I read through the last rules clarification thread but didn't want to necro it. Sorry if you'd prefer I posted there instead of starting a new topic. Gotta say after reading through the core book, it's really cool. Just have some rules questions and a couple pieces of minor feedback mixed in. Haven't had the chance to go through the Shop thoroughly yet though, so maybe I'll have more for you later.
0) Because of the risk mechanic, maybe it would be a good idea to recommend having a few dice in a different color from the rest in the Required for Play section.
1) Is Soak applied before or after shields? The MEC sheet (after) contradicts the description (before) on pg 21. It also says Soak before on pg 28.
2) With MEC gen it says you start with 3 parts. Does this mean you'd have 2-3 slots completely empty (depending on if you took a two-arm part)? If so, the Training MEC sheet wouldn't be a valid configuration for a player to start with because it has 6 parts. Or are you supposed to fill the empty slots with Squire parts? It would be good to state explicitly how this works to avoid confusion. If it's intended that the Training MEC isn't a valid first build, I would also call this out as a warning. Could even be a fun piece of dialogue from Ajax if you want to make it diegetic.
3) Speaking of, it says the total credits invested on the upgrade chart is 15k when it should be 150k, right?
4) How are part breaks applied to the extra slots from things like Knight Core, Asura Core? Are they simply excluded from normal part break rolls?
5) If a part that grants extra slots breaks, what happens to the slots they grant? Are they also disabled?
6) I might have missed it, but what is the use of the 9th Auxiliary slot on the MEC sheet? It seems like the max should be 8 (Betyl Chamber + 7 Cargo Slots). Maybe I missed something special that uses that slot?
7) With Once per Allied Phase, is that shared across all your allies, or is it counted separately per person? Does that restriction only apply to using it as a free action, i.e. if you use it as an Action/Flash Action, would that be in addition to the 1/AP free action?
8) If a single instance of damage exceeds a MEC's max shields (after Soak if relevant), can you still use Overshield to reduce the damage? Or is the damage all delivered in a single packet that can only be reduced by Shields once? Can Overshield cause you to exceed your max shields?
9) How exactly does Frenzy work? Are you forced to spend an action on it or is it a free action? When does it occur and how often? What kind of attack is it? One of your basic attacks? Is the attack used determined by you or the GM, or is it determined randomly? What if you don't have any attacks left, e.g. all your parts with attacks have been destroyed or you don't have any equipped?
10) How does Immune work exactly? It seems strange that Effects you are Immune to can still be applied to trigger damage from Charged. I would expect that Immunity prevents an Effect from being applied in the first place. Is that just a specific carveout for Charged? If so, it should be specified in the rules for Charged itself (right now, this interaction is only mentioned in the Aquatic Combat rules). Either way, the rules for Immune need to be expanded upon. Right now it essentially just says, "Immune means you are Immune."
11) If you trigger Charged by applying an Effect the target is Immune to, what happens to the Charged effect? Does it stay around or is it removed? Does the target take switching damage? What happens if you apply an Effect the target is Immune to while it has a different Effect applied to it (other than Charged)?
12) Is collision damage supposed to be 1 SD of damage? Or do you roll a d6 and deal the number rolled as that amount of damage?
13) Does the Powder Keg field effect's +3 dice to elemental detonations replace the default +2 dice or is it in addition to it (for a total of +5)?
14) Is there currently a use for unique Wyrm pieces or is it just for narrative/plot device stuff? Or still WIP?
15) It isn't mentioned explicitly that player pilots are excluded from the Overkill rule until very deep in the GM section (unit creation on pg 49). I think even just a quick parenthetical like (not players) would help set expectations better when first reading about Overkill on pg 6.
16) Maybe I just glossed over something really obvious, but the Bastions and some of the Corporations have these sets of numbers in the upper right corner of their profiles. I assume they have some kind of meaning but I couldn't figure it out. It's especially puzzling since Cadejo, Jiangshi, Nkondi, and Midas are missing them for no discernable reason.
17) In the Breaks section on pg 22, it says that your MEC becomes "unsalvageable" after it's shut down from taking 3 breaks. But can't you still repair it and make it functional again (assuming you're able to retrieve it or set up a field garage etc.)? So maybe don't use that word since it makes it sound like you need to get a whole new MEC when that isn't the case. Or, if you don't have a TPK, is the intent that the survivors Scrap your MEC and just lug you and your Betyl back to civilization? But I'm not sure how you're supposed to proceed from there. Does a 5k full repair cover remaking the entire MEC from scratch from just the Betyl? I guess it'd just be an empty frame without any parts since you have to buy those back separately (and you wouldn't have the old parts around for that 50% discount). Still beats 150k though. I assume you're not expected to try to play a "free" MEC with 0 upgrades or something like that.
I hope this wasn't too much, and thanks for making something so awesome!