One idea me and my GM were toying with was for players wh9ose characters die to assume control over a comrade, using a preset template of flat 30 stats (+/- regiment modifiers) and equipped with standard regimental gear.

Then after the session the player can roll "proper" stats, pick a spec and spend any XP he has.

^ That sounds like a good solution to me. As the Comrade is essentially following the same Speciality, it's like a "bonus life" - only that it never actually depletes, since you're bound to get a new Comrade soon after taking over your first one.

Essentially, it's as if the player character is training his or her own replacement, no? Kinda fitting, thinking back to various war movies and their rookie-elder pairings ...

Note that I didn`t say "their comrade."

Whose comrade you assume control of is determined randomly by the GM, (by rolling a scatter seems fairest) this way despite having an "extra life" on missions the squad still suffers from casualties by losing comrade bonuses until they can get new comrades back at base.

Well, because it's not about the character, but the player. I don't care how much nonsense I have to make up to get them a character with similar experience, although in OW it's easy: The entire regiment is fight, EVERYONE is gonna have roughly the same XP.

Not that your way is particularly bad. I could easily live with that, as a player. Flat-out 5000xp behind the rest? That I'd resent.

Same, for the most part. When characters die - which is often, since I don't allow fate burns on death - the player rerolls a new character at roughly the same xp as the living characters have at that moment. A significant xp-gap will end up feeling like reroll-punishment to the player. Who wants that?

Same, for the most part. When characters die - which is often, since I don't allow fate burns on death - the player rerolls a new character at roughly the same xp as the living characters have at that moment. A significant xp-gap will end up feeling like reroll-punishment to the player. Who wants that?

So... same effect as burning fate points, but with more wasted time?

Isn't that just a reroll-punishment?

Same, for the most part. When characters die - which is often, since I don't allow fate burns on death - the player rerolls a new character at roughly the same xp as the living characters have at that moment. A significant xp-gap will end up feeling like reroll-punishment to the player. Who wants that?

So... same effect as burning fate points, but with more wasted time?

Isn't that just a reroll-punishment?

Nah. Actually killing the character has an important rp effect on the players and squad. Everything is rp first, the wasted time is never wasted if it affects the rp positively.

Same, for the most part. When characters die - which is often, since I don't allow fate burns on death - the player rerolls a new character at roughly the same xp as the living characters have at that moment. A significant xp-gap will end up feeling like reroll-punishment to the player. Who wants that?

So... same effect as burning fate points, but with more wasted time?

Isn't that just a reroll-punishment?

Nah. Actually killing the character has an important rp effect on the players and squad. Everything is rp first, the wasted time is never wasted if it affects the rp positively.

that ... really depends on the group.

Same, for the most part. When characters die - which is often, since I don't allow fate burns on death - the player rerolls a new character at roughly the same xp as the living characters have at that moment. A significant xp-gap will end up feeling like reroll-punishment to the player. Who wants that?

So... same effect as burning fate points, but with more wasted time?

Isn't that just a reroll-punishment?

Nah. Actually killing the character has an important rp effect on the players and squad. Everything is rp first, the wasted time is never wasted if it affects the rp positively.

that ... really depends on the group.

I... don't waste my time with groups that wouldn't be affected by something like that. Your response suggests you probably do. I recommend against it.

Give them the same XP or GTFO personally. I hate giving anyone in the party more or less XP than any other member with a passion. Its a team game, and creating an XP gap (either through rewards for roleplaying, or player death) has in my considerable experience done nothing but lessen the fun for everyone behind the bell curve.

The starting character will lose any equipment and personalisation the other character has had time gathering. Thats enough of a set back.