Combat related stuff

[FeiLin]

1) IIrc, it’s possible to use the default of any technique (save those that “default to defaults”); does that also mean I can create a “temporary” combat technique based on an attack/action, and say modify it by just subtracting 2 (or 1 per die, whichever is worse), as per MA90 (unless said attack/action already includes something similar, of course)?

2) If I’m opting for techniques that are mostly hard and I choose two, the first level is the same cost as raising the skill they’re based on (assuming they’re the same), and even though further levels cost less, I still feel there’s a very low threshold for how many techniques worth it (no more than three based on the same skill). What’s your view of multiple techniques based on the same skill; are they worth it or is it a trade off a character makes (CP-wise) to allow the player (or Gm) to just feel good by having {awesome technique} fleshed out explicitly?

3) Is there a Fast-Draw penalty for weapon size (such as bulk or reach)?

4) A bit more philosophical: how come defence (such as Shield) is half skill +3 (or equivalent); is defence so powerful that it needs higher CP cost?