Piloting, revamp?

I like the thought of flying around in my fighter, or shuttle, or freighter. I mean, that’s Star Wars. Hop into your X-Wing and meet up with your squadron and take down an ISS and win the day. But I find it lacking, and listening to general chatter over the time I’ve been here, I think other may agree. I’d like to throw out some suggestions in attempts to make the piloting skills better, maybe a little more sensible as well.

[i:mswvofnz]I would first like to suggest a feat: <!– s:idea: –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_idea.gif" alt=":idea:" title="Idea" /><!– s:idea: –>
Name – [Squadron Leader]
Level – 100
Desc – Allow the pilot, designated as the Squadron Leader, to fly multiple fighters and move and attack like a squadron from the squadron command.[/i:mswvofnz]
Purpose – Allow fighter pilots to work like a fighter pilot and give them a higher chance of survival in combat. Take away some of the responsibilities of the person in the cappie giving out commands, it’s one less squadron he has to watch and command. This also lets the player revolve around his squadron. He can go out fighting pirates and hold off other larger vessels without having to rely on a capital or larger vessel.

List of skills in piloting:
[color=#0000FF:mswvofnz]Piloting skills:
1) navigation
1) ship systems
1) small spacecraft
1) weapon systems
10) space combat 1
20) dock
30) drive
30) fly
35) tractor beams
50) ship maintenance
55) medium spacecraft
65) roll
75) emergency_refuel
80) shipdodge
100) large spacecraft
100) space combat 2
130) heavy spacecraft
150) space combat 3 [/color:mswvofnz]

[u:mswvofnz]Dock[/u:mswvofnz] – Docking should be simple. I’m confused why docking is higher level then space combat. Space combat is actual training to combat in space. Firing a laser is not space combat, so please don’t bring that up as an argument. I think dock should be removed and should be part of operating small/medium/large/heavy vessels. As in, you are piloting a small ship and try to dock, while docking you understand your ship better and gain a % in small spacecraft. Same with medium. If not, then make it level 1?

[u:mswvofnz]Drive/Fly [/u:mswvofnz]- This is almost as useless as mount, but not as useless as gather. I would like to use this more often, but we need to start putting more rooms for it. And not confusing as hell rooms as Coruscant’s sky traffic last TL.

[u:mswvofnz]Medium Spacecraft[/u:mswvofnz] – I think this should be lowered and possibly add a 5th type of space craft. I find it really hard that Han Solo is so skilled at flying his YT that he can walk onto the BRIDGE of a Corellian Corvette and handle it just as well by himself. On that note…

[u:mswvofnz]Ship Sizes and suggestion:[/u:mswvofnz]
[color=#BF0000:mswvofnz]Small Spacecraft:[/color:mswvofnz]
1) Vehicles [Size: 1] (Why do we have these still?)
2) Fighter Ships [Size: 2]
3) Transports [Size: 5]
[color=#BF0000:mswvofnz]Medium Spacecraft:[/color:mswvofnz]
4) Freighters [Size: 10]
5) Gunboats [Size: 20] (I changed the size. Gunboats are usually small lightly manned combat vessels with lots of firepower)
[color=#BF0000:mswvofnz]Large Spacecraft:[/color:mswvofnz]
6) Corvette [Size: 30]
7) Frigate [Size: 35]
[color=#BF0000:mswvofnz]Capital Spacecraft:[/color:mswvofnz]
8 ) Cruiser [Size: 50]
9) Battleship [Size: 65]
[color=#BF0000:mswvofnz]Station Class Spacecraft:[/color:mswvofnz]
10) Battlestation [Size: 100]
11) Platform [Size: 200]

[u:mswvofnz]Shipdodge[/u:mswvofnz] – I like. Maybe add another at higher level for more dedicate pilots? Shopdodge 2. Further increasing the chances of dodging a shot at them.

[u:mswvofnz]Emergency-refuel[/u:mswvofnz] – Once brought up before on OOC chat. This is a ridiculous skill. I didn’t have to train how to tip my gas canister to allow fuel to pour into my gas tank. I think this should be removed and added as a regular command as long as you have the tank with you. Plug it into the fuel intake, press a button, transfer, done.

Another suggestion about ship sizes and piloting. I find it hard to image somebody just walking into the library, picking up a book and researching how to command a vessel consisting of 50,000+ crew members, not including squadrons and battlegroups. I think this should be a feat. <!– s:idea: –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_idea.gif" alt=":idea:" title="Idea" /><!– s:idea: –>
[i:mswvofnz]Name – [Captain]
Level – 100
Desc – Allow the character to pilot ship sizes Cruiser and above and allow access to the squadron and battlegroup command.
Purpose – Makes sense. Plus helps to focus the pilot, or pilot main into a commanding officer position, not just a jack of all trades (as most pilots are now).[/i:mswvofnz]

This feat combined with the Squadron Leader feet will allow two paths to go done for pilots.

[b:mswvofnz]Other thoughts about piloting and ships:[/b:mswvofnz]

Why are fighters so easy to come across? They are suppose to be weapons of war. Fast strike craft used to support larger vessels. That’s why ISS had entire wings of ties to hold off smaller craft, or were accompanied by smaller vessels (like gunboats and corvettes) with lasers that could fire and move faster to keep track of the fighters. Also, larger vessels seem to make the smaller fighter craft obsolete. You can buy a transport for a little more with more then twice the hull and shields and weapons AND it has locker and hotel! Most of the time. You can also put them in squadrons. I can see where a transport can be build has a weapons plant form too. I know the ship stuff is very delicate.

Allow picketing in battle groups.

All for now. Muddledde Out.

I agree with re-doing the classification of ships, but it should be done and gone about a different way. If I may suggest….

Level 1 [u:3jxsnhyt]Land/Suborbit Vehicles[/u:3jxsnhyt] – Of course this means that we’d actually need working vehicles and what have you implemented, but that’s besides the point. These types of vehicles would be used on planets of course, with Skyhoppers being the most useful. Basically with the drive ability you can use said vehicles to get around quickly and just be used for RP purposes or combat (should it ever be implemented). Skyhoppers would allow you to ‘launch’ and ‘land’ at various landing platforms quickly. (ie. launch eastport would cause you to rise into the sky and ‘fly’ to the eastport landing pad)

Level 1 [u:3jxsnhyt]Transports/Personal Craft[/u:3jxsnhyt] – Basically these would be non-militant ships capable of getting you from point A to point B like we do now, only in a weapon free ship, as it should. Like it was stated in the previous post, it’s a bit silly that EVERYONE goes around in military spaceships as if they were a personal craft. Granted, certain individuals have been seen using these types of craft in such a manner, but not every tom, dick and harry did it. Also opens up some RP with governments should personal craft and transports start showing up with weapons.

Level 35 [u:3jxsnhyt]Small Fighters[/u:3jxsnhyt] – These would be the X-Wings, Y-Wings, TIEs, R-41s, etc etc. Everyone knows how these work. Restricted to military use and not given to the public.

Level 55 [u:3jxsnhyt]Freighters/Gunboats[/u:3jxsnhyt] – This is where your freighters and gunboats would fall under. The YTs, Mark Is, Barloz, Firesprays would fall under. Both civilian and military types would be abound.

Level 80 [u:3jxsnhyt]Corvettes/Frigates[/u:3jxsnhyt]

Level 110 [u:3jxsnhyt]Capital Class[/u:3jxsnhyt]

I like the concept behind ship dodge, but maybe instead of it being an actual skill, have it work based upon the level of the pilot. It’s implied that anyone with some kind of flight experience is versed in evasive manuevers but the better you get, the better your skill. So that way, instead of having someone who luckily gets just enough levels to reach ship dodge and maybe even adept it on the same level as someone with 150 piloting, it’s a bit more of a realistic feel that the while less skilled, you MIGHT get lucky in a dog fight once, maybe twice, but eventually the better pilot WILL win.

I completely agree with emergency refuel. It’s too easy to do it and makes no sense as an actual skill.

Also, +1000 to the Captain feat. Gives it more of a ‘Hey, I went out of my way to learn how to properly command and control a large crew on a ship.’