When I first started GM'ing in beta I didnt want to use some of what I considered the accountant/spreadsheet/nitpick type rules such as encumbrance & vehicle acceleration. But I recently planned a chase scene on character scale using a very slow vehicle and wanted to make use of the accelerate/decelerate rules. I thought I had a pretty good handle on the vehicle maneuvers but it turns out I didnt and the chase didnt work that well.

I guess I'm a bit confused, that a vehicle MUST suffer strain in order to accelerate/decelerate AND move on the same turn, not to mention the PILOT too if we wants to be able to use an action? While this isnt too bad for say freighters that might have a co-pilot to help & dedicated engineer it seems kinda strange when working with smaller single occupant vehicles. I imagine this would be a nightmare for fighter pilots, in particular ones without astrodroids.

BASICS

• Vehicle gets 1 'pilot only' maneuver
• Vehicle suffers 2 strain for 2nd 'pilot only' maneuver

How do you guys handle this?

Also, follow up question...if vehicles are close range to each other, do you require them to use a 'fly/drive' or 'stay on target' maneuver in order to use MOUNTED (non-turret) weapons? I thought I remember reading that somewhere but cant remember.

I think one thing that gets overlooked is that if the pilot isn't using a Maneuver to change range bands, that doesn't mean the ship is standing still. It just means that it's flying around in that range band in relation to a given target.

And yes, it would be tough on a one-man starfighters if they needed to increase their speed and change range bands in the same turn, particularly for craft with a low Strain Threshold such as the TIE Fighter or A-Wing. But given how fast those ships can go, it could be narrated as the pilot pushing their craft as much as they dare (taking the two "pilot only" maneuvers) while ensuring that the ship's critical systems don't overload (Mechanics check to restore Strain, which can be done every round) until they get within firing range of their desired target or they're at maximum speed. Having an astromech really helps the Y-Wing and the X-Wing (and eventually the E-Wing when it's produced during the New Republic era) in that respect, as the droid can devote it's efforts to recovering Strain.

If vehicles are at close range, then no extra maneuver is needed as far as I'm concerned to use a mounted weapon. Fly/Drive is only for changing range bands, and Stay on Target is to improve the odds of the gunner hitting their target, but neither are required to attack the target once you're within firing range.

Ok that helps some Dono, thanks.

Still seems kinda silly. If I was launching TIE's from a carrier they'd float out of the hangar and wait 5 turns before they got to full speed to do anything? Otherwise they strain themselves to death?

First off "punch it" if you are really worried.

But also, try not to make this a full simulation and I think you'll be happier in the end. Think of it like you would a dismounted encounter. When the bad guys call for back up you don't immediately start rolling for the 20 guys down stairs as they put on their shoes and helmets and get their guns and yadda yadda. You just wait three or four rounds and then they show up.

In space you can do the same, just say "in the distance you see the glitter of sunlight reflecting off dozens of ties pouring out of the bottom of the star destroyer" and then when the players start murdering the ties in the immediate area more can show up to replace them.

This is also a good precedent to set for large space battles. Running it like a Sim will run you nuts, rolling for all the crew of two MC80s, a Star Destroyer, two frigates, three dozen fighters and your players. If you run it more focused, with the battle space as hazardous terrain, allied and enemy craft as advantage, threat, triumph, and despair effects, and the actively tracked enemies being the torpedo bombers the players are intercepting and the odd tie that comes after them from a despair result, you'll probably have a lot of fun in an encounter that won't take all night.

Ok that helps some Dono, thanks.

Still seems kinda silly. If I was launching TIE's from a carrier they'd float out of the hangar and wait 5 turns before they got to full speed to do anything? Otherwise they strain themselves to death?

If you're looking at that level of detail, then it might be worth considering that a narrative use of tractor beams might allow them to be used in conjunction with small craft launching as a sort of catapult to rapidly accelerate the launching craft.

Well I thought on it more and its starting to make more sense now. Thanks all for the thoughts.

The game really intends the fighters to have to use that strain to 'get into the thick of things'.

Well I thought on it more and its starting to make more sense now. Thanks all for the thoughts.

The game really intends the fighters to have to use that strain to 'get into the thick of things'.

If im launching my A-wing and I'veI've got a squadron of tie bombers approaching my home cruiser, yeah I'll probably punch it to get a faster intercept.

I'm in a Tie bomber launching from a star destroyer to attack a rebel cruiser. I probably won't punch it, I'll just get to speed, manually because I want to save that strain for when i m actually attacking the cruiser so I can fly into the range band, stay on target, and fire in a single turn.

Well, this is how I see it (I'm still learning the rules, so let me know if I got something wrong):

YT-1300: Speed 3; Sensor: Short (Medium on Active); Medium Laser Cannon (Range: Close)

TIE Fighter: Speed 5; Sensor: Close (Short on Active); Medium Laser Cannons (Range: Close)

YT-1300 is scanning for possible enemies, when a cluster of red blips appear on radar: a squadron of TIE Fighters at Medium range and closing fast!

GM calls for Initiative (order doesn't really matter for this example), assume both ships are moving at their max speed.
If TIEs go first: TIEs will be within weapon's range using 1 maneuver, leaving an Action to open fire.
If YT-1300 goes first; pilot is allowed 1 maneuver and 1 pilot action or 2 maneuvers ( this doesn't cost strain if the pilot action is downgraded to a maneuver ) -- it also allows the gunner(s) to use their actions to shoot the TIEs when they are within range. So the pilot spends two maneuvers to close the distance between himself and the incoming TIEs (no strain cost).

In essence, are you taking into account the rules on page 231 describing Small Craft Combat? Even with the example of "in the distance you see the glitter of sunlight reflecting off dozens of ties pouring out of the bottom of the Star Destroyer" that Ghostofman mentioned the pilots, you probably would be starting at speed 1 when exiting the Star Destroyer, can sacrifice his action as an additional maneuver for the Accelerate Maneuver twice, reaching a speed of 3 in one turn. I see it closing the distance pretty quickly doing that, possibly only taking two turns for them to reach the PCs' ship (giving the players time to panic )

Edit: I just read the rules regarding Pilot only maneuvers on page 232. The TIE fighters are done correctly in my example ("If the starship has a single pilot, the pilot must suffer two strain (or downgrade his action to a maneuver) to perform two maneuvers..."). The YT-1300 example is incorrect