Starfighter Squadrons as Single Units

[CRMcNeill]

So, one of my on-again-off-again projects is a system that allows characters to command capital ships in combat. Right now, the core concept is allowing a capital ship captain to either command a ship as if it were an extension of himself, with the crew serving as his interface to control his ship, or to treat the ship like a space transport writ large, with the various PCs serving as ship's officers (helm, guns, engineering, shields, etc.) This got me wondering if the same could be applied to starfighters, with a single character acting as a squadron commander, and operating it as a single unit in combat. What I'm considering is treating a starfighter squadron as a capital ship for stat purposes, with things like Maneuverability and Hull+Shields used just as if the unit were a single ship.

My initial thought is to simply use the stat numbers from individual starfighters, but converted to Frigate-Scale (+4D over Starfighter). The main difficulty would be how to track damage, since damage to a squadron of starfighters would constitute losing individual ships, thus reducing overall combat power, but potentially gaining some of them back after battle (due to a ship being damaged, but repairable).

Mostly I'm looking for a discussion to flesh out the idea. Thoughts?
_________________
"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

[Zarn]

As the squadron diminishes, why not reduce its "size"? You start out at one given level, then as your ships get disabled, its size goes down. Then, some weapons can allow you to "punch above your weight", such as a massed salvo of proton torpedoes or what have you.

Also, you might want to track some semblance of chain of command - perhaps it is possible to knock out the squadron commander early, forcing the squadron to split up (basically, an ineffective or disabled squadron commander can't use Command to keep unit cohesion). For instance, every time the squadron gets resized, there's a damage test that the squadron commander needs to pass or he gets taken out of the fight.

[MrNexx]

And damage might not represent lost fighters; damage might represent less effective fighters.

How big of a squadron are we talking about?
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“We're going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.”
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[Naaman]

You'll also need to resolve scale modifier application. The squadron might lose the dodge bonus, but should retain the attack bonus.

[MrNexx]

[Naaman]

Good point.

[MrNexx]

So, how many starfighters do you need to upgrade to Death-Star Scale damage?
_________________
"I've Seen Your Daily Routine. You Are Not Busy!"
“We're going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.”
http://rpgcrank.blogspot.com/

[CRMcNeill]

I think, so long as we're just dealing with the standard SWU squadron (12 fighters), the 2R&E Scale rules can be used here; specifically, +1D for every 3 fighters coordinating, plus 1 per each additional starfighter. Using that rule, a squadron of 12 fighters receives a +4D bonus (4 groups of 3 starfighters being coordinated).

So, for every lost starfighter (either destroyed or mission-killed) the bonus is reduced by 1 pip.

It's also possible that the squadron could shift its formation to fit its mission, which in turn affects its bonus. For instance, the full bonus could represent a squadron packed into a tight formation with overlapping shields making an attack run for a coordinated torpedo strike, whereas a dispersed formation of A-Wings or Interceptors on a superiority sweep could split the bonus between Maneuverability and Damage, optimized for attacking other starfighters...
_________________
"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

[CRMcNeill]

[shootingwomprats]

Looks like you guys got to what I was going to suggest before I could post.

I was going to suggest that combining actions could upgrade scale by one category.

So how many whatever need to combine to up the scale? If we use the Battle of Scarif from Rogue One as our model, a group of group of five Y-wings shooting 2 ion torpedoes each, doing enough damage to take a Imperial-I Star Destroyer out of commission.

[CRMcNeill]

Starfighter Unit Sizes:

Element (2 fighters) = +1D
Section (3 fighters) = +1D+2
Flight (4 fighters) = +2D
Squadron (12 fighters) = +3D

The Unit Strength Modifier is added to the Scale listed on the stat for the type of Starfighter that makes up the Unit. For example, a Section of TIE Interceptors (3 ships) has a Scale of +7D+2, while a squadron of Y-Wings (12 ships) has a Scale of +9D.

For the purposes of this rule, a squadron is considered a single target for Gunnery purposes, and Damage inflicted results in lost squadron strength.

Unit Damage Chart:

0-3 Disrupted = -1D to all actions that round
4-8 Light Losses = -1D to Unit Strength
9-12 Heavy Losses = -2D to Unit Strength
13-15 Severe Losses = -3D to Unit Strength
16+ Catastrophic Losses = -4D to Unit Strength

Any Unit reduced to 0D is Combat Ineffective, but may return to base and Recover (see below)

Any unit reduced to -1D is Wiped Out, with all units either killed or damaged too badly to return to battle.

Recovery
A Unit that takes losses on the Unit Damage Chart may return to its mothership or home base and Recover, making quick repairs, reloading and rearming, bringing up reserve fighters from deep storage, and so on. As a rule, most bases will have 1D of Recovery available for every squadron they carry (in addition to the full Squadron's 3D Strength if the entire unit has not been committed). Some may have more or less, at the GM's discretion. Recovery takes 2D rounds, during which the Fighter Unit can not be used. Once a ship or base's Reserves are exhausted, Fighter Units can not be replenished during the battle.

Formation
Fighter units work best as a coordinated team, and are trained to operate in a variety of formations based on how the unit is being used. For the purposes of this rule, however, only two formations are used:

Attack Formation
The unit is grouped together as tightly as possible, sacrificing Maneuverability for mutual protection and fire coordination. Note: Some fighters are equipped with defensive weaponry mounted in turrets. If this is the case, the defensive cannon may reduce their Scale by the Unit Strength modifier-1D to defend against attacking starfighter units. For example, a squadron of Y-Wings is treated like a single Y-Wing with a Scale of +9D. However, while in Attack Formation, its ion cannon are used defensively to hold off enemy fighters, and are reduced to a Scale of +7D (+3D-1D = -2D).

Patrol Formation
The Unit's individual fighters are in a loose clump, widely separated to allow for maneuvering, but close enough to cooperate. This unit is formation is used primarily against enemy starfighters, either attacking an enemy unit defending its base or vice versa. For game purposes, a Unit in Patrol Formation receives a -2D modifier to Scale (to a minimum of +1D) for Gunnery purposes, but still tracks Damage against the full Unit Strength modifier. For example, a Squadron (12 ships = +3D) of X-Wings has a Scale equivalent of +9D. However, the squadron commander orders his ships into Patrol Formation, which reduces the Scale equivalent to +7D. However, if the squadron engages in combat with a unit of TIE Fighters, any Damage inflicted on the Squadron is resolved against the +3D modifier, not +1D.

How to Use:
Just take the stat of a single starfighter and apply the Unit Strength modifier to its Scale. Resolve combat as you would a one-on-one duel between the two types of fighters, but tracking Damage against the Unit Strength Modifier instead of against ship systems.

For some variety, apply the following modifiers for Crew Quality to the Crew Skills:

Rookie = -1D
Regular = +0D
Seasoned = +1D
Veteran = +2D
Elite = +3D
Hand-Picked Elite (Rogue Squadron or the 181st) = +4D

To randomly generate a Crew Quality Modifier, roll 2D and compare the result to the following table:

2-4 = Rookie
5-7 = Regular
8-9 = Seasoned
10-11 = Veteran
12 = Elite (roll an additional 1D. On a 6, the unit is Hand-Picked Elite)

Additional Bonuses:

+1D if the squadron's pilots were trained at a military academy or flight school.
+1D to the Unit Strength modifier if the squadron's aggregate skill level in Piloting and Gunnery is 5D or higher.

Deployment
Fighter squadrons are rarely able to deploy their full strength all at once. Generally, fighters will be on a standing rotation, with part of the squadron on patrol, while others are on ready standby or undergoing pre-flight maintenance. The end result for player characters is that, unless they're very unlucky, they won't have to face an enemy vessel's full fighter strength all at once. Generally, a squadron will present itself in three waves:

CAP (Combat Air Patrol) - Already in flight.
Ready Alert - Warmed up and ready to launch in 1D rounds.
Ready Reserve - Can be launched in 6D rounds.

The strength of each wave varies based on the ready status of the squadron's carrier or base. Ready Status definitions may vary from setting to setting, but in general, they are classified as follows:

Standard Patrol - This is the default status for a warship not currently engaged in battle. Its sensors are active and crew is watching for trouble, but there are no immediate threats.
Stand-By Alert - At this level, the ship's crew is on a heightened state of alert against a potential threat, even if the threat has not yet presented itself. An example from the films would be the Imperial Fleet at Endor; they knew the Alliance Fleet was coming, but they couldn't be sure exactly when.
Full Alert - At this level, combat is eminent, and all available craft are prepped for launch at a moment's notice. An example would be a capital ship in hyperspace en route to attack an enemy installation. The crew know exactly when the ship is supposed to drop out of hyperspace, and will be primed and ready to go as soon as they enter the target system.
Transit - Transit is essentially Standard Patrol while the ship is in hyperspace. Since the ship can only launch or recover fighters in realspace, the CAP fighters are incorporated into an expanded Ready Alert rotation. Once the carrier exits hyperspace, it will generally launch fighters within the first minute or so, at which point it is on Standard Patrol.
Stand-Down / Lax - This level is generally reserved for when the carrier or base is in a well-secured system, usually with other assets available to provide patrol and defense. Fighter Wing crews generally take advantage of Stand-Down time to perform more extensive maintenance on some of their craft, so the squadron's full strength may not be available. Unfortunately, due to overconfidence or incompetence, ship captains can allow their readiness standards to slip below acceptable levels, occasionally with disastrous results.

Once you have established a ship or installation's Ready Status, use the following tables to determine the number of fighters available:

Standard Patrol
CAP - 1 fighter/squadron
Ready Alert - 2 fighters (1 element)/squadron
Ready Reserve - All Remaining
Stand-By Alert
CAP - 2 fighters (1 element)/squadron
Ready Alert - 4 fighters (1 flight)/squadron
Ready Reserve - All Remaining
Full Alert
Ready Alert - Full Squadron
Transit
CAP - None
Ready Alert - 4 fighters (1 element)/squadron
Ready Reserve - All Remaining
Lax / Stand-Down
CAP - Roll 1D:
1-4: None
5-6: 1 fighter/squadron.
Ready Alert - Roll 1D:
1-2: None
3-4: 1 fighter/squadron.
5-6: 2 fighters (1 element)/squadron.
Ready Reserve. Roll 1D:
1-2: 1 fighter/squadron.
3-4: 2 fighters (1 element)/squadron.
5-6: 3 fighters (1 section)/squadron.
Note: Ships that carry multiple squadrons will generally alternate CAP duty, so that ships from the same squadron will be paired together for better combat effectiveness. For example, a Nebulon B with two squadrons of TIE Fighters would normally have 2 TIE fighters on CAP at any given time (1 fighter per squadron). However, rather than launching one fighter from each squadron, one squadron will deploy two fighters on CAP duty, which will be relieved hours later by two fighters from the second squadron, and so on and so forth. Deployed fighter unit sizes vary based on the number and types of craft available, mixing and matching to provide effective coverage. A Star Destroyer, for example, would have a standard CAP of 3 TIE/ln, 1 TIE/rc, 1 TIE Interceptor and 1 TIE Bomber, and the ships would mix and match as needed to fulfill mission objectives.

_________________
"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

[CRMcNeill]

So, I've been doing some reading off-and-on trying to gain enough of an understanding of basic concepts of fighter combat that I can apply something generally relevant here. One of the things that I keep coming across is an anecdote to the effect that "two fighters operating together are ten times as effective as a single fighter operating alone."

Another facet of note is the difference in how wingmen operate, with the most basic formation called "welded wing". In this formation, as is relatively obvious, the wingman does his absolute best to stay with his lead in a loose trailing formation (effectively, the wingman will try to stay with in the "Cone of Death" as described in the Rebel Alliance Sourcebook). Welded Wing actually began as a way to "keep a neophyte aviator alive long enough to learn something." The main advantage in the SWU setting is an extra set of eyes to watch the lead's back and an extra set of shields in case someone gets in a trailing position.

However, a pair of experienced pilots having trained and operated together opens up a lot of options for offense and defense, where the two pilots can maneuver in such a way that it places an enemy fighter operating alone (or a pair in Welded Wing) at a disadvantage. Brian Daley actually gave the SWU a pretty good example of this in Han Solo at Star's End, where Han Solo led a Flight of 6 Z-95 Headhunters against 4 Corporate Sector IRD-A's. In the opening moments of the battle, the IRDs split into two wing pairs, which then split again, successfully bating Han and Jessa's inexperienced wingmen into breaking out of Welded Wing formation to chase them, and it cost them their lives.

So, with regards to what I posted above, I'm thinking of adding an additional bonus to the Starfighter Unit Sizes, to the effect that, if the aggregate Squadron Skill level in Starfighter Piloting and Starship Gunnery is 5D or higher, they receive an additional +1D bonus to their Unit Strength modifier, modifying the Starfighter Unit Size values to:

Element (2 fighters) = +2D
Section (3 fighters) = +2D+2
Flight (4 fighters) = +3D
Squadron (12 fighters) = +4D

_________________
"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

[CRMcNeill]

As part of my joint project with The Bissler, I've been trying to work out how to simplify rules for running a fighter squadron against the massed defensive weapons of a capital ship, and I think I've found a solution. Based on the above, there are two different general formations in which starfighters can operate: Loose and Attack. In Attack, the starfighters are bunched up tight together, and can combine their shields against attacks, but any enemy attackers (particularly the massed guns of a capital ship) can engage them as though they are a single target. In Loose, however, the fighters are at some distance from each other, and must be engaged separately, with the capital ship's guns dividing their fire to engage the fighters separately. So, as with the Battery Dice rule, the idea is to boil all the separate attacks down to a single opposed roll, modified by circumstances as appropriate.

For example, say a ship has Quad-Laser Cannon, with 1D+2 Battery Dice in its Right Arc. A section of three X-Wings (with a Unit Strength Modifier of 1D+2) is in Loose Formation and moving to attack the ship. Because the Section is in Loose Formation, it can't be attacked as a single unit, and the cannon must split their fire. So, the GM can either resolve three different attacks, one against each X-Wing, or can opt for a simpler choice. Specifically, the Battery Dice can be allowed to cancel out the Unit Strength Modifier, and resolve the attack as one quad-laser firing against one X-Wing, with the result applied to the Unit Damage chart.

If the two modifiers (Battery Dice and Unit Strength) are different, simply compare the difference and apply it appropriately. For instance, if a ship has 3D+2 Battery Dice, and an attacking Squadron has a Unit Strength of 1D+2, subtract the Unit Strength from the Battery Dice, and resolve a single attack with Battery Dice of 2D.
_________________
"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

[Raven Redstar]

Can fighter pilots change formation within a round?

For instance, pilots are on approach in loose formation to make hitting them harder, then the last space unit or 2 of their approach, they enter tight formation to launch their barrage.

Doable? Maybe takes an appropriately high tactics roll to pull off or a good command check?
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RR
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[CRMcNeill]