Second Edition Question

[Maniac Actual]

One of my players is starting a campaign, and is using the second edition (MechWarrior 2E).  We are confused about the character creation rules. 

When you buy the academy skill package, do you have to buy the basic training skill package as well as the advanced package, or just the advanced one, taking the skills the basic one requires?  We ask this b/c if you hae to buy both, a beginning player can't become an advance intelligence agent, using the intelligence operatives handbook academy skills package.

Thoughts?

[foxbat]

When you buy the academy skill package, do you have to buy the basic training skill package as well as the advanced package, or just the advanced one, taking the skills the basic one requires?  We ask this b/c if you hae to buy both, a beginning player can't become an advance intelligence agent, using the intelligence operatives handbook academy skills package.

You have to :

p17 of MW2. Basic training must be taken by a character who purchases an IS skill package.

Now, you have two options : academy or university. The 1ts one costs 14 pts (9pts vasic + 15 pts advanced), the 2nd one costs 30 pts (12 basic, 18 advanced). The difference lays in the number of skills you may take from the package. If you pick Univesity you'll get to pick 4 skills L1 and 4 skills L2 from the basic package, and 2L3, 3 L2, 3 L1 from the advanced package while you only get 3L2 and 3L1 Basic and 2L3, 2L2, 2L1 Advance for Acadamy. You do not have to pick ALL of the skills listed in any package and consequently, your intel operative can be played without mastering all tghe skills listed in the MOS.

[guardiandashi]

in second edition you can also take a higher priority towards skills than you NEED for the package, you buy, and fill out the skills with 1-2 level skills .

example you want to buy a program that gives you 10 skills, but your academy package only grants you 6 skills at (basic 3 lvl 2, 3 lvl 1 for 9 points, or advanced, 2 at 3, 2 at 2, and 2 at 1

how do you do it?  you put priority 3 or 4 into skills (giving 20, or 24 skill points) and you would have 5, or 9 skill points left that you could use for a bunch of lvl 1 skills  or at least that's always been my understanding