Dogfights?

What is it?

I always understood a dogfight as that which Jango and Obi-Wan are doing in AotC over Geonosis. You know chasing eachother, laser cannon blazing ect.

But the description in the Saga Edition Core Rulebook confuses me.

[page 171]
Consequences of Dogfighting: A vehicle enganged in a dogfight must select the dogfight action each turn, and it cannot move out of its current square until it disengages.

... WTF? Does this mean that if I (the pilot) choose to engage an enemy pilot in a dogfight and win the opposed Pilot check, the enemy pilot HAS to stop his ship. And I HAVE to stop my ship too and just float there pounding him with laserfire???

When first browsing through the book I thought Dogfighting was like Pursuit in the old D20 game. It just doesn't make sense that the pilots just float in the same place until one of them is dead, least of all that they HAVE to do that!!!
Am I missing something?

 

I'm just going to give the infamous wizard's reply to this type of question... there is a difference between what is represented on a grid and what is "cinamatically" (spelling... eh it's late and i don't care) happening in the game.

Another point:

Do you know how much "real space" is covered in one square? A lot. Don't think of them stopping but think of them moving up and down in the same square...

Maybe this is right... or maybe the game is flawed... both could be true...

 

This sounds like an area for a House Rule.

I might suggest something like "must use full-round action to break-off from opposing ship(s). Must roll higher than opponent's pilot roll + ship speed modifier.

This will allow the ships to continue to move through terrain (providing they dodge hazzards like asteroids and mines), but not apart from each other relatively.

Or you can wait for the WotC Saga erratta.

 

I think Goo Child has it pretty nailed down. one space on the grid covers a lot of space, what the dogfight rule means is that the two starfighters are banking/rolling/looping so quickly and in such a small bit of space that it's like you're seperated from the rest of the battle almost.

 

Dogfight in SECR terms = Grapple for ships. What Jango and Obi-Wan had was not a dogfight in game terms.

 

Actually I think Jedi_Matt got it right.