Space Bombs

[CRMcNeill]

So, I'm working on a rule system that allows concussion missiles and proton torpedoes to be used the way they are in the X-Wing/TIE Fighter games. There are a few rough edges, but the main thing I'm hitting a wall on is rules for the Space Bombs. ICYMI, the Space Bomb is just a warhead with no drive; its speed is entirely dependent on the speed the launching craft was traveling when it fired the bomb.

The problem I'm running into is that, if the weapon ranges presented in the RAW are effective ranges, the range for a space bomb will be entirely dependent on the Speed of the launching ship. So how do you calculate a static range for something with a variable on the fly? More specifically, how do you calculate it without dragging the game to a screeching halt to pull out your calculator and run percentage calculations (assuming the pilot doesn't decide to speed up or slow down)?

I have some vague ideas, but they aren't really in any form I feel is ready for posting. I'd like to hear some thoughts, especially from those of you who have plenty of experience playing the TIE Fighter video game.
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"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

[garhkal]

From what i remember of the space bombs in game, they didn't really go that far forward from where they were "Launched' from, but they did go down.

So maybe a space speed of the 'launching ship' of 3-5, gives it a forward speed of 1. 6-8 gives it a speed of 2. 9-11, gives it a 3, and anything above that gives it a 4.
Bomb's travel downward 2 SU for every 1 they 'move forward'..
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[CRMcNeill]

But then you also have to factor in whether the launching ship is traveling at Cruising, Full or All-Out.
_________________
"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

[Theodrim]

Bomb's initial speed and trajectory is equal to the launching ship's speed and trajectory. Reduce the speed by a d6 or d3 per turn after that, simple enough.

Throw in a scatter die if you feel particularly sadistic.

[CRMcNeill]

Why would the speed fall off? In a vacuum, the bomb will continue forward at the same speed it was launched. The primary issue (and what the range values of all the other weapons represent) is how far the weapon can travel and still have a chance of hitting what it was aimed at.

EDIT: The scatter die wouldn't be appropriate, either, for the same reason. in vacuum, the bomb will simply travel in the direction it was fired, and will only deviate if acted on by an outside force (such as gravity, but the relatively short ranges at which the bomb is used pretty much negate that possibility).
_________________
"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

[garhkal]

[CRMcNeill]

I've double-checked on YouTube, and it does not appear that the bombs arc downward when fired in space (what happens in atmosphere is a different story, but I doubt you would be using space bombs there). A couple points:

-Even though they are unguided (or at least minimally guided), they do have a lock-on delay in-game.

-Even though they are inertial, they do move faster than the launching craft when fired.

As far as range, it may be simpler to work up a chart based on the launching craft's speed, say like:

1-4 =
5-8 =
9-12 =
13-16 =
17-20 =
21-24 =
25-28 =
29-32 =

That way, you just work out how many units the launching ship is traveling, then use the appropriate range.

Granted, when used against a stationary target, the range doesn't really matter, as the target can't dodge, so as long as you lined up your initial shot properly, it should get a hit if you wait long enough. However, in-game, you can shoot down torpedoes, so something moving as slow as a bomb would also be vulnerable. Against any target with defensive weaponry, you would want to wait until the last to launch to give the target less time to intercept it.
_________________
"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

[atgxtg]

If the target were moving fast enough and or were far enough away, it should be able to just move out of the way of the bomb before it gets there. After all, the target would have to be pretty stupid (or unaware of the attack) to just sit there in the path of the bomb.

So could simplify things by just ingoring a range stat, and base the difficulty to hit on the distance to the target and how fast it is moving, something like:

-Difficulty = distance to the target in SUs plus target's speed (in SU)

That way you either have to be right on top on a target or it has to be moving slowly to hit it. Very simple, and it won't bog the game down. Bombs that are supposed to be more accurate or have longer range could just have dice added to fire control.

[CRMcNeill]

[atgxtg]

[CRMcNeill]

[CRMcNeill]

It might be even simpler to throw out the existing rule for the increased difficulty of targeting moving ships with inertial weapons and simply add the ship's number of SUs moved that round to the targeting difficulty. A Star Destroyer or MC80 cruiser moving at All-Out would add +24 to the difficulty to target, while a Victory Star Destroyer would only receive a +16, and so on.
_________________
"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

[atgxtg]

[CRMcNeill]

I don't think I want to change the old rules too much. People are used to rolling the FC dice and factoring in Scale Modifiers, and I'd prefer a rule that conforms to that as opposed to something new and unique for one weapon system...
_________________
"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

[atgxtg]

Okay.