In my opinion, the vector movement rules for MAYDAY were needlessly complex
and difficult to understand. I have a successful variant which I will
detail below. GDW has my express (and non-exclusive) permission to use
this system in TRAVELLER: THE NEW ERA (a mention in the acknowledgments
might be nice, though). I may eventually expand these into a boardgame,
similar to MAYDAY, if enough people are interested.
A hex map is used as the playing surface (I use a MegaMat vinyl gaming mat
with 25mm hexes). Two counters are required for each ship, missile, or
other unit in the game. One counter represents the unit, and is called a
"ship marker"; the other is called a "vector marker". Both markers should
be able to indicate a direction; on the map markers may face in any of the
twelve directions (hex-sides and hex-corners). I use a picture of a
starship or missile on the ship markers, and an arrow on the vector
markers, as the primary symbol. The pairs of markers should be labeled and
color-coded for easy recognition of the pairs. I use colors to identify
the different sides, and numbers to distinguish between the units on a
given side. Asteroids, as well as moons, planets, stars and their
associated gravitational fields are drawn on the map (although these
objects move, they are effectively stationary for the duration of the
combat). The map is scaled so that one gravity of acceleration for one
turn produces a velocity of one hex per turn (the size of the hex is then
dependent on the length of the turn chosen). Each unit in the game also
has a control sheet, which is used to record information as the game
progresses. Each turn is divided into several phases: the initiative
phase, the vector phase, the launch phase, the sensor phase, the movement
phase, the combat phase, and the records phase.
At the start of each turn, all of the ship markers will be stacked on top
of their respective vector markers; however, the ship and vector markers
may be facing in different directions. Information recorded on the control
sheet will show the speed, acceleration, and agility of each ship for the
coming turn. In the initiative phase, initiative is determined for each
side. In all subsequent phases, the side with the highest initiative
designates which unit goes first; the side with the next highest initiative
designates the next unit, and so on in the case of a multi-sided battle.
Homing missiles, stern chases, and unguided or unpiloted units ignore
initiative; homing missiles with a lock-on, and the pursuer in a stern
chase, act immediately after their target. Unguided or unpiloted units,
including homing missiles with no lock-on, always act last, after all
normal units have acted.
In the vector phase, each ship is moved in accordance with its vector. It
is moved in the direction indicated by its vector marker, for a number of
hexes equal to its speed. Units with a speed of zero do not move. In the
launch phase, missiles, mines, deadfall ordinance and subordinate craft are
launched. Sensor lock-ons from previous turns may be required for some
types of weapons to be able to launch. Counters for these units are placed
on the map, and control sheets started. Ordinance and subordinate craft
are placed in the same hex as the launching unit, with the same speed, and
with their vector marker in the same hex and pointing in the same direction
as the launching unit's vector marker.
In the sensor phase, sensor scans are conducted, and weapon lock-ons are
established, and electronic countermeasures are attempted. The results are
written onto the control sheet. Weapon lock-ons are required for most
weapons to fire. In my variant, I use restricted arcs of fire, so exactly
which weapons have lock-ons to what targets can become critically
important.
In the movement phase, each unit is moved by the controlling player. For
each gravity of acceleration the unit has, it may turn to face any
direction, and optionally move one hex forward. Units with no acceleration
may turn to face any direction, but may not move. After the unit has
finished its movement, the effects of gravity are applied. An imaginary
line is projected from the vector marker to the ship marker. If the line
passes through a gravity hex, or if the vector marker (but not the ship
marker) is in a gravity hex, then the ship marker is moved according to the
effects of the gravity. Gravity hexes are marked with an arrow containing
a number. The arrow is the direction the ship marker is to be moved, and
the number specifies the number of hexes. Ship markers which have managed
to end up on a hex-line are "rounded", by moving them to one of the two
adjacent hexes of the owning player's choice.
In the combat phase, each unit fires its weapons at a target (in most
cases, a weapon lock-on must be present on the target in order to fire).
Fire is resolved immediately, and damage is applied immediately. In the
records phase, cumulative damage results are computed and recorded. The
distance from each vector marker to its corresponding ship marker is
counted, and this number becomes that unit's speed for the next turn. The
vector marker is then turned to point to the ship marker, and is placed
under the ship marker (taking care to preserve the facing of both markers).
This system gives a reasonable, but not exact approximation of Newtonian
mechanics. A much better approximation can be had by introducing a third
counter, the "position marker" for each unit. The position marker simply
indicates a position on the map, so a circle was used for its symbol. In
this system, the scale is changed, so that one gravity of acceleration for
one turn produces a velocity of two hexes per turn. The position marker
begins the turn under the vector marker. The game is played as before,
with the following exceptions during the movement phase: First, the vector
marker is moved each time the ship marker is moved, but in the opposite
direction. Second, gravitational effects are computed using an imaginary
line projected from the position marker to the ship marker. If the line
passes through a gravity hex, or if the position marker is in a gravity
hex, then the ship marker is moved as before. Finally, in the records
phase, the position marker is placed underneath the vector and ship markers
(taking care to preserve the facing of the vector and ship markers). Note
that if there are no gravity hexes on the map, the position marker is
irrellevant and can be omitted.
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Science-Fiction Adventure
in the Far Future