i am not that disapointed, just let Sent do as he wishes.
Easy Kour, it's down time, let me have my own share of fun in discussions with Sichr.
GM discretion.. OK. But it means that you should jjudge thisby the situation, character developement (with posible changes in use of resources etc.) and other consequeces, not simply ban it forever.
If Sam wants a new specialization for Pistols and he never holded pistol in his hand, that I would understand is impossible. But forbidding him to get the specialization after lets say..month he is using just a pistol and not a taser I would call useless bullying. How does it damage the game? Would it throw whole game out of ballance, if someone begins to use pitols instead of tasers?
Actually yes. I do perceive taking specializations as strategic choice much like investing in skill or attributes. Changing specializations after one month, changes the balance. It doesn't change it much in the tasers vs semiauto case, but it does in case of combat vs healing spells or hacking exploit vs decrypt. Mostly because of things that happen mid-runs - changing to healing becasue team member got hurt, or changing to cracking because you found a piece of encrypted file, that takes week to decrypt.
I understand what's GM discretion mean. I could probably accept changing specialization if you work on the subject enough (at least the amount of time necessary to get a skill at the current level - like relearning level 4 pistols in Sam's case). BUT, it's much easier for you to assume, that I just forbid it, and you might call it a useless bullying.
BTW...IDN if its RAW, but IMO there is something in rules that say that no chaaracter improvements are possible during the run, only in meantime. Which would make this "switching there and back again" argument pointless
We are progressing at the weekly rate. It does make switching argument pointless, but the changing PhDs are still in place it's just the matter of interval. I am telling you that missions, however intensive and time consuming in RL are taking weeks only in game time, and there is simply not enough time for such changes.
also
RAW:
Advancement takes place in the interim game time between ses-
sions, sometimes called down time. Characters may not spend Karma
to improve skills, attributes, or abilities in the middle of an adventure.
I think that it is fun to see you character develops, and we are playing for months of real time. Regardless of the above (of which I wasn't aware honestly) I am awarding you Karma in the middle of the run that you CAN spend on things that do not require time - like attributes, specializations, qualities.