It's kinda weird how people say "initiative =/= better pilot!" and then immediately go on to explain that Padme might have higher initiative because, under the circumstances, she's a better pilot.

You see this kind of thing any time there's a discussion about relative initiative numbers, and it's baffling. If initiative is an abstraction that doesn't necessarily reflect ability, then stop: that's all the explanation you need! Padme's initiative is 4 because that's what is printed on the card. Ahsoka can have a lower init and still be a better pilot than Padme; after all, it's common knowledge that the Best Pilot In The Game is initiative 1.

24 minutes ago, Maui. said:

common  knowledge that the Best Pilot In The Game is initiative 1.  

7 hours ago, Hippie Moosen said:

This seems like a weird argument IMO. These games stats are all abstractions of a bunch of different things. Others have pointed out that Initiative isn't necessarily a comment on the pilots abilities as a whole, but rather just another stat that goes into their overall efficacy.

Think of it like stats in DnD. The Wizard might be a lot smarter than the Ranger, but the group is gonna trust the Ranger when it comes to Knowledge: Nature rolls because he put more points into that skill or training for a less gamey term. Initiative is an abstraction just like anything else in these kinds of games, not a hard and fast measurement of how good someone is as a pilot in general.

Maybe Snips has better reflexes on the ground and in the cockpit, but Padme is more comfortable with this one ship because she's used to it what with it being likely the only fighter she's piloted frequently. Snips isn't a worse pilot because Padme has slightly higher Initiative. If you've played the SW RPG produced by West End Games, it's entirely possible for someone to be the best pilot in the galaxy as long as they're in their favorite ship, but a total novice in anything they haven't specialized into. There are plenty of reasons to argue any characters I values in either direction, so really what's even the point of this? The fluff isn't being disrespected because of a perceived discrepancy between Padme and Ashoka's initiative values.

I just don't buy this "Initiative doesn't represent the pilot's Skill". It clearly does! FFG's minor hand wave around that allows for some legitimate exceptions and lots of balance-necessitated fluff-breaking, but on the whole it's the same situation as we had with Pilot Skill in first edition isn't it? The fluffily best pilots have the highest Initiative.

Also, they're both in N1s in the Forces of Destiny episode, and it's clear from the dialogue that Snips is the more advanced pilot even in that ship.