FASA Games, Inc.

First Impressions:
1. Moving Willforce to Seventh Circle makes me kinda cranky.
2. I like the idea of giving each Discipline more free weird bennies as well as giving more detailed information for Half-Magic.
3. Tenacious Weave? Tell me more.
4. I agree with all of the stated problems with Spell Matrices (indeed, it makes me even more sure about my stance on Talent Options), however:

A. IME, a Spell Matrix that can hold a First-Circle Spell is already way better than any Talent.
B. Spell Matrices instantly being able to hold any Spell of your Circle for essentially free is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge benefit.
C. I don't see there being any way you can balance what you're giving Spellcasters for free with what you're planning on giving Weaponsmiths.

I like the free matrices. The Wizard is getting a downgrade having to wait for willforce, already has to suffer through threadweaving, and has a list of other talents that are mostly just beneficial to the gm/group. Spells are essentially the wizards equipment and they pay for the versatility of them through the time delay of threadweaving and low UR/DR.

Without matrices wizards have to raw cast risking horror marks and damage on top of the other restrictions. Versatility is what casters do. It's like making a weaponsmith pay legend for weapons hammers and anvils or get marked and take damage.

I am of course very biased on this one, though I will do my best to look at it with personal attachments aside.

I agree with the sentiment on Willforce; waiting until 7th Circle is a fairly big blow. Especially since Wizards traditionally don't have the heavy hitting damage spells like Elementalists and Nethermancers do (there are spells that do higher damage, but lack AoE). However, it is bolstered by making it a Discipline Talent, which means it's open for Karma. If you still get Discipline bonus for Karma on spell effects, that would allow double Karma, which could be interesting. If it were me, I'd have it swap places with Suppress Curse. It'd still be obtained later, but you're getting the Enhanced Matrix for free at 5th, and you're getting Karma on it. It might balance out depending on the spell list, but it's still one I will be watching closely and may decide to house rule.

I do agree that Spell Matricies are sort of a headache to handle with the introduction of Talent options. I'm not sure how that will balance out, but I'll hold judgement until I see the freebies for the other Disciplines.

I'm not 100% sure on pushing Evidence Analysis off until Journeyman, though I suppose it may have been done just to even out numbers for the pools. I suppose if that's the cost of making Speak Language available for Novice, I can live with it.

Dropping Arcane Mutterings as a Discipline Talent means losing the Subliminal Mutterings Knack (unless a rule is made to allow Knacks on non-Discipline Talents). IMO, having a method for the Jedi mind trick was the only thing that made that Talent useful. Unless it gets changed to something else. That one wasn't on the Talent list preview, so again, one that I'll just have to wait and see on.

Pretty much everything else I see I am in favor of. I think a lot of the changes reduces some redundancies and keeps more of the items paid for in advancement relevant for longer, which seems to match the overall intent of the edition.

Oh this is rich.

Free matrixes and the ones that you do pick up cost nothing? Thanks for the free Legend Points in my other talents.

The announcement of combat spells causing less damage but quicker casted, yet you increase the circle for Willforce?

I guess Willforce was moved to 7th Circle to be on par with other damage enhancing talents. Matrices without LP cost - hmm, will have to see how that one works in gameplay. I was wondering about the argument how Banish and Orbiting Spy fit into the Wizard Discipline - even as optional choices...

But in 3rd Edition you can have knacks to non-discipline talents. For discipline talents rank required for them is lowered by 2.