I don't get why Expert Tracker is in the Sharpshooter Talent Tree. Otherwise, I really love this talent tree! You can do a lot with it, that's for sure.

Nowhere in the flavor text does it say that the Sharpshooter is a hunter (I kind of get this more from the Bounty Hunter's Survivalist class, or possibly some of the Explorer Classes from EotE, or the Commando or Scout specializations from Age of Rebellion). My impression is that this guy is solely focused on guns, not necessarily tracking his target through the wilderness.

I think it would make more sense with the theme of the specialization for Expert Tracker to be replaced by something like Point Blank Shot. Other thoughts?

It's probably there to expand the Sharpshooter beyond the "I shoot things" role that is it's primary focus. It also allows for hunter-type characters, such as those that learned their marksmanship skills by hunting animals for sport/food.

It's probably there to expand the Sharpshooter beyond the "I shoot things" role that is it's primary focus. It also allows for hunter-type characters, such as those that learned their marksmanship skills by hunting animals for sport/food.

What Donovan said.

Also, when I hear "Sharpshooter," I think of every military sniper-related film of the last 20 years. I think they've all involved treks through mountains or jungles.

A sharpshooter will undoubtedly run into circumstances where he receives bad intel or a target goes to ground. It'll then be up to him to improvise and complete the mission. Expert Tracker would probably come in handy, then.

It's probably there to expand the Sharpshooter beyond the "I shoot things" role that is it's primary focus. It also allows for hunter-type characters, such as those that learned their marksmanship skills by hunting animals for sport/food.

What Donovan said.

Also, when I hear "Sharpshooter," I think of every military sniper-related film of the last 20 years. I think they've all involved treks through mountains or jungles.

A sharpshooter will undoubtedly run into circumstances where he receives bad intel or a target goes to ground. It'll then be up to him to improvise and complete the mission. Expert Tracker would probably come in handy, then.

+1.

Also, I'm away from the book at the moment -- what's the distance on tracking someone? If it can be done at range, it would be invaluable to a sniper trying to trace the path of a moving target. In a sense, the Sharpshooter and the Assassin are the inverse of one another: both are fantastic shooters at range, but the Assassin's edge is hiding whereas the Sharpshooter's edge is finding.

gwek,

I don't think there is a listed range on tracking someone, at least not under the Survival skill. I suspect range isn't really much of an issue, since for a lot of tracking attempts, the quarry's likely to have a pretty good head start to begin with.

In that light, I think Expert Tracker makes even more sense for the Sharpshooter, then. Every one of those sniper movies has a scene where the sniper loses their target and has to track them from a distance.

I'm not really sure that Shapshooter = sniper. Sure, most snipers are going to be sharpshooters, but many sharpshooters are not snipers.

It's probably there to expand the Sharpshooter beyond the "I shoot things" role that is it's primary focus. It also allows for hunter-type characters, such as those that learned their marksmanship skills by hunting animals for sport/food.

I got the impression that the Sharpshooter was exactly the "I shoot things" role. I got the impression from the system that if the shooter wanted to expand his horizons to be the hunter/tracker, then he should take an additional specialization.

I'm not really sure that Shapshooter = sniper. Sure, most snipers are going to be sharpshooters, but many sharpshooters are not snipers.

True enough, I suppose, but the sharpshooter is clearly designed to kill things with a firearm, and there are a few talents that make the character exceptionally good at a distance, with a rifle and/or pistol.

To me, kill with guns + expert with rifles + expert at range = well, sniper.

I'm not really sure that Shapshooter = sniper. Sure, most snipers are going to be sharpshooters, but many sharpshooters are not snipers.

True enough, I suppose, but the sharpshooter is clearly designed to kill things with a firearm, and there are a few talents that make the character exceptionally good at a distance, with a rifle and/or pistol.

To me, kill with guns + expert with rifles + expert at range = well, sniper.

Sniping, per the definition, involves shooting + stealth (firing from a concealed position). Sharpshooting doesn't necessarily include anything beyond shooting.

We're getting into semantics now, but I respectfully disagree:

snipe, v. - to shoot at individuals as opportunity offers from a concealed or distant position."

Stealth is an option, not a requirement.

We're getting into semantics now, but I respectfully disagree:

snipe, v. - to shoot at individuals as opportunity offers from a concealed or distant position."

Stealth is an option, not a requirement.

You tell that to the snipers or counter-snipers in every major war ever fought where targets behind behind enemy lines had to be eliminated. Sure stealth might not matter when you fire, but getting in and out without dying it makes the difference between doing it once and retiring. That's the verb definition of the action, not the complete definition of the job.

The classic sniper is certainly based on Marine RECON (a dude in a ghillie suit) or the legend of Simo Häyhä. Both of which stealth was an integral part of. However I'm not sure that sharpshooter is meant to be a snipper. The class also includes Ranged (Light) as a class skill. That says gunslinger to me. And gunslinger's were not trackers.

I think Expert Tracker is a bit out of place given that Scout is a specialization. I'd prefer to see another talents that isn't exclusively gun related but isn't wilderness-y either. Maybe something perception based?

The other option for the Devs is to just make it a sniper and replace Ranged (Light) with stealth. Either works for me, but they need to make a decision.

Certainly other people besides Scouts can track things? Come now. Other specs can have talents but not necessarily be "as good" at that talent as some specs might be.

I have to say the Sharpshooter screams sniper to me as well especially with the bonus skills it gets, the cool skill for ambushing and perception to find the target not to mention it's talents. The only way to make it more of a sniper is to grab a non-career specialization out of EotE, the Assassin with which it would complete everything you'd need in the optimal sniper.

Edit, ignore post