I was just hoping that the arbiter would have a talent like force of will that would pair well with Niman-disciple when I noticed/realized what might be a design pattern, so far every career book released has had a spec with a conflict talent and willpower focused talents

Guardian: Warden: Baleful Gaze (willpower via coercion and conflict), Scathing Tirade (willpower via coercion)

Seeker: Executioner: terrifying kill (conflict talent), mind over matter (willpower directly), Deathblow (willpower directly)

Sentinel: Sentry: fear the shadows (conflict talent), constant vigilance (willpower via vigilance skill), uncanny reactions (willpower via vigilance skill)

do you all think this a real pattern or am I just seeing what I want to see? And assuming that it is a real pattern what does it mean for specs in disciples of harmony? E.g. arbiter or aesthetic? Rampant speculation requested.

I wish I had a group locally that ran a game so I could just play, as it seems that WP in this game is greatly ignored as it's mostly useless as a stat. I hope it becomes a pattern, players who want to do a low combat high presence/will power char will have a viable option now.

I say that and already know the rebuttal will be: find a good gm who knows how to play to PC weaknesses.

I don't think it's intentional, i.e. the FFG staff sat down and said, "We need to have a Specialization in each career that mains Willpower." Rather, I think that the nature of the Force and it's lore lends itself easily to a Willpower focus, so the ideas that are generated tend to gravitate there.

As things stand now, both the Niman Disciple and the Executioner are undoubtedly Willpower specs. The other examples you have certainly favor it a little, but I actually don't consider them to be truly Willpower focused. Warden wants a broader range of characteristics, and can easily make due with low Willpower if they have high ranks in Coercion, and Uncanny Reactions actually makes the Sentry need less Willpower, as it can get similar Vigilance results without boosting it up thanks to the extra dice.

So, in summary, I do think you're seeing what you want to see, but what you want to see is not at all unreasonable .

Everyone is forgetting Agressor, even though the warrior specs all don't really point to one coherent image they already have their willpower spec in Aggresor. It needs Willpower to use most of its talents.

A case could be made that any of the specializations that offer ranks in Parry and/or Reflect would count as "Willpower specs" since they live and die by their strain threshold, and a high Willpower equates to a higher strain threshold.

There's also the matter that the default skill to resist the usage of Force powers is Discipline, which is tied to Willpower. And since not every spec or career offers Discipline as a career skill, having a better-than-average Willpower is the next best thing, especially in the early going when your character hasn't had the opportunity to accumulate much XP.

Ultimately, I think you're seeing what you want to see. FaD characters are generally going to have an above-average Willpower for the reasons I noted above, and I believe that to an extent the writers are acknowledging that by have talents in various specs that key off of Willpower.

It's akin to complaining that a lot of the Colonist specs make heavy use of Presence, or that most of the Hired Gun specs benefit from having an above-average Brawn.