Game in the Brain

2-Parsec Update: Combat is Taking Too Long

We weren’t even doing damage yet, were just managing Missiles, Evasion, Point Defense, and Dodge.

The math is

7 ROLES! Roles are Captain, Pilot, Navigator, Comms-Sensor, Gunner, Engineer, and Boarding. so that’s up to 14 rolls per TURN!

I have to reduce the Enemy Rolls by making them Opposed Rolls if possible. Instead of rolling Evasion and Dodge – Evasive Manuver will just grant a DM+1 for Dodge Actions.
If a roll altered the map and tokens, it would have been better. I think I will make DM penalty Token markers (up to DM-4)
Ideally the GM has to only bother with the 3-5 player roles and I will use the Superiority Mechanic in Mneme Variant Combat Rules to keep it Simple for the Other Party. A combination of Opposed Rolls (less rolls) and Superiority where superior numbers just gave a Bonus or Penalty. In the Enhanced Mneme Variant the GM doesn’t roll – the Players do all the rolls making it much easier for the GM.
Reduce the Number of ACtions as much as possible.

Reactions should have been cleared – do ships have reactions or the crew? So you have a ton of crew doing nothing during combat? Not All can react – Gunners and Pilots can react and ACT, not bad for the lowest PAID crewman.

Crewman PAy needs to be fixed – it should have been RATINGS instead of roles. 1-6k/mo.

DEFINITELY removed the EXTRA TURN rule when a party has Initative. We simplified it with a DM+2 to a Single Action Or Saved for a Reaction. This broke down immediately when we moved TWICE, attacked twice, EW and ECM twice etc…
Thrust Points are working as intended with the 2,000km per hex. This is the best aligned with Ranges and Thrust.
Encounters should have features – like Asteroids, debris, Solar storms,
IFF or Ships Beacons are Very Important.

No Beacon/IFF + Intercept = Hostile. This means you can start firing missiles and weapons as soon as you encounter them.
No Beacon/IFF but not on Intercept – discretion By Not Intercept this means if the Ship wants to Intercept, there is a number of (2d6x10) Turns/Thrust example 70 turns/ thrust for that ship to Try to Intercept.

Navigation and Sensor-Comms – Cat and Mouse. Getting as close as possible without being detected is a Navigation Roll vs Sensor Comms. Simplifying Opposed Rolls.

Combat Should Take 30-60 mins to resolve. If its a 60 min combat, every turn should be really exciting – that there are Stakes to every turn.