Iron And Blood: A Flying Circus Quest!

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I'm very confused about how we got to where we are, but from the situation as given, I think this is our best bet:

[X] Height is Speed and Speed is Life.
-[X] Climb 2 Altitude and Boost, then Dive 1 Altitude per action back to Altitude 2 as you accelerate away. Hopefully they won't be able to catch you with this kind of energy advantage.

Same engine strain, but actually faster.

You lose energy if you are above Max Speed and not Diving. Thus, we want to trade as much of our speed as possible back into Altitude immediately, before Energy Loss takes a chunk out of it.

You gain RPM for either Boosting or exceeding your Overspeed. Thus, if we're going to take an RPM, we should really get some energy out of it.

You also lose energy from the inherent inefficiency of "dive gains speed at 3:1 but climb spends it at 5:1"; jiggering that with Overspeed, Boost, and Energy Loss is the fun bit.

Assuming our end state is "cruising level at Max Speed and Altitude 2", we could get plausibly get there in the following ways (the BOLD RED move is the point at which we take a Hard Move if we haven't broken contact by then [assuming we Cool Off as soon as we hit steady state at Speed 18 Altitude 2, which I suppose we don't have to]):
Action→
Plan↓		1st2nd3rd4th5th
Gettin's Good
20 Avg Spd
+1 RPM		→
Spd 25
Alt 2
+1 RPM		→
Spd 21
Alt 2
0 RPM		Cool Off
Spd 18
Alt 2
Resolve RPM		→
Spd 18
Alt 2
0 RPM		→
Spd 18
Alt 2
0 RPM
engine babying plan
19.4 Avg Spd
+0 RPM		↗1
Spd 20
Alt 3
0 RPM		↘1
Spd 23
Alt 2
0 RPM		Cool Off
Spd 18
Alt 2
Resolve RPM		→
Spd 18
Alt 2
0 RPM		→
Spd 18
Alt 2
0 RPM
Height=Speed
20.2 Avg Spd
+1 RPM		↗2⇝
Spd 18
Alt 4
+1 RPM		↘1
Spd 21
Alt 3
0 RPM		↘1
Spd 24
Alt 2
0 RPM		→
Spd 20
Alt 2
0 RPM		Cool Off
Spd 18
Alt 2
Resolve RPM

Also, I think the given Speed and G-Force are both wrong?
I. current situation: (clearly wrong unless I'm missing something major about our sequence of actions)
  • We started at Altitude 5 explicitly, and I assume at our Max Speed, which is 18.
  • We dove 3 Altitude (5→2), gaining 9 Speed (18→27) and Boosting for 3 more (27→30).
  • We rolled Dogfight, which costs Speed equal to Turn Bleed (1) + Speed Factor (3), and thus we reduce our speed by 4 (30→26).
    • I assume we did not spend extra speed and take extra G-Force to Commit to the Turn; if so, each +1 to Dogfight would have cost us 1 Speed and given us 1 G-Force. Note that our plane only has 2 max G-Force.
  • We Pull Up out of the dive; our Speed Factor is 2 and thus we gained 2 G-Force (0→2)
So we should be at Speed 26 with 2 G-Force, not 29 with 1. (Assuming that Altitude 2 and RPM 1 are both correct.)

If we did Commit to the Turn at some point, we should be at Altitude 1, having chosen to lose an extra Altitude when Pulling Up rather than take a third G-Force (which would put us directly to Overstrain for 3d10+2 damage).

II. (considerably more open to interpretation)

From the given starting point of Speed 29, 1 G-Force, and no mention of extra G-Force for transitioning directly into a Climb (from which I can only assume that Pull Up has already been resolved):
  • Level flight would, in fact, reduce our speed by 4 from Energy Loss, putting us to Speed 25 as correctly stated.
    • It is worth noting that we would still be above Overspeed and would thus take 1 RPM.
  • Climbing 1 would cost us 5 Speed (29→24), and then Energy Loss would cost us 4 more (24→20); we would still be above Max Speed (18) and thus would not have the opportunity to Boost. This, too, is correctly stated.
  • Climbing 2 would cost us 10 Speed (29→19), and then Energy Loss would cost us up to 4 more but not below Max Speed (19→18), leaving us at Max Speed with neither the need nor the opportunity to Boost.
    • As Given: Speed 18, Altitude 4, +1 RPM
    • Correct: Speed 18, Altitude 4, +0 RPM
  • Climbing 3 would cost us 15 Speed (29→14), putting us below Max Speed, so Energy Loss would not kick in. Boosting would then give 3 Speed (14→17).
    • As Given: Altitude 5, Speed 13, +1 RPM
    • Correct: Altitude 5, Speed 17, +1 RPM
  • Climbing 4 would cost us 20 Speed (29→9); Boost would restore 3 (9→12).
    • As Given: Altitude 6, Speed 8, +1 RPM
    • Correct: Altitude 6, Speed 12, +1 RPM
  • Climbing 5 would cost us 25 Speed (25→5), but Boost would give 3 to keep us above Stall (5→8)
    • As Given: no option
    • Correct: Altitude 7, Speed 8, +1 RPM
Clearly, the difference is that QM is applying Energy Loss if the plane starts a non-diving action above Max Speed, whereas I believe it should only apply if it finishes a maneuver above Max Speed. The rulebook does not explicitly indicate either, offering only
Flying Circus v1.3.2 Core said:
The level flight speed reduction kicks in whenever players make a set ofmanoeuvres while above Max Speed, so once per 'turn'. Planes with lotsof drag will blow through their excess speed too quickly to make much use of it, while a more streamlined plane can use that energy to eitherchase down a foe or climb safely back to altitude.
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I tend to think energy fighters have it hard enough biting the inefficiencies of "5:1 climb vs 3:1 dive" and "rarely being able to spend their enormous surplus of Speed on Committing to the Turn because they're gonna have to Pull Up after every pass and can't afford the G-Force", particularly PC ones who don't even get to benefit from Dogfight's "take -1 if the enemy is diving" and "disadvantage if the enemy is above you" clauses that make NPC energy fighters so terrifying.

Slapping them with Energy Loss even if they take the G's to do what they're supposed to and turn that speed back into altitude ASAP rather than letting it bleed off gradually as drag feels like a step too far.

But I will admit this second point is significantly more opinion than fact.
 
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You're so right, sorry, I screwed my math up and somehow got us at a speed of 29 coming out of the dive. There wasn't a dogfight here, however - you did a strafing run on ground targets
 
#6b: Emily should have used her calculator
  • Threadmarks
    • Basically, my view of the sequence of actions is:

    - altitude 5, max speed (18.)
    - You dive 3, no boost, go up to 27 speed. If you boost, you hit 30, which is fine either way. You end up on altitude 2. Because you have overspeed 24, in the first case you should have 2 RPM at the end of the dive, in the second case 4 RPM.
    - You fired your three shots while diving, this doesn't affect your speed since you're not dogfighting, per se - you're just firing a strafing run at their planes while they go down the runway. Still speed 27 (or 30.)
    - And, yes, Pull Up was resolved incorrectly as well. Don't know how I fucked every single one of my numbers up. If you boosted in the dive, that should put you at 3 Gs - if you didn't boost in the dive, that should put you at 2.
    - And then I fucked up energy loss.


    SO, once more with feeling. I'll take psyborg's opinion that we should have boosted in the dive.

    Garen is currently on 1 Injury and 3 Gs from Pulling Up out of the diving attack. That's -4 to everything.
    Your plane is currently on Altitude 2, Speed 30, Toughness 0, Max Strain 22, and 4 RPM (1 from taking off, 2 from Overspeed (since you were 6 speed over,) and 1 from Boosting. Engines are resources, after all.)

    Your options, now with correct numbers, are:
    [] Climb 1 Altitude. End up with speed 25 at the end of the climb, then Energy Lose 4 speed for a total of speed 21.
    [] Climb 2 Altitude. End up with speed 20 at the end of the climb, then Energy Lose back down to your max speed of 18.
    [] Climb 3 Altitude and Boost. End up with speed 15 at the end of the climb, then Boost back up to your max speed of 18.
    [] Climb 4 Altitude and Boost. End up with speed 10 at the end of the climb, then do like a little mini-climb to get below Dropoff and boost up to speed 15.
    [] Climb 5 Altitude and Boost. End up with speed 5 at the top of the climb, nearly stalling, but Boost for double since you'll be below dropoff and come out with speed 11.
    Every Boost option involves hitting RPM 5

    [] Turn back, and engage them as they climb! Don't let the pressure off! (Dogfight +Hard.) Specify if you want to Commit to the Turn, and how far you're willing to go - just avoid failures, avoid partials, or turn failures into full hits?

    [] Ride your speed away into the night. They won't be able to catch you going this fast. You'll go down to speed 26 at the end of the maneuver.

    @thepsyborg Is that all correct?
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Ride your speed away into the night. They won't be able to catch you going this fast. You'll go down to speed 26 at the end of the maneuver.
     
    Groovy, thank you @Houndmoon! Ok, we have 27 or 30 speed, and if 5 is our stall point; that means we have tremendous about of speed to spend…

    [x] Fuck it and Fuck them!
    - Turn back, and engage them as they climb! Don't let the pressure off! (Dogfight +Hard.) We Commit to the Turn, stay alive, and kill the bastards!
     
    I think that mostly just says something about the standard of mercilessness the average Goth is held to
     
    Hey, we still haven't got enough votes, if you voted last time and still believe in your choice, can you just comment again and say so? thanks :)
     
    [X] Climb 3 Altitude and Boost. End up with speed 15 at the end of the climb, then Boost back up to your max speed of 18.
    No sense in wasting energy. Speed is life, Altitude is life, engines are for wearing out.
     
    All right, it's a Dogfight. They're climbing, you're much faster, but there's two of them taking off below you, so with +3 hard, -4 injury and Gs, -1 due to agility, and -1 due to being outnumbered, you'll be rolling 2d10-3. You've got such high speed that you'll be able to compensate, though
    Houndmoon threw 2 10-faced dice. Total: 16
    6 6 10 10
     
    Woo! Alright we are in business! Granted, I'm still kind of impressed the Kobra is still trying to fly:
    Houndmoon said:
    One squeeze for the kobra, which lurches hard to the right, forcing its wingman to swerve on the beaten-earth runway, bleeding out black oil that turns to licking flame.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Also also:
    digital2 said:
    Lol, I thought being merciful was one of our traits.
    Click to expand...
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    …..yeah, that's fair; I am being a bit blood thirsty. But! There are some good reasons for that: they're Goths, fuck'em. And Until 5 mins ago Garen *was* a Goth. And an Officer, no less (per the provided background). In canon (and maybe he managed to keep his hands clean and avoid/shut down what he saw) The Goth Officers are hands on and all in for the Goth's Nazi agenda and War Crimes. I think This character is probably going to have a hill to climb when it comes getting that stink off him. And coming to town wounded, with a damaged plane, and 3 Goth kills to our name is not a bad start.
     
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    being said, yeah, Garen's hands are not clean of the Gothic stain. He's pillaged, looted, and burned his way through life so far, and while "too merciful" is his trait, he also hasn't been sent to the firing squad yet.
     
    #7: Battle!
  • Threadmarks
    • You bank and wheel, dulled brain driving ghost-pale hand driving blood-stained stick. Two aircraft manage to pull off the runway, monoplanes, one limping on three blades and a wounded engine. You watch them climb, cutting under the wounded one and coming up into a near-vertical short climb, spraying her gut with bullets. The engine gives a final whine and dies, the aircraft spearing to the earth. No fire from the gunners below - dimly, you recognize that you're too close to their allies for them to risk it.

    The other monoplane, with tattered canvas but intact engine, completes her initial climb, then, as you flatten out from your attack on his wingman, banks and begins a diving attack from above you. He's going to drop in and score good hits if you don't do something.

    Garen is currently on 1 Injury and 3 Gs from Pulling Up out of the diving attack. That's -4 to everything. You have now secured 2 kills.
    Your plane is currently on Altitude 2, Speed 19 (4 speed lost to Energy Loss, 4 speed lost to entering a dogfight with 30 speed, 3 speed lost from Committing to the Turn,) Toughness 0, Max Strain 22, and 4 RPM.

    What now?

    Not going to do the math since it's late, but:
    [] Straighten out to remove the Gs. You'll eat some bullets, but Goth monoplanes only have one gun, so you'll probably be fine
    [] Dogfight to evade him (dogfight +Keen, so total -4)
    [] Dive even further down, then straighten out, so that hopefully you can get out from under him
    [] Climb while he dives, gain the advantage?
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Woo! Another Goth shot down! Quick double check: can we spend speed in a DogFight?
    Cause if so:
    [x] Three-peat!
    - Dogfight to evade him (dogfight +Keen, so total -4)

    If not:
    [x] Climbing to Heaven to send you to Hell
    - Climb while he dives, gain the advantage
     
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    Yes, you can spend speed in a dogfight :) being a good turn fighter you get +1 to dogfight -1 speed
     
    [x] Three-peat!
    - Dogfight to evade him (dogfight +Keen, so total -4)

    Well, if they won't back off and leave us alone, we'll have to make them. After this though, we have to run.
     
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