So I was thinking the other day, shouldn't it make sense for a pilot with a lower skill level to not be able to execute some of the maneuvers that say an ace pilot would? For instance maybe a rookie pilot xwing or academy pilot tie shouldn't be allowed to execute any red maneuvers. Only pilots with a higher skill level (maybe 6 and above) should be allowed red maneuvers. Just thinking out loud here. Any thoughts?

I always saw the maneuvers and maneuver color as a restriction of the ship not the pilot.

Tycho couldn't jump in a HWK and start k turning all over the place.

I always saw the maneuvers and maneuver color as a restriction of the ship not the pilot.

Tycho couldn't jump in a HWK and start k turning all over the place.

Yes exactly but I was thinking what if they also added restrictions depending on what your pilot skill is. Technically an elite tie pilot should have an easier time maneuvering into firing position on a rookie pilot than say against wedge or luke. I was thinking that they could restrict red maneuvers only to pilots with a skill of 6 or higher to better represent their elite piloting skill versus a rookie pilot with no skill.

As stated, the maneuver dials are representative of the ships' limitations and abilities.

Better pilots already have EPT slots and special abilities to show the gap between their respective skills.

For example: A Rookie Pilot is just that. No special skills, but can fly the X-Wing according to its dial. Wedge, however, is skilled enough at anticipating an enemy pilot's evasive maneuvers that he is more likely to hit them while attacking (one fewer agility die).

I feel like some pilots should be getting extra agility or attack dice from their ships than others, but I get why they haven't gone that route yet. I mean, Wedge should probably better at getting an X-wing to avoid damage than a Rookie Pilot, not just get the first strike on them and be able to predict where they'll be next better(a skill that only helps him with an engine upgrade for the most part.

I think you're missing the mark a bit. Higher skill pilots do have the potential to have better agility and attack values, if you consider them over the course of an entire game; because a skilled player can utilize the pilot's high PS to set up more/better shots and avoid being in firing arcs.

But ultimately, the ship is the ship. You can't make it shoot harder or dodge faster than its machinery is capable, no matter how good the pilot is.

The point here is that the burden of maximizing the usefulness of the stats of any given pilot falls on the player , not the pilot.

I would also point out that pilots such as Boba Fett and Tetran Cowall and im sure more in the future have advanced manouvreability over thier standard counterparts

Trying to fiddle with the dial would be problematic, but when I first started playing I was surprised that different pilots didn't have different actions on their action bar. That is design space they could use in the future.

The point here is that the burden of maximizing the usefulness of the stats of any given pilot falls on the player , not the pilot.

Well put.

PS, EPT and other skills a pilot get can do a lot to separate a Ace from a Rookie or even 'grunt' pilot. But half or more of that is how well you use it. Take Wedge for example, with his high PS, that means anything he shoots and kills doesn't get to shoot back, and a destroyed ship does no damage, so good offense is the best form of defense. But that also requires you flying Wedge well enough to take advantage of his high PS.

But on the other hand, I do feel like FFG could of done a bit more to make named pilots a bit more attractive. Something along the lines of gaining a extra dice on attack or defense for each 5 PS better you are then the other guy.

So Wedge shooting at a Academy pilot would get 1 extra attack die when shooting, and 1 extra defense die when being shot at. But a Rookie wouldn't get anything. Give Wedge VI, and he'd get 2 die. That of course could be really unbalanced, and may require more bookkeeping then FFG wanted for this game. It's just something I came up with off the top of my head...

The dials themselves shouldn't change, but perhaps the number of green and red maneuvers could. That simulates pilot stress. Like Wedge could green 4 or white a red maneuver or something... Pragmatically, that'll be way too confusing making a maneuver dial for each character, so they could add EPTs that allow for high Ps pilots to execute white maneuvers that are red or something. That's the problem that I have with the white k turn. You're saying a k turn for a Ps 1 defender pilot isn't stressful, but a 4 forward on a y wing is? It's easy to hold the controls and fly faster, fineness maneuvering is difficult.

I don't think the current system is broken whatsoever though. It's a game and makes things even. High Ps pilots have many other advantages.

Ya I wouldn't try fiddling with the dial just more so make red maneuvers off limits to lower skill pilots. In my opinion a rookie pilot should not have the experience to be able to pull off a maneuver that stressed an elite pilot like wedge. I mean if that maneuver stresses an elite pilot then shouldn't it do something to a pilot with little to no experience aka rookie? Just my thoughts is all. I understand the elite pilots already have special text and actions and that's what you paid for ship in points and all that. I'm just saying that you could have 2 identical ships and 1 will out maneuver the other do to one pilot having more skill than the other.

I was thinking about something like this the other night actually, but I thought the easiest way would be to just add another EPT. Even more fun now with Astromechs and Title upgrades that add EPT slots too. So for your amusement/derision/insults/high-fives I give for your consideration a suggestion of SNAP DECISION

Snap Decision

When you reveal your maneuver dial, you can change it to the the opposite direction bearing at the same speed. Only for pilots with PS of 5 or greater. Take 1 stress token(?) OR Increase the difficulty of the maneuver by one (green to white, white to red)(?)

Cost: 2

It's similar to Navigator, but would allow the experienced pilots to make an instant decision to do a hard turn. It would allow someone like Wedge or Luke to suddenly have an "Oh crap!" moment and wrench the fighter in the opposite direction to avoid whatever misfortune was in front of them.

I was really undecided on the stress or difficult increase. It's added as part of my thought process.

So? Dumb? Clever?

so they could add EPTs that allow for high Ps pilots to execute white maneuvers that are red or something.

Adrenaline Rush already does this. To a point so does Expert Handling and Daredevil.

You're saying a k turn for a Ps 1 defender pilot isn't stressful, but a 4 forward on a y wing is?

The stress is based on how well the ship preforms. Flying that fast puts a huge amount of stress on the Y-Wings engines. Doing a K-Turn on the other hand doesn't put much stress on the Defender at all.

I get where you're coming from... If you read some of the books, you'll see that Wedge typically puts the weakest pilot as his wingman... And often said pilot has a hard time keeping up with Wedge. And mind you're we're already talking about ace pilots. And Kell and Runt (iirc) in their X wings outfly two A wings in a race. So obviously pilot "skill" has some effect on what the ship "is capable of." I doubt just any pilot could fly a Z95 through a mega storm and maintain course...

I like it!

Or an EPT that allows certain models to alleviate certain red maneuvers with a Ps threshold. Of instance, you could give an A wing (a maneuverable ship) an EPT that allows for a white k turn given a high Ps (like 6 or something). Or give a green turn to a b wing or a white k turn to Ps 8 on xwing pilots....