Pilot skill group Options

[IvanTank]

I was considering adding a new skill group to the game, one for piloting skills. It would include Pilot Ground Craft, Pilot Aircraft, Pilot Watercraft, and maybe Pilot Aerospace. I was just unsure if there was any reason why this skill group never existed to begin with, other than the fact that Fourth edition HATES riggers.

[Jaid]

i've said it before, and i'll say it again... SR4 pilot/vehicle skills ARE skillgroups, you just pay regular skill costs for them. don't believe me?

ok, let's go back to 3rd edition. i want to make a rigger that can fly anything. so i need skills for piloting helicopters, jets, airplanes, t-birds, blimps/zeppelins, gliders, hot air balloons, etc. in 4th edition? i need pilot aircraft. now stop and seriously think about that. if you can pilot a jet, you also have the skills needed to pilot a helicopter or a blimp. and you don't think that's a skill group?

similarly, groundcraft. pilot groundcraft covers tanks, construction vehicles, bikes of all sorts (motorised or not), hovercraft... basically anything that moves along the ground that doesn't use legs.

pilot anthroform covers vehicles shaped like spiders, humans, centaurs, dragons, cats, dogs, snakes, etc.

pilot watercraft covers battleships, yachts, sailboats, submarines, canoes, rowboats, aircraft carriers, etc.

even pilot aerospace covers suborbitals and semiballistics, and presumably actual spaceships too.

which one of those things doesn't look like a skill group to you? heck, going another step, consider gunnery: it's basically the firearms skill group, except you add in archery and heavy weapons to it.

except that you pay less than a normal skill group, you can specialise (in what is often a very wide area of specialisation), and you aren't limited to skill 4 at chargen.

honestly, you seriously think you need to provide a skillgroup for vehicle skills? personally, i'll take my 2 vehicle skills (one pilot, and gunnery) of choice at 5 and specialise them, thank you very much, and you can keep your smelly skillgroup.

[Kyoto Kid]

...I have to concur with Jaid. There is no point in making a vehicle skill gorup

For example, 40 BPs in two separate skills (Pilot Ground craft & Pilot Aircraft at rating 5 each) will allow a rigger to drive all land vehicles (wheeled, hover & tracked) and pilot all atmospheric aircraft as well as operate a host of different aerial and ground based drones equally as well.

In previous editions, my Rigger Josie LeSarre could only operate fixed wing aircraft & cars without defaulting.

I would say that helps rather than hinders the character.

[laughingowl]

Agree with Jaid, they already broad enough.

As pointed out in another thread:

Pilot Ground Vehicle (wheeled specialty) covers 99.9% of every type of 'ground' vehicle you going to ever see.

Personally I dont see SR4 hating riggers. Sure the rules are a little light right now, but future books (should) fix that.

Now SR4 does hate TM's :-) so if thats your rigger well my TM feels your pain.

[Zolhex]

been here responded to this once myself and got shot down just like you.

Check this