Shockra's page

That can be a tricky subject. If the ship they're selling is too valuable, the group can potentially gain gear more powerful than what they should have for their level. But keep in mind that most sold items are worth 10% of their purchase price. Plus, the ship could be damaged or out-of-date, in which case a buyer would offer far less. Think used cars in our world; no one in their right mind would pay $20,000 for a used car.

The rules in the game offer possible options for why a group can't sell a starship, like if it's stolen or lent by a major company. But I'm guessing that you're talking about if the group finds a second ship and wants to sell it. In that case, it can count as treasure in an adventure. Don't give the group too much for it, though, or a power surge could occur. Think of reasons why the ship might not be worth as much.

I'll try a few:

106: A ysoki mechanic bounty hunter who left his home after discovering his parents were criminal arms dealers. He and his exocortex AI aim to stop them.

107: A damaya lashunta envoy scholar who's a doctor. He's researching a particular virus and winds up having a secret organization trying to kill him for trying to cure it.

I can see uses in sniping in the right situation. In a close-range firefight, not much use, but that's not what they're meant for. Even at, let's say, 300 feet, you're still out of range enough to stay out of the main fight, while still providing assistance by shooting key targets, maybe from on top of a building or something like that. Plus, the enemy in that circumstance has to deal with it at some point, so even if one or two enemies break away from the main fight to confront you, they're still likely taking a few opportunity hits from the main group when they go. Yes, it takes some setup, and yes, it's not good at close range, but sniper rifles are far from useless.