If so, we are back to a BP cost for specialists which does not reflect his usefulness to the covenant. As a rule, that's not useful. But maybe the BP ruleset quite simply is crap. That's a valid viewpoint. Contrary to other rules we have discussed the BP system is presented as a precise ruleset.
The assumptions I make are the simplest possible interpretation of the rule given. If conditions are listed, I assume they are sufficient, because that assumption is a smaller rule invention than inventing additional conditions to make them sufficient. I do not consult a handful other books to make sense of what is presented as a simple rule, because if I have to, the rules are not playable in most situations.
I thought we did not need a 6ed, but I now see that we do, because the rules are simply completely unreadable.
Why doesn't it? Is it the only thing? No. But we're not complaining about not paying for every single Ability the specialist may have. Meanwhile, maximum quality that can be reached and the level to which apprentices can be trained are both limited by Ability, not the Characteristic. So if we charge BP for Ability+Characteristic, we can make exactly the same argument. And then you don't pay for servants with BP, and the apprentices factor in there, while they also provide a bonus to the Workshop Total.
Take a look at how easily the BP system can be gamed. Yes, they are specific rules. But they differ from in-game costs to characters so much that gaming them doesn't even require effort. It takes less effort to game them than not. The cost for specialists is actually one of the least game-able parts.
Which is an enormous logical error. There is a major difference between necessary conditions and sufficient conditions. Assuming conditions listed are sufficient conditions rather than necessary conditions severely pollutes any reasoning done from that point forward.
Or maybe the point is that they present it as a simple rule just so that you don't have to bother consulting a whole bunch of different books? In this case I've shown that targeting an Ability of 6 for Superior Tools/Equipment is indeed consistent with the rest of the books, and meanwhile it's also a very simple rule. So you can just use that simple rule instead of cross-referencing everything. The result becomes more playable rules while also being consistent and having more depth for those who want it. Win-win.