This may have been asked before.

And it is in part related to the discussion on my Shields threat, and the variation to how shields might work.

But besides GtA (Which I know has its own argument), what else does Handling really effect?

Should it have some impact on combat?

Should more Nimble ships be harder to hit?

(Which equally, would make more sluggish ships easier to hit?)

Does that make Freighters with a -1 handling too easy to kill when they are fighting +2 or 3 Handling fighters?

It's Boost or Setback dice to Piloting checks.

It's Boost or Setback dice to Piloting checks.

I know this much, in space combat that only comes into play in GtA.

Which is some circumstances, its not a choice (Ship incapable of going that fast).

I was wondering, if a ships Handling SHOULD play a part in how easy/hard it is to HIT an enemy, or if that makes in inherently game breaking?

I was wondering, if a ships Handling SHOULD play a part in how easy/hard it is to HIT an enemy, or if that makes in inherently game breaking?

It's immersion-breaking. Your innate maneuverability doesn't mean that you're all of a sudden harder for a targeting computer to track you You need to also pull off some fancy flying (gain the advantage, other uses of the Piloting skill, or certain talents), which good handling can make easier for you, if you want to keep yourself out of your opponents' targeting reticules.

Aye, I suppose the most agile of ships in the hands of a pants pilot isnt going to be very hard to hit.

It's Boost or Setback dice to Piloting checks.

I know this much, in space combat that only comes into play in GtA.

Which is some circumstances, its not a choice (Ship incapable of going that fast).

I was wondering, if a ships Handling SHOULD play a part in how easy/hard it is to HIT an enemy, or if that makes in inherently game breaking?

How many battles do we see in the movies where ships are being chased, flying through junk/maneuvering in tight spaces, or maneuvering through overwhelmingly crowded battlescapes? If you aren't including Chase rules and Stellar Phenomena in battles then you aren't going to get much use from Handling. You also aren't creating the kinds of scenes we see in the movies either imo.

This topic came up before with this one kid getting all huffy over this stat. It boils down to a very simple design choice by the devs. It's a RPG and not a tactical simulator. All these things people think should be represented in inherent ship capabilities are pushed out to Talents. Those ship capabilities are designed to work in conjunction with Talents and specific specs. The focus is on the PCs, not the gear.

Aye, thanks 2P

That clicked after I posted... I have been struggling with the Space Combat stuff for a while, and the post on my Shields threat got me thinking (because I liked that idea), and wondered if I was going to tweak things, should I take handling into account.

As it turns out, its going to be far too complex to take it into account... and its not required for your above reasons.

My pleasure. GG to you n yers.

Wouldn't it also apply to talents the require piloting checks?

Wouldn't it also apply to talents the require piloting checks?

It does at my table, I don't know why anyone would think otherwise. Handling says Piloting checks, that's pretty straightforward in my book, so like Brilliant Evasion works marvelously with a high handling which makes sense to me.