Has anyone tried using hex grids for space combat?

This would mean that a basic turn is 60 degrees instead of 45, and lighter ships can turn up to 120 degrees instead of 90. Firing arcs would also need to be fine-tuned. I'm wondering if the rules need to be altered in any other way to accommodate hexes, and what the ramifications are.

Well, first I'd be wondering why mess with a perfectly decent system. Is it easier to manage or something?

That'd mean that ships are a lot more manourvreble than they're meant to be, and also removes one of the benefits of the smaller ships, that it should be possible for them to stay in the rear arc of larger vessels (hence why larger vessels should have escorts). I'd suggest not using hex grids at all.

Fortinbras said:

Because I find hexes a lot more elegant, especially with respect to a system that potentially involves significant straight-line movement. However, it's not so important to me that I'd want to dramatically alter the system to accommodate hexes, which, based on MILLANDSON's post, it seems like I'd have to do.

Not having actually run any combats yet, I was hoping that, because it applies to all craft equally, the increased manoeuvrability would not have a detrimental impact on how positioning works. It seems, however, that this may not be the case.

I agree with Millandson. One of the fun parts of WH40k Space Combat is the unwieldiness of capitalships, in my opinion.

Well if the ship makes a come to new heading roll it can bring its guns to bear.

Though I have yet to figure out why a 90 turn in a cruiser would impose a -20 to BS checks but in a frigate it would not... I guess escorts have better tracking systems on their weapons.. for some reason...

Aside from maneuvering, there's no real way to "fix" the firing arcs. It would probably wreck starboard/port mounts since there's no side that specifically faces to the starboard/port (assuming that the hexagon points are laid horizontally adjacent). In addition it would increase the firing arcs of dorsal mounts, as their blind spot is now reduced from 90 degrees to 60, and the firing arcs of prow mounts on capital ships and escorts alike would be dramatically increased.

Basically it would castrate ships bigger than a frigate, while making raiders arguably your best choice.

llsoth said:

That one's fairly simple- smaller ships find it easier to come about in a shorter period of time, meaning their gunners have more time to (re)acquire their targets.

Alasseo said:

Except that the -20 applies to all targets not just the frigate that is hiding out behind the cruiser, including those who could be targeted from begining to end of round.

Pheww.. passed my willpower check and held back the horde of crude jokes that wanted to umm... illustrate the small ships behavior.

Keep in mind that most shipboard weapons aren't exactly using auto-cogitators to calculate ranges and compensate for differing velocities, it's all manual calculation by the chief gunner. Larger ships have a much greater mass, requiring more severe alterations in thrust to come about even half as fast as a smaller vessel. Coming to a new heading requires recalculation.