TheSagaContinues

I’ve honestly never had a problem with the SAGA armor system as written, provided you used the Jedi in Amor optional rule from JATM.
You’ll note, the optional rule says “…any suit of light armor with no armor check penalty even when not possessing the Armor Proficiency (light) feat. However, the hero must also forfeit the armor’s bonus to Reflex Defense in addition to the armor’s equipment bonus to Fortitude Defense.”

• Jedi in Amor optional rule and no Armor Proficiency (light) feat. Benefit: just the inherent properties of the armor, like vacuum seals, built-in equipment; no equipment bonuses of any kind (not to Ref, Fort, or other types like skill checks); this only works for light armor
 • Jedi in Amor optional rule WITH Armor Proficiency (light) feat. Benefit: gain the inherent properties of the armor, like vacuum seals, built-in equipment; AND equipment bonuses to skill checks (but forfeit the Reflex and Fort bonus, per the text of the optional rule); this only works for light armor
• Armor Proficiency feat. Benefit: per SWSE rules – use armor bonus in place of Reflex defense; at higher level, forgo armor bonus with “Jedi in Armor” optional rule (provided the armor is light)
• Armored Defense talent. Benefit: per SWSE rules – use armor bonus or heroic level
• Improved Armored Defense talent. Benefit: per SWSE rules – use heroic level + ˝ armor bonus
• Armor Mastery (Imperial Knight). Benefit: per LE rules – use heroic level + ˝ armor bonus

These are the RAW (Rules As Written), and I think they're good enough. Armor Check Penalty doesn't apply to most skills you'd be worried about out in space unless your in combat with it, and your not proficient, and it's armor heavier than light (cause otherwise you could just use the Jedi in Armor, JATM optional rule).

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I find it interesting how StevenO is so adamant against Armor Mastery (Imperial Knight). I mean, one prestige class talent, for a specific era, vs. two talents? (who cares?)  Yes, yes, I know, it's effectively 1 talent for +6 bonus, or more to Reflex defense...so is Block or Deflect depending on how you look at it (with Skill Focus UtF and below 10th level; most PC levels).

I have way more issue with a common core talent like Evasion than that specific prestige class talent. Evasion is damn-near busted at higher level, especially when you factor in high Reflex defense and making AoE attacks (i.e. ALL squad attacks) nearly worthless.

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The Dark Side is Strong, I would not be in support of a houserule as you have suggested, because I don’t feel it’s necessary for the reasons others have mentioned, and my above rationale.
Just my two cents.

I think it's only that the "fear for 1 minute" application of mind trick breaks on damage, not all applications.

Yes, and the suggestions are just that, suggestions, but they CAN make a very unreasonable suggestion seem reasonable.

Also, per the designers FAQ response, it's not like it's permanent mind control. The influenced NPC might initially surrender, see their NPC friends still attacking the PC's (and their buddies cursing at them asking what in the heck their doing), then 'snap out of it' and resume attacking (realizing they'd somehow been tricked; and be even more angry).

YIDM

Vehicles publish their weapon stat blocks differently than individual PC's do, because each person on the vehicle has it's own set of actions. A pilot can fight defensively (standard action), move (move action), and increase vehicle speed (swift action); meanwhile the gunner can aim (2 swift actions), and attack (standard action).

The Tri-Droid is a "vehicle", so follows the vehicle rules (which are different). The Tri-droid has separate droid brains allowing it to perform what it's stat block says it can do (3 "gunner" droid brains doing the shooting for 3 ordinance launchers; 1 droid brain doing the piloting). Each brain has it's own action, just like crew would on another Gargantuan vehicle. The rules are the same, it's just using droid brains instead of a crew of 4 (1 pilot and 3 gunners).

Does that make sense now?

YIDM

pretty sure increasing the size of a guard shoto does not increase it's damage.  The weapon should only deal 2d6 for being Rakatan, 2d8 when dialed up.

I could be wrong though.

Increasing or decreasing a melee weapons size category does affect it's damage dice. This defaults back to the core d20 mechanic which SAGA is based on and can be seen from the changes to unarmed damage based on size (i.e. 1d3 small, 1d4 medium, and 1d6 large). So a large-sized war-sword would do 1d10 (just like a Dire Sword), a miniaturized war-sword would do a d6 (just like a short sword; see Scum and Villainy, page 41 on Miniaturization upgrade to support this view). However, this is not necessarily the case if you "strip" a weapon up in size for an extra upgrade slot (per Scum and Villainy, page 39).

and I'm pretty sure it has to be either a guard shoto OR a retrosaber, unless you dual-gear it or something.

So...are you saying you can't make a guard shoto "retrosaber"? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a "retrosaber" just replacing the old power pack with modern power pack technology? (per the sidebar in Jedi Academy, page 50) And, sure, I could dual gear it...that'd be an easy fix also if one ruled against the former.

Add the Rakatan Template if you must, but now you do realize you can't use block or deflect or Form powers or anything else that effects lightsabers, cause it's not a lightsaber anymore, it's an exotic weapon...

Not if used by a Rakatan NPC...which was how I was using it. 
A Force adept with Primitive Block talent could also use it...

YIDM

I think StevenO already covered the best, official ways to get it and it's never bothered me to take a level in another class (and boost Intelligence), or take a talent, race, or background to get a trained skill. There are so so so many ways to get non-class skills into a build by the books (or replace one skill with another skill). Look at soldiers and Commanding Presence talent (gaining Persuasion skill of all things) or the Hot Wire talent (replacing Use Computer with Mechanics), etc. etc.. IMO, with all the official ways to do it, you don't need any homebrew way to do it.

Just my two cents.

YIDM

You could also have a Jedi PC using Deflect (for someone else) like a cannon emplacement. They Jedi PC defends, while the other PCs operate the cannon and do other ranged attacks to bring it down (slowly). It could be a long range encounter like 100+ squares away, so the PC's have to save the day and defend the small base/outpost from the attacking AT-AT.

Just another thought I had...

YIDM

Z33B - here is another 'epic' story from my past:
http://thesagacontinues.createaforum.com/general-discussion/at-at-attack/?message=22294

I think I even have a picture of the battle on my cel phone somewhere...

YIDM