On May 3, 2007, at 1:02 AM, Pauli Hakala wrote:
What I am really trying to implement here is simply that certain
vehicle types are easier to dodge with than others. Frex, it is
inherently easier to dodge with a jetfighter than with
an automobile.
Right, and using canon GURPS, simple penalties/bonuses are the way to
model that. Maybe based on some known measure of maneuverability, as
you are already doing (Dodge Modifier = (sAccel in Gs x2)).
I wouldn't also use Skill divisors, unless you want to explicitly
state that Skill matters *less* when Dodging with vehicle A, than it
matters when dodging with vehicle B. That's a different matter from
inherent difficulty of dodging; it's a statement of the weight of
skill as one input into dodging. And while it's a mechanic that could
be applied throughout many GURPS rolls, it's used pretty much
nowhere. (Defenses are the only major area where skill divisors are
used, but as far as I can tell, it's as an oddball play-balance
issue, not as a statement that skill is less important in defenses
than it is in other combat tasks.)
So overall, I would probably run vehicle defenses using normal rules
(base = Skill/2), or FEND rules (base = Skill) if you prefer, and
instead of further Skill divisors, handle the inherent difficulty
factor through mods (such as your sAccel-based mod, which seems
especially appropriate).
b) Do deflectors act like a mobile shield, "catching" some attacks
while "missing" others? Then letting a deflector roll its own
Block, separate from the ship's own defense, may make sense.
c) Do deflectors in some way boost the effectiveness of the ship's
own evasive maneuvers? Then let the deflector add a bonus to a
ship's Dodge (think of it as a 4e shield defense bonus, not as 3e
PD).
Yes, the deflector PD was added to the active defenses just
like ordinary PD from armor. However, even while the ship was still,
deflector screens did offer some protection in the form of passive
defense roll.
I am thinking about treating Deflector PD just like the FEND treats
normal shields - Subtract the Shield PD directly from any and all
attack rolls. This makes ships with deflectors more difficult to
hit in any situation, and does serve as a justification for
the expense of deflector screens as compared to ordinary armor.
Sounds good, though I myself would use that only if the attacker can
*see* the deflector (just like a shield). The difficulty of aiming
around the shield, at an effectively smaller target, is how I see the
TH penalty for striking a shield-wielding target.
Finally, another question about your rule: What's the reasoning
behind subtracting SM from vehicles' Dodge? Is it that a huge
vehicle would have to move much farther to Dodge an attack on its
center? I can see sense in that, though would have to wonder why
the same shouldn't apply to regular creatures, too.
Exactly. A huge vehicle might be simply unable to move away
from an attack vector before the attack hits it, no matter
what the usual dodge game mechanics say. This depends both
on its size and acceleration stats. Larger object needs more
acceleration to move out of the harms way. A 100yard cube
with 1g sAccel cannot maneuver nowhere near enough in
1 second to evade a beam weapon attack aimed at it's
center. OTOH, a 3x10 yard front profile starfighter with
1g sAccel is an entirely different story.. Size matters.
Yes, same should apply to land-based biological creatures
as well. Of course, a land-based biological creature is more
limited in it's application of accelerating force when
compared to a 3D vectored thrust starfighter.. I simply add
a Dodge Modifier equal to the inverted Size Modifier of a
creature (frex Size Modifier -3 = Dodge Modifier +3). The
average human being has a Dodge Modifier +0.
Ah. If you're doing the same for creatures too, then that is indeed
consistent. Interesting, and no doubt sensible, though I expect a
close look might suggest some modifications, like a cap for small SM,
or possibly using SM/2. Otherwise, the Dodge stats for bugs etc.
become excessively high.
The new P/A skill 'Evasion' works as a Skill/2 dodge base for
biological creatures trained in the art of dodging attacks
while maneuvering on their feet. (Robots use Battlesuit or
Driving:Mecha skill as their dodge base.)
I'm all for some sort of skill to aid Dodge, though have always been
leery of any Skill/2 as a replacement for Dodge, for point cost
reasons. Especially in 4e: your Evasion essentially allows +1 Dodge
for 8 points, right?
For that reason, I've always favored a Dodging (i.e., Evasion) skill
that instead *replaces* DX in the (DX+HT)/4 equation. Under 4e, that
would raise the cost of +1 Dodge from Dodging skill to 16 points.
Still pretty cheap!
T Bone
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