Calculating damage on hit in Star Wars: Age of Rebellion

Question

Weapons in Star Wars: Age of Rebellion generally deal x damage on a hit + 1 damage per uncancelled success symbol rolled.

Since, from what I understand from the rules, you need to roll at least one uncancelled success symbol to score a hit, does that mean a weapon with a damage rating of 6 will always do at least 7 damage? (before soak is subtracted)

I only have the beginner game set, and maybe I've missed something in the rules, but it seems like a weapon always having to deal damage above its rating is sort of redundant.

Answer 1

Yes.

You've read the rules correctly and a weapon does indeed always do at least 1 damage more than its written rating when it hits, before subtracting soak.

Why?

As with other game systems that use similar mechanics (Shadowrun's net hits are very similar to uncancelled successes) the game rewards a good attack roll with increased damage. This makes sense in simulationist terms as well: the good roll represents a particularly lucky shot hitting a vital spot or similar.

While this mean that a weapon does always do higher than its listed damage it's quicker and easier to calculate damage if you don't have to remember to subtract 1 each time.

Answer 2

My group has always interpreted your first uncancelled success as not increasing damage, so that the second uncancelled success (and all subsequent ones) improve damage.

It would be possible to say that if success and failure cancel exactly, the weapon hits at base damage and that if there are "extra" success (beyond those needed to to cancel failures) then those increase damage.