Paper and Pencil Space Combat Game

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Paper and Pencil Space Combat Game for 2 Players

I played this with my classmates in Grade 6, circa 1982-83. Presumably it was inspired by arcade games such as Space War and Asteroids! I have no idea who originally invented it.

I have attempted to formalize the rules as I remember them, in an attempt to find out if other people have played this game — and to inspire a new generation of players!

Basic Rules

Materials

  • 1 sheet of paper (8.5" × 11" or A4, or larger)
  • 2 wooden pencils (not mechanical; HB a.k.a. #2 preferred) with erasers on the end
  • (Optional) pencil sharpener

Setup Sequence

  1. Each player takes one pencil and sits on opposite sides of the paper, facing a short edge
  2. The 1" band on each end of the paper (closest to each player) is the player's "hangar"
  3. Each player draws their "hangar wall" - a line 1" from the their edge of the paper, from edge to edge
  4. Each player adds a 1" gap to their hangar wall at any position along its length - this is the "hangar door". Note that this can either be a strategic decision, or can be mutually agreed upon (e.g. centered)
  5. Each player draws three ships within their hangar. Ships should be isosceles triangles with a 1/8" base and are 1/4" long. Any non-overlapping location within the hangar is acceptable. Note that this can either be a strategic decision, or can be mutually agreed upon (e.g. clustered to the left).
  6. The players draw zero or more "asteroids" in the "space" between the hangars. The asteroids can be any size, and at any location (but can't intersect each other or the hangar wall). Note that this can either be a strategic decision and handled according to custom rules, or can be mutually agreed upon.
  7. A random mechanism (e.g. coin flip) should be used to determine which player goes first.
Sample Initial Setup

Play Sequence

  • Players take alternating turns. During each turn, a player:
    • Selects exactly one of their (remaining) ships (which are initially in the hangar)
    • Declares either a "move" or a "shot"
    • The "move" or "shot" is performed
    • The "move" or "shot" is evaluated
  • Play ends when all of one player' ships are destroyed. The game can end in a win for one player or a draw (i.e. a suicide run which takes out the last ships of both players).

Moves

  • Performing a Move
    • The player positions the tip of their pencil on the acute angle of the ship (i.e. the nose).
    • The player places their fingertip on the eraser end of the pencil.
    • The player then "flicks" the pencil to leave a "trace" on the paper, representing the movement vector (direction plus distance).
  • Evaluating a Move
    • If the trace intersects the ship itself, the ship does not move. (i.e. you can't move backwards.)
    • If the trace intersects one or more objects (ship, asteroid, or hangar wall) drawn on the paper:
      • Only the first intersection of the trace with another object is considered; the rest of the trace is ignored.
      • If the trace intersects an asteroid or hangar wall the ship is destroyed.
      • If the trace intersects another ship, both ships are destroyed.
    • If the trace leaves the edge of the paper, the ship is destroyed.
    • If the trace stays on the paper and doesn't intersect anything, the ship is erased from its current position and drawn at the end of the trace (a successful move!) The ship may be drawn with any orientation and with any part of the ship on the end point of the trace.

Shots

  • Performing a Shot
    • The player positions the tip of their pencil on the acute angle of the ship (i.e. the nose).
    • The player places their fingertip on the eraser end of the pencil.
    • The player then "flicks" the pencil to leave a "trace" on the paper, representing the shot vector (direction plus distance).
  • Evaluating a Shot
    • If the trace intersects the ship itself, the ship is destroyed. (i.e. don't shoot backwards.)
    • If the trace intersects one or more objects (ship, asteroid, or hangar wall) drawn on the paper:
      • If the trace intersects a hangar wall, there is no effect on the wall and any trace past the wall is erased and ignored.
      • If the trace intersects another ship, then that ship is destroyed (a successful shot!)
      • If the trace intersects an asteroid, the shot is considered to have "tunneled" through the asteroid. The asteroid outline is adjusted to have a 1/2" wide gap where the trace passed. Note that a shot may completely destroy a small asteroid, split a large asteroid in two or more pieces, or merely dig a new crater, depending on the vector of the shot.
      • Note that unlike a move, all intersections of a shot trace are considered. You can shoot through an asteroid and destroy a ship, or shoot through multiple ships.
  • If there is disagreement over the evaluation of a trace, the player whose turn it isn't has the final call.
  • Sharpening of pencils can be performed by either player at any time, and does not affect the sequence of play.

Notes

  • A typical sequence of play is much like a computer game - each player deploys a single ship and engages the other player. However, it is permissible to deploy multiple ships simultaneously, although each player can only perform an action with a single ship each turn.
  • The setup phase of the game could easily evolve into a very precise, competitive sequence where decisions about the initial placement of ships, hangar doors, and asteroids are carefully considered. In that case, more precise setup sequence rules are required. In the author' experience, that' more trouble than it' worth, and the fun is in the regular play sequence - randomly generated or "themed" spaces are just as fun.
  • It is possible to play with anything from empty space (no asteroids), through various asteroid densities, through solid rock between hangars (a tunneling variant).
  • Erasing traces is considered optional; traces are ignored for play (they aren't objects you can collide with, shots don't linger)
  • The rules explicitly allow for shots or incursions into the enemy hangar, through the hangar door. However, it's tight maneuvering!
  • A move resulting in a collision destroys at most two ships. A shot may destroy as many ships as the trace passes through.
  • A ship can shoot itself. Ships have a very wide angle of fire, but beyond a certain angle the probability of self-destruction increases.

Variants

None, some, or all of the following rule variations (and, of course, any of your own devising) may be used. To avoid the hazard of pencils being used as short-range puncture weapons off the play field, it is advisable to agree on the rules before the first turn of the game.

Skips

  • When the pencil leaves and then returns to the paper during the flick, it produces a "skip"
  • During a move:
    • Basic: Only the last contiguous mark on the paper from the start of the skip is considered (i.e. ignore skips)
    • Advanced: The whole trace is considered; "skipped" intersections are ignored - that is, the ship can "tunnel" through walls, jump over asteroids or other ships. Note that asteroids are considered solid, so a skip into the middle of an asteroid destroys the ship.
  • During a shot:
    • If the trace "skips", only the last contiguous mark on the paper from the start of the skip is considered (i.e. shots cannot tunnel)

Tears

  • When the paper is physically torn during a shot or a move by the pencil, a "tear" is produced in the fabric of space.
  • A tear occurring during a move destroys the ship
  • A tear occurring during a shot has no effect on the outcome of the shot
  • A shot trace which intersects a previously-created tear is blocked; any trace past the tear is erased and ignored.
  • A move trace which intersects results in the moving ship being destroyed

Passing

  • In addition to a move or a shot, a player may "pass". This is treated as a move for the purposes of stalemate resolution.

Stalemate

  • A stalemate may be called by either player after 10 turn with no shots made by either player.

Space Topology

  • When a ship leaves the paper, allow wrapping as if space were a cylinder and "warp" the ship to the other side. Note that this does not apply to hangars - treat the entire hangar as bounded by a hangar wall.

Blast Radius

  • Advanced: Ship destruction results in an explosion with a 1" radius. The blast is "shadowed" by a hangar wall.

Sharing

  • If resources are tight, a single pencil may be shared by both players. This may have strategic implications.

More Players

  • The rules can easily be adapted to accommodate more than two players. Experimentation to find suitable hangar locations may be necessary.

Turrets

  • During the setup phase, in lieu of a ship a player may place a turret on the outside of their hangar. The turret is incapable of motion, but otherwise it acts the same as a ship - it may shoot, and may be destroyed by shots. — c/o Adriaan De Groot

Use of Hands as Stopper

  • Players may be permitted to place their non-flicking hand on the paper to act as a stopper and limit the length of a move or shot. — c/o Charles Raymond Mousseau

Multiple Pencils

  • Players may be permitted to use multiple pencils to allow for different weapon ranges. — c/o Evan Graff