ETA: What's the rationale for Baltar being the only player to get only 4 cards on his turn?

Ah, that's because his special ability, Delusional Intuition, lets him draw one more card after drawing his Crisis card. He gets two advantages: he can draw whatever is best given the Crisis Card, and he can take it from any deck, so in one sense his skill set covers every deck. (Not officially though. The designer's confirmed that if ever we get to draw extra cards from our skill set - including the starting cards - Baltar chooses just from Politics, Leadership and Engineering.)

There's another peculiarity of Baltar drawing one of his cards in the Crisis Card stage. If he's in the Brig, he skips the Crisis Card stage, and so he doesn't get his fifth card. On the other hand, a player starting their turn in Sickbay only gets to draw one card. Baltar, however, still gets his Delusional Intuition, so if he's in Sickbay, he gets to draw one more card than anyone else.

Once everyone signs off on the mix, I'll make it official.

Just to make it formal, I'm happy to sign off on this crew. Four players getting their first choice is a good result, and it would be a perfectly legitimate mix under the official rules, which is good enough for me. (The order wouldn't be possible, with 2 military leaders selected before any other categories, but I don't think that matters for playability.)

Ah, that's because his special ability, Delusional Intuition, lets him draw one more card after drawing his Crisis card.

Oh, that makes sense. I've not played with a Baltar in the mix and hadn't looked closely at his ability.

The order wouldn't be possible, with 2 military leaders selected before any other categories, but I don't think that matters for playability.)

Oh, I just put them in the order I had them on the survey (i.e., leaders, pollies, pilots). That's not how they were picked. I believe it actually went Adama, Starbuck, Baltar (because the previous two were gone), Helo, Chief.

I'm cool with these characters.

I'm good with the mix. I'm also amused I apparently picked the "popular" choices, since every one of my choices made it into the group.

every one of my choices made it into the group

Three of mine did, so I'm still not sure who I'm playing.

I...have no idea what makes for a good mix. So I'm fine with this one.

I just got a Royal Flush in Texas Hold 'em.

Oh, that makes sense. I've not played with a Baltar in the mix and hadn't looked closely at his ability.

Baltar's an odd bird. Most characters, the advantages and disadvantages of their abilities are pretty straightforward. Baltar's abilities, however, relate less to the mechanics as to the "traitors among us" aspect of the game.

For example: his weakness is that he gets an extra loyalty card, so he's more likely to be a Cylon as any other player. But there's nothing wrong, in terms of the gaming experience, with being a Cylon. A lot of people prefer it. The weakness isn't that you're more likely to be a toaster, but that everyone else knows it, and you'll therefore be the least trusted crew member no matter which side you're on. Either way, Baltar has an uphill climb to advance his agenda.

His OPG too can be great - the chance to prove conclusively where another player's loyalties lie. But everyone else only has Baltar's word for it. Given Baltar's extra loyalty card, he'd better be extra persuasive.

It doesn't seem to hurt his popularity. On BGG, he's the most popular choice by a substantial margin.

It doesn't seem to hurt his popularity. On BGG, he's the most popular choice by a substantial margin.

Well, he was the third choice for the two people that picked him.

Given that 3 of the ten characters weren't picked at all, it's pretty amazing that almost everyone got their first choice. Given the popularity of Starbuck and Roslin as second choices, the ripple effect of someone not getting their pick could have may it confusing for the assignments.