Operative Sniper question

[Wesrolter]

So a player is looking to make a Sniper Alternate for the Operative.
In order to get the High Group Sniper you need the Debilitating Sniper exploit. There is no way around that is there?

I ask because with the Sniper alt you can Trick attack with a sniper rifle and Debilitating Strike, which basically an improvement on the Debilitating Sniper so it feels like a wasted exploit.

RAW, I don't see a way around it. So if anyone knows of a way, my player would appreciate it.

Side question, would people think it would be fair to allow this player (Non Society game) to skip the Debilitating Sniper exploit to get the High Group Sniper?

[Xenocrat]

There's no way around it by the rules published, I agree.

I think it would be very fair to skip Debilitating Sniper and count the Sniper ACF as a qualifying prerequisite.

[Kishmo]

Agreed on all counts: looks like technically yes there's no way around it, but the spirit of the Sniper ACF definitely feels like it should qualify you for anything that Debilitating Sniper does.
(Also High-Ground Sniper doesn't looks especially game-breaking, so from a balance perspective...no concerns. As a GM, I'd have no problems allowing +½ lvl to dmg under pretty specific circumstances.)