[Spaceships] Interesting Piloting Techniques?

weevis · 08-28-2015, 03:12 PM

I'm a GM and my GURPS-newb pilot has asked what techniques are available for his Piloting(High-Performance Spacecraft) skill. Sounds like a fun challenge. The techniques repository gives me:

Combat Piloting (GURPS Tactical Shooting, p. 43) -- interesting, but appears to be useful when and shooting a pistol out the cockpit window while using the tactical shooting rules, if you have a higher pistol skill than piloting skill. I can't see this coming up.

No-Landing Extraction (GURPS Basic Set, p. 233) -- that's more like it, but it seems like there must be more I can offer.

I thought I'd post my thought process here to see if anyone has better ideas. The number of techniques are infinite, but I'm looking for exciting or interesting techniques that can prompt gameplay.

Here I go: To begin, I don't think we'll actually use the GURPS Spaceships combat rules but I started with them for inspiration.

Perhaps it is possible to use a technique to buy off a handling penalty for a particular class of ship? SM+10 (10,000 ton) ships normally give a -2 Hnd penalty, but you could spend points to buy a "hard" technique: "Whale Jockey (SM+10)" and reduce that penalty? This parallels the motion picture photography example in the explanation of how techniques work in the Basic Set.

Perhaps it is possible to use a technique to buy off the multitasking penalty? On a small ship the pilot might be the entire bridge crew. Over time, it seems possible you could get better at multitasking. Since a pilot can only choose one piloting maneuver per turn, it seems like the multitasking penalty will often be -4, for two tasks of a different category. A few points in a multitasking "Cockpit Task-Juggling" technique could lower that. But maybe reducing all "piloting + (x)" multitasking penalties is too powerful or general? Also this is a little tricky, as it is a combination of two skills, not a technique based on one skill.

Alternately, it might be more fun if the specific multitasking combos are addressed. e.g., "Keep One Eye on the Scanner" for piloting after Electronics Operation(Sensors) multitasking, which seems likely to be useful. Or "One-Handed Repair" for piloting + (damage control skill) multitasking.

Beyond GURPS Spaceships, other inspirations could be piloting maneuvers that I see in movie planes and sci-fi spaceships. For instance, Serenity's version of the "Crazy Ivan" from the TV show Firefly.

Or how about a "Fly-by"? Going very fast, then passing very close to something without hitting it in order to be a jerk. (As in: "Maverick: Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by.") Good technique for Daredevils.

Wikipedia has some interesting "basic fighter maneuvers" (with diagrams!) that include things like "The Immelmann" but sadly many of these seem to only make sense in aerial combat with gravity and atmosphere.

In sci-fi pilots are always doing impressive "Slingshot Maneuvers" around suns. You could get particularly good at that.

Conserving fuel or trying to present a stealthier sensor profile by landing with minimal engines might require a "Glider Landing" technique on a spaceship with a lifting body.

Smugglers could practice a "Preserve Facing" technique that keeps the illegal stuff (or people) strapped to the outside of their hull facing away from the sensors that are scanning them. Ideally this technique would work in a natural way, so that it didn't appear that they are hiding something.

I was thinking the ability to drop cargo onto a planet in the right place would be very nice technique for our campaign (if the cargo has a parachute or something) but from the forums it appears this is not Piloting at all but the "Dropping" skill, or it is Artillery(Bombs) if they are guided or there is a bombsight. And there is no default to Piloting. So it doesn't exactly respond to my player's question.

It seems like there might be some sort of "Flying Blind" technique for spaceships. I see this means instrument flight with zero visibility in an aircraft (?). I have no idea what an equivalent would be in a spacecraft. I think of this scene from the movie Apollo 13. Or maybe there is something related to "Work by Touch" (p. B233), but I'm not sure why you would practice that. This needs work.

Anyone else want to join in? Correct my mistakes?

08-28-2015, 03:12 PM	#1
weevis Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: 3.165, -3.048, -0.0818	[Spaceships] Interesting Piloting Techniques? I'm a GM and my GURPS-newb pilot has asked what techniques are available for his Piloting(High-Performance Spacecraft) skill. Sounds like a fun challenge. The techniques repository gives me: Combat Piloting (GURPS Tactical Shooting, p. 43) -- interesting, but appears to be useful when and shooting a pistol out the cockpit window while using the tactical shooting rules, if you have a higher pistol skill than piloting skill. I can't see this coming up. No-Landing Extraction (GURPS Basic Set, p. 233) -- that's more like it, but it seems like there must be more I can offer. I thought I'd post my thought process here to see if anyone has better ideas. The number of techniques are infinite, but I'm looking for exciting or interesting techniques that can prompt gameplay. Here I go: To begin, I don't think we'll actually use the GURPS Spaceships combat rules but I started with them for inspiration. Perhaps it is possible to use a technique to buy off a handling penalty for a particular class of ship? SM+10 (10,000 ton) ships normally give a -2 Hnd penalty, but you could spend points to buy a "hard" technique: "Whale Jockey (SM+10)" and reduce that penalty? This parallels the motion picture photography example in the explanation of how techniques work in the Basic Set. Perhaps it is possible to use a technique to buy off the multitasking penalty? On a small ship the pilot might be the entire bridge crew. Over time, it seems possible you could get better at multitasking. Since a pilot can only choose one piloting maneuver per turn, it seems like the multitasking penalty will often be -4, for two tasks of a different category. A few points in a multitasking "Cockpit Task-Juggling" technique could lower that. But maybe reducing all "piloting + (x)" multitasking penalties is too powerful or general? Also this is a little tricky, as it is a combination of two skills, not a technique based on one skill. Alternately, it might be more fun if the specific multitasking combos are addressed. e.g., "Keep One Eye on the Scanner" for piloting after Electronics Operation(Sensors) multitasking, which seems likely to be useful. Or "One-Handed Repair" for piloting + (damage control skill) multitasking. Beyond GURPS Spaceships, other inspirations could be piloting maneuvers that I see in movie planes and sci-fi spaceships. For instance, Serenity's version of the "Crazy Ivan" from the TV show Firefly. Or how about a "Fly-by"? Going very fast, then passing very close to something without hitting it in order to be a jerk. (As in: "Maverick: Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by.") Good technique for Daredevils. Wikipedia has some interesting "basic fighter maneuvers" (with diagrams!) that include things like "The Immelmann" but sadly many of these seem to only make sense in aerial combat with gravity and atmosphere. In sci-fi pilots are always doing impressive "Slingshot Maneuvers" around suns. You could get particularly good at that. Conserving fuel or trying to present a stealthier sensor profile by landing with minimal engines might require a "Glider Landing" technique on a spaceship with a lifting body. Smugglers could practice a "Preserve Facing" technique that keeps the illegal stuff (or people) strapped to the outside of their hull facing away from the sensors that are scanning them. Ideally this technique would work in a natural way, so that it didn't appear that they are hiding something. I was thinking the ability to drop cargo onto a planet in the right place would be very nice technique for our campaign (if the cargo has a parachute or something) but from the forums it appears this is not Piloting at all but the "Dropping" skill, or it is Artillery(Bombs) if they are guided or there is a bombsight. And there is no default to Piloting. So it doesn't exactly respond to my player's question. It seems like there might be some sort of "Flying Blind" technique for spaceships. I see this means instrument flight with zero visibility in an aircraft (?). I have no idea what an equivalent would be in a spacecraft. I think of this scene from the movie Apollo 13. Or maybe there is something related to "Work by Touch" (p. B233), but I'm not sure why you would practice that. This needs work. Anyone else want to join in? Correct my mistakes?