2 pilots working together

[Kilgore]

Well the title says it all I guess, but how does a freighter like an YT-1300 benefit from 2 pilots?

I've looked and looked but I can't seem to the answer in the rules.


I've got a player group and they have just purchased and improved their own ship. The group has two pilots and the YT-1300 stats says that two pilots can coordinate. But how does that work?


do they make to rolls and the best one is used or how does that work?

[Tusk BloodFlail]

Well, basically it cuts down on the number of actions you have to perform. Think of it like a drivers training car. One person can pilot and fire the guns, the other can perform any dodging maneuvers and operate the shields, sensors, and other such things. It is actually quite useful. We always have a co-pilot when able that does nothing but dodge incoming attacks. That way there is no penalty to your dodge action.
Getting hit sucks, a few good rolls from the wild die and you're space dust. Even if you just take 0-3 damage and blow some shields. That gets very expensive to repair very fast!
_________________
You should not fear your enemies, they should fear you!

[Ankhanu]

"Can coordinate" means that someone can make Command rolls to combine the actions of the two (or more) pilots, offering a combined action bonus to the pilot as per the rules for combining actions

Alternatively, it works like Tusk said; the pilot and copilot can do different actions without incurring as many MAPs, pilot flies the ship, co pilot operates the shields, plots a hyperspace route, fires a weapon, or what have you... you don't get MAPs until one of them does more than one action each.

On a side note, for clarity as I'm not sure if Tusk meant his comment this way - the person who is dodging really has to be the person doing the actual flying... so, for example, the pilot can't fly the ship in a u-turn while the co-pilot dodges, the two actions use the same controls and the same ship systems; the pilot or co-pilot could perform both the u-turn and dodge, but not one of those each.
_________________
Hotaru no Hishou; a messageboard about games, friends and nothing at all.

Donate to Ankhanu Press

[Whill]

[Kilgore]

Thanks.

It just seemed a little strange to me that, if what Ankhanu says is right, you need a person with the command-skill in order to use a standard stock light freighter the most efficient way.

[garhkal]

many gms i have played under used a flat +1d for 2 working together at any task. No command needed. BUT many ships actually requre a co pilot for...

And the others are right, the main benefit as is that a co-pilot gives is he can do the other actions the pilot would normally wind up doing (dodge, pilot shields, sensors, comms)..
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[cheshire]

In one campaign I tried running it that a co-pilot could spend up to two character points to add to a pilot's roll. It allowed them to avoid really tight situation without providing a completely free bonus.
_________________
__________________________________
Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[garhkal]

Nearly everyone i have played under lets the co pilot OR pilot spend cp to add into those ship dodges..
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[ZzaphodD]

It would be easier if the description mentioned what 'station' could manage what task (communications, sensors, piloting, gunnery, etc).
_________________
My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..

[Whill]

[Urban Spaceman]

I like the idea that different ships have slightly different configurations, when it comes to the distribution of controls.
Just the idea of over-hearing a couple of pilots arguing over it in a bar:
"Why the hell would you even consider flying one of them? Whilst your busy trying to avoid the turbo-laser fire, the last thing you want to do is configure the shields at the same time"
"Yeah, well how about your hunk of junk? You can't even reach for the hyperspace lever without taking your hands off the control stick!".
..and so on.

[garhkal]

I know some of the ship pics/schematics do list it as
Pilot, co-pilot, shields/comms, sensors and the like.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Bren]

[garhkal]

That's not how a ship dodge is supposed to work bren... Just like in character scale combat... your dodge takes over for the range penalty if you dodge..Ergo in space combat, it should be range OR dodge... so if they dodge, it takes over for the range penalty.. IE the pilot zigged when he should have zagged.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[ZzaphodD]