I've just purchased the game - having been a big fan of previous editions. Having had a quick read through the rules I have a few questions concerning character generation, actions and talents.

During character generation each character gets to choose action cards, there are duplicates of basic actions but not of the other actions . Does this mean that apart from basic talents that no two characters can possess the same action?

Similarly for talents - can no two characters own the same talent?

Also, because of card limits can a party only consist of different careers - no parties with 2 soldiers for instance ?

Thanks,

By the standard rules, the physical availability of the cards don't limit people from taking them. That is, a player can choose something that someone else has already chosen. They'd just need to either share the card, or make a copy somehow.

That said, it seems a fair number of people, myself included, have made the house rule (which is also presented as an official optional rule in the book in the GM's toolkit) that the components DO create a limitation. I like this both because it keeps things simpler, and because it enforces character diversity. Everyone will have different tactics and different strengths, and if someone things that some particular card is "the best" there's no danger of getting a situation in which EVERYONE takes one particular action and just uses it constantly.

Like fnord3125 said.

In the event of two players wanting the same action card and cannot come to an accord, you can have them "bid" for it. A player could be willing to pay an extra advancement to aquire the action while the other player would not, or give the other player money (in game, I mean) to let him have it. As the GM, you could make it an interesting scene where both character have to convince a master to take him as his sole student to learn this special move, or even fight in a duel (a friendly duel, not a bloody spilling duel to the death!).