NEWS

Ideas for fixing Foot Chases?

  • 1 Replies
  • 1424 Views

MercilessMing

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 598
« on: <10-22-21/1154:30> »
So, there are many reasons why foot chases in Double Clutch just don't work.  Clearly, the rules are written for vehicle chases and may not have even been playtested with foot chases.  These are the problems as I see it:

1 - The action economy is totally different. 
In a vehicle chase, there are drivers and passengers.  In a foot chase, everyone is a "driver".  You can't have a running gun battle (something the book suggests as an example) if your runners don't have enough actions to spend on sprinting and shooting.

2 - The edge economy is totally different. 
In a vehicle chase, edge is awarded by having Positional Advantage, having a higher Relevant Attribute, using a VCR, by passenger actions, combat actions, and certain qualities.  In a foot chase, edge is awarded by having Positional Advantage, combat actions (far less opportunity due to problem 1), and certain qualities.

3 - The edge actions are insufficient. 
simply put, in both types of chases, any pursuer who passes their piloting/athletics test can get closer to the chase target.  Vehicle chases have edge actions available only to the chase target that lets them push pursuers away.  No such edge actions are available in foot chases.
The only chase edge actions available to Athletics are Change Environment, Equalizer, Escape!, Focus, and Up the Ante.
Vehicle Pilots can use Bootleg Turn, Evade Pursuit, Hit the Brakes!, Redline, and Tokyo Drift to prevent pursuers from gaining ground.  (Hit the Brakes is redundant btw, it duplicates a function of Bootleg Turn for the same edge cost)

Fix Ideas 
To help fix #1 I would think about changing the mandatory sprint test.  Instead of making someone drop out of the chase if they didn't do the sprint test, I would consider letting them drop back a range category instead.  That way, stopping to make an attack only puts them at risk of losing instead of guaranteeing it.

For #2 I would add a relevant attribute comparison, and look through cyberware, adept powers, and spells to find edge generation candidates.  Hydraulic jacks could give edge in non-open environments.  Surely the Dash adept power is either worth Edge or an auto success on athletics chase tests.  Wall running has got to be a game changer in a chase.  Maybe it would give a discount on edge actions.

For #3, I would open up Bootleg Turn, Evade Pursuit, and Tokyo Drift to Athletics and change the name/flavor.  They seem like core chase functions and I can only imagine they were dropped from Athletics because of their flavor text.

anyone else have ideas on how to fix foot chases, or see other ways they may be broken?
« Last Edit: <10-22-21/1157:40> by MercilessMing »

Typhus

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 386
« Reply #1 on: <10-23-21/1207:29> »
My fix is pretty simple.  Don't use them. 

There's been a chase mechanic around in RPG's for years where you roll dice or draw an obstacle card, then have to pass the test it offers.  If you fail, you lose a range step.  Easy to do, and keeps everyone rolling.  Opposed Athletics rolls takes care of everything else when there's no obstacles. 

Trying to apply car chase mechanics to a foot chase is....not for me.  The two types of scenes just aren't the same idea.  There  are simpler, more intuitive/fun ways to do it.