Pilot Proficiency Ratings (Original)
This page has been declared as outdated and no longer part of the VENA system. While it is open for your perusal, this is in no way part of training --VENA Staff
"There are two purposes for implementing a series of proficiency ratings in addition to professions. First, it gives everyone a goal to work towards and a measure of how they and their character have improved. Second, in stories we all assume we all have the same skills and can do almost everything. Now, people will have a better chance to customize their skills and put them into perspective relative to others. In other words, this will be a very valuable source for more accurate and detailed writing. It also allows people to truly make their characters unique by building on areas of interest." - Arturus
Written and created by Arturus and Shazam
Contents
Introduction
When we refer to 'Pilot Proficiencies' we're actually saying- this is what a pilot is good at. There are three main parts to pilot proficiencies, and we seperate them from the skills because they should apply to everyone: Piloting, Weapons Use, and Leadership Skills. As a member of the Vast Empire Navy, we don't care who you are, you always start out as a Trainee Pilot. That's just who you are- you're not that experienced, or even if you are outside of the VE, it doesn't apply within like most would think. However, say that you're a pilot that likes flying, but not necessarily dog-fighting. What about bombing? Perhaps you'll shift your focus there. The purpose of these numbers or 'point values' is to give an accurate representation of your strengths in comparison to those skills you would prefer to avoid. Obviously, as a Trainee, you're not going to be all that good at anything, so you can't exactly specialize, per se. However, as time goes on and your pilot becomes more experienced, he'll be able to allocate these 'point values' to specific skills that he or she chooses. These point values also apply weapons and leadership skills. Say that your character is better at using a hand gun than an explosive- obviously, any points you gain you'll put toward that proficiency. If you're character is crass and oblivious to the efforts of others, you may not put the points you're given into something like 'Diplomacy.' Perhaps you would put them into decisiveness or strategic skills.
Lastly, before we go on, one should consider what they, the person, not the character, are good at writing about. Say you like writing about the Navy but you can't write about dog-fighting to save your life- perhaps reconnaissance is the way to go. Not really any dog-fighting there but you still get to talk about flying a pretty cool piece of equipment. The below information should satisfy any questions that have been gnawing at you: so read to your pleasure. These are the pilot proficiencies.
Over-all Pilot Rank
This rank is determined by your time in service, quality of writing, and the completion of the relevant tests such as the Aviator's Exam and Senior Aviator's Exam that parallel your pilot's level of ability. The precise details of this and everything else will come later. These ranks are assigned by commanders, usually at the Wing Level of command and will be altered by them based upon story evaluations. New members obviously start at the bottom and only through thier experiences in the VEN will they be able to move up. For those that retired or left the Vast Empire Navy before the implementation of the Pilot Proficiency System (PPS), they must seek for an evaluation from the same commanders.
Overall pilot rank is set on the following scale:
|Trainee| - |Novice| - |Pilot| - |Ace| - |First Ace|
Trainee Everyone who joins the Navy starts out at this level and continues to be known as such until they graduate from Basic Training.
Novice As soon as a pilot has graduated from Basic Training, this is the level that tells other pilots you're very inexperienced but you can fly. In order to rise above this stage, a pilot must have written in roughly five stories or deemed worthy of the following level by a superior officer. Usually, this includes passing the Senior Aviator's Exam and attaining a flight lead position as well.
Pilot Now, this is about the average for most people in the Vast Empire Navy. They pass the usual exams, post in an average number of stories and they're just 'pretty good.' This means that your character has roughly the same edge as anyone else on the battlefield though. Some 'pilot' level men and women of the Vast Empire Navy are better than others, but really they're fairly close in comparison to some pilots out there. It's in this time period that 'specialization' or 'aptitudes' become more obvious. As your character gains point values for his work on specific stories, whether it be bombing, dog-fighting, elemental, or whatever- they may start to stack their points in certain areas. In order to get out of this level, most pilots will have to have taken the Minor Exams and the Master Aviator's Exam. For some who can fit it, they may very well have to be an officer before they can move up to the next level. There isn't an exact estimation as to the number of stories, but it can be estimated around 10-15 in order to pass out of this level.
Ace Here's where things start to get pretty specific. By this time, your character has had any number of increases and one skill probably sticks out amongst others, and you may very well be designated as a bomber, fighter, escort or spy pilot. Either way- the overall ability of your pilot, in whatever they've done, has risen to such a level that we're willing to call you an ace. In the literal sense, when someone is referred to as an 'ace,' it usually means they've gained a certain number of skills during fighter combat. In this system, it is simply a level. In order to pass out of this of this level... One would have to be pretty spectacular at whatever they do. We're talking any number of stories devoted almost specifically to a certain skill or a combination of them.
First Ace It's very possible that your character will not ever accomplish this level. The difference between these pilots and those at the level of 'pilot' are greater than night and day. In a character sense- these people are the best of the best. Someone help you should you ever have to face them in a competitive situation. In order to gain this- you must be spectacular. It is not given lightly at all whatsoever. In fact- it never has been given. Who will be the first?
Pilot Proficiencies
These are the aptitudes themselves. Each of the pilot proficiencies has a five level scale like the pilot ranks. For every proficiency, everyone starts at level 1. New trainees will be allowed to make three total level increases with no individual proficiency going above level 2. Again, if a member rejoins, they may be given more increases.
Piloting Skills
Here, new recruits are allowed three initial point increases, none of them taking a member above level two in a specific area. This means that you start at the bottom rank for every single one of these- Trainee. This makes sense because all TIE-Class craft have very similar controls and system set-ups. This makes it possible for a fighter pilot to fly a bomber, or a bomber to reconnaissance craft. The question is- how good are they at it? How much knowledge do they posses on that particular skill? There are three types of piloting skills- Technical, Bombadeer and Attacker skills. Each of these has subskills, like Escort, Dog fighting or ground support. It is on these sub-skills that your allowed points are put to work. Examples can be seen at: PilotSk Examples.
Skills
Technical Pilot Skills:
|Trainee| - |Novice| - |Pilot| - |Veteran| - |Expert|
Bombadeer Skills:
|Trainee| - |Novice| - |Bomber| - |Veteran| - |Expert|
Attacker Skills
|Trainee| - |Novice| - |Veteran| - |Ace| - |First Ace|
Note that some people, regardless of the fact that they'll have unused points, decide not use all of their points awarded. If their member gets to a point where they seem to be good at everything- perhaps they're not the character that they originally started out to be. For this reason, some people may choose to limit their character's abilities so that they can still be special in certain areas and continue to have problems in others.
Proficiencies
Technical
Reconnaissance: Pilots that fly ships capable of capturing information via instruments on board a ship or gathering data in such a way that prevents them from being seen by the enemy.
Escort: Pilots capable of actually protecting another ship, whether it be a single fighter or a large destroyer of one kind, may be assigned to this group. These men and women are more like body-guards than anything, preventing as much damage as possible while eliminating the threat. There are even stories of men or women who run out of ammunition and, instead, throw themselves into an enemy fighter or missile in order to protect the target.
Infiltration: For those people who feel they can enter and exit a planet without the knowledge of the enemy, or anyone else for that matter, perhaps this field, a strategic use of men by putting them in the most desirable places at the perfect time, is for you. These people may be called to enter a system and pick someone up, or land and bring something to a certain someone. Very hush, hush.
Bombadeer
Space Bombardier: Bombadeers in this area usually deal a great deal of damage in any number of ways. There are dive bombers that fly into an enemy formation, buckle-down and drop a weapon meters away from the enemy bulkhead, or long-range artists who light up space with a series of 'booms'.
Ground Support: This refers to a more strategic form of bombing that is used, specifically, to help out ground forces, such as the army or other mechanical allies. Someone on the ground ask for some assistance with a nasty bunker on the north horizon, lat 20, long 56: you're there to blow that thing to kingdom come.
Note: Either of these can deploy special weapons designated by the mission, whether they be for specific bombs or a style of bombing. Special weapons might include something like a chemical weapon, or much larger 'bang' style weapon. Think atomic bomb special and you'll start to get an idea of what we're talking about. Very, very rare and only given to the best of the best.
Attacker
Dogfight: Men and women who can act on their own against one or multiple enemies in a turning fighter are those that we refer to here. You can jump in a fighter and take on some of the best aces the enemy has to offer. You are a dogfighter.
Elemental: Though this usually refers to only two people, elemental really refers to pilot 'partnership' as a whole- whether it be two or three pilots. The main thing is that, as a unit, your character works remarkably well- he or she just gets it and can move with other people better than most, creating more complex attack patterns and setting up traps for the enemy during dog-fighting. This is two or three men and women and how they work together in order to take down other enemy forces, which could be fighters, larger ships- asteroids? Only time will tell.
Weapon Proficiencies
The same sequence that occurs in the building of pilot skills can also be applied to weapon skills and behavior. However, unlike the pilot skills above, members of the Navy really should not be in constant contact with hand weapons, not because they're incapable, but because their jobs usually have very little to do with them. This is because the Navy is not the Army. We can not pretend that members who were highly proficient before entering the VEN will remain the same throughout their careers. However, since men and women of the Vast Empire Navy are bound to run into problems on the ground, it is important that certain skills be given their proper measure. It doesn't matter who you are, everyone starts at the bottom of the scale. As always- former members may return and be given different point estimates. Otherwise, new members and recruits will be given a total of 2 increases, none of them taking a member above level 2. You can see some examples at: WeaponSk Examples.
Inept -> Trainee -> Limited Proficiency -> Moderate Proficiency -> Proficient
Proficiencies
Small arms: Hand-guns, small rifles (non-sniper), probably without a scope, that do average damage and really most usual in close combat. Most pilots carry the DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol on them at all times: why not learn to use it?
Heavy Weaponry: This would be a little more rare in battle considering most people don't stick RPG down thier pants. However, in the event that a mission objective requires men or women in the group to operate under unusual circumstances, primarilly on the ground, such a person with some form of proficiency may become necessary. These weapons might include flechette, or other semi-explosive but more gun-like items you might introduce. Perhaps you could create some of your own?
Explosives: Your character can actually sit down and probably figure out that the green wire will kill everyone just because its a basic charge that everyone in the enemy force carries. This refers to a members ability to set, defuse and explain to others the working of explosives, like door charges, small explosives that capsize ships or destroy buildings. For beginners, it may not be best to touch anything.
Melee: Your lover is very angry at you and decides they are going to kill you. Yes- kill you. Obviously you probably wouldn't carry a pistol in the presence of this supposed lover- so what will you use? A chair or broomstick? Make your way to the hearth and pull out a coal poker? Melee refers to a persons abilities to use their surroundings against the enemy as well as their own skills. I'd go with the lamp- easy, effective and it shatters.
Hand to hand: Some people like to say they are an expert in a million different forms of martial arts- we'd like to see that. But since a whole lot of people have no real understanding of hand-to-hand combat and would probably get their butts handed to them in a real fight, the academy is willing to teach members the basics and make them very proficient in a fight. In the event your pilot crashes or is forced to board another ship, he or she may run out of ammunition and be forced to use the only weapons we're born with: fist and kickers. Now- we won't actually teach you how to kill a man by breaking his neck in three places: that's your job. Remember that your experiences shape your character's ability to perform. Don't actually try the above suggestion- two puts them in the hospital for a long time. Or the morgue.
Note: You are not required to use all your increases. Remember, our characters aren't grunts. One strategy might be to focus on one or two areas.
Leadership Proficiencies
Once people achieve the position of Squadron Commander these become relevant, however this may extend to Executive Officers and Flight Leaders eventually. All Squadron commanders start with 5 increases. You can see some examples at: LeadershipSk Examples.
Authority:
Weak - Limited - Moderate - Strong - Powerful
Tactical Skills:
Inept - Limited - Moderate - Strong - Masterful
Strategic Skills:
Inept - Limited - Moderate - Strong - Masterful
Diplomatic Skills:
Tactless - Discourteous - Courteous - Tactful - Masterful
Decisiveness:
Indecisive - Wavering - Moderate - Strong - Firmly Decisive
Inspiration:
Pessimistic - Uninspiring - Somewhat Inspiring - Optimistic - Inspirational
Closing
If there has been any misunderstanding, the men and women at the Vast Empire Naval Academy would be more than happy to help you. Simply get in touch with anyone on the staff (VENA-S) and ask them about it. More than likely, fellow members of the VEN would be able to help you as well. For some good examples of how one might set up their Pilot Proficiency section on thier Wiki Profile, take a look at any of the following examples:
