Monday 29 August 2011

Triplanetary - Old School Style

Many starship games have a wet-navy style movement so it is WW2 in space.


Now in space I feel 3D movement is unnecessary: 3D matters in air combat due to gravity and it's influence on the aircraft's energy - in space up and down have no meaning and the two objects fighting determine the 'plane' anyway.  However vector movement IS essential - otherwise you might as well grab a set of WW2 naval rules.






I have yet to come across a better vector system than Triplanetary.  Whilst hexes, transparent sheets and chinograph pens are a bit messy (and old school) the same rules principles can be applied with a single 'drift marker' which is surely less effort than recording speed and writing orders in a ship log sheet.

Triplanetary Link including Movement Rules

I'd say this is the "One True Way" of vector movement...

2 comments:

  1. Vector movement is really popular with my local gaming group. Like you said, it's also real easy to track with drift markers, a la Galactic Knights.

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  2. I used to avoid it under the mistaken impression it involved math or lots of measuring...

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