Thinking about how to do various settings with Uncharted Worlds (mostly a bit more ‘realistic’ – SJG’s Ogre is the one at the front of my brain right now), and I kept running into the problem of Shields.
Shields are really hard to make work, in a non-space opera setting. They’re great for space opera/fantasy, and I hardly begrudge them – I want them in it. But for things that are a touch more grounded, they’re…kinda difficult.
So, what to do? Throw them out? Well, you could. The ‘shields’ roll is then just the pilot making a non-skill check, and it’s pure luck what happens. Call it armor? Yeah, could do that, but then Interface doesn’t come into play. And armor on spaceships is usually better represented other ways (I think).
And then it hit me: Electronic Warfare. Interface stat is perfect for that. The character is trying to jam/distract/mess with the enemy sensing, targeting, and weapons. And on the -6 roll, well, your system is fried/jammed/confused, so you have to reboot, whatever.
Thoughts?
(And how do you represent armor on a ship?)
Alternatives to shields: electronic warfare, countermeasures (high tech chaff and decoys), point defence systems.
I like your idea
I would just remove the Shields Up move if you want “always on” armor. Just roll Brace For Impact for the ship.
A more generic “Engage Countermeasures” move would indeed do the trick. Electronic warfare to scramble tracking/send missiles off course, dust-cloud casters to diffuse and refract lasers, etc.
Of course, in those settings, weaponry is also much reduced as well, so you’re going to see less plasma cannons, more rail guns and guided torpedoes.