Question about Max Turn vs. Total Turn

[barsoomcore]

Okay, so I get the idea but the implementation seems incomplete to me.

Max Turn is the maximum degrees a single turn by a vessel of that maneuverability rating can be. A perfect flier can pull a full about face, 180 degrees, in one single turn, while poor and average fliers can only make 45 degree turns.
Total Turn is the maximum number of single turns a vessel can make for each move-equivalent action the pilot uses to control the craft. An average flier can make two 45 degree turns for each move-equivalent action the pilot takes for flying. A perfect flier can take two 180 degree turns, four 90 degree turns, eight 45 degree turns, or any combination of those turns per move-equivalent action the pilot takes.

Okay, so I'm flying an Average vessel and I make two 45 degree turns. Haven't I just made a 90 degree turn? Or is there meant to be some requirement on how often I can make a turn? If I'm using a 30' grid does Max Turn represent how much I can turn in one square? So with an Average vessel I can turn 45 degrees, move forward at least one square, and turn another 45 degrees. Is that the idea?

It's a little unclear. And I'm easily confused.

 

[BlackJaw]

hmmm that little bit of the concept was rewritten about a dozen times and got less coherent with each rewrite... let me try to "rework it" into something that makes more sense.

Turn In Place (replace max turn)
A vessel can only turn so much in one space before it has to move or wait for its next round. Even a hovering vessel can only turn a limted amount in one place.

Example: Jar'ed, piloting a small fighter of good manuverablity, takes a single Pilot a Vessel action. He can immediatly turn his vessel's facing 45o or 90o in either direction, move at least one space forward and make another turn of 45o or 90o in either direction. If he makes 45o turns, he could turn up to four times in that round without exceeding his Total Turn limit. See Bellow.

Total Turn
The vessel can only turn so much in a round, even if it turns repeatedly durring a round, or turns in difrent direcitons. The degrees of all the turns made durring the round can not exceed this amount.

Example: Jar'ed, piloting a small fighter of good manuverablity, takes a single Pilot a Vessel action. He can make two 90o turns, up to four 45o turns, or a 90o turn and up to two 45o turns; as long as no single turn is more then 90o and and the total amount turned is not over 180o.

If the pilot makes two "pilot a vessel actions" the Total Turn value doubles but the Turn In Place value remains the same. With greater focus the pilot can make more turns, but he can not make the vessel better at turning.

That better? The hard part about things these rules up is trying to get them "down on paper" in a coherent way. I know the rules, but I can't reread what I've written and tell if it makes sense to people who have just read it.

 

[barsoomcore]

Turn In Place (replace max turn)
A vessel can only turn so much in one space before it has to move or wait for its next round. Even a hovering vessel can only turn a limted amount in one place.

There's the sticking point. What does "in one space" mean? I'm assuming you mean "in one square" which clearly refers to the 30' grid we're instructed to use. Your example confirms my idea, but again you use the term "space" instead of square.

Note how in the Player's Handbook they almost always refer to "a 5' square" to make it very clear how to apply the rules?

Consistency in terminology goes a long way to providing clarity. But yeah, I think it's clear now.

 

[BlackJaw]

Oh: well in that case we might have a slight problem.

30' works best with vehicles and large fast moving creatures... but it might be too big of grid size to use with smaller combat, like that of wizards with fly spells.

We might want to use "1 grid square" but not force the size restrictions on there.

 

[barsoomcore]

We might want to use "1 grid square" but not force the size restrictions on there.

Good solution. That's what we'll use. I'll make sure to comment on the problem of grid scale -- scale is dependent on vehicle size.

 

[BlackJaw]

Good, good.

In the section on grid size we need to setup comments on the two scales: 5' (standard) D&D for most creatures and spells, and 30' vehicle.