I am trying to get some space combat into my next session, but man, things seem a little confusing. When does the pilot have to use piloting checks, what are the rules about where hits land (fore or aft). I have so many questions.

I'll just try and ask them one at a time.

When I build NPCs for starship, do i have to create the ship and pilot skills for the pilot as well? I assume he has to do pilot checks as well. Are there any guidelines on how to set his abilities? So for example I want to pit two firesprays against my PCs Loronar E-9. Do i need to create some pilots for my firesprays, and which skills should I cover?

I am trying to get some space combat into my next session, but man, things seem a little confusing. When does the pilot have to use piloting checks, what are the rules about where hits land (fore or aft). I have so many questions.

I'll just try and ask them one at a time.

When I build NPCs for starship, do i have to create the ship and pilot skills for the pilot as well? I assume he has to do pilot checks as well. Are there any guidelines on how to set his abilities? So for example I want to pit two firesprays against my PCs Loronar E-9. Do i need to create some pilots for my firesprays, and which skills should I cover?

Wow... So first you might want to run a search on it because your questions are common ones, and you might find what you're looking for pretty quick.

But to try and help you with these:

You make piloting checks when making the chase check, fly/drive check, opposed checks, gain the advantage.... And I'm probably a forgetting one. You don't need to make a check every turn to just "not crash" FFG wanted to free up the pilot to do other things.

Without Gain the Advantage the hit lands where the ship being shot wants it to. If the shooter has the advantage he get to choose instead.

Yes, the other craft all need pilots too. The good news is, if you turn to page 405 you will find the stats for a military starfighter pilot, which should do the job, or could be easily modified to fit your exact needs.

Okay cool. I saw the NPC there. Thanks. I am going to mock up a scenario and try it out.

Never Listen to the Order 66 Podcast. It will help.
http://start.d20radio.com/home/the-order-66-podcast Specifically Great Sam Don't get Cocky.

What Daeglan said... Episode 25 is a fantastic walkthrough of the whole space combat process/system with Sam Stewart who helped develop those rules AND they even run through a scenario. Very good. Just be ready to kill 3 hours of your time. Put it on your iPhone/iPod and listen to it in your car, on the bus... wherever you need to... but listen to it

Pilot checks are only required for the Gain the Advantage action, chase sequences and the opposed check of vehicles unable to perform the Gain the Advantage action - as far as I remember at the moment.

When your Fly/Drive manoeuvre (and arguably other movement based manoeuvres like: accelerate/decelerate, evasive manoeuvres, punch it, stay on target) takes you through or around within the confines of a [navigational hazard], be it asteroid field, nebula, gravity well of a black hole, orbit of a planet and its many satelites, etc, this would require a check if its important to the plot. At this point - I have it on pretty good authority - your fly/drive manoeuvre is "upgraded" to an Action - as it now includes a skill check, and as we know: skill check = Action, except circumstances dictated by talents and other effects.

Ok next question.

When my NPC pilots spend strain for second maneuaver. Do I count it agains their personal strain or their ship strain. Personal I imagine.

i think it depends. But defer to the more knowledgeable.

The ship and the pilot both take Strain for a second Pilot Only maneuver. (Unless they have a co-pilot.)

Also, if you do a search for Ship Combat Example, you will find a thread where I and a couple others posted examples of ship combat that may be helpful.

The ship and the pilot both take Strain for a second Pilot Only maneuver. (Unless they have a co-pilot.)

I believe if the pilot forgoes their action they do not take strain, but the ship still does...? This would be the only way minion pilots could do two maneuvers.