Pilot Skill as Mod to Shooting

[Louie N]

Hello All,

I was wondering about this idea.  What if a target's Pilot skill rating was factored into the Attacker's to hit roll.

It would represent good pilots making the most of their machines ability to dodge, weave, Take advantage of cover, etc.

It would also make Piloting skill a direct attribute into shooting. 

Thanks

[Caedis Animus]

This should prolly be under Fan Designs and Rules.

[Kovax]

I can see reasons to have Piloting skill start to matter while running, or while performing other complex movements, but not while stationary or at normal walking speeds.  The 'Mech should have sufficient gyro stabilization and weapons correction to handle normal situations, so it should probably only come into play in situations where the MechWarrior's attention is being compromised by difficulties beyond what the machine itself is designed to handle automatically.

[Iron Mongoose]

Honestly, I think the only time I would see this mattering would be in a case where there was a bit difference in skill between the two.  Most pilots have the two skills separated by just a point, in rare occasions two.  Perhaps a pilot who was a 2/6 or something might suffer shooting at a run, but how often do you see that.

There's also some evidence that the two skills are not strongly linked.  There's a unit someplace where the mech warriors have a negative mod to gunnery and a positive to piloting because of over emphasis on one over the other.  It is noted that in fighters the two skills are more closely linked, since the fighters don't suffer a negative, which implies that the skills are not closely linked in mechs. 

[Skyth]

You guys are only considering the shooting unit's Piloting.  I believe the OP is talking about the piloting skill of the target.

In other words, an elite pilot being harder to hit than a green pilot all other things being equal.

[Iron Mongoose]

I think that can still be addressed.  Again, except in the case of a really problematic pilot, most any fully trained pilot can push their machine to it's admittedly low limits as far as walking and running.  Sure, the Morgan Kells and Kai Allard Liaos of the world can "dance" their mechs out of the line of fire, but for any skill between 1 and 6 or so, I think the mech is the limiting factor and not the skill of the pilot.  Sure, a pilot with a skill of 7 or 8 might not be able to get full evasiveness from their ride, and the Phelan Kells and Jaime Wolfs at 0/0 and below (I think either Morgan or Natasha once got a -1 in a book) need to consider some special rule from one of the "-operations" books (I don't have those books, but I suspect there's a rule in there for that somewhere for them being a piloting ace or something).

[Louie N]

Skyrth has it right. I was talking about the Piloting skill of the target.

The ability of an experienced pilot to jink just enought to throw of aim.

The ability of the warrior, or crew, to take mote advantage of cover, seen or unseennkn the board.

My old tanker friend reminds me he could hide a tank in an open field.

Thanks
 

[Simon Landmine]

Maybe some kind of rule where a pilot can take a penalty to their own 'to hit' rolls in order to apply the same penalty to the opponents? With a limitation to the maximum penalty depending on the pilot's skill? Same penalty to also be applied to any PS checks that turn, as the pilot is concentrating more on the potential incoming fire than obstacles in their way?

(There's the evasive movement rule (I can't recall the page ref), but that works differently - a to-hit modifier in return for not being able to shoot at all.)

[Dayton3]

Don't know if it is relevant or if my experience is unique,  but I'll put it as follows:

I've seen plenty of times where good marksmanship skills have overcome poor piloting.

But I've never seen good piloting overcome poor marksmanship.

[Spinosapper]

Skyrth has it right. I was talking about the Piloting skill of the target.

The ability of an experienced pilot to jink just enought to throw of aim.

...

Maybe, depending on the piloting skill, a mechwarrior could be assigned a certain amount of edge points per scenario/battle?

Let's say:
-pilot skill of 5 and above gets nothing.
-pilot skill of 4 to 3 get 1
-pilot skill of 2 to 1 get 2

Just some thoughts.