Re: Vector Movement

Matt Tope wrote:

>At the risk of getting my head bitten off, here is a possible solution
to
>the vector-turn-burn-fire problem (as in some players do not consider
it a
>"realistic" portryal of vessel movement and firing),
>
>Why not limit non-advanced drive ships to one rotation burn per move,
and
>leave advanced drive ships as they are. That way A-drive ships can
still
>rotate-burn-rotate to bring single are k-guns into play (which may look
>strange but then again the drives are advanced!), whilst the standard
drive
>ships can only rotate once which means they may not be able to bear
directly
>upon their targets at turns end, thus they still have a reason to use
>multi-arc weaponry.
>
No decapitation, but...

1) At the risk of picking nits; the problem is not rotate-burn-fire, but

rather rotate-burn-ROTATE-fire.

2) Advanced Grav Drive ships do not have this problem in the RAW.  Since

they can thrust in ANY direction as is, they do not need to perform a 
second rotation to keep the target in their sights.

So, for example, a T4 KV ship is on course of 12 and facing 9.	Its 
target is at the same speed, but the player suspects that the target 
will accelerate, so the KV thrusts 4 in direction 12 (MD4/12) to keep 
pace.  A T4 human ship in this situation could, under the current RAW, 
rotate to heading 12, burn MD, then rotate back to facing 9 (R12, MD2, 
R9).  Or, using a loophole, simply thruster push with the port thrusters

(PS2).	Note that the two options for the human ship result in exactly 
the same change in vector.

This does bring to mind a question, however:

Can a KV (or other AGD ship) thrust in a direction other than one of the

12 standard course directions?	E.g. at 45 degrees instead of 30 or 60 
(direction 1:30 or 1.5).  If not, then can an AGD ship thrust in two 
directions in the same game turn?  E.g. "MD2/9, MD2/12".

J