I’ve been reading ship combat rules from Classic Traveller, Cepheus Light, and the Cepheus Engine System Reference Document this week.

Last week we used the space combat rules from Cepheus Light for some in-atmosphere fighting between the PC’s ship, a Far Trader, and some smaller security craft. It worked really well. It was fast, fun, and exciting. The rules give all the PCs something to do every round – stuff that is meaningful. It was great.

Two nights ago, having just gotten out of the planet’s atmosphere, the PCs detected a System Defense Boat 150,000 km away. Since they were in low orbit there was essentially no chance the SDB could detect them. They had an intial advantage, but their max speed of 2G was not going to outrun a 6G gunboat and make it to the 100 planetary diameter distancee for a safe jump.

For this kind of play, I decided to use, at least initially, the Classic Traveller vector movement rules. All the Cepheus Engine rules abstract the movement, which is great for fast, exciting play, but I felt the PCs deserved a chance to use some real strategy. For example, using the ship detection rules from Book 2 of Classic Traveller, they have thus far managed to keep from being spotted (and targeted) by the pursuer by using the planet as a shield. In the next round this will not be possible.

I’ve been working on some maps of the ships' positions and the location of the planet and it’s moon. Using the vector system means that ships can’t just stop on a dime. It requires skill and planning to get where you want to go. In this particular situation I think this is good.

Perhaps they will head for the other side of that little moon and again try to use it for cover? Or use it’s gravity to turn around?

It would be easier to use the Cepheus rules for “position' and other manuvers and let them to something like rolling opposing Pilot or Nav rolls to see if they can succeed with some kind of strategy, but I think when one ship is so much faster it is important to map these things out. More satisfying for everyone involved? Maybe. It is hard to ignore the fact that in open space the 6G ship will be able to easily overtake them regardless what they do.

I also need to consider what is actually enjoyable for the players and for me. I think it is enjoyable to them to come up with fun tactics and try them. I’m pretty sure it is. Why wouldn’t it be? I am less sure it is fun to agonize over movement vectors.

In retrospect, I think I could have easily just used the Cepheus rules, and probably still can. Knowing the relative speed of the ships is easy to do, and the Cepheus Rules energize the game.

The rules for ships sensors in the SRD are really good too.