An idea for some future upgrade, or new race.

The idea is that vectored warp allows the ship a higher angle of attack - that is, a greater difference between the direction the ship is facing, and that which it is going.

This proposal is for a very modest increase: to whit, a ship with vectored warp is able to move then turn, or turn then move, on all impulses that a conventional ship could turn then move.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 07:24 pm: Edit

So if I use this rule and have an R1 Oblique attack, I can just turn after I move and thus get me centerlining the enemy but him still obliquing me.

Unless he moved too, in which case we are simply centerlining each other.

Don't you find that a bit strong!?!


You are in effect giving ships the ability to TAC at warp, HETting out of danger at the start of the next movement step. Granting either Centerline Fire on a particular impulse that would have been a perfect oblique or Bringing weapons that otherwise would never be brought to bear into arc over a two impulse period.

Ships with Pair of RF+R & LF+L will have their BPV jump up quite a bit, but ships of FA arcs and FX acrcs in particular, will find hardly any improovment to their weapons.

By michael wheatley (Mike_Wheatley) on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 07:32 pm: Edit

It is probably too strong for a "general upgrade" - I would suggest its use for a new race, or X2, when the BPV and arcs can be set to take account of it.

It is NOT a HET though - ony 60 degrees, and counts against turn limit. Its more like a combination of a turn and a side slip.

Of couse, it is intended to be useful...

By Jim Davies (Mudfoot) on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 09:15 pm: Edit

AFAIR, this is the way that movement happens in Starfire. In my homebrew simplified SFB lookalike, I allow it when a ship turns and sideslips on the same impulse.

It's a funky ability but by no means overwhelming, esp if it counts as a turn and a sideslip.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 11:50 pm: Edit

When I read the line "Vectored Warp" I figured that it would allow a ship to move in a constant side slip. That could be useful. You know, facing Dir. A but moving Dir. B.

By Glenn Hoepfner (Ikabar) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 01:17 am: Edit

I agree with Loren.

By Kenneth Jones (Kludge) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 08:34 am: Edit

That sounds more like Hover Warp. In C4 Facing A but slipping B constantly.

By John Trauger (Vorlon) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 01:12 pm: Edit

Worse than hover warp, it's allowing the entire ship to rotate, not unlike a Quari turret.

By michael wheatley (Mike_Wheatley) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 05:54 pm: Edit

With hover warp, hover points can be spent to turn one impulse, and move in any direction in later impulses.
Thus hover warp allows the entire ship to rotate, like a Quari turret.

This proposal, on the other hand, does NOT.

It only applies on impulses that the ship is allowed to turn-then-move.
Its sole effect is to allow it to move-then-turn, if it wants to.
It therefore cannot be used to constantly move in a direction other than it is facing. In fact, it can NEVER be used to move in a direction it is not facing. When the ship moves, it moves in the direction it is facing. It is simply allowed to do the turn before or after the move, as desired.

Considering the matter, it would also reset the slip mode. I don't think it needs the slip mode to be satisfied before it can be done, though.

By Mike Raper (Raperm) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 05:56 pm: Edit

I'd have to try it, but it sounds reasonable enough. Combine this with the Positron Flywheel on a nimble ship, and watch the show...

By John Trauger (Vorlon) on Thursday, August 01, 2002 - 01:28 pm: Edit

Mike Wheatley,

Could you propose an actual set of rules?

By michael wheatley (Mike_Wheatley) on Thursday, August 08, 2002 - 03:03 pm: Edit

John,

I honestly thought I had.
However, there does seem to be a lack of comprehension, so:

A unit equiped with Vectored Warp may perform a Vectored Warp Turn under the following circumstances:
1) Its current speed must be between 1 and 32.
2) It must have satisfied its turn mode.
3) It must be due to move under its own power on this impulse.
No energy is, or can, be allocated, nor spent, on this action.

The decision to perform a Vectored Warp Turn is made just before movement in the SOP.
When performing the Vectored Warp Turn, the unit sacrifices, and does not execute, its normal (self powered) movement for that impulse.
The Vectored Warp Turn takes place in the movement stage of the SOP, exactly as if it were normal movement.

When executing a Vectored Warp Turn, the unit moves forward one hex, and then rotates 60 degrees in that hex. (I.e. one hex facing.)
The decision as to which direction to rotate is left up to the player owning the unit.

Completing the Vectored Warp Turn resets the unit's turn and slip modes.
Completing the Vectored Warp Turn is considered to be one hex of movement for all purposes.

i.e.
The unit may "move then turn" in all situations in which it could "turn then move".

By David Kass (Dkass) on Thursday, August 08, 2002 - 06:51 pm: Edit

A much simpler rule to do almost the same thing:

A vectored Warp unit that has satisfied its turn and side slip mode, may, after moving forward exectute a 60 degree facing change. This change does not cost any energy and resets the ship's turn and sideslip mode.


A completely different approach would be to let the ship perform warp tacs at speeds greater than 0 (but doing so does reset the turn and sideslip mode). This could be limited to impluses when the ship has moved and/or ones where its turn and sideslip mode are satisfied.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 07:17 pm: Edit

This might be used by some new empire with special technology, but more likely by some similator race in that it it just too disruptive of how the game works.@@@@@