I'm confused as to how this is supposed to work, and it seems inconsistent between different weapons. A pike has prepare 1, do I prepare it at the beginning of combat or before each attack? It makes sense to only prepare it once. Crossbows also have prepare though (up to prepare 2 for a repeating crossbow), can I run and gun once I prepare it at the start of combat, or does the prepare quality represent the lengthy loading process of each shot?

Prepare behaves exactly as it says. Spend a maneuver in order to "prepare" it for an attack. For each attack you make. So every round you prepare then attack. Or attack (if it was already prepared) then prepare. It's just quality to represent the time it takes to get the weapon ready in order to attack with it.

It honestly depends on who you ask. Some people read the description where it says, " if the item is a weapon, “using” it would be making attacks with the weapon " (CRB88) to mean that, since attacks is plural, you can prepare once and then attack with it in a run-and-gun fashion (as you put it).

However, there are those who say that you need to prepare it before each use (as kaosoe says). I have yet to hear a consensus on it, though. And there is no listed answer to that question in the FAQ thread.

Personally, I agree with kaosoe that you have to prepare before each use, otherwise it's kind of a dumb quality otherwise (one-time prep at the beginning of combat and then unlimited uses?). I think that the crossbow is a good example of the rule as intended: you have to load it before each shot.

I would agree with Kaosoe also. You have to prepare with X maneuver before each attack/each use of the item. There are some weapons though with both prepare and autofire or linked where the word "attacks" could be appropriate. Like the Auto-Rotary Gun GCRB p 154 or the repeating crossbow mentioned that has linked 2.

Also since a "round" is narrative in time one attack might not be enough to describe the scene.

Might be good with an official answer though

2 hours ago, c__beck said:

It honestly depends on who you ask. Some people read the description where it says, " if the item is a weapon, “using” it would be making attacks with the weapon " (CRB88) to mean that, since attacks is plural, you can prepare once and then attack with it in a run-and-gun fashion (as you put it).

However, there are those who say that you need to prepare it before each use (as kaosoe says). I have yet to hear a consensus on it, though. And there is no listed answer to that question in the FAQ thread.

Personally, I agree with kaosoe that you have to prepare before each use, otherwise it's kind of a dumb quality otherwise (one-time prep at the beginning of combat and then unlimited uses?). I think that the crossbow is a good example of the rule as intended: you have to load it before each shot.

In Star Wars, the Developers made it clear that a Prepare maneuver must be taken before each Attack action.

7 hours ago, HappyDaze said:

In Star Wars, the Developers made it clear that a Prepare maneuver must be taken before each Attack action.

Do you have a link to that? Honestly, that makes even less sense. I remember the weapon that initially confused me with this quality was a takedown rifle. It has prepare to represent assembling or disassembling the rifle, why would you do that before each shot?

37 minutes ago, Andrewjo said:

Do you have a link to that? Honestly, that makes even less sense. I remember the weapon that initially confused me with this quality was a takedown rifle. It has prepare to represent assembling or disassembling the rifle, why would you do that before each shot?

Missile Tube and Pricing

Question asked by Happy Daze :

How much does it cost to reload the Missile Tube?

Does Prepare 1 on the Missile Tube require one preparation maneuver before each shot, or one preparation maneuver and then the weapon can be fired until it's empty (when it would need a reload maneuver followed by a preparation maneuver)

Answered by Sam Stewart :
It costs 500 credits to purchase a clip of six missiles for the tube.

Prepare states that it is a number of maneuvers that must be performed before each attack. Therefore, you must make a preparation maneuver before each shot.

Note the second question and answer above. It's found here in the first post under Gear, Equipment, and Qualities spoiler.

assume its this one http://swrpg.viluppo.net/equipment/weapons/3572/

Cr-8 takedown rifle Accurate 2, Prepare 2, Pierce 2, Slow-Firing 1,
Category: Energy

Its a good sniper rifle can fire to extreme range.

But if you want to aim with this you will need quickdraw that Reduce the Prepare with 1.

1 hour ago, Archellus said:

assume its this one http://swrpg.viluppo.net/equipment/weapons/3572/

Cr-8 takedown rifle Accurate 2, Prepare 2, Pierce 2, Slow-Firing 1,
Category: Energy

Its a good sniper rifle can fire to extreme range.

But if you want to aim with this you will need quickdraw that Reduce the Prepare with 1.

Yeah, that's the rifle. So, in addition to having slow-fire, your have to spend 2 maneuvers "preparing" it for each shot... Doesn't really make sense.

2 minutes ago, Andrewjo said:

Yeah, that's the rifle. So, in addition to having slow-fire, your have to spend 2 maneuvers "preparing" it for each shot... Doesn't really make sense.

Unless I missed something, Prepare maneuvers can be done while it's reloading from Slow-Firing.

What I meant was that nothing about the description of the rifle seems like it warrants needing both qualities, especially if you need to prepare before each shot. You spend your turn preparing the rifle while it cools down from the last shot, what does that entail? If the prepare quality represented putting the rifle together at the beginning of combat, that would make sense, but if it has to be done before each shot then that doesn't make much sense to me.

1 hour ago, Andrewjo said:

What I meant was that nothing about the description of the rifle seems like it warrants needing both qualities, especially if you need to prepare before each shot. You spend your turn preparing the rifle while it cools down from the last shot, what does that entail? If the prepare quality represented putting the rifle together at the beginning of combat, that would make sense, but if it has to be done before each shot then that doesn't make much sense to me.

It's a fictional weapon, so come up with a fictional answer. Perhaps the special blaster gas has to be hand-pumped into the chamber or the XCiter needs to be wound by hand before each shot?

Do I remember correctly that nothing in the text of the Prepare Quality says that you have to spend the maneuvers in the same round as you fire? So with a sniper rifle the first shot could be aimed as the Prepare maneuvers could be done preemptively. Then both prepare maneuvers could be done during the off turn if it's got Slow Firing one which means you could use two maneuvers to aim again on the firing round.

2 hours ago, FinarinPanjoro said:

Do I remember correctly that nothing in the text of the Prepare Quality says that you have to spend the maneuvers in the same round as you fire? So with a sniper rifle the first shot could be aimed as the Prepare maneuvers could be done preemptively. Then both prepare maneuvers could be done during the off turn if it's got Slow Firing one which means you could use two maneuvers to aim again on the firing round.

The prepare manoeuvres don't need to be done in the round it's used, no. But the prepare manoeuvre is different from the aim manoeuvre (your post makes it sound like you're Aiming [game mechanic] as the Prepare).

On 2/23/2019 at 1:48 AM, Andrewjo said:

What I meant was that nothing about the description of the rifle seems like it warrants needing both qualities, especially if you need to prepare before each shot. You spend your turn preparing the rifle while it cools down from the last shot, what does that entail? If the prepare quality represented putting the rifle together at the beginning of combat, that would make sense, but if it has to be done before each shot then that doesn't make much sense to me.

The reason for both is that Prepare 2 allows you to fire every round still (at the cost of strain for a second manoeuvre).

Giving it slow firing means you can only fire every other round, this might mean you use your 2 manoeuvres to prepare or you strain yourself again for an aim action.

Btw when you're shooting a player with 2 yellow, 3 green and 2 blue dice with one of these things the damage warrants to the slow firing lol

22 minutes ago, Cynthorus said:

The reason for both is that Prepare 2 allows you  to fire every round still (at the cost of strain for a second manoeuvre    ).

Also, the Quick Draw talent reduces the Prepare rating of all weapons by 1 (to a minimum of 1) while not affecting the Slow Firing rating.

On 3/4/2019 at 3:10 PM, c__beck said:

The prepare manoeuvres don't need to be done in the round it's used, no. But the prepare manoeuvre is different from the aim manoeuvre (your post makes it sound like you're Aiming [game mechanic] as the Prepare).

Sorry for the confusion. I meant for a sniper that wants to take 2 aim maneuvers in addition to his 2 prepare maneuvers. So prepare in advance, spend strain to aim twice in the first round, if slow firing 2 is an issue than you can prepare in the off turn so that you don't have to spend maneuvers in the firing round (or can use maneuvers to aim, move, take cover instead).

There are a few examples of prepare that doesn't happen for every shot -- notably bipods, where you "prepare" the bipod itself to emplace the weapon and then can attack at will until you move. I think the takedown rifle was a bit poorly written and should have required 2 maneuvers to assemble or break down, but not have the actual Prepare quality. That's how I would run it, anyway. I sense that there was some confusion over Prepare between the devs, too.