Ace Racing Campaign: I'm looking to run a space opera campaign focusing on mercenary dogfighting and space racing using small, maneuverable fighters, with the complications that come from organized crime and megacorp ties to space racing, and pirates and mercenary units facing off against the PCs. I'd like everyone to have a function on the ships (ideally 4-6 PCs in 2-3 ships) in combat whether as pilots, gunners, navigators, engineers, etc.

 I'd want a lot of depth to the ship stats, as this would focus on small courier ships, fighters, bombers, light freighters, scout ships, and the smaller types of medium and heavy freighters and yachts as 'carriers' and team ships for racing teams and pirate squadrons. Tricking out your ship with custom weapons, sensors, gadgets, engines, etc. would also be important. And I'd like to have some non-flying planetside adventures also--bounty hunting would be a good way to stay ingratiated to the power structure. The larger events of the universe would be a backdrop to this campaign.

Campaign bits:

-I'd like to focus on a small area, where the PCs really get to know the different planets and places in the sector, instead of hopping through the galaxy.

Rules bits:

-Racing engines and special parts are modular--more expensive, but flexibility is important in the independent racing teams where you've got only a few ships and you need to re-fit between races to qualify for another race.

-Each race might be a little different--depending on if it's an official League race or an independent race held by a government or a private sponsor...or an illegal race where the weapons are live! One race might not allow ECM, there might be weapon restrictions on some races (only one weapon system, no turrets, etc.), minimum engine specs (one race allows 4 to 6G performance, another might require the full 6Gs)

Space Racing System: The idea is to set a given number of sections of 'track' for a race, each section taking one turn to traverse. Each turn each racer makes a piloting check adding their acceleration bonus, etc, and whoever wins...is first among the given set of racers. Only those racers directly in front or behind would be rolled for, with the expectation being the PCs move up through the pack (perhaps six to eight other racers total?).

-I'm thinking, turns would be focused around a planet or moon, etc., and then you go into the 'straightaway' towards something else-a satellite gauntlet, a cargo barge with dummy weapons you're supposed to evade, etc. or another planet/moon/etc.

Straightaways, all the racers spread out and uses their Emergency Power options to try and outrace the next guy, turns are where the action is--the shooting. I'm thinking there's usually two 'lanes' to a turn--the orbital one with dummy defense satellites to dodge/take out and the 'ground' one where you can hit--and be hit by--the other racers with your weapons easily. Maybe in straightaways you have 'duels' between shields and ECM and the guy in front/behind you?

-In atmospheric turns, everyone makes a Piloting Quick Contest. Reorder these racers according to the results, they form the top of the new overall order. Orbital turn racers are placed in order of their QC results after this.

-Ion mine dropped weapons for use in straightaways!

-Also, ion warheads for EM Cannons and missiles.

-Race components will be modular and much faster to install/remove than normal systems. Maybe they require regular maintenance to allow such performance?

League Scoring:

-Nick Wale came up with an idea: Each racer starts the race with a certain number of points. Overtaking, disabling, etc. other racer scores you their points. Satellite targets, drone ships, place purses, etc. are bonus points. Whoever has the most points at the end of the race, wins.

Space Racing Events/Options: 

Single-planet events: Cave racing.

Open Rally: Multi-planet course, hyperjumps, burn efficiency, aerobatics, etc.

Racers: Inspected beforehand, set to a general standard. 

Ring-Ball Rally: follow course through moons and atmo of a gas giant. Points for speed, efficiency, most markers. 

Gauntlet: Evade missiles, ion blasts, points for best comeback, efficiency, evasion, best PD

Satellite Scram: Use tractor beams, speed to grab satellites, points on best catch, most sats, most steals, best steal. 

Endurance: Racers must stay up continuously during an event. Switching out pilots and navigators is essential. 

Hyper-scoring: Points for jump time, efficiency of emergence, fastest calculation, best primitive (non-computer) calculation (racial restrictions and inspection for illegal augmentation apply for this award).

Burn-scoring: Scores the efficiency/speed of the move from hyperspace to the beginning of the next event.   Drone Dogfight- Shoot down drone fighters, points on least hits taken, most kills, best PD, etc.

Mock bombing: Subcategories: Ground Support, Big Target, Small Target, Multitarget. Points on speed between events, points on most hits, accuracy, fancy flying, closest approach, best recovery. 

Blockade Runner: Get past orbital defenses, drop cargo, return. Points for speed, least hits taken, best PD.  

Topo-orbits: Fastest, lowest circumnavigation of a planet. Lots of crazy maneuvers, breakneck speed, avoid hurricanes, volcanes, geysers, jungles, animals, etc. Points for most picturesque, best recovery, lowest overall, lowest point, highest speed, overall speed, etc. 

Wounded Soldier Act: escort freighter/dropship under from from AA/drone fighters, points for best defense, least hits, best PD, best dogfighting, best surgical kill. 

Comet Run-visit several comets in system. Hyper-jump and excellent navigator are vital to winning. Points on hyper-efficiency, closest approach, overall speed, fancy approach.  

Fleeing Dictator--attack a drone yacht 'fleeing' a planet. Best hit, most hits, best overall, killshot.  

Exhibition Rally: Manufacturers choose teams to run their new ships or hardware through their paces to show off new developments and designs. Racers from these are mostly private test pilots for the megacorps, but some league racers are chosen. Lower-tier leage racers regard this as akin to selling out or giving up on the 'real' events. But the megacorps have big purses and hefty compensation packages for racers that win and show off the performance of their new ships... 

And of course, there's the Razzies: the awards for Worst [whatever] in a particular race or event. Worst Recovery, Best Smear, Worst Smear, Worst PD, Worst Evasion, Worst Single Evasion, Most Spectacular Hardware Failure, Least Picturesque Run, Bantha Fodder (Least Successful Bailout), Most Unsuccesful Sat Steals, Worst Hyper-Jump Miscalc, Worst Recovery, Most Stolen Kills, and the bottom of the barrel, Least Competitive.