I really like the Squad Leader Talent Tree, it is really good and well balanced, except for one thing : seeing Defensive Driving has a first row talent (5xp).

When you look at the Fringer Talent Tree, Defensive Driving is on the third row (15xp). I think it's pretty fair for the Fringer since he doesn't have any more talents to boost his piloting skills (on defense).

When you look at the Pilot Talent Tree, Defensive Driving is on the fourth row (20xp). Since the Pilot is supposed to be the best of the best pilot out there, it is well placed in the tree and supported by other talents like Tricky Target (4th row) and Brilliant Evasion (5th row).

The Defensive Driving talent is really excellent and should not be place on the first row of any tier ; I don't think any other class has such a powerful talent on the first row. It could be compared to the talents Command or Stalker, but they are nowhere has useful or lifesaver has Defensive Driving.

Also, the Squad Leader Talent Tree has another rank of Defensive Driving on the third row, and he also has acces to the other great talents Tricky Target and Brilliant Evasion. It seems the Squad Leader has the cake and can eat it too. With the current talent tree, the Squad Leader is more likely to hit an asteroid then to get shot down by an ennemy.

My suggestion is to switch the 1st row Defensive Driving with the talent Skilled Jockey.

What do you guys think ??

Squad leaders are leaders for a reason. I'd sat that represents the focus of the spec on organising a the squad over trying to get every hit in he personaly can. Plus in the movies the squad leaders are you the ones people are suprised get taken out. Over all I think it makes sense.

Perhaps this is a bit nitpicky, but shouldn't the actual name of the Talent Tree be Squadron Leader?

A squad is a ground unit, a squadron is an aerial/space unit, i.e. in Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back, Commander Luke Skywalker is the (squadron) leader of Rogue Squadron.

Perhaps this is a bit nitpicky, but shouldn't the actual name of the Talent Tree be Squadron Leader?

A squad is a ground unit, a squadron is an aerial/space unit, i.e. in Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back, Commander Luke Skywalker is the (squadron) leader of Rogue Squadron.

I agree that Squadron Leader sounds much better.

It's worth noting that not all militaries adopted the Cavalry terms Squadron/Group/Wing for Company/Battalion/Regiment equivalents, and a few use Squad for a pair of aircraft (tho' I can't remember which ones did so in the 80's, which is the period covered in the book I read about it in the early 90's...), tho' most english users use "element" for a pair and equate it to a section.

Note that Soviet Block used "Air Regiment" (Авиаполк Aviapolk, and polk=regiment), not "Wing" - and used Эскадрилья (Escadrillia, from the french Escadrille, for "little squadron" - a unit of 10-15 aircraft in WW I and II), which correctly translates as squad, and is the correct role of about 12 aircraft, but the original meaning is "small squadron".

http://www.airpages.ru/ru/vvs1.shtml lists the following (sorry, it's Russian.)

Пар Par "Pair" - 2 aircraft.

Звено Zveno "Link" 3 aircraft. Later, 4 aircraft in two pairs of 2.

Авиаотряд Aviaotriad "Aviation Triad" - 3 links of three. Deprecated by 1925.

Эскадрилья Escadrillia Squadron 3.5 to 5 links - 10-15 aircraft

Авиополк Aviopolk literally Air Regiment 4-5 squadrons

Note that Star Wars uses (in prior games and EU materials) an imperial organization of:

Element = 2 craft

Flight = 4 craft = 2 Elements

Squadron = 12 craft = 3 flights

Wing = 72 craft = 6 squadrons, heterogenus. (See WEG SW Sourcebook, p 27.)

A rebel wing is 36 craft - 3 squadrons of 12 - also heterogenus. Also with a squadron of 3 flights of 2 elements each of 2 craft each. (WEG Reb. Alliance Sourcebook, p. 58).

If, perchance, the person writing was familiar with French or Russian military terms, Squad would be a correct translation of the 10-15 aircraft Escadrille/Escadrillia.

It's not the traditional English term, and it's not correct to prior EU art.

My vote is for Squadron Leader as well for the title. I am betting they didn't do this because they didn't want players demanding 11 other starfighters to order around while "Squad Leader" is more ambiguous .

I am also ok with the Squad Leader being more defensive than the Ace Pilot although I feel like if they made a different tree instead of reusing the Smuggler's Pilot tree they would have taken the opportunity to rethink what a starfighter pilot would need more. Smuggler Pilots don't have to worry about one good shot blowing up their ship.

Squad leaders are leaders for a reason. I'd sat that represents the focus of the spec on organising a the squad over trying to get every hit in he personaly can. Plus in the movies the squad leaders are you the ones people are suprised get taken out. Over all I think it makes sense.

I've been thinking about that answer for a while now...

What is a good squad leader ? An officer that get's the job done, a guy that inspires confidence in his subordinates and brings them back home after a hard mission. I'm really thinking in terms of a starfighter squad doing a mission... when a group of players choose the Y-wings has their starting ships.

I think theat the Field Commander / Command / Confidence / Heightened Awareness are a real nice touch to this career and really represent an aspect of the Squad Leader character. Same goes for the talent Form on me : when your teammates follow your lead, it's easier to shoot their target... so it get's the job done. But there isn't any talent to help keep your wingmans alive. Maybe they should change either Defensive Driving or Brilliant Evasion for something like this :

Allied ships of silhouette 4 or less within short range gain +1 defense.

This way you can help your teammates stay alive...

I'm thinking like in the movie Top Gun where they train their pilots to stay behind their partners to cover their six and make sure they dont get shot by ennemy fighters.

Would this be a good alternative ?

I think it would add a lot of flavor to this archetype.

Perhaps this is a bit nitpicky, but shouldn't the actual name of the Talent Tree be Squadron Leader?

Some of the Talents affect Planetary scale only, some affect Personal as well. A rebel squad can be fighting like an infantry squad or as part of a starfighter squadron. I'm fine with the name.