The Benefits of Training

[Naaman]

This topic is prompted by two things. First, I have been working on training courses for the Tactical Combat thread (I'm working on Sniper School as the pilot program for this idea). Also, I've decided to post now in light of Dredwulf's post over in the other thread on starfighter/airspeeder combat.

I've always thought that attending specialized training should cost less CPs than raising the skill through using it (i.e. in the "standard" RAW way).

The reason why I think this is three-fold:

1--The characters are learning things that are already known by people who have been there and done that (instead of having to apply a trial and error approach, as is common with self teaching).

2--The school/program dictates which skills you will learn. So the choice of how to spend those CPs is taken out of the character's hands. This means that a character who adventures and gains CPs could focus on just piloting, or just stealth or whatever combination suits him. But the academy trained character is "forced" into learning certain skills if he wants to graduate.

3--Besides CPs, training consumes another character resource: money (and by extension, time). Even if the training is "free" because that character is in the military, for example, the training time cuts into the adventuring time, thereby reducing the character's opportunities to gain access to other character resources, such as contacts and loot, or other less tangible resources such as notoriety or prestige earned through saving a planet or city or whatever.

In any case, the rules for learning force skills support the idea that having a teacher makes learning easier. I don't know if cutting the CP cost in half is appropriate, but I rather think that, at least for formal training such as at a flight academy or a military sniper school or, heck... even a culinary arts school (if you're into that sort of thing), ought to come as a "package deal" where the character invests CPs upfront, gains a specific increase in select skills and then gains a small amount of CPs coming out the other end.

[garhkal]

For me, i can also see some courses, teaching different "skill packages", depending on which route someone goes..
Also, what of proper academic training, like an actual flight school, or college of the performing arts (like say for dancing/singing) etc..
OR a police academy!
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[Naaman]

Yup. All those fall into the topic I'm thinking of.

A police academy is quite long, so I would probably do it in phases (say... 10CP at a time, the character earns CPs by passing exams and physical fitness and marksmanship qualifications, etc).

Characters who go to "college" I would handle differently, since college is all theory and no practical skill (except for the arts, I suppose, which is actually doing the thing you're learning about, rather than just talking/writing about it).

[garhkal]

That depends on the college course. Take Devry for instance. Its still considered a college degree, but its Technical college..
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[Naaman]

Yeah. I was talking about university. Tech schools are more what this thread would cover, whereas a BA/BS would be primarily knowledge skills, trade/tech schools would yield actual usable results (blaster skill, droid prog/repair, space transport operation, etc).

[garhkal]

So how's about separate them out. Per and Know skills are general colleges, Dex/tech/mech is are at tech colleges... That just leaves Str as the odd man out.
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[Naaman]

Strength could be "college" as well... in particular, students in an athletic program would receive the training.

It also applies to military training and other vocations that require a high degree of fitness (law enforcement, firefighters, etc)

Though, I think that a GM would ultimately have to decide on what skills fit into a package, as many of them would include skils from various attributes.

Using a police officer as an example, I see the following skills being part of the suite:

Blaster
Dodge
Brawling parry
Melee combat (baton)
Melee parry
Running

Cultures
Law enforcement
Streetwise
Willpower

Repulsorlift operation

Con
Investigation
Persuasion
Search

Brawling
Climbing/jumping
Lifting
Stamina

Blaster repair (maybe)
First aid (definitely)

Some of these skills would be developed as part of field training (OJT), while the academy itself would focus on the knowledge and proficiency part (leaving the discernment and discression issues to the FTO).

[Dredwulf60]

Becareful on this road...

I did something like this with my homebrew secret agents/ paramilitary based game. The character generation basically became choosing various courses out of a package of...lots.

Because once you have a course for police...then you need a course for SWAT....then a course for detectives....then a course for Forensics...

Don't forget military basic training....then your trade training...then your additional specialty training...



From my homebrew game:

[garhkal]

What no underwater basket weaving courses? Social justice activism courses??
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[Dredwulf60]

[Naaman]

LOLz!



I was more thinking of a player talking to the GM about what he wants to do with his character, and then the GM coming up with a suite of skills.

So it would be an as needed kind of thing.

[garhkal]

Another thought. If you don't come up with some natural limits' from all of this, what's to stop pcs from Just continually enrolling in course after course after course, to raise ALL skills, rather than you know, actually adventuring?
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[Naaman]

Life doesn't always go according to plan... heck... if Id had my plan A, Id have never even been in the military.

And lets not forget about the reluctant hero that is a staple of so many adventure stories. Some men are born great... others have greatness thrust upon them.

[garhkal]

Shouldn't that read "others have the chance for greatness thrust on them, its whether they step up that determines whether they would be great or not."
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[MrNexx]

I think the easiest method is to determine the amount of CPs that is awarded by the program, and in what skills. Those CPs will carry people different distances... someone with a 2D attribute will buy up his skills to a decent level, while someone with a 4D attribute (or who came in with 4D in the skill) will get fewer pip increases, but still the same amount of CP.
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