Pilot: Drones

Pilot: Drones(Specific Types)(Piloting) by Taalismn

This skill refers to the ability to proficiently operate a remote-operated vehicle; not the home remote-control type, but the larger and more sophisticated military and scientific units(although admittedly newer models of commercially-available drones are approaching the more specialized types in sophistication).
Any person skilled in a specific piloting skill can pilot a drone version of it, so a person with Pilot: Submersibles would be capable of piloting an underwater drone like JASON Jr. and a pilot with Pilot: Airplane would be able to handle a Predator or Reaper RPV. However, most Piloting skills are statted with MANNED vehicles in mind, with the operator able to use their own senses to detect changes in attitude, acceleration, and general positioning of the vehicle. Operating a drone version is akin to flying on instruments, without the accompanying ‘body sense’, and thus the vehicle is not as responsive as it would be if it was fully manned. In general, a pilot operating a drone version of their accustomed vehicle, without the specialized drone skill, will be -15% to their skill rolls. Starting from scratch and learning a specific drone type(airplane, jet aircraft, submersible, tank, etc.) avoids most of this problem, as the operator doesn’t have to ‘unlearn’ the habits of listening to their body-sense and inner ear. Note, however, that a drone operator will be have only the most rudimentary knowledge of how to pilot a MANNED version of the same vehicle, and while they may be able to recognize some basic instruments and controls, they will be -25% to operate it, unless they take training and experience in the manned version(your occasional five-year-old who learns how to drive a car or truck from playing video games is surviving out of sheer luck, rather than expertise).

Base Skill: 50% for ground vehicles, 40% for water vehicles, 30% for air/space vehicles, + 5% per level of experience, +10% if the respective Piloting skill appropriate to the drone-type is also taken.

Factors in Drone Piloting:

-Time Lag---Depending on how far away the pilot is operating the drone from, signal turnaround can be an issue. Most RPVs have a ‘loiter’ capability that allows them to fly on autopilot, or station-keep if and when signal is lost, until they receive fresh commands, but signal lags of 10-20 seconds(or more) can be the inability to respond quickly enough to attacks or catastrophes to dodge in time. General rule of thumb: -3% to Piloting skill for every 5 seconds of time lag.

-Line of Sight----If the operator has a clear, unobstructed line of sight on their RPV, they can combine their sight with their instrument readings to better maneuver the vehicle; +5% to Piloting

-Signal Interference---Depending on what media(wire, radio, communications laser, etc.), environmental or deliberate interference may into the efficiency of the piloting link. Skills such as Radio: Scramblers and Electronic Warfare may be necessary to clear up the interference and restore unimpeded communications links.

Advanced piloting assistance systems specific to certain drone systems also alleviate the problems of piloting them; VR immersion systems(like the CAN Republic’s VRRDS), gyrostabilization, autopilots, and onboard AIs help tighten control. However, at a certain point of automation, the piloting skill proficiency becomes not the skill of the drone pilot but the programming of the onboard robot systems. Specific bonuses for these systems vary by the specific system employed.

Classic examples of Drone Piloting types include Pilot Aircraft, Pilot Helicopter, Pilot Submersibles, Pilot Automobile, and Pilot Tank/Construction Vehicle, but other examples can include Power Armor(huma-sized robotic ‘avatar’ or ‘proxie’ systems), Robots(similar to the VRRDS), Hovercraft, and Pilot Spacecraft(Small/EVA Pods).