This could be applicable to any game with High-G Aerial Maneuvers, but I was thinking about Robotech at the time. :)
In real life, and (good) fiction that models itself on reality, fighter pilots are put under intense physical strain when they attempt acrobatic maneuvers in flight. They have to tighten the muscles in their faces and necks to force oxygen rich blood into their brains to prevent themselves from blacking out.*
However in most games, both tabletop or computer, you can do any number of complex high-g aerial maneuvers as often as you wish.
For added realism, I think anytime a player attempts a high-g maneuver -- the "Quick Stop" maneuver in Robotech where they swing the "legs" forward and apply heavy-reverse thrust to suddenly stop -- should require some sort of stamina check, saving throw, or apply non-lethal damage to the pilot. Failing the check, (or preferrably) running out of health means the pilot blacks out.
Has anyone used rules like this in their games?
* Yay! Documentaries on TV!
It appears in the computer sims I've played: F-18 Hornet (Graphic Simulations) and Falcon (originally Spectrum Holobyte, eventually Microprose). Not sure if it shows up in the only serious console sim I'm aware of (Energy Airforce). I think it does.
There are two effects: greyout (brownout) leading to blackout (g-LOC), and redout. The former is caused by sustained high positive Gs and blood pooling in the lower body. The main way of resisting greyout is to tighten the muscles in the abdomen. Redout is caused by sustained high negative Gs (for example, doing an outside loop).
Two observations relative to space combat in general and Robotech/Macross in particular:
* Training and stamina are important, but advanced flight suits (versions of the G-suit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-suit)) will help prevent greyout/blackout by actively squeezing the lower body to keep blood from pooling.
* Note: this is an issue with sustained Gs, not so much heavy but brief G forces. Depending on your interpretation of space combat, it may not involve the radial turning maneuvers found in aerial combat (and which are the source of sustained high G forces).