A few years ago, I was lucky enough to discover the space combat simulation game called "Full Thrust." It is a tabletop game which requires no game board, but instead uses a ruler to track the movement of pieces on a flat surface. It has served as the foundation for how I simulate space combat with my miniatures, and has led me to the discovery of other game simulation systems and techniques.
Full Thrust has been made freely available in PDF format for the time being by the developers at Ground Zero Games, so save a copy while you can.
Special Thanks: