Combat Movement?

[AnotherDilbert]

By RAW, how does the Combat Movement system work?

Example: I have a a fighter (21G) chasing a fleeing frigate (9G). Since the enemy is trying to escape we subtract our acceleration, so 21 - 9 = 12 G is used to close the distance. We start at Distant range. It takes 50 Gturns to decrease the distance to Very Long. After 4 rounds we have achieved 4 * 12 = 48 Gturns.

After 5 rounds we have achieved 5*12 = 60 Gturns. We have closed in to Very Long range. Do we save the extra 60 - 50 = 10 Gturns, or is the Gturn count reset when we change rangeband? It makes a significant difference for fighters.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Since we presumably are able to cross several rangebands in a single movement step, e.g. from Adjacent to Long, we must keep the Gturns.

So a fighter closing in at 16G:

Round   Gturns    Rangeband
      accumulated
0          0        Distant
1         16        Distant
2         32        Distant
3         48        Distant
4     64-50 = 14    Very Long
5     30-25 =  5    Long
6  21-10-5-2-1 = 3  Close - Dogfight

We will be in dogfight in the 6th round. Chased ships will only have two chances to shoot before dogfight, once at Very Long and once at Long range.

Nerhesi has pointed this out a few times, but I was under the impression that it was three attack steps before dogfight. I was apparently wrong.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

So , in the 4th round a ship fires advanced missiles at the fighters at Very Long range. They will arrive in 2 rounds, i.e. in the 6th round.

In the 6th round we are in dogfight, when does the missiles launched in the 4th round resolve their attack exactly? I have no idea.

Note that once a spacecraft moves to within Close or Adjacent range of another, immediately start using the Close Range Combat rules.

Hints that dogfight is resolved first, but it is basically undefined.