Seeking some opinons:

On page 232, Maneuvers states:

"Some ships have multiple pilots, in which case each can perform a Pilot Only maneuver and only the ship suffers the strain. However, these ships are rare." (emphasis mine).

Well, ships with Co-Pilots really aren't all that rare. Yet, the wording above doesn't say Co-pilot, it says "multiple" pilots. To me, that's splitting hairs. A co-pilot is someone that can do almost every task the pilot can from a different station (usually sitting next to the pilot). That makes them in every sense, another pilot.

So, when it comes to co-pilots:

1. Do you allow the skill assistance rules? Using the best characteristic/skill from the two combined or just add bonus dice if the co-pilot is worse in both respects.

2. Do you allow the co-pilot to make the extra maneuver so the characters don't suffer strain (just the ship).

3. Do you allow both of the above during the same turn or is it an either/or?

4. If the co-pilot does something else besides piloting (or wishes to if his turn is later) he does not assist nor get the extra ship maneuver? For example, if the co-pilot is going to angle shields, use sensors, plot a course - he is otherwise engaged and is not piloting. These are technically actions and not maneuvers, but I say he's not piloting any longer so no assistance AND no extra ship maneuver. Basically, if the co-pilot is helping the pilot by co-piloting - he uses the same turn as the pilot and they act in tandem.

Is there something else I'm just not thinking about or missed in the book when it comes to co-pilots?

Two mynocks tied together have twice as many wings, yet cannot fly.

Since there is a co-piloting action, I would just do that.

Since there is a co-piloting action, I would just do that.

My search skills must be failing me, I see nothing about co-piloting in the book. Page please?

To make things easy and quicker, the co-pilot in my game was able to boost the roll of the pilot as a manoveur action. If the ship had shielding I would have allowed an action to adjust. But since the ship was rusty bucket of bolts, it didn't have any shielding and they focused on getting away from the tie fighters.

Since there is a co-piloting action, I would just do that.

My search skills must be failing me, I see nothing about co-piloting in the book. Page please?

I don't have my book on me right now, but it's bundled in the table with all the "additional actions" that crew members can take that's shown at the end of the vehicle maneuvers and action descriptions.

Since there is a co-piloting action, I would just do that.

My search skills must be failing me, I see nothing about co-piloting in the book. Page please?

I don't have my book on me right now, but it's bundled in the table with all the "additional actions" that crew members can take that's shown at the end of the vehicle maneuvers and action descriptions.

Awesome, thank you. I passed right over that multiple times.

However, it doesn't totally answer all my questions (not that I'm looking for a definitive answer, I'm looking for opinions). So let's continue the discussion in light of this.

So we have an ACTION the co-pilot can take which reduces the pilot's difficulty for his "co-piloting". Yet the question about maneuvers remains the same. A co-pilot is in fact, another pilot who can fly the ship from his station if necessary (that's the way it works on our world, too!) So given the wording of the text (in my OP) would you allow this character to perfom the additional maneuver saving the pilot from additional strain?

Arguments can go both ways.

For: By the book, the co-pilot also gets a maneuver and an action on his turn. He can maneuver this ship, saving the pilot from strain or forfeiting his action, the ship gets the strain and now gets its two manuevers.

Against: Narratively, co-pilots don't take over flying the ship intermittently with the pilot. They take over completely when the pilot eats the fish or is also the ship's mechanic and needs to fix the hyperdrive while running from Imperial cruisers.

I usually lean with the narrative argument over rules, any other arguments for or against the rules out there?

I'd say that even though it's weird to have two people flying the ship at the same time, it's more about how piloting a ship takes a ton of work. It's not just tilting a control stick, there's tons of switches and buttons that might need to be used at any moment. When a co-pilot helps to push a ship to make another maneuver, he's taking some of the stress away from the pilot, but obviously not the ship. So technically the pilot is still making both maneuvers, but is getting a lot of the extra work taken off his plate.

I think the idea here when we talk about "multiple pilots" is something more akin to an Imperial Star Destroyer, where the helm might be controlled by multiple pilots for each axis of movement? Unlikely, but possible, though this type of ship isn't exactly rare, maybe rare to be under the control of a party, but not rare in the galaxy. The other scenario might be a Juggernaut ground vehicle, which actually does have two separate pilots (that are not co-pilots), they actually drive the vehicle at different times, depending on the direction it is facing. That sort of set-up would be pretty rare. I think that is the type of situation they are talking about. Maybe making a 3 point turn in a Juggernaut would fall under this sort of situation.

That said, I would look at the situation you are talking about like this. Imagine you are taking driver's ed. You are the pilot, but the instructor has his own emergency brake pedal. This doesn't make him a full pilot, but lets pretend he is just for the purpose of the scenario. You are driving, you fail a check, or look like you are about to fail a check (wait, 3 reds and 2 purples vs your 1 green and 1 yellow? Don't do that please), you might slam on that brake to interrupt the maneuver, or grab the wheel to swerve away from the incoming traffic. Two characters, one vehicle, both making piloting actions. Of course, these seem like violent actions, and it makes sense that it might put some strain on the vehicle.

Just some thoughts. Obviously the role of the co-pilot is to take that co-pilot action, and manage the shields, make astrogation checks, operate weaponry, whatever, while the pilot just flies.

Since there is a co-piloting action, I would just do that.

My search skills must be failing me, I see nothing about co-piloting in the book. Page please?

I don't have my book on me right now, but it's bundled in the table with all the "additional actions" that crew members can take that's shown at the end of the vehicle maneuvers and action descriptions.

The table is on page 237. It contains all manner of snazzy things one can shout while rolling dice to do interesting things while the pilot does his evasive maneuvers/gain the advantage routine.