I'm psyched for beast rider!

It probably might have been a better fit for Colonist or Explorer, but I buy all the books anyway so it doesn't matter so much to me. And I can't think of what might be a better "Ace" spec to replace it. Maybe a spec specifically geared to planetary vehicles? I dunno...

I just hope I can mod out my bantha with a poodoo launcher!

It's just that none of them are as vocal or as ... opinionated ... about it on the forums

Of course when we're playing GURPS I'm also the guy with all the books... no, really, all the books*.

*There are a few from the last edition I didn't get because, well, 20 years ago I figured they'd always be in print. Now I know better.

It will probably be in the Bounty Hunter book because of this.

Meh. A Beast Rider spec doesn't interest me at all. It strikes me as about as fun as the Driver or Pilot spec (i.e., occasionally), with the added drawback of (usually) not even being able to take anyone else on your mount. Not a real team player.

As a kid, after the first movie came out, I even had a dewback toy which had a hole on its back you could stick a Stormtrooper in so he could ride it.

I still have mine. The picture on the box is what you get to see in the original release - a sandtrooper just sitting on one. You never really got a good look at it.

I also got the Taun Taun rider when ESB came out.

This one Sturn?

Meh. A Beast Rider spec doesn't interest me at all. It strikes me as about as fun as the Driver or Pilot spec (i.e., occasionally), with the added drawback of (usually) not even being able to take anyone else on your mount. Not a real team player.

Depends on the campaign you're running. Right now I'm outlining a possible wild space 'homestead' campaign where using pack animals like a Taun Taun or Dewback instead of speeders could be advantageous. I mean if you're going for high space opera Star Wars, yeah beast rider isn't going to be of much use. However if you spend a lot of time slogging in rough, out of the way areas in a exploerer or homestead campaign, some one who can deal with beast and provide an alternate means of transport can be incredibly useful.

Think I'll just wait and see what the spec looks like before I pass judgement. Marshall and Performer introduced clever stuff.

Think I'll just wait and see what the spec looks like before I pass judgement. Marshall and Performer introduced clever stuff.

That is crazy talk!

Meh. A Beast Rider spec doesn't interest me at all. It strikes me as about as fun as the Driver or Pilot spec (i.e., occasionally), with the added drawback of (usually) not even being able to take anyone else on your mount. Not a real team player.

Depends on the campaign you're running. Right now I'm outlining a possible wild space 'homestead' campaign where using pack animals like a Taun Taun or Dewback instead of speeders could be advantageous. I mean if you're going for high space opera Star Wars, yeah beast rider isn't going to be of much use. However if you spend a lot of time slogging in rough, out of the way areas in a exploerer or homestead campaign, some one who can deal with beast and provide an alternate means of transport can be incredibly useful.

Very good points. It definitely depends on the campaign.

Like I said earlier... as a GM, any time I even MENTIONED a beast, all my PC's were trying to catch it, tame it, and ride it... hahah

Of course, one doesn't need to be a Beast Rider to ride a beast. The skill falls under a Survival Check, so anyone with that skill (or not) may attempt to ride using the Beast Rider rules in Stay on Target... So you can do the western thing without necessarily having a Beast Rider specialization...

Then I got past that and saw how much of the rules were being reprinted in each "Core"

So you'd rather have a 700 page rule book that costs 90 bucks (and we're talking 90 after the Mini Market and Cool Stuff discount, the non MSRP price)? Sorry, but that's not economically feasible.

I guess you could cut out all the color and "how to run the game" GM suggestions bits and drop the canned game to bring the page count (and thus the price point) down, go with just the bare mechanics and all the character class stuff. But you kind of need all that color and GM material - which means you'd have to wind up printing it somewhere else.

Look at that, suddenly we've got a GM's Guide and a Players Guide instead of a secondary and tertiary Core Rule Book.

It's your money. You spend it as you wish, but to expect a comprehensive rule book that covers as wide a range of material as we're getting here at a price point that wont break the bank - well, that's just foolish. Yes, you're spending 180 bucks (that's assuming 60 bucks a book x3, at MSRP) - but it's spread out over three years. Hardly a hardship.

and how they were spreading around the spalts... and was returned off by that.

Okay, I'll bite - how would you sell the sourcebooks?

If someone is running a game you are playing in and has the books, do you run out and buy your own copies? For every different game you play?

Well, I would - but I'm a total whore for this game - every book for this system will be mine. That said, if I wasn't a total whore, no - I wouldn't pirate it. If I needed a book for whatever reason, I would go to my friend and borrow one of his. But than I have this crazy notion that if I like something, I pay for that something.

But than I have this crazy notion that if I like something, I pay for that something.

I bought a set of dice for the game. That being the part of it I really, really like (and we seriously needed a second set).

I bought a set of dice for the game. That being the part of it I really, really like (and we seriously needed a second set).

If all you pay for is the dice, then you’re getting a free ride on the back of a number of other people, presumably mostly other people in your group. If they’re okay with that and you’re seriously financially challenged, that’s fine.

If they’re not okay with that and/or you’re not seriously financially challenged, then you should think about what the consequences would be if everyone did as you are doing — would any of us have a game left that we could play?

In my group, I’ve got more available income that I can spend on books, and I’m happy to buy them all and then let others in my group borrow at the table, as needed.

But while I’ve probably got more of the books than anyone else (maybe even including the GM who also works at that same FLGS where we play on Thursday nights), I’m not the only one who has at least some of the books, and we usually have at least two or three CRBs available at the table at any one time.

So, FFG is reasonably well supported by our group, and I think everyone in our group is okay with that.

This one Sturn?

Yes. Still got the box too!

Of course, one doesn't need to be a Beast Rider to ride a beast. The skill falls under a Survival Check, so anyone with that skill (or not) may attempt to ride using the Beast Rider rules in Stay on Target... So you can do the western thing without necessarily having a Beast Rider specialization...

Thanks for the reply... The fact that the Beast Rider spec isn't alienating other characters from also riding beasts and/or owning them is good. They will just be the best at it.