Are hovercraft controlled with Driving or Piloting? Plus other vehicle skill stuff...

[acrosome]

In the U.S. Navy the hovercraft operators get to wear pilot's wings.

However, from a game mechanical standpoint it is clearly Driving, not Piloting.

[SRoach]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Per RAW, hovercraft is driving. This is relevant because (a) it means it defaults to and from other driving skills, and (b) it's not affected by 3d spatial sense and perfect balance.

Realistically, not being modified by 3d spatial sense and perfect balance seems reasonable, but it probably shouldn't default to other Drive skills. While we're at it, Mecha probably shouldn't either, Locomotive probably shouldn't exist, and Construction Equipment should be a separate skill. Likewise, non-aerodynamic flight types (contragravity, LTA, spacecraft, vertol) shouldn't default and in some cases (lightsail, low performance spacecraft) probably shouldn't exist.

I occasionally drive an agricultural tractor, and, more rarely, a backhoe. Both default to drive(car) quite well when just driving or pulling a regular load. The only real difference is you set the throttle and ignore it, and the brakes tend to be in different places, (and specific to one rear wheel or the other.)
Operating the three point hitch, (and not digging a plow too deep into the earth), and any other hydraulic accessories is a different skillset, but just driving is pretty much the same.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by SRoach

I occasionally drive an agricultural tractor, and, more rarely, a backhoe. Both default to drive(car) quite well when just driving or pulling a regular load.

It's probably more accurate to say that using construction equipment as construction equipment should be a separate skill, and if all you're doing is driving it about, use one of wheeled, heavy wheeled, or tracked, depending on the particular vehicle you're using.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Per RAW, hovercraft is driving. This is relevant because (a) it means it defaults to and from other driving skills, and (b) it's not affected by 3d spatial sense and perfect balance.

Realistically, not being modified by 3d spatial sense and perfect balance seems reasonable, but it probably shouldn't default to other Drive skills. While we're at it, Mecha probably shouldn't either,

Probably. RAW has two contradictory opinons on whether it is Driving, though.

Originally Posted by Anthony

Locomotive probably shouldn't exist, [ . . . ] in some cases (lightsail, low performance spacecraft) probably shouldn't exist.

Why? Operating any such vehicle requries being trained to do it. You can't operate a lightsail even if you know how to plot a course, for example.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Why? Operating any such vehicle requries being trained to do it. You can't operate a lightsail even if you know how to plot a course, for example.

There's nothing that wouldn't be covered by either Crewman or Shiphandling. There simply aren't any advanced maneuvers for a lot of the lower performance systems, they operate in super-simple conditions where any complexities are covered by navigation.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Anthony

There's nothing that wouldn't be covered by either Crewman or Shiphandling. There simply aren't any advanced maneuvers for a lot of the lower performance systems, they operate in super-simple conditions where any complexities are covered by navigation.

Ah, so it's a matter of reducing skill bloat and revising the divisions between Piloting/Crewman/Shiphandling. (It seems normally the role of Piloting in this context is to fly the thing without needing two skills if you're only ever at the helm of it.)