Rather than replicating World War 2 bombing campaigns, I decided to do a sci-fi version, which I am calling Star Raiders.* This allows me to streamline and simplify without worrying about realism.
I tried 2 runs today.
The first one was fairly easy - a short run to a target 4 zones away. The star raider (i.e. the bomber) only took 3 hits. Unfortunately, its torpedoes were off target.
It seemed a bit too easy, so I tweaked the rules so it was harder for the raider. I then ran a long raid on Zone 7.
Early on, things seemed easy again. There was no contact with the enemy until Zone 6.
Afterward, the enemy flung wave after wave of interceptors at the raider. It managed to take down 6 interceptors.
But then some anti-rocket artillery caused damage to the bridge.
And multiple interceptor attacks damaged the rocket engines. This slowed the raider (it took 2 turns to traverse a zone, which allowed for a LOT of opposition
The interceptors closed in for the kill.
After a failed torpedo run (zero hits), the enemy brought the raider to bay in Zone 5. Interceptors brought down the shields and caused a hull breach. The raider was destroyed.
Overall, I am pleased with the rules. They are streamlined compared to B-17 but created a similar experience. At first, the raider was cruising but as opposition stiffened, the tension mounted. By the time engine damage slowed the raider, it seemed like it was just a matter of time before BOOM.
I need to work on the damage rates a little bit, but the basic framework seems functional.
* I'm calling them raiders instead of bombers because they are armed with torpedoes. Because, unlike Star Wars, bombs don't fall in space in my universe. ;)
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