Pilots?

[Sonoskay]

Is it just me or are pilots just kinda rare. I mean it generaly takes a special person to want to drive a ship and command others but it seems its a slight rareity in the game. Not enough to keep the games from starting too much but it seems like once you decide to make a real effort to being  pilot it seems like no one wants to do them... most of the day i just wanted to shoot stuff or beat stuff with wrenches and hammers but every time i enter a match a pilot leaves and no one joins.  after 5 minutes of waiting i give up and pilot anyway. just to keep the room from emptying out.
Is it just bad luck or are pilots just unpopular?

[Letus]

Saying that it can be the hardest class to learn as you need to learn how to move a ship, and understand the ranges of your weapons on your ship, while the other two classes require a point-and-click mindset.

It is not a class one can easily grab and master quickly without much observation.  (I didn't take up piloting until I spent hours on other ships, and from that I was able to get a feel of how to fly many ships, then piloting was a breeze.)

Most people who just want to run in guns blazing won't try for piloting it seems, while most pilots with that mentality tend to be easy to kill.

[Shinkurex]

what you've described is probably the one thing that makes players pilots... They man(or woman) up and take the hot seat so that the lobby doesnt empty and the match can start... welcome to the pilots club

[Captain Smollett]

It's not always that way for everyone.  I wanted to pilot from the moment I started playing GOI (hence my name).

I read through all the forums, the webpage, and played a ton of engineering and gunning before I took the pilot slot but I was hooked with captaining as soon as I began. 

Good times and good memories.

[Sonoskay]

It's not always that way for everyone.  I wanted to pilot from the moment I started playing GOI (hence my name).

I read through all the forums, the webpage, and played a ton of engineering and gunning before I took the pilot slot but I was hooked with captaining as soon as I began. 

Good times and good memories.

I Did the same actualy but i had no Idea that i would take up piloting. I just figured learning as much as i could is a good stratagy for any game. 

[Shinkurex]

It's not always that way for everyone.  I wanted to pilot from the moment I started playing GOI (hence my name).

I read through all the forums, the webpage, and played a ton of engineering and gunning before I took the pilot slot but I was hooked with captaining as soon as I began. 

Good times and good memories.

This is true I could've worded that better

[Sammy B. T.]

I once took a career personality test (Birkman for those interested). One of the things it made me realize was how I take on authority. I always need for there to be a clear authority figure and if none is present, I am likely to take over that position.

Look at that, I end up piloting all the time even though I often just want to engineer.

[Ofiach]

That or Sammy makes you pilot against a bunch of level 9 pilots while engineering and laughing at you getting slaughtered. NOT speaking from personal experience at all. (cough sammy is cough a dick cough)

Oh and Ryan MZ watch out for him he loves making first time pilots fly the squid. Also against a bunch of other level 9-10 pilots.

BUT with the influx of players there are alot of captains now, even though most of them don't understand the game or even basic spatial awareness.

Also another thing is alot of new captains are kind of scared to fly against pilots who are higher ranks, I really think there should be a community event like a"Pilot School" or something.

[Squash]

Why is it a big deal for first time pilots to fly a squid? It's the easiest ship to fly.

[Imagine]

I like to pilot at times, but other times I just want to lay back, relax, and shoot some guns instead. Or, I dunno, bang on something with a mallet. That clinking noise is so much more relaxing than everything a pilot has to think about at any given time

[Ofiach]

I love playing the game for the challenge, so piloting is my favorite roll. It really is, weapon arcs, countering enemy maneuvers, crew management, overall tactics, etc etc.

When I'm flying against new pilots though it isn't as fun so I switch crews and give the newer pilots tips on how to beat the team that just slaughtered them. It's so gratifying seeing the development!

@Squash Flying a squid as your first ship against COGS level pilots.... ummm yeah no. Not the easiest ship to fly period and definitely not under those circumstances.

[Squash]

Of course it's the easiest to fly, what's easier than a squid?

[Coldcurse]

how do you mean pilots are rare, i once had a full game of pilots.

i mean every ship only contained pilots.

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Why is it a big deal for first time pilots to fly a squid? It's the easiest ship to fly.

Oh thats probably the funniest thing I've seen today. lol

A level 1 pilot in a squid = gunner fodder. There is no way they have the experience or knowledge of handling a squid and being effective with it. 90% of the time I see one they try to either..ram with it, sit in front of guns with it, or load it out with the most awful loadouts I've ever seen in game. Then they go on rants about how much the squid sucks. I started to think the same till I really spent time with it. Course part of it is it takes a good crew to keep it up. Lot of lowbies have no concept of the proper tool or class equipment to use with it.

Its a lot of heavy evasion flying with highly responsive movements and what Muse did to the game in 1.2 heavily hindered that. If they don't fix it with 1.3 I'm gonna be pretty ticked. Flying the other ships gets boring. Just no thrill in flying bricks with balloons or turret factories.

[Squash]

Sure, but the question stands, what ship is easier to fly? I can't think of one.