Space Combat (starship systems)

[Jd Smith1]

Starfire is somewhere in between. It’s much simpler than SFB and similar games, but you still track individual ship systems. However, this is VERY abstracted and plays similarly to simpler wargames, but the ships take more than a single hit to disable or destroy. Like SFB, damage to a ship affects what the ship can do, system by system. Best, while simple and abstract, the option for customization is intrinsic to the game design.

Starfire

Ship-to-ship space combat wargame set in the far future.

boardgamegeek.com

I played Starfire back in the 80s. Hadn't thought about it in years. I remember the string of codes that was a ship.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I played Starfire back in the 80s. Hadn't thought about it in years. I remember the string of codes that was a ship.

That’s the one!

 

[Morrus]

How would that work? PC 1 shuts down ECM to run over and man a PDW because he feels like it? That's not how a crew operates.

Yes.

That's not how a crew operates

It's certainly how the Millennium Falcon works. Luke, get on those guns! R2 see if you can figure out why the hyperdrive isn't working!

 

[pming]

Hiya!

What about Jovian Chronicles and/or it's "Lightning Strike" offshoot? Both by DreamPod 9. I think you can get them on DriveThru. I don't have any experience with Lightning Strike, but the vehicle and space rules for JC seemed to hit that 'middle spot' between "cinematic character driving" and "crunchy space combat considerations".

Other than that, there's always the HERO System; in particular StarHero. Might be an option...?

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Jd Smith1]

Yes.

It's certainly how the Millennium Falcon works. Luke, get on those guns! R2 see if you can figure out why the hyperdrive isn't working!

I see.

Not really the model of teamwork we're looking for.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Hiya!

What about Jovian Chronicles and/or it's "Lightning Strike" offshoot? Both by DreamPod 9. I think you can get them on DriveThru. I don't have any experience with Lightning Strike, but the vehicle and space rules for JC seemed to hit that 'middle spot' between "cinematic character driving" and "crunchy space combat considerations".

Other than that, there's always the HERO System; in particular StarHero. Might be an option...?

^_^

Paul L. Ming

I hadn't considered Dreampod 9. I'll poke around their material.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Stars Without Number revised edition has some decent starship combat rules. While the ship does have hp, subsystems can be targeted separately and there is a mechanic called Ship Crises that makes things more interesting than standard hp loss.
In short, once per turn the captain can negate a hit by enemies and take a ship crisis. The dm comes up with the crisis and they crew than have to deal with it. This leads to more narrative play than just plinking away at the hp, and let’s players who may not be outstanding pilots or gunners participate in ship combat by using their skills to solve crises that come up.
Bonus, you can get the free edition of SWN on dtrpg and if you like it can then pay what you want later.

This looks like the one. I'll have to port in skills (I'm thinking just five, to match the departments), and throw in some stand-off weapon systems, but I like the department system, which is basically how we handled starship combat in the past.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Open question for anyone who has been in this situation, just out of curiosity, how do you handle PCs without relevant ship operation skills?

Most of the time, I mention the possibility of ship operations in ChaGen, but there’s always the chance someone’s PC concept won’t involve relevant skills. (I’ve been that player myself, TBH.)

In my experience, those PCs start assisting with damage control and casualties.

 

[Morrus]

Open question for anyone who has been in this situation, just out of curiosity, how do you handle PCs without relevant ship operation skills?

There's a saboteur in engineering!

Some people have been trapped by debris on Deck 14!

Prepare a boarding party.

Repel boarders!

 

[dragoner]

In my experience, those PCs start assisting with damage control and casualties.

If they have been on a ship, they get spacecraft 0 level at least. I give the players points to which they can pick relevant skills, so that generally that only happens for them to not have the skill if they want it that way. Also, the ship is generally an NPC, as well as other ship's crew; PC's are always asking the ship and crew to do things, interacting with them. Combat is generally pilot, sensors, electronic warfare, gunner, engineer, and marine; sometimes medical personnel. Once the lasers, and missiles start flying, it's rare for combat to last over 5 turns, you don't ever want to get caught in a fair fight; the last big attack, against a liner, more time was spent with the boarding party, than ship to ship combat.