Making Space Combat More Engaging

[Wednesday Boy]

Hi all,
Our group has recently started a Star Wars Saga Edition game and we've run into a problem with the space combat. Our group consists of four players who travel aboard a space transport. Typically the PCs divide up the pilot, gunner, copilot, and engineer/systems operator roles on the ship, so when we get into combat there's not much for the copilot and engineer/sys op to do. Primarily they only assist the pilot or gunner or recharge shields and reroute power when it's necessary.

Additionally, with not too much terrain out in space there isn't much movement in combat. Often we engage a ship and stick with it until it's disabled and then move on to the next one.

All in all, it's made for not very engaging space combats. Has anyone had a similar experience and found out a way to make space combat more engaging? Or if you've never had this issue, are there specific dynamics that you bring to your encounters that have help to avoid this?

Thanks for the help!!

 

[ValhallaGH]

Well, for the terrain issues, just look at the movies:
Almost all of their space fights take place in suicidally tight quarters. Asteroid fields, planetary rings, skimming along the hulls of capital frigates, skimming along the hulls of space stations, flying through the debris fields of destroyed space craft, etc.
The Galaxy is a big place with a lot of scenic (and dangerous) trash in it. That will make manuevering a lot more important.

I'm not sure what to say for the secondary crew members. When those guys are really busy, you're usually eye-brow deep in bantha poodoo. Which does suck as a player. If I think of something I'll pass it along.

Good luck.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Yes - there is more that you can be doing to involve the other characters.

The roles on board a starship are discussed in great detail on Episode #14: What the Shat on the Order 66 Podcast. Creating balanced and interesting Starship encounters are reviewed again in more depth in Episode #81: Full of Ship.

You should listen to both episodes and it will help you greatly in making your starship encounters more fun for all your players.

Both podcasts are available for free off of iTunes (just do a search on iTunes for "Order 66". Alternatively, download or listen to the podcasts at the links above.