The absence of set character classes in SLA seems to be giving people problems having a vision of where they want their characters to go and what role they should be filling, so below is an overview of useful roles, skills and equipment and how they compliment each other. This is all based on my experience of playing and running the game, which is extensive, but it's only advice and players should ultimately go with what they enjoy playing.
Players should bear in mind that they will find themselves in one of three situations; combat, investigation, and support. All players should have a combat role, even if it's only that they can provide an extra gun. Not having a role in combat means you probably can't defend yourself, and it also means you'll be bored sometimes as combat can be quite a drawn out affair. Investigation roles aren't essential, but not all BPNs involve combat and if you're nothing but a big gun on legs you might find yourself with very little to do. Again it doesn't have to be much, but being able to offer some kind of contribution can often take some pressure off other players who are more specialised in investigation. Support isn't essential, but characters who are skilled in the stuff that happens between BPNs, such as media, corporate and financial skills, can be a big help to squads in keeping costs down and profiles up.
General skills and equipment:
This is stuff that everyone really ought to have just to stay alive and useful. The skills don't neccessarily have to be at a high level, but taking them at character creation will save problems in the long run.
One close combat and one ranged skill (pistol is most useful as everyone is issued one). This allows a character to at least defend themselves in combat. Throw is also useful for grenades and, well, anything else you might need to throw.
Acrobatics, climb and gymnastics are useful at a low level for rolls that involve falling and jumping. SLA is often three dimensional, and moving vertically can be a problem if a character doesn't have these skills. Gymnastics is also useful to prevent being hit in close combat. Similarly, hide and sneak are useful. Only a point or two is needed, but they are inevitably used at some point or other.
Streetwise, literacy and SLA Info are all useful skills that most characters would have. Most if not all get these in their racial skills. Detect is also a starting skill, and is essential for noticing things like clues and hostile snipers.
Some skills aren't essential, but are useful for anyone to have. Swim can be good for obvious reasons, as can drive civilian. Computer use, navigation, and drive civilian can be useful for situations when there's no specialist around who can do the skills well. Running is always useful as it increases a character's sprinting speed, which can make quite a difference in SLA combat. Weapons maintenance may not look useful, but it is used to determine if a weapon jam has occurred in combat.
Every character starts the game with a FEN 603 pistol and some ammo for it, which is the minimum needed really as far as guns go. It's worth investing in some sort of close combat weapon too, even if it's only a knife, as combat in SLA often gets close and nasty and bullets are expensive. Bear in mind that just because you might not want to engage in combat, combat might want to engage you.
Armour is pretty much essential, particularly Deathsuits for Ebons and Wasters. Blocker is fairly cheap and should be the minimum, although creative use of starting money can get people playing in Exo. Similarly, non-Ebon characters should invest in a few doses of Kick Start in order to heal themselves, and an auto-injector will help administer the drugs in combat without having to fumble for syringes.
Climbing gear and a grapple is very useful to any character. As mentioned earlier, movement is often three dimensional in the city and most characters will find themselves needing to get up or down quickly at one point or another.
Everybody should have a headset communicator. Squads often separate for combat, and trying to get information between groups is extremely difficult without one. Means of seeing in the dark is also pretty much essential. Different methods are used, from nightvision to flashlights to armour mounted spotlamps, but everyone should have something. Motion trackers are also cheap and very useful for knowing where the enemy is without having to stick your head over cover.
At home a character should keep a weapons maintenance kit and/or laser sharpener to prevent their weapons failing in combat.
General squad skills and equipment:
Many useful skills don't need everyone to know, but having one person in the squad that can is often useful. Most people can do combat in one form or another, but having at least one character skilled in investigation will make non-combat BPNs so much easier. Equipment such as an Oyster computer will make getting information on a BPN far easier, and having one member of the squad take a vehicle advantage to get a jeep or APC will make getting there much more convenient and neat. A character who has the skills and equipment to maintain the squad's vehicles will also be useful in keeping down the running costs.
Specific character roles - combat
General:
All a character really needs to do in combat is be able to fire a gun. If you don't want anything more than that then taking a general role to some extent will contribute in sending more outgoing lead. Taking an assault rifle or SMG and some basic combat equipment like a motion scanner will add firepower to your squad. Players wanting to take a general combat role further could go for a more powerful weapon and armour, and taking something with a variable rate of fire along with some close combat skills will make them versatile enough to fill most roles in combat.
Assault:
Assault characters specialise in taking down large targets by shooting them with large guns. Assault characters are the opposite of stealthy. Their role is a focal point in combat, directing fire away from less armoured squad mates and dealing out high damage in return. To begin with it's worth taking a Mangler or assault rifle with HESH or HEAP rounds, and taking as heavy armour as possible. Later a large calibre weapon such as a MAL assault cannon will be a great asset. Stormers make great assault characters, as do Frothers, and they are often death squad trained.
Close Combat:
While not that tactically viable, close combat characters are nontheless popular. Melee specialists tend to be flamboyant in order to attract the attention of the camera, but can also do large amounts of damage in a short amount of time. A high running skill is good, to help close the gap to your target, as well as gymnastics skills to stop you being hit back. Many melee characters take the kick murder package, and the role is commonly filled by Shaktar and Frothers.
Support:
Support characters are there to lay down fire in support of the assault and close combat characters. Taking weapons with a high rate of fire they can suppress the enemy until the big hitters get there. It can be expensive on ammo to be support, so low calibre weapons are adviseable at first. Later, larger weapons such as Power Reapers will be more effective. Auto support is predictably an important skill, as is rifle. Support characters are usually death squad trained.
Sniper:
Eveyone loves friendly snipers, and lots of people like to play them. Most will probably start with an assault rifle, but there are some extremely powerful dedicated sniper rifles out there for when the money is available. A sniper needs to be able to climb better than most in order to get into position, and hiding and sneaking skills are useful too. Detect should be high for a sniper, not only to enable them to spot their targets, but also to spot other people who might have seen them and be taking aim themselves. Obviously a high rifle and marksman skill is essential to a sniper, less obviously are skills like rival company knowledge, tactics, and evaluate opponent. The sniper's overview of a combat situation combined with these skills will enable him to relay information to the squad that will be useful when the bullets start flying, such as which targets will be causing the most damage, or how they will be likely to react. Most Snipers tend to take the scout package, and access to a Scout Helmet is a big advantage.
Point:
A point Op is similar to a sniper in that he can perform reconnaisance in order to establish enemy strength before a combat. The difference is that the point man will get in close to do it. Skills like hide, sneak and detect are extremely important, and rival company info, tactics and evaluate opponent can help the squad before the combat starts. The difference between the point man and the sniper is that the point will get stuck in close and dirty once the fighting starts. Close combat is popular and can be very effective, and looks good on camera as they leap from cover to eviscerate the enemy. Alternatively, shotguns and SMGs are good close up and can be devastating. Point characters are often scout or kick murder trained.
I'm a bit typed out at the moment. I'll do investigation and support later.
SLA character recommendations
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Specific character roles - Investigation
Investigations make up a fair proportion of the game, after all it's supposed to be urban horror. Characters who are solely combat can still talk to people, but the skills needed to pick up clues and exploit them will be needed by at least some of the party.
Undercover:
Often difficult to play, but also very rewarding. Human Ops, to an extent Ebons, are perfect for going undercover. By taking this subtle approach an Op is likely to get far more information in a Downtown environment, as the civilians there are generally reluctant to speak to SLA. Disguise is obviously quite useful, and streetwise is essential to an undercover character. Rival company and SLA info are good skills to develop in order to be able to interpret the information they are collecting on the spot, and skills like persuade, seduction, bribery and intimidation will all help cajole NPCs into giving over the required information. Undercover Ops will often be entirely alone, unarmed, and out of contact with their squad, and as such it is a good idea to be proficient in unarmed combat or martial arts. Undercover Ops are almost exclusively human, and are generally scout, I&I, or point package.
Forensic:
A forensic Op will specialise in analysing clues picked up. Detect is useful for any character, but especially so for those investigating crime scenes, and skills such as forensics and pathology will enable the character to gasther information from the clues. Medical skills can be useful on occasion in diagnosing the cause of injuries when used in conjunction with pathology, and some forensic Ops will take tracking to analyse movements in a crime scene. Forensic Ops are usually human or Ebon I&I or medical package Ops, and Ebons can be particularly effective with their True Track Ebb ability.
Technician:
Subtlety in an investigation can often be achieved through appropriate use of technology, and the technical Op's role is this. Picking locks, hacking computers, planting bugs and electronically tracking are all specialities of technicians. Skills such as SLA Info and Rival Company Info are useful for diagnosing information as it is found, and computer use and subterfuge should be trained in order to get to the information in the first place. Lock picking, both mechanical and electronic, are also part of a technician's trade, and some expand into electrical and mechanical repair. Sleight can be useful in planting the bugs which form part of a typical technician's equipment. Indeed, gadgets and tools like lock picks, computer, tracking bugs, microphones, and miniature cameras are as essential to the work as the knowledge is. Technical Ops are usually mechanics or I&I package and are generally human, though not always.
Administrator:
While a technical Op may be good at hacking information out of computers, getting informatoin from SLA requires a different approach unless a squad wishes to find itself in a lot of trouble. An admin Op specialises in finding their way through the maze of red tape in order to get information from SLA Industries. SLA Info and computer use are predictably important skills, but less obvious are the skills for the Op to be able to deal with contacts. Interview and communique skills will enable the character to deal with higher ranking contacts, and persuasion and seduction are sometimes coupled with them in order to manipulate the contact a little. Business administration can also be an effective skill, and many administrator Ops also end up as the squad leader or speaker, where leadership and diplomacy come in useful. A high literacy skill is desireable, and as administrative Ops usually act as combat financiers business finance is also a useful skill. Business or I&I package trained Ops usually fill this role.
Media:
Media Ops don't generally contribute directly to an investigation, although they can have good press relations which can occasionally be useful. Media Ops instead will carry a camera and will be there to provide the media with footage of combat and investigations, effectively acting as the squad's personal camera crew. While this may not seem too helpful, few Ops complain when the royalties from the footage come flowing in, followed by sponsorships. Media Ops often have skills such as diplomacy, interview, and communique in order to act as the frontman of the squad, taking interviews and making them look good. Photography and cinematography will help the Op take well framed and clear footage, and edit it in order to increase the chances of it getting airtime. It is not uncommon for media Ops to be suave and smooth, taking good looks and speech advantages, speaking foreign languages, and possessing knowledge of good food and drinks. Media Ops are usually trained in the Media package.
Specific character roles - Squad Support
Outside of a squad's BPNs the characters will still have a life and will still have things to do. Not every Op needs a role, but those who don't put a lot of energy into combat often take on roles that will benefit the squad in the long term.
Financier:
Rather than having an independent financier, some squads will have a combat financier who will get them BPNs, handle the red tape and bureaucracy, and often the squad's finances too. The role fits perfectly with Ops who take an administrative role in investigations as the skills cross over to quite an extent. As with administrators, finance Ops tend to be squad leaders and will often be well dressed and spoken.
Driver:
Many Ops can already drive, but some choose to dedicate a little more of their time (and character creation points) into providing transport to the squad. Taking skills such as drive military and civilian, mechanical and electrical repair, and most importantly having a vehicle large enough to carry the squad, the driver is usually an important member of any squad. In addition to being the squad's taxi, driver Ops with repair skills can help their colleagues out by servicing their vehicles, thus keeping running costs down.
Investigations make up a fair proportion of the game, after all it's supposed to be urban horror. Characters who are solely combat can still talk to people, but the skills needed to pick up clues and exploit them will be needed by at least some of the party.
Undercover:
Often difficult to play, but also very rewarding. Human Ops, to an extent Ebons, are perfect for going undercover. By taking this subtle approach an Op is likely to get far more information in a Downtown environment, as the civilians there are generally reluctant to speak to SLA. Disguise is obviously quite useful, and streetwise is essential to an undercover character. Rival company and SLA info are good skills to develop in order to be able to interpret the information they are collecting on the spot, and skills like persuade, seduction, bribery and intimidation will all help cajole NPCs into giving over the required information. Undercover Ops will often be entirely alone, unarmed, and out of contact with their squad, and as such it is a good idea to be proficient in unarmed combat or martial arts. Undercover Ops are almost exclusively human, and are generally scout, I&I, or point package.
Forensic:
A forensic Op will specialise in analysing clues picked up. Detect is useful for any character, but especially so for those investigating crime scenes, and skills such as forensics and pathology will enable the character to gasther information from the clues. Medical skills can be useful on occasion in diagnosing the cause of injuries when used in conjunction with pathology, and some forensic Ops will take tracking to analyse movements in a crime scene. Forensic Ops are usually human or Ebon I&I or medical package Ops, and Ebons can be particularly effective with their True Track Ebb ability.
Technician:
Subtlety in an investigation can often be achieved through appropriate use of technology, and the technical Op's role is this. Picking locks, hacking computers, planting bugs and electronically tracking are all specialities of technicians. Skills such as SLA Info and Rival Company Info are useful for diagnosing information as it is found, and computer use and subterfuge should be trained in order to get to the information in the first place. Lock picking, both mechanical and electronic, are also part of a technician's trade, and some expand into electrical and mechanical repair. Sleight can be useful in planting the bugs which form part of a typical technician's equipment. Indeed, gadgets and tools like lock picks, computer, tracking bugs, microphones, and miniature cameras are as essential to the work as the knowledge is. Technical Ops are usually mechanics or I&I package and are generally human, though not always.
Administrator:
While a technical Op may be good at hacking information out of computers, getting informatoin from SLA requires a different approach unless a squad wishes to find itself in a lot of trouble. An admin Op specialises in finding their way through the maze of red tape in order to get information from SLA Industries. SLA Info and computer use are predictably important skills, but less obvious are the skills for the Op to be able to deal with contacts. Interview and communique skills will enable the character to deal with higher ranking contacts, and persuasion and seduction are sometimes coupled with them in order to manipulate the contact a little. Business administration can also be an effective skill, and many administrator Ops also end up as the squad leader or speaker, where leadership and diplomacy come in useful. A high literacy skill is desireable, and as administrative Ops usually act as combat financiers business finance is also a useful skill. Business or I&I package trained Ops usually fill this role.
Media:
Media Ops don't generally contribute directly to an investigation, although they can have good press relations which can occasionally be useful. Media Ops instead will carry a camera and will be there to provide the media with footage of combat and investigations, effectively acting as the squad's personal camera crew. While this may not seem too helpful, few Ops complain when the royalties from the footage come flowing in, followed by sponsorships. Media Ops often have skills such as diplomacy, interview, and communique in order to act as the frontman of the squad, taking interviews and making them look good. Photography and cinematography will help the Op take well framed and clear footage, and edit it in order to increase the chances of it getting airtime. It is not uncommon for media Ops to be suave and smooth, taking good looks and speech advantages, speaking foreign languages, and possessing knowledge of good food and drinks. Media Ops are usually trained in the Media package.
Specific character roles - Squad Support
Outside of a squad's BPNs the characters will still have a life and will still have things to do. Not every Op needs a role, but those who don't put a lot of energy into combat often take on roles that will benefit the squad in the long term.
Financier:
Rather than having an independent financier, some squads will have a combat financier who will get them BPNs, handle the red tape and bureaucracy, and often the squad's finances too. The role fits perfectly with Ops who take an administrative role in investigations as the skills cross over to quite an extent. As with administrators, finance Ops tend to be squad leaders and will often be well dressed and spoken.
Driver:
Many Ops can already drive, but some choose to dedicate a little more of their time (and character creation points) into providing transport to the squad. Taking skills such as drive military and civilian, mechanical and electrical repair, and most importantly having a vehicle large enough to carry the squad, the driver is usually an important member of any squad. In addition to being the squad's taxi, driver Ops with repair skills can help their colleagues out by servicing their vehicles, thus keeping running costs down.
For the benefit of those creating characters here's a little advice on races:
Human
Humans are a safe bet for anything really, as with most RPGs. The only limitation is that they can't use the Ebb.
Advantages:
Not obviously SLA
Versatile
Disadvantages:
Not as tough or fast as others
Can't use Ebb
Frother
Frothers are pretty obvious, with their dreads and tartan (and foaming at the mouth), which kind of negates a lot of the advantages of being human. They are, however, rather tough and don't look as monstrous as Stormers or Shaktar.
Advantages:
Hard to stop
Stronger and faster than humans
Disadvantages:
Not very subtle
Can't use Ebb
Ebon
With the exception of blending in, there's not much a human can do that an Ebon can't. Ebons are pretty well accepted within SLA Industries and have little in the way of racial stereotyping.
Advantages:
Use the Ebb
Armour is upgraded with experience, not money
Are capable of subtlety
Disadvantages:
Don't fit in like humans
Aren't as strong or fast as other races
Brain Waster
Wasters are effectively the same as Ebons, but with a bad attitude. Their scorched eyes make them stand out, although their antisocial personalities would do that anyway. Brain Wasters lose out on the subtlety that Ebons have, important in investigations, but make up for it in combat aggression.
Advantages:
Use Ebb
Armour is upgraded with experience, not money
Disadvantages:
Don't fit in like humans
Aren't as strong or fast as other races
Big social problems
About as subtle as Berk
Wraith Raider
Wraiths are fast and agile, making them popular as scouts. It's rare to find them working outside SLA, so they're not very good undercover, but their speed in combat more than makes up for that for many players.
Advantages:
Very fast
Disadvantages:
Not as strong as other races
Stand out as alien
Can't use Ebb
Shaktar
Shaktar are large, strong and reflective. They follow a sort of samurai code of honour which squad members often find reassuring, as they know a Shaktar would never leave a friend in the shit. Shaktar make excellent close and ranged combat characters, and don't suffer from the lack of intelligence the other combat orientated races do.
Advantages:
Large and strong
Well respected
Are capable of subtlety
Disadvantages:
Obviously SLA
Honour code can be restrictive
Stormer
Stormers are combat characters through and through. They're fast and strong, and they regenerate. They are exclusively employees of SLA though (as they're made by SLA), and are rather stupid and naive. Stormers are extremely intimidating, but are generally relatively good natured compared to Frothers and Brain Wasters.
Advantages:
Strong, tough and fast
Regenerate
Disadvantages:
Not very bright
Obviously SLA
Can't use Ebb
Human
Humans are a safe bet for anything really, as with most RPGs. The only limitation is that they can't use the Ebb.
Advantages:
Not obviously SLA
Versatile
Disadvantages:
Not as tough or fast as others
Can't use Ebb
Frother
Frothers are pretty obvious, with their dreads and tartan (and foaming at the mouth), which kind of negates a lot of the advantages of being human. They are, however, rather tough and don't look as monstrous as Stormers or Shaktar.
Advantages:
Hard to stop
Stronger and faster than humans
Disadvantages:
Not very subtle
Can't use Ebb
Ebon
With the exception of blending in, there's not much a human can do that an Ebon can't. Ebons are pretty well accepted within SLA Industries and have little in the way of racial stereotyping.
Advantages:
Use the Ebb
Armour is upgraded with experience, not money
Are capable of subtlety
Disadvantages:
Don't fit in like humans
Aren't as strong or fast as other races
Brain Waster
Wasters are effectively the same as Ebons, but with a bad attitude. Their scorched eyes make them stand out, although their antisocial personalities would do that anyway. Brain Wasters lose out on the subtlety that Ebons have, important in investigations, but make up for it in combat aggression.
Advantages:
Use Ebb
Armour is upgraded with experience, not money
Disadvantages:
Don't fit in like humans
Aren't as strong or fast as other races
Big social problems
About as subtle as Berk
Wraith Raider
Wraiths are fast and agile, making them popular as scouts. It's rare to find them working outside SLA, so they're not very good undercover, but their speed in combat more than makes up for that for many players.
Advantages:
Very fast
Disadvantages:
Not as strong as other races
Stand out as alien
Can't use Ebb
Shaktar
Shaktar are large, strong and reflective. They follow a sort of samurai code of honour which squad members often find reassuring, as they know a Shaktar would never leave a friend in the shit. Shaktar make excellent close and ranged combat characters, and don't suffer from the lack of intelligence the other combat orientated races do.
Advantages:
Large and strong
Well respected
Are capable of subtlety
Disadvantages:
Obviously SLA
Honour code can be restrictive
Stormer
Stormers are combat characters through and through. They're fast and strong, and they regenerate. They are exclusively employees of SLA though (as they're made by SLA), and are rather stupid and naive. Stormers are extremely intimidating, but are generally relatively good natured compared to Frothers and Brain Wasters.
Advantages:
Strong, tough and fast
Regenerate
Disadvantages:
Not very bright
Obviously SLA
Can't use Ebb