Is Mechanical too weak?

[Effex Seven]

Is Mechanical the "dump stat" in SW d6? Over the years, I've noticed that players (myself included) tend to short it more than the other stats. I guess the rationale is "Let someone else fly the ship/speeder/whatever." Does anyone else agree, or is this just a consequence of our playstyle (which doesn't feature starship combat that much.)

[Kayle Skolaris]

My dump stat tends to be either Knowledge of Perception. I like to be able to pilot stuff.

[Gry Sarth]

Well, this proves everyone plays it differently and so there aren't really any "dump stats", it's just how YOU play it. In my games Mechanical is very important, and so is Perception. I would say that the dump stats in my group are KNW and TEC.
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[Ankhanu]

I don't find it a dump stat at all. I find the "let someone else pilot it" mind frame will screw you over more often than not. There isn't always someone else around to pilot for you; in those moments you'll wish that you hadn't neglected it... nothing like a good crash or not being able to outrun/catch someone in a pursuit to bring things into light.

I suppose if I've ever thought of something as a dump stat, it's maybe been technical... though, like any other attribute, treat it as a dump and you're going to be in poodoo when something breaks and you're stranded... or if you need to get into something and can't get it open (security, demolitions)

[cheshire]

I think it's hillarious what always winds up happening. My group always has one guy with a huge Mechanical attribute, and he pilots the ship. Then the group gets thrown into a speeder chase where they have two or three two-seater swoops. One guy can't do it all.

I try to encourage my group to diversify,and it winds up being a bad idea to have just one person with a good mechanical attribute. People need to fire shipboard blasters, operate shields, and fly the ship. If you have one person do that and they wind up incapacitated in a ground battle, you have the rest of the group trying to button-mash the controls in space.

[garhkal]

[Gry Sarth]

Best thing was a Jedi character in my game, who had only 2D MEC and no skills whatsoever. He stole a Lambda Shuttle, and managed to make a fairly safe journey on account of his "Enhance Attribute". However, when it came time to land, his dice failed him and his character ended up forgetting to raise the wings before landing. That put Mos Eisley's Docking Bay 84 out of comission for a long while.... And made him the joke of pilots everywhere...
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[Zarm R'keeg]

I find Knowledge to be the primary, and Technical the secondary dump stats (save for First Aid). Mechanical can be neglected, but usually every player gives at least some attention to Starship Piloting and Gunnery.
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Star Wars: Marvels, the audio drama: www.nolinecinemas.com

Hard core OT, all the way!

[Fallon Kell]

[garhkal]

[Bren]

[Zarm R'keeg]

Some have wanted to use Dexterity?!
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Star Wars: Marvels, the audio drama: www.nolinecinemas.com

Hard core OT, all the way!

[Crimson_red]

I'd have to agree, the attributes and skills are pretty well arrayed, because though I have seen scores neglected, rarely do I see them dumped. This is particularly true in my mind for Mechanical, even in ground/foot focused games, I find chases, particularly vehicle or mount based chases, are too big of an element in SW to neglect entirely, so a character may not focus on this element, but it is rarely truly dumped.

If there are any areas I see as most likely dumped (in contradiction to my previous statement) it would be Knowledge or Technical simply because it is easier to rely on a companion in those areas, unlike Dexterity or Mechanical (single pilot vehicles being a good example).

That said I have seen Strength and Dexterity severely neglected on occasion, usually on techie-type characters like slicers, or pilots who can't keep from tripping over their own two feet.

That is one reason why I like the D6 system so much, it offers the player to portray such a broad and varied selection of character types, while still keeping them mechanically viable, something I feel D20 and other level based systems often struggle at (to speak generally).

[ZzaphodD]

[Crimson_red]