up the SSD to reflect the change in length. |
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garhkal Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 14168 Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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Mikael Hasselstein wrote: | garhkal wrote: | IMO the scale of 2e revised is quicker to use, but the base 2e ones were more 'balanced'. |
I urged CM to start this thread as part of our overall conversation about the balance between starfighters and capital ships. When you say 'balanced' that implies a certain kind of balance. Could you expand on the subject of what the proper balance is? |
Sure. Rather than rolling lots more dice, which can tend to overbear the results, your rolls are as is, but are capped at a certain #. So say a walker (5d+2 gunnery, 3d+2 fire control for 8d+4 total to hit) shoots a PC, who has a 9d+2 dodge. With the R&E rules, the pc would be rolling 13d+2, giving him a theoretical max (no 6 on the wild die) of 79, while the walker has a max of 51. In the reg manner the PC just rolls his 9d+2 (55 max) but the walker's to hit gets capped iirc at 4 per die max, giving him a 33 potential roll. _________________ Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk! |
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jmanski Arbiter-General (Moderator)
Joined: 06 Mar 2005 Posts: 2065 Location: Kansas
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Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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atgxtg wrote: | garhkal wrote: | IMO the scale of 2e revised is quicker to use, but the base 2e ones were more 'balanced'. |
Frankly I've been considering adopting D6 Space's scale system. Rather than added dice each vehicle gets a scale number. Modifiers are the difference between scales. For instance a scale 10 speeder firing at a scale 20 starfighter would add 10 to hit, but the fighter would add 10 to soak.
One of the nice things about this method is that it address some of the issues we've been having over the years. For instance the large size and mass of the AT-AT would up it's Scale number to something comparable to a starfighter.
And it would be easily to scale up the SSD to reflect the change in length. |
So it's based on size? Interesting... _________________ Blasted rules. Why can't they just be perfect? |
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CRMcNeill Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 16281 Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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My only reservation on the scale modifier is that it seems to negate the idea of stat variations entirely. Why bother giving differing Hull and Shield strengths when you can just give everything a 1D, then assign an appropriate modifier? _________________ "No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
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atgxtg Rear Admiral
Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 2460
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Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 11:11 am Post subject: |
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crmcneill wrote: | My only reservation on the scale modifier is that it seems to negate the idea of stat variations entirely. Why bother giving differing Hull and Shield strengths when you can just give everything a 1D, then assign an appropriate modifier? |
It didn't negate stat variations at all. You can have something that is small and tough or large and fragile. A 300m cruiser and a 300m bulk freighter are very differernt even if they end up with the same Scale number. Plus scale affected other things (i.e.dodging) besides soaking damage.
Ultimately what is does is turn the half dozen scales in the RAW to a more gradual increase of 40+ scales.
Last edited by atgxtg on Sat Apr 26, 2014 11:21 am; edited 1 time in total |
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atgxtg Rear Admiral
Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 2460
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Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 11:14 am Post subject: |
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jmanski wrote: |
So it's based on size? Interesting... |
Actually is't based on tonnage, but I recall coming up with a fudge factor based on length that match up pretty well with the Die Scaling from 2R&E. I think an X-Wing was Scale 20, a TIE/ln was Scale 18, and ISB Scale 40 ish.
One of the benefits was that freighters were larger than starfighters and so ended up being slightly tougher but less maneuverable. |
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