Yeah, this is one where the SB'ers are full of expended fuel rods - just the fact that the VFs are almost always shown going G for city battles to make use of the VTOL/hover and low-speed flight blows their "jet fighter full stop" arguments out of the water, and the way Max, Basara, and Alto go nuts in hand to hand a few times - or how Roy detaches and handles Hikaru's cockpit section after getting his trainer wrecked during the first ep, or how Minmei (in DYRL) and Ranka get caught out of the air and carried around without harm, gives the "clunky awkward Battroids" the lie as well. I think they're too hung up on the BT interpretations.
Fighting in space, sure, they spend most of their time in F - space is big! - but any time they're not in space or high atmo B and G are the modes of choice, and there's uses for both (increased trust vectoring ability for maneuverability and off-axis shooting, mainly) in the open spaces as well.
The games are a whole separate question, but I LIVE In G in the Artdink games, only going B to melee and F to cross the map quickly or dodge with the surge of speed.
As for min/maxing... well, in D&D stat terms, you don't need Strength, Wisdom, or Charisma really - though the latter is a good idea, since you'll be the CO to your ground crew at least even if you're not an element or flight leader, and CON only matters for Fortitude saves against G-forces. In my vastly preferred Mekton system, you can use Cool based leadership rather than Empathy though neither impact piloting ability directly, Body is the one to worry about G-forces, and the pilot's Movement Allowance is basically irrelevant in the cockpit. Attractiveness is, as ever, the least mechanically and most socially valuable. Either system needs Intelligence (and Education in Mekton) for the skill points and Dexterity/Reflexes as the base skill for piloting and mecha weapons, and Technical Ability is only if your character will be doing his own jury rigging and repairs. Really no different from any other vehicle pilot in terms of min-maxing objectives and cuttable corners - until you get to skills, where you flat out need more of them, but that's why INT (and EDU in Mekton) are also critical stats.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
Fighting in space, sure, they spend most of their time in F - space is big! - but any time they're not in space or high atmo B and G are the modes of choice, and there's uses for both (increased trust vectoring ability for maneuverability and off-axis shooting, mainly) in the open spaces as well.
The games are a whole separate question, but I LIVE In G in the Artdink games, only going B to melee and F to cross the map quickly or dodge with the surge of speed.
As for min/maxing... well, in D&D stat terms, you don't need Strength, Wisdom, or Charisma really - though the latter is a good idea, since you'll be the CO to your ground crew at least even if you're not an element or flight leader, and CON only matters for Fortitude saves against G-forces. In my vastly preferred Mekton system, you can use Cool based leadership rather than Empathy though neither impact piloting ability directly, Body is the one to worry about G-forces, and the pilot's Movement Allowance is basically irrelevant in the cockpit. Attractiveness is, as ever, the least mechanically and most socially valuable. Either system needs Intelligence (and Education in Mekton) for the skill points and Dexterity/Reflexes as the base skill for piloting and mecha weapons, and Technical Ability is only if your character will be doing his own jury rigging and repairs. Really no different from any other vehicle pilot in terms of min-maxing objectives and cuttable corners - until you get to skills, where you flat out need more of them, but that's why INT (and EDU in Mekton) are also critical stats.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows