Watching a group run the trench scenario, I noticed it was really hard for the X-wing/Y-wing to maneuver while in the trench. Granted, it is supposed to be tight with no turns or banks, but a little side to side would go a long ways. So I thought a small change would introduce drift.

It only works while going straight, and would allow the player to put the ship on either side of the stopping spot. It would be heading the same way, just to the left or right by half a base. It shouldn't take an action as it is part of the overall maneuver. Think of it as slight course correction.

thoughts or suggestions?

I think it's intriguing. For Trench run scenarios it sounds very useful. In the regular game it's probably less so. Perhaps if it cost the action... A basic positioning action where you place the template between the nubs, then place the ship to either left or right of the nub. Like a tiny barrel roll.

Ship models on their bases are an abstract representation of the positions of fighters relative to one another and to obstacles. The ship doesn't occupy the entirely of their base, ships don't really have weapons that traverse an almost 90* angle (unless it's a Geonosian fighter...), and maneuvers of any sort don't exactly represent the flight path of the ship in question. A ship's slight sideways movement relative to other ships along a parallel course isn't large enough to be represented by an actual maneuver. Also, sideslip is somewhat already represented by the concept of 3D maneuvering in 2D space; if I fly a ship through an asteroid token and suffer no damage, the ship didn't just barrel through the rock, it avoided it with a sideways maneuver then continued on it's intended course. The extra junking required is represented by the loss of action. Likewise,some sideways movement may be required to move past some ships forming a barricade, represented by being able to maneuver/boost/barrel roll through a ship's base.

I don't think such a maneuver is necessary. If it's being used to avoid obstacles or collisions, the solution isn't some pseudo-barrel roll; the solution is better deployment and better flying,

Ship models on their bases are an abstract representation of the positions of fighters relative to one another and to obstacles. The ship doesn't occupy the entirely of their base, ships don't really have weapons that traverse an almost 90* angle (unless it's a Geonosian fighter...), and maneuvers of any sort don't exactly represent the flight path of the ship in question. A ship's slight sideways movement relative to other ships along a parallel course isn't large enough to be represented by an actual maneuver. Also, sideslip is somewhat already represented by the concept of 3D maneuvering in 2D space; if I fly a ship through an asteroid token and suffer no damage, the ship didn't just barrel through the rock, it avoided it with a sideways maneuver then continued on it's intended course. The extra junking required is represented by the loss of action. Likewise,some sideways movement may be required to move past some ships forming a barricade, represented by being able to maneuver/boost/barrel roll through a ship's base.

I don't think such a maneuver is necessary. If it's being used to avoid obstacles or collisions, the solution isn't some pseudo-barrel roll; the solution is better deployment and better flying,

Watching a group run the trench scenario, I noticed it was really hard for the X-wing/Y-wing to maneuver while in the trench. Granted, it is supposed to be tight with no turns or banks, but a little side to side would go a long ways. So I thought a small change would introduce drift.

It only works while going straight, and would allow the player to put the ship on either side of the stopping spot. It would be heading the same way, just to the left or right by half a base. It shouldn't take an action as it is part of the overall maneuver. Think of it as slight course correction.

thoughts or suggestions?

DUDE!

That is just great.

This is such a cool little Cannon-Rule. I mean we all saw this in the films. To make it a solid house rule, we could say that this is a veteran pilot trick, not a maneuver. Any pilot skilled three or higher can just do it for say 1 point. It does not cost an action or anything else, just that extra little base point cost. To make it worth the extra point you could also add that if the ship is moving at straight three plus they get to jink a full base over.

I am doing it!

I thought there was already a (not official) drift rule in one of the trench run scenarios floating around? I know we had one when we did our trench run two years ago.

I thought there was already a (not official) drift rule in one of the trench run scenarios floating around? I know we had one when we did our trench run two years ago.

From my Death Star Trench Run Scenario (so may not be suitable for general use, since it's balanced for the tight confines of the trench).

SPECIAL MANEUVER: DRIFT: This maneuver is only possible within the Trench Zone. After executing a drift maneuver, your ship gains 1 Agility until the end of the round.

To indicate a drift maneuver on your ship's maneuver dial, push the number as far as it can go to the left or right of the dial, to the point where it may also show a small part of the next number or arrow, and so that it is certainly not centered and certainly not the next number.

When you reveal your manever selection, your actual speed is 1 less than what is indicated (a movement of 4 showing on your dial is actually 3, for example).

If drifting to the right, the maneuver template is placed just to the right side of the right guide (the small bump used for fitting movement templates) on the front of the ship base. Then the ship is moved forward until the template is centered directly behind it (fitted between the rear guides on the base). A drift to the left is handled in the same fashion, just moving everything to the other side.

The color of the selected maneuver (green, red or white) does not change when executing a drift.

I like it - it adds a degree of fine tuning/control to basic manuevers which should really be possible in the game.

Personally, I would restrict it to non-red straight manuevers. A bank is a bank, a turn is a turn, a straight with a slight drift seems fair.

Reminds me of the X-Wing games where you'd line up with a freighter or capital ship for an ultra-close fly-by, gently tapping the controller so you zoom past at an angle...

I would like to make it clear that, while I have nothing against the actual topic discussed, I'm totally liking FTS Gecko's post to draw attention to his signature [see directly above]. Bravo.

To me the best way to represent a little bit of side-slipping would be to allow a ship to increase the difficulty of it's straight maneuver one level (green becomes white, white becomes red, and red just doesn't have room for more play) but allows you to place the template anywhere along the leading and trailing edge of your fighter. Think of it as being like Barrel Roll except you are doing it with a Straight maneuver forward.

Drift rules from http://www.outworld-studio.com/xwing/pdf/Dagobahs-DSTR-v01.pdf

Honestly, it isn't really needed.. except if you want an aesthetic look to your flying...

If you look at the firing arc of the ships following you you wiill note they will cover you no matter where you are positioned in the trench....

Yes it looks neat and it might be 'cool' to side slip.. but really an unnecessary maneuver..

Make it an EPT that gives an additional evade die, or an evade token.. that would be more beneficial in my view

Drift rules from http://www.outworld-studio.com/xwing/pdf/Dagobahs-DSTR-v01.pdf

This is a nice write up. I am going to apply this to small ships escorting Large and/or Huge ships. The drifting takes into account little course correction that any good pilot would do to keep their place constant with the larger ship they are guarding.

I like this a lot.

Honestly, it isn't really needed.. except if you want an aesthetic look to your flying...

If you look at the firing arc of the ships following you you wiill note they will cover you no matter where you are positioned in the trench....

Yes it looks neat and it might be 'cool' to side slip.. but really an unnecessary maneuver..

Make it an EPT that gives an additional evade die, or an evade token.. that would be more beneficial in my view

This is a free skill that pilots skill three or higher have, or can buy for one point. You are useing it not as a dodging benifit, but as a way to fly in a specific formation and avoid hampering your fellow flyers by bumping into them.

That is how I am going to use it. I think it is cool, and makes good sense. It is going to be great in Epic games.

I guess I see it as a way to avoid some obstacles that are just barely in your way.

I guess I see it as a way to avoid some obstacles that are just barely in your way.

This is handled in the idea of rolling when you overlay on an obstacle.

You are useing it not as a dodging benifit, but as a way to fly in a specific formation and avoid hampering your fellow flyers by bumping into them.

Like I said in my first post to this thread, this is something easily solved, without needed to add/remove/modify rules, by deploying better. If your ships are bumping into each other after only having flown straight, you've done something wrong during deployment.

I guess I see it as a way to avoid some obstacles that are just barely in your way.

This is handled in the idea of rolling when you overlay on an obstacle.

True but for the better pilots skill three or higher they should not hit as much as they tend to. Neither should a good player have to move their ships poorly because the rules and templates force them into a bad place. I have seen this happen as a tiny limit in the movement templates. This is a reasonable way to make the game as a whole a better experience.

Drift is like the one point Munitions Failsafe in my view. FFG realized that they had priced ordnance high, and the fire and hope for the best rule failed the intentions of the excellent designers. Now for a point you can fire ordnance until it actually hits.

This drift upgrade is the same thing IMO.

Cool idea... not sure where to put it... but good idea.

Wow, the naysayers are out in force. If any of you noticed, it was a house rule for a trench run scenario. No one is asking you to dodge around asteroids with it. I think it's a nice idea, and if you've got turbolaser towers in your trench, it's going to be the only way to avoid them.

Cool idea... not sure where to put it... but good idea.

It works best in tight spots like formation flying in either a trench game or a large Epic game when you are guarding your Huge ships. It would be a good way to navigate dense asteroid fields too of course. To my way of thinking it gets you the scenes in STAR WARS when a ship missis hitting a asteroid (which is also moving), by a hair.

I guess I see it as a way to avoid some obstacles that are just barely in your way.

This is handled in the idea of rolling when you overlay on an obstacle.

True but for the better pilots skill three or higher they should not hit as much as they tend to. Neither should a good player have to move their ships poorly because the rules and templates force them into a bad place. I have seen this happen as a tiny limit in the movement templates. This is a reasonable way to make the game as a whole a better experience.

Drift is like the one point Munitions Failsafe in my view. FFG realized that they had priced ordnance high, and the fire and hope for the best rule failed the intentions of the excellent designers. Now for a point you can fire ordnance until it actually hits.

This drift upgrade is the same thing IMO.

It's true some pilots should be able to do it.. but then we start down a road of how much is too much.. PS 9 guys should have even better things like this.. it can escalate and get out of hand.. I think the obstacles issue is handled fairly well.

I'm also not a fan of home rules, as not everyone will agree and... the game is fine as it is..

I'm also not a fan of home rules, as not everyone will agree and... the game is fine as it is..

Yeah it is the best miniatures game.

I think a few tiny aspects of play can be more fun with some simple house rules.

Wow, the naysayers are out in force. If any of you noticed, it was a house rule for a trench run scenario. No one is asking you to dodge around asteroids with it. I think it's a nice idea, and if you've got turbolaser towers in your trench, it's going to be the only way to avoid them.

For a trench-running scenario, I thought it was useful and thematic. But I would not recommend it for regular play.

Wow, the naysayers are out in force. If any of you noticed, it was a house rule for a trench run scenario. No one is asking you to dodge around asteroids with it. I think it's a nice idea, and if you've got turbolaser towers in your trench, it's going to be the only way to avoid them.

For a trench-running scenario, I thought it was useful and thematic. But I would not recommend it for regular play.

IDK I just don't see the need for it...

But... anyone is more than welcome to do as they want... but when you put it here, be prepared for positive and negative comments... this is the hazard of public domain...