Current Affairs Specialties [B186]
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Piloting and Driving Specialties
...as long as you're using thrust as lift in order to stay aloft, then you're using areospace. Once you're staying aloft because you've achieved (or exceeded) orbital velocity, you're piloting a spaceship. In the same way, if you're achieving lift by an airfoil, then you're flying an aircraft--Lord Carnifex: Steve Jackson Games Forums - Is Piloting (Aerospace) only good for atmospheric flight?
This house rule is clears up confusion concerning the various Piloting specialties and atmospheric flight.
Pilot/TL You must specialize.
DX/Average
IQ-6 and Special
The Piloting skill and a list of specialties are given on p. B214. GURPS Spaceships p. 40 has this to say about atmospheric flight:
Spacecraft with wings … or if streamlined and with acceleration greater than local gravity, can fly in an atmosphere.
Use the rules on p. B466 for air travel. Use Piloting (Aerospace) skill rather than their normal spaceship operation skill.
Two Piloting specialties come up frequently in a Star Trek campaign: Contragravity (an ultra-tech replacement for Aerospace) and High-Performance Spacecraft. The vehicle type and where/how it is being flown determine which Piloting specialization is appropriate.
Piloting Specialties and What Vehicle Under What Circumstances They’re Good For
Listings in italics occur routinely in Star Trek campaigns.
- Piloting (Contragravity)
- Shuttlecraft maneuvering surface-to-orbit
- Fighters maneuvering and not engaged in combat maneuvers
- Fighters maneuvering in trace or no atmosphere and engaged in combat maneuvers
- Aircars (except for primitive (TL9) models)
- Hoverbikes (except for primitive (TL9) models)
- Hovercars (except for primitive (TL9) models)
- Piloting (High-Performance Spacecraft)
- Starships in orbit and in open space
- Shuttlecraft in orbit and in open space
- Fighters in open space and not engaged in combat maneuvers
- Piloting (VERTOL)
- Starship maneuvering surface-to-orbit (e.g. an emergency surface landing, which uses thrusters)
- Primitive (TL9) Aircars
- Piloting (High-Performance Airplane)
- Fighters in atmosphere engaged in combat maneuvers
Vehicles and What Piloting Specialties Are Used to Fly Them
Listings in italics occur routinely in Star Trek campaigns.
- Aircars, Hoverbikes, and Hovercars
- Most models - use Piloting (Contragravity) (some vehicles will have a Driving (Automobile or Motorcycle) option)
- Primitive (TL9) models - use Piloting (VERTOL) (some vehicles will have a Driving (Automobile or Motorcycle) option)
- Fighters
- Combat Maneuvers in Atmosphere - use Piloting (High-Performance Airplane)
- Combat Maneuvers in Trace or No Atmosphere - use Piloting (Contragravity)
- Non-Combat Maneuvers - use Piloting (Contragravity)
- Travel Surface to Orbit - use Piloting (Contragravity)
- Travel Orbit to Open Space - use Piloting (High-Performance Spacecraft)
- Shuttlecraft
- Maneuvers - use Piloting (Contragravity)
- Travel Surface to Orbit - use Piloting (Contragravity)
- Travel Orbit to Open Space - use Piloting (High-Performance Spacecraft)
- Starships
- Travel Surface to Orbit - use Piloting (VERTOL)
- Travel Orbit to Open Space - use Piloting (High-Performance Spacecraft)
- Maneuvers in Open Space - use Piloting (High-Performance Spacecraft)
Driving/TL You must specialize.
DX/Average
DX-5 or IQ-5
Less wealthy individuals, enthusiasts, eccentrics, or lower tech level communities might drive groundcars instead of aircars. Others might use them as back-up vehicles. They are significantly cheaper.
Common Driving Specialties
- Automobile
- Motorcycle