How have you guys handled starship encounters? So far I have run 2 that went okay but I'm looking to beef them up a little. So far my group stole the Yiyar clan's YT-2400 from Beyond the Rim and they have fought against TIEs and a group of pirates. The usual tactics are Evasive Maneuvers and have the gunners attack each round.

That's a rather broad question. Is there some concept or effect you're trying to work in?

What have your previous encounters looked like and involved? Has it just been ties in open space?

Gain the Advantage first... then Evasive Maneuvers.

My PCs were attacked by pirates once, they cut their engines and surrendered. When they were about to be boarded, they Obelixed (counterboarded) the other ship. It ended with my telling one of the players, he is now considered a war criminal for shooting down the pirates escape pod with their own lasers.

Not really space combat, but most effective none the less.

My PCs were attacked by pirates once, they cut their engines and surrendered. When they were about to be boarded, they Obelixed (counterboarded) the other ship. It ended with my telling one of the players, he is now considered a war criminal for shooting down the pirates escape pod with their own lasers.

Not really space combat, but most effective none the less.

Arrrrh!

Well I guess I'm trying to find a way to break their habit of Evasive Maneuvers while Gunners attacks. They just seemed to get bored, I need to add more to the environment or allow them to have fighters or something.

I mean the encounter went ok, when they boarded we loaded a speeder bike with explosives and sent it through their docking tube.

Well I guess I'm trying to find a way to break their habit of Evasive Maneuvers while Gunners attacks. They just seemed to get bored, I need to add more to the environment or allow them to have fighters or something.

I mean the encounter went ok, when they boarded we loaded a speeder bike with explosives and sent it through their docking tube.

Use the environment and chases as much as you can. Those mechanics always make for a more interesting star ship encounter. Feel free to populate as much cool stuff as you can think of as goals, terrain, cover, and descriptive fluff. If you plan to have a chase, set up a few key points that can change the dynamic of the encounter or swing the advantage.

Empty is boring.

Well I guess I'm trying to find a way to break their habit of Evasive Maneuvers while Gunners attacks. They just seemed to get bored, I need to add more to the environment or allow them to have fighters or something.

Why aren't the TIEs attempting to gain the advantage? TIEs are built to GtA. They are fast and have a good handling, so they'll have an easy time doing it unless the players are in a speed 6 craft. Once the TIEs have GtAed the players evasive maneuvers will be negated.

Waaaaiiittt...you are including the penalty on the players when the take evasive action...right?

Well I guess I'm trying to find a way to break their habit of Evasive Maneuvers while Gunners attacks. They just seemed to get bored, I need to add more to the environment or allow them to have fighters or something.

Why aren't the TIEs attempting to gain the advantage? TIEs are built to GtA. They are fast and have a good handling, so they'll have an easy time doing it unless the players are in a speed 6 craft. Once the TIEs have GtAed the players evasive maneuvers will be negated.

Waaaaiiittt...you are including the penalty on the players when the take evasive action...right?

Of course I did, I think when we went against the TIEs though I forgot about the Gain the Advantage action. The Pirates had a bigger ship

OK, yeah, GtA is there to keep them from just shifting shields, evading and shooting and doing nothing else.

If you're going to fight in open space then you need to leverage everything you can.

Even large ships have options. They can do an opposed check to get a GtA lite effect, or make a fly/drive maneuver to get the most guns facing the target. Also remember the point defense breakout box and barrages. Don't leave them as floating logs.

Also what are you doing with triumphs/despair and advantage/threat? If all you're doing is passing off boosts and setbacks, then there's part of your problem. Make those things do stuffstuff to manipulate the encounter. Next time the TIEs roll a triumph instead of critting, have the players get forced into an asteroid belt, or an old minefield from a past war, or a fulling operational orbiting salavage yard full of hulks and tugs, or a huge scaffolding for a station under construction.

If you want space combat to be interesting, you have to make it interesting.