Trying to optimize crew skills for a full stable

[Deleted]

Hi,

I've been trying to look at the crew skills and figure out how I should pick them assuming I'm going to level all eight characters. I was thinking I'll go with slicing on all eight, since even though it might have been nerfed, it could very well prove useful later in the game, and having 40 companions running slicing missions when you log off could make a few credits, and since it's a gathering skill for some extra profit, it doesn't hurt to have it.

In any case, there are eight characters, six craft skills, four missions skills and four gathering skills, of which slicing is one. I intend to have each skill, and you can only have one craft skill on a character, which leaves two characters without a craft skill. However, I'm not really sure I would benefit from having double crafting skills, or from having Biochem since I doubt I'll be running much hard modes or operations any time soon, as I'm going to build the characters up, and thus I can't get those drops required for the Rakata items.

One thing I'm not sure about yet, is whether you can have two mission skills or two gathering skills on a character (EDIT: Just tried this on a new character, and you can indeed have up to three gathering skills or up to three mission skills), and the other big question is which mission skill would be the most beneficial to have in the few extra slots.

This is from the Republic side. After having looked a the companion critical chances I was thinking something along these lines:

Guardian: Biochem (+5), mission skill, Slicing
Sentinel: Synthweaving (+5), Treasure Hunting (+1), Slicing
Shadow: Archaeology, Diplomacy (+2), Slicing
Sage: Artifice, Underworld Trading (+1), Slicing
Vanguard: Armormech (+5), mission skill, Slicing
Commando: Cybertech, Scavenging (+5), Slicing
Scoundrel: Bioanalysis (+2), mission skill, Slicing
Gunslinger: Armstech (+5), Investigation (+2), Slicing

That would leave three mission skill slots, where I would take whichever mission skill proves to be most useful. Red numbers are critical chances from a companion.

Anyone else out there who has been thinking of optimizing the skill slots for all eight characters? Any ideas, suggestions, corrections? Also, which mission skill do you guys think is the most useful? Diplomacy is nice if you want to boost alignment, but other than that I would think it's between the three other ones. Underworld Trading, Investigation or Treasure Hunting? What do you guys think?