What are max impulse speeds for?

[Fab]

In the Narrator's Guide, where it shows all the impulse engines available and their stats, it lists their maximum speed as a fraction of c. My question is, to what end? I didn't see in the rules where faster ships get a bonus to anything, or where slower ones get a penalty to anything.

If a fast ship is trying to escape from a slow one, shouldn't it get bonuses to the Open maneuver and the slow pursuer a penalty to the Close maneuver? Or is it mentioned somewhere in the rules and I just missed it (which is entirely possible)?

Anyway, if it's in there, please let me know where to find it; and if it's not, can someone tell me if impulse speeds were added for a reason or if they're just in there to provide a little bit of color?

Thanks.

[Erik Filean]

Originally posted by Fab
In the Narrator's Guide, where it shows all the impulse engines available and their stats, it lists their maximum speed as a fraction of c. My question is, to what end? I didn't see in the rules where faster ships get a bonus to anything, or where slower ones get a penalty to anything.

If a fast ship is trying to escape from a slow one, shouldn't it get bonuses to the Open maneuver and the slow pursuer a penalty to the Close maneuver? Or is it mentioned somewhere in the rules and I just missed it (which is entirely possible)?

Anyway, if it's in there, please let me know where to find it; and if it's not, can someone tell me if impulse speeds were added for a reason or if they're just in there to provide a little bit of color?

Thanks.

The impulse speed values don't modify maneuvers in the starship combat system as presented in the NG. I've been thinking about doing something about that--imposing, for example, a relative +/-1 modifier per 0.1 c difference in velocity to tests for certain maneuvers--but I haven't yet scoured the NG to decide exactly which maneuvers should or should not be so modified. Since, for all I know, the forthcoming Starships book may present rules for velocity differences, I was going to hold off that long before doing my own thing.