Gravity well mistake?

[l33tpenguin]

I dug all over trying to find my freaking books, but with no luck. I've never actually played a game involving a gravity well, but doesn't the rules for one give ships an extra turn, thus making them more maneuverable?

I was watching 'Endgame' with my wife last night (she is on this major Sci-Fi kick, she has me downloading every Star Trek movie atm and we are watching B5 in the mean time). In it, General Leftcourt (sp?) states specifically that he doesn't want to move the fleet closer to mars for risk of being closer to the gravity well and thus making it more difficult for them to maneuver.

 

[Da Boss]

IIRC it gives the ability to have an extra turn towards the planet or use it gravity to boost you past it.

 

[lastbesthope]

I was watching 'Endgame' with my wife last night (she is on this major Sci-Fi kick, she has me downloading every Star Trek movie atm and we are watching B5 in the mean time). In it, General Leftcourt (sp?) states specifically that he doesn't want to move the fleet closer to mars for risk of being closer to the gravity well and thus making it more difficult for them to maneuver.

At that point Lefcourt is in orbit and in the gravity well. THe lower you are in orbit, the greater the delta vee required to break orbit making it harder to head off into the big black or change your orbit or 'manoeuvre'.

In the game rule, you move into the gravity well and use the acceleration to assist you in gaining a speed boost and an extra turn. Analagous but not too accurately a comparison to what happens in real life gravity assists.

Both are correct.

Had Lefcourt knowing where he wanted to end up he could have droppeed further into the gravity well and made an assist manoeuvre to end up where he wanted, but as it was he was trying to keep his options open, hence not wanting to drop down too far into the gravity well.

MAke sense?

LBH