How do you know each other?

We also get another two Skills each from the Skills Package mechanic. As a group we can either pick one of the Skill Packages from the book, or we can make one up to fit our needs.

Maybe each player suggest two Skills they think the group needs, we toss all eight into a Package and then go round the circle and pick. Maybe we try to allow each player to get one of the ones they suggested, maybe the first one.

There are a few Skills Packages that have duplicate Skills on them, so we can have a bit of duplication, but they are meant to round out the party's abilities by bolstering the weak points, not by boosting the areas we are strong, so they should be fairly unique Skills we don't have (or something we think is vital for everyone to have).

Yeah, that makes sense. As you said, I don't think Ronny's had any "underground training". More like stuff he noticed and picked up during interactions.

Well, my two suggestions would be Recon and Astrogation.

Existing Skills Summary

Check the Summary of Skills above. It may help with filling in weak points (like those completely missing Recon and Astrogation).

So, I guess the Explorer package would be a good addition?

Thanks for the overview. I guess I'll take...
Let me think...
Maybe...
Recon and astrogation?

Could be. Though there is a lot of on there that either duplicates things we have or provides things we have not shown any interest in. Hence my leaning towards making our own Package.

Again? Or are you just echoing WhtKnt?

I was following your suggestion

Oh, sorry. It looks like I missed one of your posts.
In that case, I'd suggest adding Survival and Medic to the list.
Even though we already have a 4 (and 0) medic, I think it would be useful for someone to be able to patch up our main doctor if needed.

Wile I was echoing WhtKnt. :)

I will leave it up to our existing medics whether we want that. These Packages bring the Skill to 1, so I would not want our level 0 Medic to get overshadowed by something from outside the 'story'.

That's a fair point. I'm also fine with Raf upgrading medic from 0 to 1. I'm not too bothered with making 'optimal' builds. :)

It might be 'what you learned from them', but it does not need to be so direct at having the other character 'teach' the skill, it is more what you learned from that whole experience.
So... I would like to sum up my connections and check if everyone agrees with them and have some semi-established 'facts':
- Ronny + Raf: My idea is development of - what I think - we have developed about about Rafael and Ronny connection: that we were taking smuggling jobs from the same "shady" guy and it was Ronny who have introduced Raf in those circles. Even though that Raf had some streetwise expertise already. My proposition is that this guy was going by the name Sonny, probably was involved with some mafia-like structures, but his main future was that he was an absolute guns-freak, collecting all he can get and being fascinated by guns from every world he can get one. So to take a job from him there was only one way: you had to go on shooting range with him and make a deal there. Thats why Raf have developed his Gun Combat - Energy skill from this connection. Is it ok? Noting on sheet already.

That would suggest that Raf got some interesting weapon modification from this acquaintance, but those in core book aren't to exotic/interesting for the situation.

- Lio + Raf: So we stay with the story, that Raf helped "fighting" this nasty Tutor that got on Lio for some reason, yes? What was his name as he is Lio rival so Raf should know him too? Initially I wanted to rise Persuade from this to show that Raf did that by persuading some of the other university official to hinder this tutor and help Lio... but seeing that Ronny is getting 2 at Persuade I think Raf has taken different approach for that:
As Lio ended up competing with him on a major breakthrough, Raf has organized a group of fellow students to help Lio with a race/argument and took care about them and their morale while they were "in the race" - so he developed Leadership from those early days. Could be useful if he is going to stay as eventual captain of the ship... :)
Would that be ok? So noting it already in the sheet to not forget it later. Leadership to 1 form nothing.

- Cat + Raf: they have meet while escaping the civil war on the ship that Raf had 25% and Cat shares - no skill for that, but maybe they got the group astrogator in this time - someone should plot the right curse in the troubling times of war for them? Would that be ok?

As for Skills Package - I quite like the propositions from Explorer package. I can get +1 for Medic if that will be the will of a group, but have no problem with someone being better at this from Raf too... as in the end he ended being more interested with no-invasive cybernetics then being a physician like Lio. So he will be the last resort medic in that scenerio... I think it suits him even better then for what he is shaping right now to me.

For me the most needed is Astrogation - indeed. But maybe we can have a NPC for that on our ship? As I proposed on my connection to Cat. But it will not hurt to someone know about it something in case... something will happen to that NPC:)

Also Survival seems very handy, but let's maybe not forget about Explosives, Gunnery and Tactics - if we plan to go against the law sometimes...:)
Also some more persons with Engineer if we gonna actually fly our ship;) would be probably essential.

Ronny and Sonny? Could get confusing. Which is fine if we want that.
Nice. These sorts of details can do lot of heavy lifting in the story. If you guys come across any interesting guns on your travels you can leverage them into getting deals from this 'contact'.

Does he know about Raf's antique gun? Was that an introduction-vector or is that something you have to keep away from him else he will want it?
No problem.
If you are interested in anything in particular we can talk about it. It is also a potential source for later acquisitions as the story plays out.
Makes sense.
Sure. If one of you two want to take that skill ('captain' and 'navigator' are a common pairing).

It is nice to be able to explain why/how we got certain Skills, but the rules don't say when we get these Skills, so we can also say that we 'had it all along' which is why the scene played out that way.

Only if you want to. We can always rope in NPC help in the situation where the primary medic is out of action and Raf's 0 is not enough.
You can get NPCs to fill in any gaps in your roster. That way the PCs can focus on what they actually want to end up doing in play.
Whoops. I completely assumed you meant a PC gets the astrogation skill from the 'group pool', my mistake.

Yes, you can have picked up a NPC at that time. It will not change the need to pay them, but might have drastic effects on loyalty (theirs and yours).
I don't have the book with me. What does that Package include?
Having gaps in our abilities can be interesting. For things like Explosives, in particular, you can hire an NPC as and when you need those particular Skills you are bad at.
Or pirates.
There are a lot of Engineering related things on the ship. But we can ignore most of them (or hire NPCs) if we don't want to be the ones doing them in play.

The explorer package is the one I posted here ;)

Ah, right. Phones and small screens and such, you know. :)