Pesky Hyperdrives...!

[shootingwomprats]

Just got done watching the Escape from Mos Eisley scene from ANH which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwevTdKL-tk

If you are going by cannon here are some observations:

1. The Nav-Computer calculates your trip or there is a very good chance your gonna die. With 3 ISD's bearing down on him, if it were not that big a deal, I think Han Solo would have taken off for hyperspace right away, but he does not. In fact he defends his decision to Luke.
2. It takes approximately 1 minute to calculate the hyperspace jump once given the coordinates.
3. Once the coordinates are fed to the Nav-Computer it will automatically calculate the coordinates allowing the pilot to fly his craft.
4. Once hyperspace is entered it would appear the Nav-Computer takes over the piloting duties, equivalent to a droid flying the ship.

I have re-written the rules so they are easier to understand. I have not added any additional rules with the exception of an optional rule, which is listed as such. Upon reviewing the ANH footage I am confident it meets with cannon.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16H5EqODH_HSkLqNjhjmmqhx6fSHknY2FN0TOq1W7aFg/edit?usp=sharing
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Don Diestler
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[garhkal]

[Ral_Brelt]

What I was getting at with my earlier post is that one can jump without data put in the navcomp. I'm not suggesting it, just stating in my games it is possible. Though to the original topic...isn't there something in there about contacting BoSS about Nav hazards for the most up to date info? In all of the movies jumps are quick, most likely due to the fact that watching the heroes plot a nav course for a long period of time isn't thrilling.

[DougRed4]

[vanir]

Hope it's okay to use your name too, Don I was still thinking that creating a ruleset as you did with making a hyperspace jump, an RPG situation whilst ostensibly useful in terms of providing skill rolls, it may also trivialize and excise an essential RPG element that contributes to PC suspense within a plot development.

What I mean is actively forcing Players to list and accumulate local star charts during their travels and keeping a record and stock of jump coordinates to program into Astromechs and limited-nav computers, then using an RP process each time they make a jump and having Players sort through nav charts gives an excellent excuse to mimic the process in gametime, you might use 20 seconds going over your charts with blaster fire all around you, well there's 4 combat rounds. You may have to multitask and pilot the ship and look over charts. Best to start coordinating crew positions with support personnel if in a light transport. More combat rounds.
What you do is enforce severe mishaps and penalties for rushing things because that would also happen for reals. If you don't go through your charts then you're just going to pick whatever pops up at the time as handy (also known as "GM pleasure" which is a term PC's best avoid at all costs). Enter your coordinates in a rushed fashion and you risk failing to mathematically account for every little stellar motion between here and there, which is easy to do but fatal to accomplish. You do it right or you die, first rule of being a starship captain, it's not about rules, it's about life and death.

Anything strictly RP'd can take many times longer in active Player participation than a series of rolls and rules to represent the event. If you want PCs at a planet longer, simply drag out everything they have to do with RP interaction, don't go and do all their work and make them do some simple rolls whilst you think it all up. Make them do the work when what you want is time for a plot point.

[Lane Arroway]

As I've been collecting sw adventures lately I've noticed a few options to solve the problem. One way to allow for a dog fight before jumping is to set a space distance from the planet before any jump can be made. For example, say 50 units. A stock ship might have a space of 4, so at high speed it travels at a space of 8. That gives you 5-6 rounds of combat depending on engine damage or adjusting speed. This option I use myself alot.
The second option I've seen is that the amount of rounds til jump is dependent on the astrogation roll. For example. an easy roll means 15 rounds, a moderate roll means 10 rounds, a difficult roll means 5 rounds, a very difficult roll means 2 rounds, a heroic roll means that round. This way any roll succeeds, its only a matter of time.

The way I see it, anything goes if it works for the story.
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[garhkal]

Although you should see the players watch with horror when the DM has the ship owner roll that 1d6 to see what system got nocked out/damaged when you rolled any sort of damage, whether it was light or severe..
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