Topic: Sensors in Star Wars

[DavidKlecker]

How do the sensors work under the Star Wars universe. I was under the impression they are far less advanced than the Star Trek sensors. That is, outside the ship it can follow a craft, but inside the ship it's aware of life-forms but couldn't tell you exactly where they are.

I only think it is this way because the Falcon could easily track Tie-Fighters, but in Empire Strikes Back the sensors didn't go off for the Nynacks or whatever those things were chewing the power cables. Granted they were not inside the ship, but I often wonder if there is a difference in the Star Wars world when it comes to scanning a machine and scanning for life.

Thanks!

[markc]

I would do a search on star wars tec and see what you come up with. I seam to remember a book about star wars tech but I could be wrong. Also my star ward D20 book has not shows up since the move but I think they use the standard D20 sensor rules.

Also I think it depends on what type of ship you are talking about. The MF was a modified freight hawler and was not intended to detect life forms. As you know in general I would expect military ships to have better sensors then civilian ships, unless they are specialized. ie explorer, system mapper etc.

MDC

[David Johansen]

Star Wars tech isn't exactly loaded with consistancy.  However Mynocks and Space Slugs probably just have sufficiently divergent biology that they don't show up on a normal life form scan.  Not that you scan for life forms or even check the read-outs while flying at breakneck speeds through an asteroid field and being pursued by fighters.

[Dr_Sage]

Star Wars tech isn't exactly loaded with consistancy. 

I fully agree.

StarTrek writers had aways tried to keep the consistency (by using tecnical manuals) and they sucseeded to a certain degree in the TV Shows (forget consistency on the movies). 

StarWars is much more a world of "medieval space-fantasy", extremely fun, but hard to RolePlay according to any laws of physys. To be honest I do not consider StarTrek "science ficcion" per se, so you can do whatever you feel its more apppropriate.
Jut just remmember: once you have chosen a path, its written in stone.  (unless you are talking about midclorians ).

Best regards,

Andre

[David Johansen]

StarTrek writers had aways tried to keep the consistency (by using tecnical manuals) and they sucseeded to a certain degree in the TV Shows (forget consistency on the movies). 

Andre

LOL!  Now you're just being silly!

[Cormac Doyle]

Star Wars is an example of a Space Opera, not Science Fiction per say ...

[yammahoper]

Have to agree STar Wars was not about the science, but the fiction.  It works because it works, or George needed it to work that way. 

I must not be the only one to wonder howcome these powerful space faring empires never bother to create mass accelerators as weapons.  A ship or large rock at 10% light speed would obliterate a planet, ship or space station.

lynn

[mocking bird]

I must not be the only one to wonder howcome these powerful space faring empires never bother to create mass accelerators as weapons.  A ship or large rock at 10% light speed would obliterate a planet, ship or space station.

lynn

George must not have seen The Last Starfighter.  But there is an excellent variatin of this in a David Brin novel involving hitting an ice cloud of expelled water at relativistic speeds.

On a more serious note this is a perfect example as to why SF games for me are quite difficult to play in.  Since the tech is pretty much made up, like sensors, the GM has to often make rulings off the cuff.  Couple that with writers not thinking too far ahead, like replicators in ST suddenly not being able to make certain things for some reason or the third disintegration shot of a zat gun on SG1 that isn't mentioned in later episodes, can make continuity in a game setting a nightmare.

But for the original question 'How do the sensors work under the Star Wars universe?'  To quote a lawyer - how do you want them to work?

[arakish]

Or to quote a certain Microsoft Software Engineer:

"You want them to work how!?"

rmfr

[markc]

The problem is once you figure out how they work George will come in and shut you down for copyright infringmint.


BTW, if you have HARP SF they are comming out with some sensor info also BatleTech Battlespace has some basic sensor rules that might work. But unforantly I have not found anything that deals with ships hiding in astoroid fields, mag fields ect.

MDC

[David Johansen]

If you can find it, there was a very realistic and functional set of sensor rules written for T4 that got put on the net for free by the irate author (an active radar specialist) who didn't get paid, though to be fair he didn't make it into the book it was intended for either.

Fire, Fusion, and Steel for T4 is really a good instructional source for gamers.  After it you'll never complain about typos and erratta in other games again.

[yammahoper]

Hmm.  How about GM fiat?  The players sense what you want them to sense when you want them to sense it.  This should result in players never plotting courses or checking sensors, just to spite you.

Choooo, chooooo

lynn

[David Johansen]

I'm pretty sure that's how d6 Starwars handled it...

[Sirius]

Hmm.  How about GM fiat?  The players sense what you want them to sense when you want them to sense it.  This should result in players never plotting courses or checking sensors, just to spite you.

Choooo, chooooo

lynn

That fits in perfectly with the tone of Star Wars. 

[DavidKlecker]

I think what I might do is just apply the bonuses the book gives to certain skills in Spacemaster and just have the player roll as if the ship where making this observation itself. Sounds weird, but I think that is the most consistent way to handle it. Either the ship scanners saw it or it didn't and just make up a reason why if it didn't.

Problem is my players are SOOOOOOOOOO picky about details! *grrrrrr* However then when I think I will impress them with my detail, they grumble and wish I wasn't so picky. *GRRRRRRR*!! 

Thanks!