A few of us have just started up as a new group and we found that the level of starting gear that we felt we needed pretty much guaranteed that we had to swap an amount of starting Duty for Credits.

For example, as a Mechanic it seemed that a Toolkit was necessary, which only leaves enough Credits left over for Heavy Clothing and a couple of Stimpacks. So to get a pistol, a backpack (that toolkit is heavy) and a Fusion Cutter, Slicer Gear or Medpack (flavour to taste), you need those extra Credits.

So, are we trying to take too much into the start of the adventure or is this pretty standard?

Thanks.

It depends on what type of adventure you are getting into. I find that starting with a base of operations allows for more than enough starting gear. However, then you have to find a way to get off planet eventually. The game is designed to start you off slow.

I believe the first couple of sessions should be designed to help the group find needed gear. I would say get the stuff you absolutely need (based on adventure type), and if you want to turn in duty then turn it in for extra XP to increase a characteristic further. I would not turn in duty for any other reason.

If my Alliance players don't choose Base of Operations, I tend to issue each of them a basic set of Heavy Clothing, a Holdout Blaster, and a Comlink. Then they can buy anything else with their credits.

Alternatively, and particularly reasonable for a team of Rebel agents, you might let players share some of their starting credits and collaborate on starting gear, so that everyone has their role covered, and can still afford one or two extra tools/resources (fusion cutter or lantern is amazing).

Also, I've found that weapons come quickly once combat starts. The first real battle in my AoR campaign occurred when the PCs were mostly unarmed (they were on a station with weapon restrictions), but after one PC dropped an enemy with her holdout blaster, the next PC dove to snap up that enemy's rifle and dropped a second target straight away. Tools may also be relatively easy to find, depending on GM, but I'd rather my Saboteur be caught without a blaster than without tools.

I don't give money, I either start them in an adventure where they will be able to beg/borrow/steal, what they need to begin with, or I simply give them basic starting tools, a decent pistol or blaster rifle and a couple reasonable doo dads, macrobinoculars, hand scanner, etc.

I've seen suggestions similar to RedfordBlade's, only with the "starting package" being a light blaster pistol, a set of heavy clothing, a comlink, and a stimpack (about 400 credit's worth of gear), and though said suggestion was made more for EotE, I could see it certainly being applied to AoR as a "freshly recruited Rebel soldier" kit, with the PC's individual funds of 500 credits going towards any gear they'd need to fulfill their given role in the party.

Then again, the Base of Operations feature does go a long way towards solving many player's initial fiscal needs, and as long as the GM isn't super-stingy with Duty rewards, reaching Contribution Rank 1 enables them to acquire a Rarity 4 transport as their reward, thus giving them the ability to take on missions in other parts of the galaxy while still using the Base of Operations as a hub.

EDIT: Sorry, this was about Age of Rebellion! Never mind

Thanks for all the replies and great advice!

I don't think we'll re-start, but as we're only a short way in I'll have a chat with the GM (who is new, but doing an awesome job so far) about the possibility of an 'equalising event' that'll remove some of the excess equipment we're all carrying with solutions to the problem that tap into the various Duties of the team.

This may be to hard to work in since the game has started, but I plan to let each PC choose a free "heirloom item" to represent acquiring something from a family member, earlier career/job, or from an instructor/master type persona. Luke Skywalker's lightsaber is a perfect example of the concept (and admittedly had some inspirational element to this overall idea).

I'm still working out details, but currently think I will put a $$ and Rarity cap on it like 7,000 credits and 7 Rarity, or 6k and 6R. But the point is, they get an otherwise too expensive piece of kit so can spend their credits on the more mundane items.

I started off the PCs in my group with 1500 credits, a comlink and a weapon (depending on role: light blaster pistol for most of them, heavy blaster pistol for scoundrels and the like, blaster rifle for combat specialists), and maybe some other piece of equipment if appropriate (our demolitionist got a free tool kit). They could trade in their weapon for its full value and purchase something else instead.