Vector movement in Mechaton

[lumpley]

For anybody who's not following my blog but interested: I've just posted my vector movement rules for Mechaton, here.

-Vincent

[chance.thirteen]

How would you handle reached "end state" goals in vectored movement? A simple example being "I want to end up in the exact same vector as my target, at a range of 2."

I ask because long ago, in a Mekton Zeta game, my goal was to "intercept the incoming opposition as far from my base as possible, but match their vector asap". Given i had the fastest moving mecha by a 25% factor, this seemed reasonable. Accelerate out at max, slow, begin return course as opposition overtake me, then stay with them as my returning home vector rose to match their oncoming vector. Since they were likely to want to end up at a velocity that didn't take them away from my base once they had arrived their own accelerations seemed fairly predictable.

[lumpley]

I don't understand!

If you want to match vector with someone else's mech, go for it. The better you can predict its thrust, the better you can shadow it. Is that what you mean?

-Vincent

[Eero Tuovinen]

He's asking about changing your vector several times per movement phase, I understand. That's what it comes down to - you'd want to first accelerate to match distance, then decelerate to match vector. Can't be done under this system during a single turn, it seems to me.

[chance.thirteen]

I guess what I am really asking is "do you mean it to be player calculation to match vectors with anything?"

My frustration with that scene I mentioned was that it took serious calculations to figure out how to even get close to the result. Any mistake and you were left unable to engage, with turns and turns of wasted time trying to catch up. And that was assuming maximum acceleration til midpoint then max deceleration for fastest travel times.

[lumpley]

Oh!

Well, yes, it is up to you to deal with your mechs' vectors (but you won't need to calculate), and yes, you can misjudge your opponent and disadvantage your mechs. But, no, no one turn's disadvantage will make or break your game. You definitely won't cost yourself turns or anything.

Here, a couple of basic facts that should help explain why:

- The game's initial setup makes the action swirl around throughout the battlefield; the mechs will be circling and weaving, not hauling butt in a line.

- The game's fire ranges won't require you to match vectors with anybody. A single hunter-type mech can effectively cover probably a square ninth of the battlefield, and literally no place on the battlefield is beyond the range of artillery. (You can be too close for artillery fire, but that puts you within direct fire range.)

- The game's scale of movement won't require you to accelerate in long burns. 3 turns of hard straight-line acceleration would take you out of the battlefield. Instead, like I say you'll be circling and cutting, accelerating in quick bursts for immediate positional advantage.

The game itself, basic rules or vector movement, is extremely easy to get right. You have to worry about losing the game to your opponents, not losing the game to its rules.

-Vincent