In the FAQ 4.2.3 it is said;

"Sometimes a round will end with two ships touching each other, parallel, and facing the same direction. After both ships execute a maneuver of the same speed or perform the same boost or barrel roll action, they are not touching even if their bases are still in physical contact (unless they overlapped)."

So, could I start the game with two ships touching each other, parallel, and facing the same direction? Then during the first activation phase the two ships fly straight and we consider they are not touching even if they physically are? I would like to do that with my two protectorate starfighters... I normally start near one another but due to human error the ships can sometimes overlap... this rule about Overlapping Inline Ships sounds like I could avoid some occasional human errors in the first rounds!

Must I understand that no one knows?

The "unless they overlapped" parenthetical might indicate that this doesn't get you out of human error. I would recommend checking with your opponent to see whether they are going to be super strict about this before deploying.

The hiccup is in the parallel part. If you note you are setting them up parallel you may have a leg to stand on but if there is space separating them on setup and they move into contact with each other there is no way they were close to parallel to begin with.

I'll also point out the "performing a maneuver of the same speed" will avoid an overlap ONLY if it is a straight or K-Turn. Anything that changes the angle of ships is almost certain to cause a new overlap.

No almost about it.

5 hours ago, thespaceinvader said:

No almost about it.

I'm saying "almost" because I'm not entirely sure some literal corner case couldn't be found. If you've got full on edge to edge contact then no way but if you're parallel but just touching on a corner I think some bank/turn could possibly work.

I believe if parallel ships execute a bank or turn and the ship on the outside of the curve goes 1 faster, you end up with the ships in the same formation at the new angle.

1 hour ago, Funkula said:

I believe if parallel ships execute a bank or turn and the ship on the outside of the curve goes 1 faster, you end up with the ships in the same formation at the new angle.

But then they're not "executing a maneuver at the same speed" which is where the question is going in.

Formation flying is tricky but especially so if you don't leave at least a little space between ships.

Ah, I missed that. I think that's less a condition required for it to be true and more an explanation of how ships would begin and end their maneuvers still touching. Like, if touching parallel ships are a shuttle that does a straight 1 and a TIE that does a straight 2, I'd say it still applies even though the speeds are different.

I agree that it's too much work to fly formation with the ships actually touching, though. Around here people use the width of the template as a spacer when setting up and that seems like the minimum necessary wiggle room.

Doing a turn if they were parallel and touching will cause overlap because of the template guides. However, if you setup your ships so that the front of one ship is at the half of the second ship (coincidentally, that would be exactly one template width behind the front of the second ship), and you do the same bank to the direction of the ship that is further back, they will end up parallel, touching (but not touching), and you'll look like a badass formation flier.

See the pinwheel formation for the setup of 4 ships.

I got some replies on boardgamegeek...

What I understand is, in theory, it IS possible to make any maneuver, barrel roll or acceleration, and end it without overlaping another ship but while you're in physical contact with it. In that case you are not touching the other ship, according to the rule's definition of "touching". I think that's the reality from where this rule comes from.

5 hours ago, freeQboy said:

I got some replies on boardgamegeek...

What I understand is, in theory, it IS possible to make any maneuver, barrel roll or acceleration, and end it without overlaping another ship but while you're in physical contact with it. In that case you are not touching the other ship, according to the rule's definition of "touching". I think that's the reality from where this rule comes from.

The rule of thumb that I use is:

If you can place your ship flat on the table without moving the other ship, you have not overlapped even if this results in being in contact with the other ship. You are in base contact or adjacent , but not touching (under the rules definition of touching ).

If you can't place your ship flat on the table without moving the other ship, then you have overlapped and will result in touching after moving back up your manoeuvre template until you can place it flat.

It's the easiest way to resolve overlaps and touching. And you should try and retrain yourself to use the word " touching " only when referring the the effect of an overlap .

On 2/23/2017 at 10:52 PM, Parravon said:

The rule of thumb that I use is:

If you can place your ship flat on the table without moving the other ship, you have not overlapped even if this results in being in contact with the other ship. You are in base contact or adjacent , but not touching (under the rules definition of touching ).

If you can't place your ship flat on the table without moving the other ship, then you have overlapped and will result in touching after moving back up your manoeuvre template until you can place it flat.

It's the easiest way to resolve overlaps and touching. And you should try and retrain yourself to use the word " touching " only when referring the the effect of an overlap .

Rule of thumb hua? Meaning not official? Because to me, if you are touching a base, your touching it. So its either your base is Not in contact, thus you are not touching, or your base IS in contact, thus you are touching.

I would like to see official ruling rather than players trying to dance around what 'touching' means. This constant trying to bend the rules because it doesnt spell out word for word is annoying. FFG im sure expects us know the definition of touching that thus didnt think they needed to hold our hand to explain it.

Look up "touching" in the rulebook. It can only come from an overlap. If my ship's base wasn't over the other ship's base, then it's irrelevant if it happens to be in contact. Under the rules, it's not touching .

There's no rule-bending going on at all.

1 hour ago, Lyianx said:

Rule of thumb hua? Meaning not official? Because to me, if you are touching a base, your touching it. So its either your base is Not in contact, thus you are not touching, or your base IS in contact, thus you are touching.

I would like to see official ruling rather than players trying to dance around what 'touching' means. This constant trying to bend the rules because it doesnt spell out word for word is annoying. FFG im sure expects us know the definition of touching that thus didnt think they needed to hold our hand to explain it.

Per the Rules Reference:

"Two ships are touching if one ship overlapped the other ship while executing a maneuver and their bases are touching as a result."

So for ships to "Touch" there must be an overlap. Contact alone does not qualify as "touching." In every tournament I have played up through Regionals, this is how it has played out and is generally accepted. My friends who have been to Worlds also agree that if the ship bases fit flatly on the table without moving the other ship, then the move is accepted without it being considered as "touching"

I think there have been many discussions and replies from FFG on this, in the past, which I cannot cite, but agreed on this.