[sonic232]

Originally Posted by malloyd

If they're genuine alternatives, sure, why not? I might insist on unarmed, melee, throwing, and longer range missile weapons in separate categories though. They don't seem like genuine alternatives of each other

But it seems like a lot of extra computation compared to just letting them buy a Wildcard Melee! or Fight! skill. I suppose it lets you have different weapons at different skill levels, but when the point is to build a cinematic master of everything, why would you want that?

My point exactly. I'd say use Wildcard Skills or else use Buying Abilities at Default. With that, you just train ONE skill to a level where skills using it at default are at a level higher than buying the first level in it. Then just purchase the alternate skill for the difference in cost from the level defaulted and that level plus one. GURPS Action uses this extensively for those that would be highly adept at various guns, since the defaults between most guns are a -2 to each other.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Kromm

And if you want such variability, well, GURPS Power-Ups 7: Wildcard Skills covers that ground with Improving Standard Skills From Wildcards, p. 5.

Huh. I always wondered if that could be a thing it sounds like GURPS Power-Ups 7: Wildcard Skills covers a lot more ground than I thought it did! But that in particular sounds like combining the two methods by buying your skills at Default, basing the default off the Wildcard Skill.