From what we've seen in the previews, it seems that ships can move multiple 'segments' worth of distance in a turn - how many depending on their stats and action choices. And then can - from one segment to another - 'pivot' each element a certain number of ticks based on their stats.

Assuming I have that right - let's take the example of a ship doing a right-turn at 3-segments-forward. You'd have to adjust the first segment one click to the right...next segment to whatever the first was and one more click to the right...third segment at the second value and one more click to the right...and done!

Next turn, the ship wants to swing the other way, same deal. Now you've got to pivot the first segment to the left...next segment swinging over 4 positions from where it was so it becomes 'first left segment +1 more to the left', and even more adjustment needed for the third position...

I guess the question is...why?

Why not just use two segments with one pivot? Put it at the starting point on the ship, move the ship to the end point...then pick it up, click it one to the right, move it to the front, again, and move the ship down it...then pick it up, click it one to the right, move it to the front, again, and move the ship down it one last time.

Seems a lot less fiddly, and takes up a lot less table space...

Probably to reduce the need to pick up other ships. You may need to with the current path, but it is just the template, not having to pick up and put down the one base.

From what I've seen, it would probably allow you to jump to different sides of the template.

Probably to reduce the need to pick up other ships. You may need to with the current path, but it is just the template, not having to pick up and put down the one base.

Ah, I think I see what you are saying - snaking the template through a group of ships, and the capital ship basically just jumping from its start point to its end point along the template, being easier to manage?

I guess I'm not really sure I see that as a big advantage, though, as the capital ship bases look HUGE in relation to the template, and it doesn't seem like there would be a lot of cases where you'd be able to maneuver a ship through a group of opposing ships and end in a spot that you can easily place your base...but could not manage to do so "along the way".

You have misunderstood the pivoting. The number of notches you can pivot starts counting from the neutral position. You don't add the click to whatever the previous joint was at. In your example, a ship would need a navigation chart with 1 at speed 1, 2 at speed 2, and 3 at speed 3.

You have misunderstood the pivoting. The number of notches you can pivot starts counting from the neutral position. You don't add the click to whatever the previous joint was at. In your example, a ship would need a navigation chart with 1 at speed 1, 2 at speed 2, and 3 at speed 3.

It's a slight misunderstanding, but even strengthens the argument, then, if the default is 'straight' (and not based on the last click), as it means even less movement of the joint would be needed to re-use it for each step vs a ship swinging hard one way vs the other.

IE., a CR-90 at speed for being able to pivot 0-1-1-2 means it could (re-using the template) just pick it up and re-use it exactly as previously positioned for its second and third step in the sequence, and only have to move it one over on the first (from neutral) and last (from '1') steps.

That's a fairly sizable increase in convenience...

I'm not exactly sure how "move, pick up, click, put down, move, pick up, click, put down, move" is less fiddly than just clicking, putting it down and moving the ship in one go. If anything, it'd only take longer.

I'm not exactly sure how "move, pick up, click, put down, move, pick up, clock, put down, move" is less fiddly than just clicking, putting it down and moving the ship in one go. If anything, it'd only take longer.

Definitely more cumbersome and leaves more room for error.

Also, having played the game at GenCon, the template is pretty long compared to the ship bases. Would be very easy, and probably frequent, to snake the template under the bases. I assume this is one of the primary reasons they are raised.