Combining piloting skills

[Kytross]

Has anyone combined Starfighter piloting and Space Transports into one skill? I can't figure out why they're two different skills, and I'm thinking of combining them at my next session.

Thoughts?

[garhkal]

Seeing how flying a fighter jet does not mean one is equally good at flying an airliner, i DO feel they should stay separate.

I liken it to Starfighter piloting is being skilled in driving sports cars, while space transport ops is driving 18-wheelers..
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[Kytross]

I see your argument Garhkal, and I agree, in part. But I could also see those as specializations under a general skill.

Mechanical
- Starship Piloting
- Starfighter
- Freighters
- Yachts

The basic skills are similar, a pilot should be able to sit in an X-Wing or the Millenium Falcon and do basic maneuvers. Or to use your example Garhkal, a pilot has a series of basic skills: takeoff/landing, an understanding of lift/drag, their IFR, communicating with ground control/vectors, before they can specialize in flying fighters or airliners.

This would allow people to get to 4D-5D in Starship piloting, a professional level, and then specialize. I tend to be fairly strict with character points, I tend to give out 5-10 after an adventure, not a session. I expect my players to use two or three during the adventure to improve rolls. This means that my players need to choose Starfighter or Space Transports from the beginning and stick with it.

I don't want to be more liberal with character points because everywhere else it seems to be working out.

[CRMcNeill]

I work as a truck driver, and with four years experience under my belt, I think garhkal has it right. Driving a truck may seem superficially similar to driving a car, but there is a world of a difference practically speaking. It requires a completely different set of instincts, and just because someone is good at driving a car is no guarantee they can transfer that same skill to driving a big rig. Not without a lot of training, at least.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Whill]

[Kytross]

Thanks guys, your input inspired me to what I think is the balance point:

Vehicle difficulty levels!

Keep it one skill, but instead of balancing it out with advanced skills for fighters and freighters, just up the difficulty by one or two if they aren't specialized in the craft type.

Example:
Frank has Starship Piloting 4D and is specialized in Starfighter at 6D. He hops behind the controls of the Tramp Freighter Nerf Love. Now piloting tasks are one difficulty level higher then someone who is specialized in Freighters. So flying through a crowded space dock goes from easy to moderate.

Or something like that. Just came up with the idea.

Weapons have difficulty levels, why not starships.

[garhkal]

Would there be a 2nd level of specialty to show someone who say focuses exclusively say on Y-wing star fighters, or YT-1220 freighters?
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Naaman]

[CRMcNeill]

The major difference between Class B and Class A is the Combination Vehicles endorsement, which allows you to drive full-sized tractor trailers, which is a big step up from driving buses or straight-trucks. The fact that the tractor-trailer bends in the middle is the most complicated part, and just being trained in the basics of driving it is the first step. After some consideration, I think your Class B vehicle comparison is more accurate, as the main difference between starfighters and space transports is the size. However, it is important to remember that simply being trained to operate a vehicle does not equate to being fully comfortable operating it. When you first start out operating a commercial vehicle, you have to be consciously thinking about all the different details and differences from driving a normal car, like remembering to turn wide so you don't scrape something on the inside of a turn, or keeping an eye out for low clearances at bridges and such. It takes months of constant use to develop any sort of familiarity, which is what I was referring to above when I talked about a completely different set of instincts.

So yes, there is definitely some skill overlap, and commercial vehicles are required to obey many of the same rules as the little cars. But just being trained how to operate a big truck does not automatically make you good at it.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Whill]

[CRMcNeill]

[Naaman]

[Naaman]

[CRMcNeill]

Major NPCs may not be the best example, as major players in the films are more likely to have training (and dice) in a wide variety of different skills. Someone like Padme could potentially be cross-trained in a variety of piloting skills.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[cynanbloodbane]