Any creative ways you guys use to convince your players to not always stay in the ship, or to avoid them just landing where they please? (say you want them to actually travel over a desert without just flying to the location direct)

for staying in ships, remember consumables, every day they stay in is one less day of food.

for landing, space port authorities. they can keep track of ships coming in and out of system, where they land. they need to keep vectors clean for incoming and out goingships. if someone doesn't land where they're supposed to, could attract attention your crew doesn't like. not getting approach vectors, they could run into a ship leaving. have authorities fine them, or lock down their ship for hot landing in a cargo bay.

just a few ideas

My players are pretty good about adopting the mindset of their PCs as real people so if they've been staying on the ship a lot, I can often remind them that they're getting pretty sick of ship rations and some real food and a real bed would feel great.

If they do it every time, you could require Discipline checks. On a failed Discipline check, the PC just can't stand the thought of one more ship's ration and needs to get something better to eat. (If your players wouldn't roleplay that, then, again, a conversation about the spirit of the game and the nature of roleplaying might be in order.)

If you want them to travel overland rather than just setting their ship down, some ways to make a starport (or a more remote, more secure landing) seem like a more attractive option could be:

* wild scavengers in the area (creatures or sentients)

* Jawas or the like

* thieves or bandits

* enemy is looking for them

* unaccommodating environmental effects:

* swampy land

* sinkholes

* mynocks

* Sarlaccs

* corrosive mists

* uneven ground

* hills or mountains

* strange effects like clouds or mists that interfere with computers

In one case I simply had the PCs' ship crash land because of a powerful weapon used on them. They had an exploration adventure and had more time and resources to repair their ship when the adventure was over.

Here are my notes from the Crash encounter, in case it helps with any ideas:

https://explorers-on-the-edge.obsidianportal.com/wiki_pages/crash-landing-on-luma

Plus throw the costs of fuel at them. Which will be cheaper: Flying their private Lear jet or driving there?

Also, it's not very subtle. You every try and sneak up on someone in a freighter? They'll ping you on the radar long before you get close.

What about security? Oh sure you can park your car on the street, but wouldn't you rather park it at the Airport Parking Lot where the attendant can keep away the jackasses who want to break into your ride?

Han snuck up on Vader with a freighter. He didn't appear to get pinged on radar or by the Force.

What Michelle said-- food consumption and fuel consumption-- even at an idle floating around the ship is a giant futuristic ship consuming fuel. Think about how much you eat while working and while not working. You tend to eat more while bored or not focusing on a task-- at least I do. Usually on weekends I'll play games and snack here and there while eating the main meals...that's heavy toll on rations and a floating apartment--- all systems run off that fuel...life support etc.

So just break it to them...but in an RP way that they notice these things in passing-- if it doesn't work it will still fall under "keeping them hungry" for credits...RP and convey that they notice lodging on planet may be cheaper. But remember for smugglers their ship is their life--- they will be extremely reluctant naturally to part with their ship.

Which makes me think-- is there a section for "fuel"? I have read the books maybe twice each in total and don't recall...

Fuel is part of consumables. However, small vehicles don't tend to list consumables, so...?

Fuel is part of consumables. However, small vehicles don't tend to list consumables, so...?

Ok so up to GM in the end I guess. I'll just make up something lol

Fuel, like many other consumables, are generally hand waved (in a "we payed for it with that last cargo run" kinda way) to avoid the kind of spreadsheet-fu it would take to figure it out. Like knowing different fuel consumption and economy rates for different vehicles in different conditions, including hyperspace. Which have incredibly contradictory representations in the stories.

Han snuck up on Vader with a freighter. He didn't appear to get pinged on radar or by the Force.

While Vader was distracted by focusing on one thing and there were hundres of other blips on his radar.

Compared to the massive space battles of the Clone Wars, the Battle of Yavin wasn't much as far as chaos goes.

Still, Vader was being rather single minded in taking out the X-Wing pinging someone strong in the force. I think you could've snuck up on him in a Star Destroyer at that point.