War In Space Hex-based Movement

I dropped the War In Space ruleset on my downloads page the other day, but without some "alternate" rules kicking around in my head.  Adapting the game to a hex-grid system is the biggest and most obvious optional rule.  I love my vinyl mat with no hexes on it.  It looks so good, and hey, isn't aesthetics one of the joys of miniature gaming?  Also, I designed my game for no-hex play because I hate referencing charts; by using measuring sticks and eschewing hexes I eliminate cross-referencing charts.  The problem with hex-less playing however is slower play, as opponents have to constantly reach and measure.  In the interest of speedy play, I'm therefore very interested in hex-based War In Space.  It also affords the opportunity to use a 2D vector system where vessels move like the spaceships in the Atari Asteroids game, with velocity vector and ship heading independent.  A note of warning: while more "realistic" than the airplane-like movement rules in the download, this hex-based system is not playtested.  I think it will work fine, but I can't guarantee it (yet).

Movement Phase:  A ship begins the game with a speed counter placed in any adjacent hex (regardless of ship facing).  The counter displays the ship's current speed, as well as indicating the next hex the ship will occupy.  Thus, the speed counter is actually a (two-dimensional) velocity vector indicator.  Ships move a number of hexes equal to their current speed (I plan on using 5cm hexes, measured from face-to-face).  Ships may also attempt to change their velocity vectors and facing during this movement.  Energy may be spent to accelerate or decelerate, and to increase the chance of a successful maneuver.   
 
Changing the magnitude of the ship's velocity vector happens first during the movement phase.  A ship may increase or decrease its current speed by 1 by spending energy points equal to the ship’s Size Class.  For example a massive Size Class 5 dreadnought may increase its speed from 1 to 5, but would have to allocate 20 energy.  In addition to available energy limitations, ships face further speed change restrictions based on the orientation of the velocity vector.  The following figure and associated table indicate the speed change limitation based on where a ship's speed counter lies, with respect to the ship's facing.  The limitations reflect the massive thrust component from a spaceship's main drive.

It is easier to keep track of speed changes by simply announcing them during the energy allocation phase versus the movement phase.  As soon as the dice are rolled and energy is allocated to movement, spend the appropriate amount and announce the speed change.  Then simply replace the ship’s speed counter with a new one reflecting the updated value.  At the beginning of the movement phase the ship’s speed will be correct.

A ship may attempt to change the direction of its velocity vector after changing the vector's magnitude.  A player rolls three dice when attempting a velocity vector change.  If the player also wants to change the ship's facing, the player simply sacrifices one die roll for each 60° facing change desired.  Thus speed limits vector changes but not facing changes.  Size Class determines the die type as indicated on Table 1.  For each die score rolled which exceeds the ship’s speed, the player may move the speed counter one adjacent hex clockwise or counter-clockwise around the ship.  The player repositions the speed counter as appropriate, executes any change to the ship's facing, and then finally moves the ship one hex in the direction of the speed counter.  The speed counter gets displaced, "pushed" ahead of the ship.  The entire process gets repeated until the ship moves a total number of hexes equal to its speed.

Changes to vector direction and facing require no energy, but energy may be spent to increase the chance of success.  Ships receive a bonus of 1 to their turn die score by spending energy points equal to the ship’s Size Class.  Bonuses are cumulative and as with acceleration and deceleration, there is no limit to a ship’s turn bonuses except energy available.  As with speed changes, it is easier to keep track of turn bonuses by simply announcing them the during energy allocation phase versus the movement phase.  As soon as the dice are rolled and energy is allocated to movement, spend the appropriate amount and announce the turn bonus.  Then simply place the appropriate turn bonus marker on the table and wait until after the weapons fire phase to resolve the movement.

The following example and associated figure illustrate this process.  A pursuit cruiser (Size Class 4), allocates 9 energy to movement.  The ship ended the previous turn with a speed of 4.  The controlling player plans to maneuver and during energy allocation decides to increase his chances by decelerating.  Consulting the figure above he determines he can decelerate a maximum of 2, based on the ship's thrust vector pointing starboard-fore (is that a word?).  The player spends four points of energy to decelerate from 4 to 3, and then spends four points to give a +1 turn bonus; the final energy point is wasted.  The player then replaces his ship's speed counter with a new one labeled "3" and also places a +1 turn bonus marker next to the miniature.  The player starts the movement phase rolling dice for a maneuver attempt.  Acceleration and deceleration precedes any maneuvers and the player satisfied this requirement and sped up game-play by adjusted his ship's speed during energy allocation.  The player declares a 60° facing change and therefore rolls two maneuver dice versus three.  He rolls a 2 and 4 on his d6's, adding the turn bonus to get a 3 and 5.  Only one die score exceeds the speed, so the player can only move the speed counter one hex.  The player moves the speed counter from the starboard-fore adjacent hex to the starboard-aft hex.  He changes the ship's facing one hex-side to the right and then moves the ship one hex towards the speed counter (and moves the counter).  Since he has two more hexes to move, the player has two more chances to maneuver.     

Hexes and spaceship gaming... like peanut butter & jelly

Order of ship movement depends on experience level, just like in the download version of the War In Space rules.

A hex-based system requires (minimal) changes to the combat system as well; the following post details that.