Having recently played a game of Full Thrust (first time in a long time), and having recently listened to Abney Park's Airship Pirate, it occurred to me that FT's cinematic movement rules would be about perfect for steampunk airship battles. Instead of the standard six firing arcs, make it Fore, Aft, Port, Starboard, Ventral and Dorsal. You'd need a few modifications for dive and climb rate, maximum speed, flight ceiling, and perhaps something like "all targets in your Ventral firing arc are treated as if 50% farther away, and all targets in Dorsal are treated as if 50% closer".
Oh, and collisions, of course. Nothing like having two hydrogen-filled zeps, bristling with weapons, running into each other.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
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You might want to look at how Ace of Aces handled 3D in a 2D world. They had some rules about the altitude separation you could engage across.
I'd say that you would need to be able to tell the 45 degree angle from your position to the target's position. Things above 45 degrees up can be engaged by your dorsal weapons, below 45 degrees down can be engaged with ventral (unless I have those backwards), and the others are engaged with your other 4 arcs of weapons.
The issue becomes determining hit direction. And of course some wiseacre will point out a strong dive might bring front weaponry to bare.
Go too far with it and you have Attack Vector: Zeppelin.
I am feeling a shortage of liftwood. Those darn Huns are acting up again and the Red Martians are on the warpath again!
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