Take a blockade runner for example, right now you can sit in the hull without covops skills, but it’s just a blingy T1 fast industrial without a covops cloak.
I propose that skills that are needed to fit modules that make the ship what it is be included in required skills to fly that ship. We already have this for ships like maruders (energy grid V and AWU V required to field a maruder and to use bastion module), so why not extend it to all specialised ships?
I believe that player knowledge and skill should matter. Trying to do stuff before you have that knowledge should have consequences. CCP should not surround us with safety nets to protect us from our mistakes.
When you’re dreaming about a new ship, do some research - the fact that a blockade runner can fit a covert cloak doesn’t mean it must fit one - though it probably won’t survive long without it!
Hmm, or at least show some sort of notice (like they do with fitting notices or skill requirements warnings) that you don’t have the skills to fit an essential module when you want to buy a T2 ship?
Perhaps not as rigid as a required skill to sit in a ship, but a little pointer would be nice for people just starting in their first T2 ship and exploring the T2 tree. Honestly I can’t really see any downsides aside from “people should be punished for mistakes”. No skill requirements, cost or anything would change, just a little note, a QOL improvement.