Scale and Lightsaber Combat

[yomama360]

[Naaman]

That is something I alluded to in my first post: the TIE would need at a minimum air-to-ground weaponry, or a character scale weapon. It has neither of those.

If you want a real world example, consider the differences between a C-130 gunship or an A-10 versus an F-15 Eagle or F-22 Raptor, etc.

[CRMcNeill]

The Wikipedia article on Strafing Attacks...

I find it entirely plausible that a TIE's sensors are capable of identifying a human-sized target on the ground while in flight. In such a scenario, a TIE Pilot's options are A) land and pursue target on foot with a blaster pistol (or whatever else he happened to be carrying in the cockpit with him, never mind the fact that TIEs aren't technically capable of landing anywhere other than a hangar rack at their base), or B) stay in his 8D Character Scale ship and make repeated strafing runs with his 11D Character-Scale laser cannon against a target that (so far as he knows) can't effectively return fire until said target is either killed or indicates he wishes to surrender.

There are multiple videos on line from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars of enemy combatants being engaged and killed with weaponry better suited to taking out armored vehicles or aircraft. If this is reality, I fail to see why it should be impossible in science fiction.

On top of that, it just SOUNDS cool. That could be a singularly awesome gaming moment for a Jedi PC, shooting down a TIE by parrying its own lasers back at it.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Naaman]

Yes. I perfectly understand what strafing is. The point is that the weapons used for strafing are intended for strafing. And, if they are improvised, then there are mechanical limitations to what they can do. For example, if the weapons are twin linked on the wings of the craft, then there will be a point at which the target can simply stand between the blasts without ever getting hit.

For example, in an ASV, there is a .50 cal and a Mk19 twin linked on a turret. Both of those weapons can be fired together at the same target, but only as long as the target is between a certain minimum and maximum range. Any closer, and the rounds will pass by on either side of the target. Any farther, and they will crisscross and travel divergent paths away from the target. And that's a "speeder" or, possibly "walker" scale vehicle.

Likewise, if we are talking about a single weapon, it has limits on what it's mechanical components can do. Starfighter combat takes place at "starfighter distances." The fire control systems would be optimized for this fact. Whereas a fire control system intended for anti-personnel would be optimized for that role. Also, a single weapon has a very, very narrow area of effect, so it takes the pilot doing some pretty fancy flying and shooting to hit a person with a single weapon that was designed for shooting starfighters.

In any case, the rules I suggested do perfectly allow for a Jedi to knock that TIE out of the sky, and, IMO give the Jedi all the advantages, provided he doesn't get hit.

We are, after all, talking about a single individual person being targeted by a TIE fighter, not a platoon of infantry out in the open.

[Raven Redstar]

Did no one see Poe Dameron bullseying Storm Troopers in his X-Wing?
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RR
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[Naaman]

I sure do remember that scene. Though, I am conflicted on whether I consider it "valid." There are a lot of things about the preestablished Star Wars lore that Ep 7 has turned on its head. A completely untrained teenage girl mind tricking someone... and then beating a trained Force sensitive in a lightsaber fight... "waiting" in hyperspace.... exiting hyperspace within the atmosphere of a planet.... a planet "consuming " the entirety of the star it orbits, and then shooting "lasers" (insert Dr Evil meme here) across the galaxy at planets in completely different systems...

If Po turns out to be force sensitive, Ill buy it... but with all the speculation about Fin being force sensitive and then you've got Rei and Ben and Snoke and Luke and Leia... it starts to cheapen the idea of force sensitivity (and by extension the idea of Jedi in general) in a post Jedi--purge galaxy.

[Raven Redstar]

Or, if you look at it in game terms, his skill was more than enough to offset the scale penalty against him.
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RR
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[garhkal]

[Naaman]

A TIE is far larger than 3x the size of a character. 6m is just the widest dimension of the ship. And, the fire control system is designed specifocallyto engage targets of a certain type.

Imagine using a sniper rifle to try and shoot a bumble bee out of the air, or a sling shot to kill a bug, etc. How about a throwing knife to kill a spider in its web? Possible, but unlikely... on the other hand, using a net to catch a butterfly is pretty easy. The scale of the attacker doesn't change, but when using the right "weapon" such as a fly swatter as opposed to a shotgun, you get results that are repeatable.

As I said, Ill allow the shot, but don't expect in my game to hit unless you uave massive skill (as RR suggested), you spend a force point or you explode your wild die seven or eight times, etc...

[Naaman]

Also, garhkal, did you not catch my ANH reference? The only one who could hit the two meter target was the force sensitive when he used the concentration power AND spent a force point (according to WEG's interpretation, anyway).

[yomama360]

[Naaman]

It doesn't matrer what a military manual would recomend. It matters whether a pilot has a reasonable chance of hitting a lone individual with a spacecraft sized weapon and whether said individual could repel that blaster fire with a lightsaber.

I already addressed Luke Skywalker bullseye-ing womprants and frankly, that argument makes my point, rather than refuting it.

[CRMcNeill]

[CRMcNeill]

[Zarn]

Also, a TIE fighter should be able to hover. Which would obviate the need for much precision.