TheSagaContinues

Looking at a few possibilities with a couple of them tying in with Gialle but some questions:
Look at substituting Advanced Melee Weapons in place of Rifles at 1st-level; I'll note the character does NOT multiclass later to get rifles but does multiclass and picks up another melee weapon which is what the build is currently using because I can't find an appropriate AMW that'll do what I want it to do.  Why are reach weapons so poorly labelled...

I'd rather not worry about 1st level feat substitutions.  I know that can limit initial flexibility, but it can make it confusing to determine what a character's starting feats are and where they got them from.

Out of curiosity, what are you looking for in an advanced melee weapon?  I can see you are interested in reach, of which there are a few advanced melee (shock whip LECG page 62, static pike WAR page 37), a few exotic (neuronic whip FUCG page 200, amphistaff SECR page 121), a couple lightsabers (lightsaber pike and dual-phase lightsaber), as well as a single simple example (wan-shen JATM page 54).  Several of these weapons allow for stun damage, and the shock whip allows for grabs (or grapples with the Trip feat).  What all are you looking for?

As you counting Melee Defense as "Fight Defensively" with regards to certain feats/talents and if so at what level?

Wary Defender (CWCG page 32), Resolute Stance (UKN page 28), and Defensive Acuity (LECG page 27) are the specifc feats and talent I know use defensive fighting, but there may be others.  There is no level limit that I wanted to impose, simply to give choice to people who pick Melee Defense some options about other useful feats that I would houserule with it.