This actually makes me increasingly think that careers should not have been included at all, just specializations. As it stands, they seem to mostly be an artificial XP Speedbump that is mainly there just to save on printing the same skill lists twice in a few places. I wish I'd thought to bring that up in the EotE beta. But admit the thought never even dawned on me until seeing the AoR beta.

But the careers provide a nice base of career-skills, some of which are different than those included in specializations. I like the option of more than one career providing the same specialization, because it makes sense that way. Now, a pilot can be WILDLY different than another, given the focus on different career skills and different rank choices in their career and specializations.

This increases my confidence that they are keeping the games seamlessly compatible.

Yep. Big bonus points for that. I don't think anyone has said that Rebels are built on more points than Fringers either, which is a good thing.

They're not. It's still based on race, and the races duplicated between the books have identical stats. The only differences in character creation are: Career options (with some duplicate Specializations), Obligation vs. Duty, and getting a party ship vs. one of three options (one of which is a single ship) that include options for less mobile campaigns and campaigns based around a squadron of dogfighters.

This actually makes me increasingly think that careers should not have been included at all, just specializations. As it stands, they seem to mostly be an artificial XP Speedbump that is mainly there just to save on printing the same skill lists twice in a few places. I wish I'd thought to bring that up in the EotE beta. But admit the thought never even dawned on me until seeing the AoR beta.

The "artificial" XP speedbump is no more artificial than any other diminishing returns mechanic in a point buy system. It's there to encourage theme via efficiency. That one option fits into multiple themes is no more wasteful in duplicated Specializations than multiple Specializations having access to a given un-rankable Talent. The "artificial" XP speedbump is to guide characters towards a focus rather than spreading their abilities haphazardly all over the place. The new Careers with old Specializations simply offer different takes on certain archetypes. Takes that *could* be duplicated with other combinations of old Specializations, but which fit more neatly into a new archetype.

But the careers provide a nice base of career-skills, some of which are different than those included in specializations. I like the option of more than one career providing the same specialization, because it makes sense that way. Now, a pilot can be WILDLY different than another, given the focus on different career skills and different rank choices in their career and specializations.

Win and lose, I think something as simple as choose X career skills from this list of Y could have done that too. But I do tend to like things more free form. That said, I didn't think of it how you mentioned, so that is pretty nice.

This actually makes me increasingly think that careers should not have been included at all, just specializations. As it stands, they seem to mostly be an artificial XP Speedbump that is mainly there just to save on printing the same skill lists twice in a few places. I wish I'd thought to bring that up in the EotE beta. But admit the thought never even dawned on me until seeing the AoR beta.

But the careers provide a nice base of career-skills, some of which are different than those included in specializations. I like the option of more than one career providing the same specialization, because it makes sense that way. Now, a pilot can be WILDLY different than another, given the focus on different career skills and different rank choices in their career and specializations.

Agreed. I think it comes to the fore when taking a second spec even more, assuming one stays within a career: For example, a character like Lando (Smuggler: Pilot/Scoundrel) stats out very differently than Wedge (Ace: Pilot/Gunner). A Spy: Slicer who multi-specs is going to look very different from a Technician: Slicer who does the same.

Agreed. I think it comes to the fore when taking a second spec even more, assuming one stays within a career: For example, a character like Lando (Smuggler: Pilot/Scoundrel) stats out very differently than Wedge (Ace: Pilot/Gunner). A Spy: Slicer who multi-specs is going to look very different from a Technician: Slicer who does the same.

Absolutely. That is also the reason why I will allow characters to rebuild characters as the new career options open up, if one better fits the concept. Of course, once all of the core books are published this option vanishes.

Giving people a career to work around makes them feel more like they have a baseline to work with. Some players like the "Tabula Rasa" character that you build from the ground up, but that can be daunting for intro players. Careers give people themes and tropes to pick from to start with. Then, they can build their character from that foundation without going "Oh god where do I even start?"

Agreed. I think it comes to the fore when taking a second spec even more, assuming one stays within a career: For example, a character like Lando (Smuggler: Pilot/Scoundrel) stats out very differently than Wedge (Ace: Pilot/Gunner). A Spy: Slicer who multi-specs is going to look very different from a Technician: Slicer who does the same.

Absolutely. That is also the reason why I will allow characters to rebuild characters as the new career options open up, if one better fits the concept. Of course, once all of the core books are published this option vanishes.

Indeed. Over in the "stat the crew of Serenity" thread, I've already noted that Wash should probably be an Ace: Pilot, not a Smuggler: Pilot.