The thread's title says it all. Flight Instructor provides a less powerful benefit and consumes an arguably more important upgrade slot, while Predator's cost efficiency makes it really hard to justify other offensive EPTs like Opportunist on most ships. Are they priced this way because the Instructor can potentially apply to multiple defense rolls in a single round of shooting?

Things that increase defence tend to cost more than those that increase offense.

From what I can tell, offensive upgrades tend to be a little cheaper than defensive ones. This follows the pattern of Green dice being a little worse than Red dice. If I had to guess, I'd say that FFG is deliberately trying to make offense consistently more effective than defense, probably in an effort to guarantee that games don't devolve into turtle-fests.

Maybe it is also reasoned that crew slots are easier to come by; there are more ships with multiple crew slots than there are with multiple EPT slots (only some A-Wings).

Because Flight Instructor is Wave 3 and Predator is Wave 4.

Iterative design. They won't make an upgrade too expensive because a similar previous upgrade was too expensive.

Things that increase defence tend to cost more than those that increase offense.

Unless your a golden robot that is

I think this is just one of those cards where FFG valued its effects too highly. Honestly, I believe in the original tests they must of had FI allowing you to reroll all focus (or blanks if ps1-2) but decided it was too good and nerfed it to one before release without reevaluating the cost. It's the only explanation I can come up with.

It's pretty nice on a Firespray, especially when you expect a lot of shots coming your way (Hello TLT meta!). It can easily more than make up its points.

I think it's fairly costed... It's not quite as good as Predator, but takes a less important upgrade slot and is usable multiple times per round...

FFG loves to over-price things that effect green dice. R2-F2, FI, Bodyguard, etc. Why? I'm not really sure. I agree that maybe these cards had better effects that were a little OP, and got nerfed after testing without their point cost being reduced.

But then they bring out cards like C3PO...

Why does Expose cost 4, take an action to use, and have a negative effect (as well as a positive), while Predator costs 3?

Why does the Heavy Scyk title cost 2, when a far better title, IG-2000, costs 0?

Why does Saboteur cost 2, when.... WHEN IT'S AWFUL??

I can keep going, but I think we get the idea... Most of the time FFG gets it right. But they are definitely not batting 1.000.

FI and C-3P0 are different. FI works on every defense roll. Goldenrod works on your choice of one roll only. There's the difference. Feel like you're going up against an Academy TIE or Z95 Bandit swarm? Flight Instructor is worth it, no question.

There's a reason red dice are better than green dice in this game.

I don't think flight instruct would still cost 4 if they released the card today. It has always been a terrible card for its cost.

There's a reason red dice are better than green dice in this game.

The thing I don´t understand is why Outmaneuver costs the same as Predator, when outmaneuver can be only used when fiting at something in arc, and predator always work. This is one of the things that are making the game becoming "Turret Wing".

I hope waves 7 and later change things like this

It's pretty nice on a Firespray, especially when you expect a lot of shots coming your way (Hello TLT meta!). It can easily more than make up its points.

Hmmm... Pair of Mando mercs with FI AND Predator...

The thing I don´t understand is why Outmaneuver costs the same as Predator, when outmaneuver can be only used when fiting at something in arc, and predator always work. This is one of the things that are making the game becoming "Turret Wing".

I hope waves 7 and later change things like this

Predator gives you a chance to improve a die all the time.

Outmaneuver always works, when you set up its condition.

Those seem equivalent to me. Predator doesn't always give you a better result, and Outmanever requires you to put in extra work, but always rewards you for it (unless the enemy ship has 0 agility)

FI may be overcosted by a point but it's balanced. It's Predator that's the undercosted one, should cost more.

So should FCS. Some of these power upgrades get out of hand.

Everything is over or under cost, depending on your point of view.

FI may be overcosted by a point but it's balanced. It's Predator that's the undercosted one, should cost more.

So should FCS. Some of these power upgrades get out of hand.

Agreed. I'd like to see a point put on FCS in particular, that thing is a seriously powerful upgrade, and is cheap as chips. (This, from a worshipper of Whisper and Echo!)

Everything is over or under cost, depending on your point of view.

Ya you really have to pick a side. It's either you bring things down in cost to create the equivalent value of predator and similarly popular upgrades, or you bump up the costs of those upgrades which are dominant.

I would prefer to make little used upgrades cheaper as opposed to making others cost more. But, not gonna happen. I don't think FFG plans to revisit upgrade cards like they have ships. The only way some of these cards, like Flight Instructor, are going to see play is if a) the meta calls for the effect, or b) a pilot in the future has great synergy with the upgrade. Otherwise, they will likely never be used competitively.

Typically, you can also only attack once per turn. You may end up defending a lot, though.

FI may be overcosted by a point but it's balanced. It's Predator that's the undercosted one, should cost more.

So should FCS. Some of these power upgrades get out of hand.

Agreed. I'd like to see a point put on FCS in particular, that thing is a seriously powerful upgrade, and is cheap as chips. (This, from a worshipper of Whisper and Echo!)

Another point of confusing upgrade costs- FCS at 2 points, compared to R5-K6, also 2 points.

While they appear in different upgrade slots, the abilities are far too similar to not compare. And FCS is infinitely better. Where R5-K6 works only 37.5% of the time, FCS happens 100% of the time, for the same cost. If R5-K6 was priced correctly (which it isn't), one could conclude that FCS should cost 62.5% more then R5-K6, as the effect occurs that much more often, bumping it up to between 3-4 points. But since R5-K6 is overpriced, this information isn't especially valuable.

Fire control systems inclusion in the game automatically placed poor R5-K6 on the shortlist of worst upgrades in the game. Many of the astromechs are terrible (R5 astro, R2-F2, R5-D8), and it's no coincidence these were some of the earliest upgrade cards created, so it's not that concerning to me. But cards like the heavy scyk title, which has come in more recent waves and which also struggles to see use due to its price, are.

(Luckily, the scyk title is connected with the ship, so it will likely find it's use when the scyk is revisited in the future, as it seems a likely candidate for a revisit.)

FI and C-3P0 are different. FI works on every defense roll. Goldenrod works on your choice of one roll only. There's the difference. Feel like you're going up against an Academy TIE or Z95 Bandit swarm? Flight Instructor is worth it, no question.

C-3PO is only really a great value on 1 Agility ships. If you couldn't guess 0 on him he'd fade into obscurity.