Surviving Starship Battles

[Greyaxe]

Whew! Just played yesterday and our super cruiser "The Guardian", a kick but hot rod of a cruiser was blown to bits and crashed onto a planet (we were fighting to get of the radioactive planet we were on). Fortunately or sister ship was able to kill the destroyer that bashed or poor ship to bits, and get us off the planet. As we were crashing the subject of lifeboats came up. So here is a little poll to survey the GM's and players out there.


Incidentally we crashed on the planet and killed off 80% of our PC party. Time to draw up new characters and start the thing over.

[Jefffar]

Depends on the size, class and purpose of the ship as well as its designers.

Civilian ships will be required by law to have adequate life capsules for all personnel and passengers.

CCW Will have escape capsules on every military craft from the Scorpion light fighter on up.

UWW will have escape chambers on their ships - basically teleportation circles attuned to the nearest secure UWW military base.

TGE ships will lack escape capsules as a way to encourage gunners to stay at their stations even after main power is lost. A TGE ship can still fight until the reactor goes critical and vapourizes the ship - might as well keep the crew in the action.

[Jefffar]

Hmmm... I can imagine a huge TGE dreadnought that comes with only 10 escape pods, holding at most 100 passengers........

Only accessible under Imperial authority of course.

[Braden Campbell]

I've re-read the Phase World starship combat in depth following yesterdays ass-whomping, Greyaxe.

A ship of Guardian's size is affected for attacks that inflict 1000 MDC or more... but there is only a cumulative 10% per every 1000 MDC that you roll on that table.

EXAMPLE: Guardian gets hit with 8000 points of damage, there is an 80% that you roll once on damage table.

The way we did it was fun too... just waaay too deadly. Ah, well. Your next characters will know better.

[Braden Campbell]

Hmmm... I can imagine a huge TGE dreadnought that comes with only 10 escape pods, holding at most 100 passengers........

"Captains and political officers first!"

[devillin]

You know, this is something I hadn't really thought about before. For fighters, it's technically a no. Provided their reinforced cockpit survives, they do have an ejection seat; but beyond that, only what their EVA suit offers. For my REF ships, it is a yes, but only for up to the ship's stated crew size. I never really thought about it, since if a ship is in danger of being destroyed, it usually comes too quickly for the crew to get out in time.

[Greyaxe]

I've re-read the Phase World starship combat in depth following yesterdays ass-whomping, Greyaxe.

A ship of Guardian's size is affected for attacks that inflict 1000 MDC or more... but there is only a cumulative 10% per every 1000 MDC that you roll on that table.

EXAMPLE: Guardian gets hit with 8000 points of damage, there is an 80% that you roll once on damage table.

The way we did it was fun too... just waaay too deadly. Ah, well. Your next characters will know better.

We need more spaceship combat to get the system down. Although the Grimtooth is really only good against fighters, and mabe an arcane patrol ship or troop transport.

[Jefffar]

You know, this is something I hadn't really thought about before. For fighters, it's technically a no. Provided their reinforced cockpit survives, they do have an ejection seat; but beyond that, only what their EVA suit offers. For my REF ships, it is a yes, but only for up to the ship's stated crew size. I never really thought about it, since if a ship is in danger of being destroyed, it usually comes too quickly for the crew to get out in time.

Or the entire cockpit ejects as an escape pod.

[Esckey]

Like in Space Above and Beyond. After watching that every space fighter I made has that sorta ejection/crew capsule as standard

[Jefffar]

Yeap, that and Robotech (detachable crew section on the VF-1s and Excalibers).

[Nekira Sudacne]

agreed. why have life pods at all.

just have a phase tranceivers built in that have their own battery that has enough for one charge. then, just like the emergency lights, have it set to activate as soon as main power is down.

[Jefffar]

Because you might not want large portions of your forces appearing at Phase World when you need them to be at planets near the battlezone so you can quickly move them into new ships for the next battle.

Especially since Phase World is a Neutral Port so they can sieze and inter any military personell and ships from the beligerrant forces.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Because you might not want large portions of your forces appearing at Phase World when you need them to be at planets near the battlezone so you can quickly move them into new ships for the next battle.

Especially since Phase World is a Neutral Port so they can sieze and inter any military personell and ships from the beligerrant forces.

except it says plainly they don't. they are utterly nutral, as long as the war isn't fought in their space they'll let both in.

[Jefffar]

Until they have a good reason to do otherwise . . .


But the key factor is my trops are being sent to a place I don't control with no garuntee of a safe passage to a place I do control. Effectively removes them totally from the war.

[Greyaxe]

And as I mentioned in another post at 5 light years per hour it will take 5 months to return to the anvil galaxy which is where this whole thing took place. Lont time3 to be AWOL.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Until they have a good reason to do otherwise . . .


But the key factor is my trops are being sent to a place I don't control with no garuntee of a safe passage to a place I do control. Effectively removes them totally from the war.

and being destroyed does not?

[Jefffar]

and being destroyed does not?

Did we say they were destroyed? We're looking at ways that a crew of a stricken ship could survive the battle so they could be later picked up.

Escape pods do that nicely and have the advantage of you can pick most of them up immediately rather than have them sit out the war in Center.

Yes your idea has the highest survival rate, but I want the surviors of my ships either available immediately to replace the injured crew on my surviving ships.

A man who has to spend 5 months on a transport to get back to the combat zone is a much a casualty for that time as the man who died when the reactor core breached and given the rate at which a modern battle progresses, by the time he gets back the war could be over anyway.