Airspeeders vs Repulsorlift

[Dredwulf60]

I'm thinking of a new house rule in my game.

In the RAW, Airspeeders are a subclass or specialization of Repulsorift vehicle, (as I recall? )

On Coruscant, we see skylanes filled with flying vehicles that look functionally like landspeeders, except for the altitudes they operate at. They are basically like flying versions of cars. To me they suggest very little skill required for operation.

Now compare to the Snowspeeders seen on Hoth, the Cloud cars seen at Cloud City, and Luke's T-16 Skyhopper...all of which seem more like true aircraft. To me it suggests that they require some more skill to operate.

Also consider that Luke Skywalker in ANH had never put his hands on a starfighter, yet the dialogue suggests that his experience with his T-16 has prepared him to competently take an X-wing into battle.

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So...

I plan on making Airspeeder its own skill.
You can use it in a starfighter as a default at half result.

The vehicles in the skylanes of Coruscant are governed by the Repulsorlift vehicle skill,with the understanding that most of the navigationa work is being done by Coruscant's traffic control grid.

If you override the traffic control system, you can use it like an airspeeder...requiring that more advanced skill...like in AotC.

[Naaman]

If you want... I'd rather just see a pilot skill with specializations for craft that are different enough.

Anakin, for example, landed half a capitol ship safely... a rather heroic feat normally requiring significant expertise.

As you mention Luke went from power wheels to race car driving over night.

Oh, and we can also throw in the pod racer to dogfighter scene in TPM.

Now, if we had more characters that were pilots, we might be able to infer some more. Padme seems perfectly comfortable piloting starfighters or transports (AotC) and while Obi Wan "hates flying" he sure did a great job dodging space debris and sonic blasts... good thing noone told him the odds...

[MrNexx]

[Tupteq]

In my games "piloting" skills are divided differently:

Piloting (MECH)
Handles piloting of any small flying craft, both atmospheric and starships. Replaces hover vehicle operation, starfighter piloting, repulsorlift operation: airspeeder.

Vehicle Operation (MECH)
Using any kind of “close to ground” vehicles. Replaces a number of skills like ground vehicle operation, repulsorlift operation, and walker operation.

But in case of flying cars, I'm not sure which skill I'd use. Probably both - vehicle operation in case you drive "normally" (using air highways), but piloting if you fly off-road.

[Naaman]

[Naaman]

[garhkal]

[Dredwulf60]

Some interesting suggestions.

I see most of them going the opposite of my intent however;

My intent is to make a greater divide than to bring them together.

I don't want someone to have a single skill that can 'do it all' like a Pilot skill with sub-specialties.

I can definitely see why one would want to do that in Star Wars. The philosophy being that tech is tech and its very interchangeable in such a tech-heavy galaxy and time period.

But I'm bringing my game more towards our modern experience, where someone who can drive a car (landspeeder) is not likely able to fly a plane (Airspeeder) with out significant training, let alone a fighter jet (Star Fighter).

But someone who can fly a plane (Airspeeder) might be able to get the basics of how to fly a fighter jet (Star Fighter) if said fighter jet were laid out similarly and designed to be simple to fly.

In my current game, the characters start off pretty young and unskilled.
They have the Star Wars equivalent of 'Drivers Licences', with 3D to 5D in repulsorlift operation, some with a specialization in swoops.

But I don't want them to just be able to grab an airspeeder and jet around in it.

If they want to, they have to go enroll in a course, with ground-school and flight school etc, until they get their skill dice up to be able to pass a flight exam.

Pilot Space transports was the same. I have a character who just went through the ordeal to get his space pilots licence. It makes it more of a big deal to be a pilot if not everyone can just do it.

[garhkal]

Nice.. As a q, how would you handle that 'going to flight academy' in terms of how long it would take, cost and how many CP it might give someone going through it. Also what # of rolls (and at what diff) would be required for someone to 'pass muster'?
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[Naaman]

I see one issue with ising half skill: in many cases this could have a character rolling less than his mechannical attribute. If the idea is to promote the similarityy between the two, perhaps male it half the raised skill (in other words, base mechanical plus half the dice over thee attribute)?

[MrNexx]

[Dredwulf60]

[garhkal]

Nice rundown. I like the addition of sensors, comms and such for freighter captains.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!