I think that the action should be rolled by the gunnery officer directing fire. This should be a Rival with actual levels in Gunnery rather than Minions with group skills.

I used "each turret is a minion, each battery a group" with reconfigure on the fly as desired for available targets... but with the three new actions, those get even meaner. But note that Imperial Gunnery Corps adversary entry is a minion entry.

The way I envision using the combat rules in this game is adapting the Zones rules from Fate games and using those Zones instead of Range Bands... and when people and ships move they just move by Zones instead.

What is the point of the Recruit Specialization? Why would I not just pick the Soldier tree, or some other tree that grants combat skills? If it's because the Soldier tree doesn't fit the concept of the recruit or doesn't grant the necessary skills then I think that should be changed. It is an extra portion of the game that doesn't need to be there. If I was a Diplomat and I wanted combat skills , then I should be able to pick another specialization from a career and buy into it. That's the whole point of doing such a thing. Making a whole spec that is only to give characters in war the necessary skills makes me think that the ones before are needing changes more than a band aid spec to be pushed into the game.

I'd have to disagree with you Zar.

While the Recruit spec might not be perfect as is; the two new talents should appear in other trees in my opinion, both EotE and AoR - particularly the creative killer, but also dynamic fire - and the career skill talents should perhaps be starting as second row talents, not first row? meeeh...

I think it's a nice addition for non-combat oriented characters to gain access to some combat abilities without having to go into another career's spec and without gaining the edge and focus that other combat oriented specs might provide. This spec provides some skills, some talents that might be useful, but mainly it provides increased survivability, not that much increased effectiveness in decimation of enemies, beyond the scope of cheaper skill ranks that is. It can also be useful for some of the infiltrator specs - I think - to gain some combat beard without having to pay 30 XP for commando or some other specialised career path. This universal specialisation adds diversity more than specialisation, which I gather is the intention.

Few of my players would consider it as of now, but then most of my players are combat oriented already, or have already bought into non-career specialisations to gain access to some combat skills, but mainly for combat talents - which this universal spec doesn't really add, it gives you skills, increased wounds, soak and strain... that's about it.

The first time one of my players purchases the "Recruit" specialization, I'm going to throw up "Be a Man" from Disney's Mulan. At this point, I think I may be obligated to describe a montage.

Keep in mind it is also a universal spec and does not cost the extra 10 xp that taking a spec outside your career imposes. Not everyone wants to go down the soldier specs because of their focus. Maybe they want something more generic to balance/compliment their main spec.

It works well as a universal spec, something you can't take without first being some other specialization.

"I was a smuggler before I joined the rebellion. Boot camp taught me a few things"

FFG is providing some good mechanical tools to supplement other aspects of gameplay.

Indeed.

I like the Basic & Tactical Combat Training talents where they're at, top left & top right. The Force Sensitive Exile has a similar talent, and that's top-row too. Remember that this won't be a starting specialization, so it's not like a character can just get 2 new career skills for 5 XP. He's gotta buy into the spec first, so that's a minimum of 25 XP just to get to either talent.

And the flavor is there too: each top-row talent really defines the path it opens up; any of these top-row talents are a great choice for the sub-specialized Rebel Recruit.

I would have rather seen Melee paired with Ranged (Light) and Brawl paired with Ranged (Heavy).

I would have rather seen Melee paired with Ranged (Light) and Brawl paired with Ranged (Heavy).

I think that makes a lot of sense.

I think that makes a lot of sense.

I would have rather seen Melee paired with Ranged (Light) and Brawl paired with Ranged (Heavy).

That does make a lot of sense. Brawl is much more "Tactical," especially in this system with its uses of Knockdown and Disorient, while Melee is a bit more "Basic."

I was thinking that troops normally carry either a rifle alone (maybe with a knife) or a pistol and serious melee weapon.

In WH40K...

Of course, in this game, Encumbrance tends to push it there too.

Besides that, Melee is generally seen as stronger than Brawl and Ranged (Heavy) is often seen as superior to Ranged (Light), so I'd like to see the two 'stronger' skills spread out.

I can see both sides I guess, one is light arms: pistols and and basic self defence, you could brawl attack while wielding the pistol. The other is about a ranged heavy weapon with a bayonet, or just attacking with it as an improvised weapon would require melee.

Anyway, not a biggie as I see it.

I can see either case as JegerGryte and HappyDaze pointed out for where Brawl/Melee and Ranged Light/Heavy get paired.

Personally, I'm thinking that a part of it is a design choice to still make it difficult for PCs that didn't start as Soldier (or Hired Gun) to be able to do the "blaster and blade" set-up by having one talent provide both Melee and Ranged (Light) as career skills. After all, if they're both career skills, it become easier to keep Melee and Ranged (Light) at the same skill rank. Which is fine for the Soldier or Hired Gun careers (after all, they're meant to be combat pros), but not so much for a Universal specialization that anybody can access.

Edit: A thought I just had about the Recruit spec while posting over on the d20 Radio Forums.

One of the things that makes this new universal spec "really good" from a purely mechanical angle is that Tactical Combat Training is a first row talent, and offers up both of the "better" personal combat skills (in terms of general damage output and range). Perhaps swap it's position with Well Travelled instead? This way, Tactical Combat Training not only has a higher XP cost, cutting down on the "quick dip for skills" factor, but also puts it behind another talent (Outdoorsman), which for most characters really isn't that useful a talent to have.

I would have rather seen Melee paired with Ranged (Light) and Brawl paired with Ranged (Heavy).

Real world soldiers, it is usually rifle and bayonet (which is a short and awkward combination cudgel and spear).

Boarding teams and cops get pistol and takedown training- which would be Ranged Light and Brawl..

Personally, I'd like to see the add class skills talents all on top row. The whole point of it is to expand out the career skills. And it's 20 to enter, and 40 to get all 8... a savings of 10 over 2 specialties in career (20+30) or 30 over cross-career (30+40).

I'd like to see a similar officer universal.

I honestly don't think there needs to be an "officer" universal spec, as officer-types are already very well covered by the Commander career and its associated specializations, ranging from Naval (Commodore), Starfighter (Squad Leader), and Army (Tactician).

The Recruit works since it's a very generalized combat specialization, where Commando and Sharpshooter, or even Bodyguard, Marauder, and Mercenary Soldier for the Hired Gun career are much more focused on a type of combat. Generally, the Hired Gun/Soldier specs break down as such:

Commando = damage absorption and physical toughness

Sharpshooter = long range and accuracy with ranged attacks

Bodyguard = physical toughness and protecting allies

Marauder = melee damage and damage absorption

Mercenary Soldier = ranged damage and field leadership

Medic's a bit of an oddball for the Soldier, having more of a bent on field medicine than combat skill.

The Recruit is simply "add a bunch of skills, a bit of Grit and Toughness, some quick Strain Recovery, and a couple unique talents to give it some identity of its own." In a way, it's lack of direct focus is it's focus, as it's more of a "catch-all" for PCs that want to boost their general combat prowess and add some survivability, but don't see their character going into one of the Soldier or Hired Gun specializations.

It's nice to see that some of my concerns with the Gunnery skill were addressed (although not in the way I expected). I still think its weird that someone in a Soldier career won't have Gunnery as a class skill, but a non-Soldier with the recruit specialization might have Gunnery as a class skill if they take vehicle combat training. I guess soldiers who shoot heavy repeating blasters learned to shoot on the back of a tank? Maybe every Soldier should take recruit as well.

I figured they'd address the integration of the two systems. I didn't work it out the same way they did, but I'm happy with the way they did it. And addressing the extra starting xp was also a given.

I wonder if there any new species in the next two books like Togorians, Blood Carvers, Shistavanens, or a Verpine, perhaps. There's so many species in the galaxy I don't know where to begin. Any thoughts, anyone?

What "next two books"? You kinda lost me here.

From what is going on with edge of the empire, we can assume the 3 species per book ordeal (or something close), to continue. So I fully expect supplements for this system to also include species.
The problem is, with the games being separate systems, we are going to see overlap in the species. They are going about it rather smartly though, just throwing one "overlap" in here and there, leaving two "new" species, at least. So far that is. I think eventually, we're going to see muti overlaps. I can also see one book of species, being put out for all the systems, and a monster manual type book as well. Not each system getting a book, but one book applying to FFG Star Wars in general. I think there is going to be a ton of overlap in those, assuming they keep with the three separate systems. That said, make it half "new" and we're all gonna buy it anyway. I don't have any foreknowledge of this, it's just what I would do.

I suggested three per minion group due to the PCs in that adventure generally being freshly-created and not likely to have a bunch of defensive options to pull from, thus keeping the dice pools to YYG for a full group.

Also fits what you see in the films better. Fighters in the film fly in the 3 plane "vic" formation when they are not dogfighting. It may be a terrible formation, but it is the one that is apparently used.

I have a question to you guys. I tried sending it to FFG but it didn't seem to work.

Anyway. Would you require someone to buy any talent that grants new careers skills if said skills are already career skills when going that route on the talent tree? I'm thinking specifically about the new Recruit universal spec as this is the first spec with so many skill granting talents.

I have a question to you guys. I tried sending it to FFG but it didn't seem to work.

Anyway. Would you require someone to buy any talent that grants new careers skills if said skills are already career skills when going that route on the talent tree? I'm thinking specifically about the new Recruit universal spec as this is the first spec with so many skill granting talents.

Hmm...I would suggest not if they already have both. If either one is required, then they have to pay. It would count as if they already had the talent from another specialization.

I have a question to you guys. I tried sending it to FFG but it didn't seem to work.

Anyway. Would you require someone to buy any talent that grants new careers skills if said skills are already career skills when going that route on the talent tree? I'm thinking specifically about the new Recruit universal spec as this is the first spec with so many skill granting talents.

My players were discussing that yesterday. Without my input, they came to the conclusion that, yes, you do, as it's a speed-bump en route to the real meat of that table.

So basically you have to pay XP for something that, essentially, gives you nothing? Sure it's only 5 XP in two of the cases, 10 XP in the other two (not like lots and lots certainly), but its still an odd case in my opinion, since nowhere else is this an issue - the FSE's Insight isn't a must-take to access the tree properly, here those skill granting talents are must-takes.

Which makes sense of course, basic training, gaining access, yada yada yada... but it would be odd to have to pay for talents you basically have, it would be like paying the 15XP for Spare Clip on c4/r3 even if you had it from some other spec, wouldn't you say?

If you're a Soldier already, or an Ace, you're probably not going to need Recruit to flesh out your combat skills but if you want those juicy unique talents anyway, there's a price to pay.