The problem I see with the gear packages is that based on what "role" you choose, you stand a chance of making out like a bandit in terms of starting gear, especially the Special Forces package.

I don't see this as being a role based option, too much, if your pilot is special forces then he gets the same gear as everyone in the group. Perhaps the snipper gets a slightly better rifle or the medic a handful of stims more than he. I also envisaged the fixed gear package would replace the 500cr and each players would just get his d100 pocket change.

The 500cr probably works best if you start in the thick of it. You grab what you can and head to the escape pod.....

As a GM I would ask my players how they would like to play the starting gear.

As a player I like the 500cr myself. I trust the GM will want his campaign to last beyond the first hour and he will make it hard and exciting to play for a session or two.

I do like the idea of a starting gear package; however, I also like that both EotE and AoR are compatible right now.

Mate, you are exactly right, if you are running EotE and AoR together then the players start with duty and/or obligation and have 500cr to begin with.

I think if you bought AoR and never read or knew about EotE then you would find 99% of campaigns start with 500cr as it never occurs to anyone players or GM to do something else.

I think EotE should have starting packages as well. I don't assume an EotE slicer is a brand-new kid who decided to hack; I view him as a paraprofessional at worst, a professional data thief at best. So he probably should start with the tools to do his job, not have to decide between being able to slice at all or taking Obligation to afford "tools for the job," a gun, and a single lousy point of soak.

Isn't the whole point of Obligation to give the PC a background (with a mechanical effect). Meaning that the "professional data thief" in all probability would have a higher Obligation.

Reading this thread I feel that the system works very much as intended - pushing players towards the core mechanic of Obligation. What many feel is a bug is a feature.

Isn't the whole point of Obligation to give the PC a background (with a mechanical effect). Meaning that the "professional data thief" in all probability would have a higher Obligation.

Reading this thread I feel that the system works very much as intended - pushing players towards the core mechanic of Obligation. What many feel is a bug is a feature.

Well, for EotE it works just fine. The problem folks are having here is that AoR doesn't (officially) feature a similar mechanic to allow an individual PC to start with more than 500 credits' worth of gear; either everyone gets a huge starting stockpile by way of the "established base" option for Rebellion Resources, or everyone's stuck with the base 500 credits.

And not every GM is going to have EotE; I know some gamers in my area that had no interest in a "Firefly set in Star Wars" RPG (how they perceived EotE) but are interested in AoR because it meshes with their WEG-influenced notion of what a "proper" Star Wars campaign should be about.

Right, well that's fair enough. I argued against raising the starting creds solely in an EotE viewpoint, as that's what Kshatriya was talking about. Fair point about AoR tho.

I question that it "works just fine" in EotE if technical characters have to blow most or all of their entire starting funds on the one piece of necessary equipment to do their job without taking more Obligation to buy even the crappiest armor, blaster, or support gear.

The problem is definitely bigger in AoR since you don't even have that mechanic though. But then again you might have the base.

I question that it "works just fine" in EotE if technical characters have to blow most or all of their entire starting funds on the one piece of necessary equipment to do their job without taking more Obligation to buy even the crappiest armor, blaster, or support gear.

That's life on the Fringe, though. You don't get where you are without owing someone.

The problem is definitely bigger in AoR since you don't even have that mechanic though. But then again you might have the base.

Keep in mind that the group is part of a larger organization. They have access to the equipment that they need, they just do not start owning it themselves unless they have taken the base option (or incorporate the Obligation mechanic).

I still maintain that the 500 credits are fine, because you start with a ship or ships. You want to talk about no money, play traveller. Start with a million credit ship mortgage and have to make monthly payments.

Keep in mind that the group is part of a larger organization. They have access to the equipment that they need, they just do not start owning it themselves unless they have taken the base option (or incorporate the Obligation mechanic).

I still maintain that the 500 credits are fine, because you start with a ship or ships. You want to talk about no money, play traveller. Start with a million credit ship mortgage and have to make monthly payments.

I question that it "works just fine" in EotE if technical characters have to blow most or all of their entire starting funds on the one piece of necessary equipment to do their job without taking more Obligation to buy even the crappiest armor, blaster, or support gear.

That's life on the Fringe, though. You don't get where you are without owing someone.

Eh to me it's too little to represent the character's whole life before they turned to [insert story hook here]. Also if blaster technology is so old and ubiquitous, it shouldn't be so expensive.

That depends on what exactly you mean by expensive... a hold-out blaster is relatively readily available compared to a bunch of other things, the other options tend to be more of "punch, range, and intimidation factor".

Don't forget that you can get Stun Only versions of many blaster weapons for half price. At Short range or less, these are often just as good if not better than the lethal ones.

Eh to me it's too little to represent the character's whole life before they turned to [insert story hook here]. Also if blaster technology is so old and ubiquitous, it shouldn't be so expensive.

It's not their whole life. It is where they are at the moment the game starts. They could have won and blown fortunes before that moment. They could have been set for life and lost it all. They could have always had nothing and they are now on their way up, hopefully. It is but a moment in time.

That depends on what exactly you mean by expensive... a hold-out blaster is relatively readily available compared to a bunch of other things, the other options tend to be more of "punch, range, and intimidation factor".

2/5 of starting money is expensive for the cheapest, shortest-ranged blaster. Next one up is 3/5.

Eh to me it's too little to represent the character's whole life before they turned to [insert story hook here]. Also if blaster technology is so old and ubiquitous, it shouldn't be so expensive.

It's not their whole life. It is where they are at the moment the game starts. They could have won and blown fortunes before that moment. They could have been set for life and lost it all. They could have always had nothing and they are now on their way up, hopefully. It is but a moment in time.

Yeah, and as-written the entirety of that is relegated to backstory, which seems to be virtually required to have a sh*tty twist to represent being so broke that you literally don't even start with crap clothes unless you buy them. I don't like the railroading aspect inherent in it. There's legit reasons for richer people to turn to crime or to rebellion, as the case may be. But I'm not trying to derail this thread by overly focusing on EotE.

So you start, in the case of singular "ship", with a great little run-around and no other tools to do the covert ops job you're flying to...

So... if it's me, and I'm an imperial officer and a bunch of mechanics show up with blaster rifles and grenades, I may consider raising an alarm. There is a big difference between infiltrating and assaulting. Can the party dress up as stormtroopers? No. An imperial supply shuttle and it's maintenance crew? Not a problem.

As to a singular ship that is ONE option, of which not every mission is going to be an attack on the death star shield generator. Not without a whole mess of duty to back up your character. You will be new recruits to the alliance, or in the base option, a rebel cell trying to liberate the imperial rule of their planet. The mission the infiltration team could go on is to acquire a shipment of blaster rifles for the alliance perhaps. Or to drop off comlinks that have a listening/transmitting program in.

If you have the fighter option, your game will focus heavily on combat in space. Blaster rifles won't do much there, etc.

Well, it seems the "I don't have enough money for all my cool gear!" camp can rejoice, as the Beta Update #3 revamps Duty to function a bit more like starting Obligation, only that you reduce your starting Duty score (which mirrors starting Obligation from EotE) to gain extra XP or credits.

So you start, in the case of singular "ship", with a great little run-around and no other tools to do the covert ops job you're flying to...

So... if it's me, and I'm an imperial officer and a bunch of mechanics show up with blaster rifles and grenades, I may consider raising an alarm. There is a big difference between infiltrating and assaulting. Can the party dress up as stormtroopers? No. An imperial supply shuttle and it's maintenance crew? Not a problem.

I agree that the mechanics won't cause alarm. But the soldiers there to protect them won't be able to do much either, or anyone who is specialising in Ranged (Heavy).

Well, it seems the "I don't have enough money for all my cool gear!" camp can rejoice, as the Beta Update #3 revamps Duty to function a bit more like starting Obligation, only that you reduce your starting Duty score (which mirrors starting Obligation from EotE) to gain extra XP or credits.

I think the bit in quotes is a bit of a straw man. I'm not arguing for 5-10K in credits. But my character in the OP didn't have money for any weapon other than a slugthrower rifle that fit the picture I had for him. I could have, I suppose, swapped to someone who's primary focus is Ranged (Light), or changed my character concept to fit the rules, but that, in a game that is so narratively driven, felt a little off.