HARD SCIENCE OR FUN?

I realize that i am very probably in the minority on this one, but:

if i had to make a choice as GM / player between  time-honored  drop
capsules, or drop pods,  ablative re-entry rigs ( see TRAVELLER RPG for
the exact distinction between this and ablative capsules and pods), assault
landers, and gaming fun;

OR gritty hard science do the math with a caluclator and worry about that
decimal point style of play, FORGET IT!

I am off to have fun-first, last, always!

i am quite happy knowing that when the patrol corvette or wotever class of
ship enters orbit, that the drop caps containing MINIME, other
troops, vehicles,  decoys, etc,  are   FIRED at the  planet's  surface
and the the occupants will arrive on or near the target after an
ablative  re-entry and then a final parachute, parawing, rocket pack ,
or grav pack trip to the LZ.

i can also handle the idea of assault landers carrying troops and
vehicles to the surface from orbit  in the sci-fi version of a WW II
amphibious assault or RVN air assault.

i can live with dicing for scatter, malfunctions, enemy defensive fires,
wotever, it takes to get MINIME on the ground and into the tabletop fight,
vaped, or splattered across the surface of the LZ.

anything to push lead, pewter, plastic and toss them dice!

> i am quite happy knowing that when the patrol corvette or wotever

Well, there is that ;-)

No, you're right, a lot of this depends on what you really want to portray in
your game, but it does the old grey cells good to give them an airing

with a bit of orbital physics now and again.

OH THE TECH JABBER IS FINE!

i follow it and it helps to keep me gray cells alive and working away like you
say.