(Long post, it didn't mean to start that way but I kept typing, so heads up)

I know there was a post awhile ago about this-- but I'd like to start a fresh thread. I'm into game 2...3 coming up in April, I'm GM. Now me and my group have a long way to go before we get the ham of this game and I'm always jotting notes down from the forums. I take notes about stuff I mess up with and go over the correct way with my group. They get the idea of how to add rolls and how mechanics work-- but sorta stuck in that mode of math and OOC tactics over narrative and fun (I need to change that and try to steer them in the rift direction).

But they are sorta in that MMO aspect of beat up the minions and loot their stuff. I don't mind it here and there but they cleared a small prison base and scared off the nemesis and a few of his minions in an awesome RP scene Mexican stand-off. So the baddy fled and they looted the F off the fallen. They tend to get caught up in the mechanics and not story-- despite my efforts. How many guns do we get how much creds? I tell them that they get only a few working ones, most are damaged or broken via the fire fight with you guys. They even ask me "is this a minion group?" If some thugs attack. I hand wave them or ignore them or come up with an excuse to try and get to the narrative of why does it matter? Just enjoy the ride?

One issue I have is 1 hardcore MMO math number cruncher and powergamer. He will spout out ideas because, yes it sounds good and it's what you should do mechanically, we have another that agrees and the other two sort of get out voted or ignored despite efforts to tell the others to do as they see their characters doing. But of course the step by step always sounds good in the end to them and they always take course of action.

Now I'm going to implement the one sentence as incidental in combat to lower the OOC tactical mode OOC chatter. I'm also implementing the initiative roll can be added to the pool or used in the order you rolled it (because the step by step usually places the marauder last and it sucks she always takes the backseat ride in combat). I'll be implementing and coaxing more narratives out of their advantages.

Again I still have a long way to adjusting their mentality but they still tend to have that MMO OOC mechanic aspect of the game. Looting the dead is a major one. I'll be having them take some strain as they have nightmares of looting the dead. I'll be giving them a nice narrative. But what else can I do besides keep telling them, weapons are broken or lost in the combat.

Use the search function at the top of the page. There’s lots and lots of threads on the subject of “My players are always looting the dead” or “My players think that this is a live MMO” or whatever.

Well one. Make sure they have enough stuff to run their characters effectively. IE if they have an awesome blaster they are not going to want another one. and second don't give them much time to search the body most of the time. Say things like how thoroughly are you going to search them. The authorities are likely to be here soon. Do you really want to answer their questions and explain why you have their stuff?

Wait, so i got this straight your ok with them killing people, but its wrong to steal off them afterwards.

I agree with Daeglan, the excessive looting drops 3-4 session after character when combat wombat has their big fancy murderstick.

Besides who has time for vendor trash.

System is designed for combat-- that's why I'm ok...there are no rules in place for looting the dead, brah

There are rules for finding concealed items, Encumbrance, and selling items. Doesn't that cover looting the dead in enough detail?

From what I am reading, the OP seems to be refering more to the Meta gaming and D&D/MMO mentality of strip all of the bodies. Some groups grab loot to improve their loadout sure, but I have seen others who loot just to sell the kit and make even more money. They seem to see bad guys as walking ATMs.

To the OP I would suggest either pulling your meta gamer to the side and see if you can get him to play the character not the system (I would suggest not putting it to him that way though lol). Alternatively you could have the weapons and/or another piece of kit belonging to a bad guys goons fitted with a tracker and have them hunted down by a Rival or Nemesis Bounty Hunter or Merc.

Don't want them standing around after combat looting? Have something ready to move them along quickly:

For example, if there is a Stormtrooper fight at the end, follow it up with incoming TIE bombers, a full company of Stormtroopers responding in the distance, etc. If they end up losing more then they looted (a vehicle, damage to their ship) due to hanging around too long, they won't be attempting it as much. They were able to pick up 4 new blaster rifles and strip one Stormtrooper of highly illegal laminate armor, but their transport needs to repair 10 points of hull trauma (5,000 credits) and replace its double medium laser cannon (14,000 credits). Not a good trade.

Also,

New attachment: GPS Locator. Credits: 100, Hard Points: 0, Modification Option: Tampering with the locator destroys the weapon's power converter making it useless. Comes standard on all Imperial blasters.

Too much OOC talk during combat regarding game mechanics? First warn them that combat is fast paced and you often have to make quick decisions over good, planned decisions. If they delay too long, oops the next PC initiative point just got skipped. I've used this, for example, when the players start bickering too much about who should go next. Give them a warning at first so it doesn't piss them off too much.

If they do get away with a large load of loot from time to time. So be it. It's not unrealistic that a band of roaming smugglers or rebels would do their best to take any opportunity they could get. Just make it realistic. No PCs carrying off 10 rifles and 2 sets of armor in their arms. Make them deal with pulling up the speeder truck and risk losing it to responding authorities. The fence they keep going back to with looted armaments may start offering less and less. "This stuff is obviously stolen/imperial!" Or the PCs constant loot drop offs have been noticed by a pro-Imperial/local authority or someone who wants to make a credit and turns their suspicious behavior in. The PCs keep tons of the stuff? Describe how junk is falling out of stuffed ship lockers, their cargo hold is nearly full, armor and rifles stacked in the hallways upgrade simple checks when running around in the ship during combat. There are literally pages of realistic responses to looting. Be creative and not make it a punishment but a story arc. Looting can be fun for everyone.

How much are you allowing them to sell the loot for? Any buyer in their right mind would know it is loot and would gouge them for all they are worth. They shouldn't be getting more than 10 % (if that) of the loot's value. Remember the buyer has to turn around and sell it too.

Why do they have so much time to loot? Between encumbrance and time, they should have little of each to walk away with much.

From what I am reading, the OP seems to be refering more to the Meta gaming and D&D/MMO mentality of strip all of the bodies. Some groups grab loot to improve their loadout sure, but I have seen others who loot just to sell the kit and make even more money. They seem to see bad guys as walking ATMs.

To the OP I would suggest either pulling your meta gamer to the side and see if you can get him to play the character not the system (I would suggest not putting it to him that way though lol). Alternatively you could have the weapons and/or another piece of kit belonging to a bad guys goons fitted with a tracker and have them hunted down by a Rival or Nemesis Bounty Hunter or Merc.

I like that

How much are you allowing them to sell the loot for? Any buyer in their right mind would know it is loot and would gouge them for all they are worth. They shouldn't be getting more than 10 % (if that) of the loot's value. Remember the buyer has to turn around and sell it too.

Why do they have so much time to loot? Between encumbrance and time, they should have little of each to walk away with much.

They ended the mission clearing a small prison base. The baddy was defeated with RP which was clever and he had to retreat but he'll be back. So they haven't had a chance to sell but the empire will be part of their. Ext game so selling that stuff is outta the question. I had most of the gear damaged and or lost from the firefight so they didn't loot the bodies as hardcore. But it's that MMO kill trash loot body mentality that I'm curbing. It's only game 3 next game so have lots of wiggly room to keep things more SW and less dark heresy

Make reference to the movies. Pointedly note how the main characters don't loot every mook they kill despite often having the opportunity to do so. Not even Han who's in the best position to need easy money.

Also this isn't WOW where every vendor will pay half value or whatever for your otherwise useless stuff. You are under no obligation to give them a market for clearly damaged weapons/armor nor are you required to offer them more than a pittance at any shop actually interested in buying.

Selling loot is usually a Streetwise check. One success gets you 25% of the item's price, and this can go as high as 75%. Being stolen and or otherwise undesirable for the buyer adds Setback (get Street Smarts to overcome) but doesn't make selling it impossible.

Like Kshatriya said, have an OOC talk with your party about the TONE of your game. Discuss what kind of tone you're looking for and find out what the players are looking for.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/135311-wealth-obsessed-players/

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/135749-looting-the-dead-criminal-obligation-gains/?hl=looting

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/132579-looting-bodies/?hl=looting

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/120505-players-who-obsessively-loot/?hl=looting#entry1235953

System is designed for combat-- that's why I'm ok...there are no rules in place for looting the dead, brah

To be fair the "dead" is not what normally happens. When you exceed the wound threshold on an NPC it is "defeated". You have to go out of your way to KILL an NPC unless you narrative (as the GM) say they are dead. They could potentially get up and walk off into the sunset never to bug you again. OR they could get up as soon as you leave the room and sneak attack you from behind.

Death is not easy in this RPG.

Selling loot is usually a Streetwise check. One success gets you 25% of the item's price, and this can go as high as 75%. Being stolen and or otherwise undesirable for the buyer adds Setback (get Street Smarts to overcome) but doesn't make selling it impossible.

This is a problem in Edge because a major theme of the game is keeping a group hungry but there is a line between seeking the next payday and feeling impoverished and unable to buy anything you're interested in ever. Just like it was a major problem in DH because the books were full of cool gear you could never afford on an acolyte's salary. I blame the system in part for these incentives but at the same time I refuse to run a game like Edge on the economic logic of D&D or MMOs.

System is designed for combat-- that's why I'm ok...there are no rules in place for looting the dead, brah

To be fair the "dead" is not what normally happens. When you exceed the wound threshold on an NPC it is "defeated". You have to go out of your way to KILL an NPC unless you narrative (as the GM) say they are dead. They could potentially get up and walk off into the sunset never to bug you again. OR they could get up as soon as you leave the room and sneak attack you from behind.

Death is not easy in this RPG.

System is designed for combat-- that's why I'm ok...there are no rules in place for looting the dead, brah

To be fair the "dead" is not what normally happens. When you exceed the wound threshold on an NPC it is "defeated". You have to go out of your way to KILL an NPC unless you narrative (as the GM) say they are dead. They could potentially get up and walk off into the sunset never to bug you again. OR they could get up as soon as you leave the room and sneak attack you from behind.

Death is not easy in this RPG.

For PCs and Nemeses, yes. I don't presume that whittled down minion groups are anything but dead though barring circumstances like fleeing or being encouraged to walk away. Stormies get bolts through the chest all the time - I assume they die.

Per RAW the only death of an NPC is per GM choice or multiple crits. So you are fully allowed to choose that, but the rules specifically spell out that (even a minion) exceeding wound threshold means defeated.

The reason for the fine point there in my mind is with defeating foes you are not killing them and you can feel okay not having murdered your way through a bunker. With killing there is a different set of emotions.

Additionally i was mentioning it due to a way to get out of the looting bodies. They can still be wriggling around and groaning, but clearly out of the current fight. That makes "killing" an NPC a choice the Players have to consciously make with the appropriate penalties/consequences for that. If they want to be full on Murder hobos make them wear the banner in all of its glory, don't let them weasel out of the emotion of it because a stray shot just happened to get enough damage to go over a wound threshold.

It sounds like to me the players feel like they aren't getting enough resources. Give them easier ways to get loot and they will stop doing it.

Luckily, although I have a few Pathfinder/d20 veterans in my group, they're well-rounded enough in RPGs to understand that SWRPG has a different flavor and tone, and they LIKE the fact that it's not just D&D in space, and that if played correctly, can totally evoke the feel of Star Wars. I haven't had anyone want to loot bodies, ninja chests, carry around 10' poles, expect all adventures to be dungeon crawls, assume there's traps and secret doors around every corner, or <add standard D&D trope here>

A lot of great ideas have been mentioned here to help ween the players off of their D&D/MMO habits and start to actually enjoy the game for what it's supposed to be. I'll try summarizing:

1. Remind them that Han Solo and Princess Leia never loot dead bodies. It's weird and creepy and people will run away from you in horror if they see you doing it.
2. Remind them that they have limited room in their packs and get real, mechanical penalties if they carry around too much.
3. Remind them that Imperial-issue blaster carbines and stormtrooper armor are almost impossible to fence, since they can't be used in public without catching a lot of people's attention (including the Imperials). Or optionally, put hidden transponders in all Imperial gear to make looting a less-than-lucrative prospect.
4. Remind them that the game is "Star Wars: Edge of the Empire", not "Star Wars: Let's have a Garage Sale" and that looting is counter-productive to the flow of the story.
5. Have some of their victims not die, and either fight back, run away, or force the PC's to have to murder them (which I hope would give them pause and think, unless they're all murder hobos, in which case let them loot all they want; who cares? ).
6. Keep the pace frenetic and don't give them any downtime after combat to leisurely rifle through stormtrooper wallets. If they insist, have another patrol surprise them before they find anything useful and "call it in" to headquarters, forcing them to run.
7. Don't give them what they want. If they're looking for gold piec... er, credit chits, have nobody carry any, or maybe just on an encoded datapad which they either can't decrypt, or which causes red flags galore to be broadcast on the holonets and the Imps to come down hard on them for fraud and theft.
8. Give them plenty of opportunities to earn cash and prizes by just playing the game the way it's supposed to be played. Send them on adventures that include smuggling runs, heists, underworld kingpins, pirates, and the like. It'll satisfy their greedy natures, and force them to have an actual Star Wars-y good time

Did I miss any?

I let my players loot stuff, get rich and make it a part of the story. If they have a good enough cash sink with a high symbolic-social status value, they'll be inclined to invest in it AND the ongoing story at the same time. Think Zann Consortium, think looters and scavengers. Those aspects can be made a part of the setting. Also, don't hesitate to charge them premium for docking in certain places, fixing their ship, etc. Once they realize they now *need* their looting and scavenging venture going, they'll start to save up for fees and just-in-case extras.

My F&D players have a member who's always looking out for valuable trinkets or pieces of art to steal from the wealthy. He rolled a Despair with a success on a Negotiation check to sell some of it, and as they left the shop a party of Stormtroopers spotted them on the street! They engaged them for a bit, one PC was knocked out and the rest did their best to lay down covering fire and escape with their fallen comrade.

They think about that every time they go try to sell something now

Give them plenty of opportunities to earn cash and prizes by just playing the game the way it's supposed to be played . Send them on adventures that include smuggling runs, heists, underworld kingpins, pirates, and the like. It'll satisfy their greedy natures, and force them to have an actual Star Wars-y good time

Did I miss any?

Remember that there is not one specific way that the game is supposed to be played . If anything, the rules fully support making money by selling the gear of defeated opponents, and selling such gear is certainly no worse of a crime than doing heists, smuggling and/or piracy. Edge of the Empire assumes shady and criminal actions are going to occur around the PCs and often directly involving the PCs. Somebody's going to pick up the gear of the guys your PCs shot up, so why not them?

Whats the big issue with looting bodies? Turn it into a plot hook depending what is being sold.

Theres plenty of incentives to stop them walking away with everything. Encumberance, local law being drawn in by gunfights; if they insist on openly fighting everything, then a criminal obligation may come if consistantly caught. Otherwise present them with other, more appealing ideas to make cash. The jewel of Yavin for example is one really good campiagn that rewards skilled players working together to get a huge payout; if they are smart and cunning enough. It's also a campiagn that takes one great step away from the Dungions and Dragons murderhoboism that plagues many a group; they can ill afford to kill anyone less it make the situation works. Plot something out like that and you will find thigns balienced themselves out more.

They all chose to be combatants? Dear me; an additional session 0 may be required.

The only issues I have ever had are:

Party Shopping Sprees can often last for at least a hour, probably 2 depending on how reluctent the GM is/how ill-prepared they are to shop.

Party lugging around weapons they couldn't realistically conseal in public; yet somehow expect to be seen as inconspiculous.

Give them plenty of opportunities to earn cash and prizes by just playing the game the way it's supposed to be played . Send them on adventures that include smuggling runs, heists, underworld kingpins, pirates, and the like. It'll satisfy their greedy natures, and force them to have an actual Star Wars-y good time

Did I miss any?

Remember that there is not one specific way that the game is supposed to be played . If anything, the rules fully support making money by selling the gear of defeated opponents, and selling such gear is certainly no worse of a crime than doing heists, smuggling and/or piracy. Edge of the Empire assumes shady and criminal actions are going to occur around the PCs and often directly involving the PCs. Somebody's going to pick up the gear of the guys your PCs shot up, so why not them?

Oh, you're absolutely right. Playing the game the way it's "supposed" to be played can mean a lot of different things to different groups. In fact, I believe that was the main impetus for FFG to split the system into three different "games", when in reality, it's really a single game: each "game" has it's own broad-brush style of play and concentrates on specific aspects of the Star Wars universe.

My point was that they shouldn't pigeonhole themselves into a D&D mindset of killing and looting as their sole means of advancing the campaign. Granted, they could just be scavengers, killing, robbing, and pillaging their way into an underground junk business, making tiny percentages off of their ill-gotten goods. I could see rival gangs of pirates raiding their stash, or corrupt Imperial officials wanting a piece of the action. But if they're doing this because it's all they really know from their d20 experiences, it would benefit them greatly to explore other avenues of adventure within the context of the Star Wars universe. They may be missing out on a lot of heroic and epic fun

This also reminds me of another type of pigeonholing that players new to the system sometimes put themselves into. When some people think "Star Wars", they automatically think of the Force, Jedi Knights, and lightsabers, and that's about it. I've read a number of posts about people being disappointed with EotE because they couldn't play that awesome, lightsaber-wielding "Force Unleashed"-type character from the video games. Relative power levels aside this sort of character is iconic, so much so that FFG created Force and Destiny so you could play such characters. However, people with just a passing knowledge of Star Wars, or who have only really played the video games, may not be aware that Star Wars can mean a whole lot more than just Jedi Knights. They may not understand that being a fringe bounty hunter, or a dashing smuggler, or a Rebel commando, can be just TONS of fun to play! As such, they could, again, be missing out on great adventures because of a limited mindset, or because they're just not really aware of the options.