First off, I want to say that I like the concept here. It seems like something very useful for bringing new players in who find the full character generation a bit daunting. Edit: Whoops, I misread something. Please ignore the content below here.

Whoops, I misread something about the previous versions and what-not. Thanks for pointing that out.

Looks fairly robust. My one concern is gear. I know the gear packages aren't written yet, and I'm very glad that they're in the works, but I really feel gear ought to be included in the package system formally (as in less optionally, it's a matter of phrasing really). Picking gear is by far the most confusing part of default by-the-book EP chargen for me. This is mainly because of how the gear list is structured. The paragraph format and mechanical effects included alongside the fiction is flavorful and fits the overall tone of the books, but is hard to browse during character creation. Certain items, like vacsuits, or nanodetectors in a firewall campaign, are "must-haves", but nothing helps a new player figure this out or even know those items exist. Additionally, some of the focuses don't even work without specific gear; the bot jammer and the gene splicer come to mind. So I [i]highly[/i] recommend including career-essential gear in the packages, with the appropriate credit deductions. And also NOT offering gear packages just "for players looking for quick gear choices", but rather offer them as the default for ALL players and suggest later that players who want more customization can spend freely instead or that leftovers can be used for individual purchases.

For what it's worth, I found them [i]extremely[/i] helpful. Why? Because it simplified the creation enough to help me build a character without starting to swear. Specifically, I wanted to play a survivor in a Synthmorph body that is very focused on hunting Titans and their left overs. So, after a few minutes I had everything roughed out in terms of packages I was interested in, then picked from among them and before long, I had a former MBA accountant turned Titan hunter ready to go.

Castlereagh wrote:

I'll get around to answering the direct questions in a bit. At the moment I'd like to comment on how many people seem to find it controversial that morphs are boxed in with the packages. On the one hand, I do agree that players should get to play the sort of morph that they want, but one thing that I noticed when I generated two characters with the new system was that in both cases I ended up purchasing a more expensive morph than I normally would have. Where I would probably have chosen a Splicer or an Exalt, I was assigned an Olympian or a Ghost. Though it may just be an unintended consequence, I actually think that's a good thing. The choice that has bothered me the most when creating Eclipse Phase characters (per the core book) is between on the one hand playing a character who is impeccably skilled and qualified for the mission but is poorly equipped, or on the other hand, playing a character who is well equipped but is not as qualified as the former character. I try to strike a balance that is similar to what my fellow players are creating, but generally I lean further towards the cash-strapped genius. I promise myself that I'll buy a better morph later. I think it's been shown on the forums that my way of doing it can end up better optimized than the alternative. I do think it can upset the balance of the game when one player has spent only about 60 points on the most cost-effective Morph+Gear in the game, and another player has had to pay more than 150 points on their Morph+Implants+Gear. It makes it hard to run a harmonious game when the approaches can be that divergent. I actually liked that the Transhuman rules sort of jabbed me in the rib as if to say "Come on! You should at least buy an Olympian. It's what your character would have."

This is a core balance issue. Depending on whether or not morph and gear value carries over (through not getting killed, insurance and/or trade prior to egocast), what sort of gear you get provided for missions, what cash flow you have in the campaign, and what you can get for free from autonomists and such, starting gear and morphs can be incredibly valuable or a waste of CPs. I don't think the right way to adress that is to have a system automatically hand out expensive morphs. That just gets us back to a problem like "the sample characters suck" which was bery prevalent in for example Shadowrun.

"Choose Native Tounge" In the main book, and latest .pdf I have, this is 70+INT, not 70+COG... ? Adding to "Fortman": "Combining Character Creation Systems": states each PP = 100CP. "Packages Under the Hood": has the 5PP skills package = 400CP base while the 3PP = 300CP and the 1PP = 100CP. (Note: Please recheck my math below, since my brain got tired mid way through the first section...) "Earth Survivor, 3PP Package" adds up to 290CP instead of 300CP. "Earth Survivor, 5PP Package" adds up to 390CP instead of 400CP. "Fall Evacuee: Underclass: 5PP Package" Adds up to 390CP instead of 400CP. "Hyperelite: Media Personality: 3PP Package" adds up to 290CP instead of 300CP. "Hyperelite: Media Personality: 5PP Package" adds up to 390CP instead of 400CP. "Isolate: Separatist: 5PP Package" adds up to 415CP instead of 400CP. "Isolate: Survivalist: 5PP Package" adds up to 395CP instead of 400CP. "Lost: Disturbed Child: 1PP Package" adds up to 80CP instead of 100CP. "Lost: Disturbed Child: 3PP Package" adds up to 280CP instead of 300CP. "Lost: Disturbed Child: 5PP Package" adds up to 380CP instead of 400CP. "Lost: Masked Normalcy: 1PP Package" adds up to 90CP instead of 100CP. "Lost: Masked Normalcy: 3PP Package" adds up to 290CP instead of 300CP. "Lost: Masked Normalcy: 5PP Package" adds up to 425CP instead of 400CP. "Re-instantiated Infomorph: 5PP Package" adds up to 350CP instead of 400CP. "Uplift: Escapee: 5PP Package" adds up to 410CP instead of 400CP. "Barsoomian: 3PP Package" adds up to 315CP instead of 300CP. "Hypercorp: 3PP Package" adds up to 260CP instead of 300CP. "Lunar: 3PP Package" adds up to 290CP instead of 300CP. "Mercurial: 3PP Package" adds up to 305CP instead of 300CP. "Nano-Ecologist: 3PP Package" adds up to 305CP instead of 300CP. "Preservationist: 3PP Package" adds up to 305CP instead of 300CP. "Socialite: 3PP Package" adds up to 305CP instead of 300CP. "Titanian: 3PP Package" adds up to 305CP instead of 300CP. "Ultimate: 3PP Package" adds up to 305CP instead of 300CP. "Venusian: 3PP Package" adds up to 305CP instead of 300CP. "Academic: 5PP Package" should have +5 COG instead of +1 COG, or it adds up to 360CP instead of 400CP. "Activist: 5PP Package" adds up to 370CP, (or 410CP with +5 SAV) instead of 400CP. "Combat Async: 1PP Package" adds up to 90CP instead of 100CP. "Combat Async: 3PP Package" adds up to 290CP instead of 300CP. "Combat Async: 5PP Package" adds up to 390CP instead of 400CP. "Controller Async: 1PP Package" adds up to 90CP instead of 100CP. "Controller Async: 3PP Package" adds up to 290CP instead of 300CP. "Controller Async: 5PP Package" adds up to 390CP instead of 400CP. "Covert Ops: 3PP Package" adds up to 295CP instead of 300CP. "Explorer: 5PP Package" adds up to 405CP instead of 400CP. "Gene Hacker: 5PP Package" should have +5 COG instead of +1 COG, or it adds up to 360CP instead of 400CP. "Journo: 3PP Package" adds up to 340CP instead of 300CP. "Journo: 5PP Package" adds up to 410CP instead of 400CP. "Medic: 3PP Package" adds up to 390CP instead of 400CP. "Medic: 5PP Package" should have +5 COG instead of +1 COG, or it adds up to 360CP instead of 400CP. "Psychosurgeon: 5PP Package" should have +5 COG instead of +1 COG, or it adds up to 360CP instead of 400CP. "Savant Async: 1PP Package" adds up to 95CP instead of 100CP. "Savant Async: 3PP Package" adds up to 330CP instead of 300CP. "Savant Async: 5PP Package" adds up to 390CP instead of 400CP. "Scanner Async: 1PP Package" adds up to 90CP instead of 100CP. "Scanner Async: 3PP Package" adds up to 330CP instead of 300CP. "Scanner Async: 5PP Package" adds up to 390CP instead of 400CP. "Scientist: 3PP Package" adds up to 280 instead of 300CP. "Scientist: 5PP Package" should have +5 COG instead of +1 COG, or it adds up to 360CP instead of 400CP. "Smart Animal Handler: 3PP Package" adds up to 260CP instead of 300CP. "Smart Animal Handler: 5PP Package" adds up to 355CP, (or 395CP with +5 INT) instead of 400CP. "Soldier: 3PP Package" adds up to 330CP instead of 300CP. "Soldier: 5PP Package" adds up to 405CP instead of 400CP. "Techie: 3PP Package" adds up to 330CP instead of 300CP. "Wrecker: 3PP Package" adds up to 290CP instead of 300CP, assuming the Theseus morph remains 45CP. I almost missed the "(Choose 2)" in packages like "Infolife: Machine AGI 5PP" and "Infolife: Research AGI 5PP", so you may wish to use bold text in these cases. "Combine Everything: Skills:" When 2x skills are added to 60+, the excess is halved, then halved again when the total is combined with it's linked aptitude... Intentional? "Combine Everything: Skills over 60 Table" plus its description: Should the character be refunded any points for a skill total over 100? "Combine Everything: Morph Aptitude Bonuses": Suggested modification to text: "...may raise skill values above 80, and above 60 without further modifier." "Combine Everything:" Suggest additional section: "Multiples of the same Trait": This would deal with illegal trait combinations, such as 2x Psi traits, or opposites. "Customize:Traits:" Regarding the Trait Cap of 50 (for both positive and negative), please state if this is a total, or in addition to what may have already been gained from any packages taken. "Customization Packages: Async:" adds up to 90CP instead of 100CP. "Customization Packages: Async Adept:" adds up to 90CP instead of 100CP. "Customization Packages: Slacker:" Missing the value of one of the interests (I assume 40 to add up to 100). "Customization Packages: Student:" Missing the value for Research (I assume 30 to add up to 100). Overall Feedback: I like it! The single thing I don't like is that the 5PP packages are only worth 400CP (though I'm guessing that this was a mistake)? This assumes that all the packages are modified out to their 100/300/400CP values or I wouldn't like the imbalance of them being off by more than ~5CP for each. I actually like the double halving in the "Combine Everything: Skills", and the cutoff in the "Combine Everything: Aptitudes and Skills" sections as a threat against min-maxer's like me :-P Looking forward to the next section and the finished book! -Joe

@Joe: Don't forget that psi comes with 1 or 2 mental disorders, so those shouldn't discount the value. Otherwise, most of your math seems to be right. Also, I do find it a bit odd that some of the async packages come with the Futura morph, but the Lost backgrounds (which by the normal building process require the Futura) do not.

Including so many undefined field skills kind of defeats the purpose of this, making many packages more alike than distinct and leaving the player with lots of heavy lifting to do in identifying fields. It would be better if more specific choices were included -- along with suggestions, when the choice is less clear. I found the few examples of the former (like asteroid mining for belters) very useful.

I don't like that the 5 CP packages are only worth 500 points; it amounts to a "you will a hundred points worse than your team-mates" penalty. Either drop them down to 4 CP or give them another hundred points. Also, I can think of two more Customization packages that might be worth including: Killing Machine, which gives you a Reaper morph, and Human 2.0, which gives you a Remade morph and 40k Credits (presumably to be largely spent on augmantations).