Space Ship Play Test 1

I drew 2 starships out of my deck of examples to do a playtest battle.   They were exactly evenly matched, so that was good.  It was the 200ton Yatch "The Bonanza" and the 200 ton Safari Ship "The Livingston"  each had 1 turret with a missile launcher and a sand caster.  They each had maneuver-1, and computer-1.

I tried out my sensor/detection/surprise rule and that worked pretty well.  Neither detected the other round 1, but round 2 the Livingston detected the Bonanza without being detected, and so the Livingston got surprise on the Bonanza, and began the battle coming in from the right-rear, about 6 inches away, with both ships at a 4 inch vector.

Turn: 1:
Both sides fired a missile at the other and launced sand for protection.  However, since the missiles were following the ship's vector, the Bonanza's missile was "going the wrong way" and had a lot to overcome.  Livingston keeps steady vector, Bonanza accelerates to 5 inches.

Turn 2:
The Livingston's first missile strikes the Bonanza, knocking out its cargo, maneuver drive, computer, ATV and air/raft.  Livingston launches 2nd missile, but keeps steady vector to keep sand protection.
The Bonanza crew repairs the maneuver drive.    Its first missile does not reach the Livingston.  It launches a second missile.

Turn 3:
Livingston's 2nd missile is still in flight.  Livingston launches 3rd missile.
Bonanza accelerates to 6 inches.   Bonanza's first missile finally hits the Livingston, the sand does not protect,  the attack does 1 hull hit and knocks out the computer.  Missile 2 is still in flight, missile 3 is launched.

Turn 4
Livingston continues forward on its vector.  It's second missile impacts the Bonanza for 4 hits:  hitting the ship's boat, the turret, the computer (again) and making 1 hull hit.   At this point it is clear that the Livingston has won the battle.

LESSONS LEARNED:
I am certainly glad I did this battle first.   The vector movement is fun--and Newton is a hard master.  The biggest eye opener is how much a pain in the ass vector movement is for MISSILES.  I ony had 2 missile launchers in operation, and only 5-6 missiles were launched, but that is far too many to keep track of.   I'm going to have to say that missiles are launched one turn and impact at a set time in a later turn, and not track them on the map, I just can't imagine tracking a Patrol cruiser launching 6 missiles a turn at a Mercenary cruiser launching 12 in return.

I am also going to have to tighten up some of the damage descriptions, to determine what is destroyed and what merely damaged.