Architect Archive

I believe I have the solution to "fix" the long-term problem with architects and structures not decaying thus the architect becomes a dead profession once everyone has a supply of structures. My idea also somewhat addresses the price per problem the profession has. Very simply the architect that build a structure should get a percentage each time maintenance is paid to the structure as long at architect retains skill required to make the item.

I suggest the architect get 30% of all the maintenance cost paid into structures he or she was the creature upon should they retain the skills that were required to build them. If a architect chooses to give up those skills they forfeit these returns. By doing so you have removed that pressure to raise selling prices in the profession and instead encouraged architects to get their products on the market as each house, harvester, factory, and PA hall is steady source of income for one who did the build.

I see this a simple idea that could save a designed dead end profession. Without some form a long-term income there will be no need for architects in six months.

Another idea I love battlefield structures. All those generators, cannon turrets, and other battlefield structures have to be built by someone. Put the architects to work! If rebel and/or imperial factioned droid crafters can put their wears to work in the field why not the architech?

Just my 2 credits worth

Oalken MA Eclipse

This is a terrible, terrible idea.

We already have architects giving away houses for masochistically low prices. If we were to earn income based on maintenance costs, the prices would bottom out further as people decide to just recoup the costs via maintenance. Eventually you would barely be able to GIVE buildings away. Earning a percentage of maintenance costs is NOT a solution to our woes.

I think the problem is that everyone thinks its cool to be able to make buildings. Once the awe and amazement leaves the profession (ie: a new "fad" comes out such as vehicle construction), many people will leave architecture and go on to another profession.

Housing will always be needed as will other structures. Let's not forget that people DO leave the game and new people DO enter the game. When that happens, a NEW market opens up for us.

The problem is that there are too many architects right now and not enough wealthy players. Once this balances out, you'll see an architect selling a large house per day or something similar to that and they'll go for around 200k per house. (This is just an estimate of what the average could be, nothing concrete folks )

Another problem that needs fixed first is the duping problem going on. People are getting materials for next to nothing. This is a HUGE problem for the entire economy.

I'm going to have to say that maintenance fees going back toward the architect is a BAD idea unless... maint fees are completely removed and architects have a "building repair tool" so that every so often an architect MUST come out to your home and fix it up or else it will fall to the ground. Then you pay the architect for his services as a maint fee

IMO the problems with the Arch profession are not rooted in what houses sell for -- they will sell for what the market bears -- but rather what they cost to build. There is an artificially high net cost to build due to the silly way harvesters cost maintenance. Since harvesters cost credits even when not operating they can have a very high operating overhead for a player who can't put in a couple hours a day running them properly. This reflects in the tight margins that casual players are forced to settle for.

The solution to this, for the gazillionth time, is to change harvesters so they only cost full maintenance when in use. That way revenue is a more direct function of expenditure and casual players are not financially penalized for not being online. They can then plan operations based on in game economic forces without the threatof out of game issues wiping them out. Reduce the cost of risk mitigation and you'll reduce the cost of building. That will fatten profit margins without imposing any kind of price controls on the market. Everyone wins.

I believe that harvester maintenance is so minute that it has no effect on my business. Yes, it's a hassle to run out there all the time when I only play a few hours a day, but the cost of running them is next to nothing.

I just sell a few pieces of furniture each day to cover the costs of my harvesters. If I sell a house or other large structure, then it is all profit.

You just got to get your business structure set up properly.

"I just sell a few pieces of furniture each day to cover the costs of my harvesters."

So you play each day. Then you are not a casual player. Try maxing out your lots with harvesters then leaving them for 2, 3 or 4 days primed with credits and power running unattended, just to come back and find that your resources shifted after the first night's server reboot. Since you couldn't plan for it you've now lost a few dozen harvester-days of maintenance fees and unrecoverable powerresulting ina huge negative return on investment.A few more times of that and you've got a serious cash flow problem.

Now if I had the option of eliminating the full maintenance cost by simply shutting them off, not an unreasonable thing,then I could control the speculative risk and hence drive my net costs down. And since I get zero return on my investment when they are shut down I'm given no unfair edge over frequent players. Unlike how it is now where they are in fact given an unfair advantage over casual players since they are able to attend their harvesters daily.

Ummm is everyone forgetting about the urban planner profession. I know that it is awhile away but still you need to be a master arch to be one. And the real reason to be an urban planner is cause you are part of a guild who is trying to build a city. I am assuming that's how most cities will start. SO while the Arch profession may slow down till this comes out it will never die.

ok, slam, maybe architect isn't for you. It's commonly known that resources shift every 5-7 days. If you pay attention to when the last shift was, you won't come across these problems... Harvesters + Lack of Attention = Out of Business

And yes, a casual player I am. I only play 1-2 hours per day if that. Usually, it's enough time to restock my vendors and check to make sure my harvesters are up and arunning smoothly.

When I do get to play for more than a few hours per day, I spend it wheeling and dealing with my friends.

lol this profession is dieing and it can't be stoped who is gona pay the urban planner to make this stuff lol we don't even know how much this stuff is gona cost. i wish they would make some parts of this game alittle more like EverQuest or Diablo, there are to many things in this game that makes the game annoying. In those games it's all about the phat loot. Sigh in this game i'm depending ona player run economy. Sadly most players are players and don't treat this gameas well as it should, i kinda liked thewar idea whereyou can attack peoples houses, but that would be a problem to the normal players who would have to pay for there houses and i guessthat would make them want to quit having a house in the short run still stab the dieing profession.

lol,i'm gona have to drop all of ch and scout so i can master Teras kasi and Achitect. i'm also gona need to drop all my survaying skills so maybe i could master the urban planner profession. sigh maybe they would be far and make the skill useage low or maybe add more skills and lots. like maybe 5 more lots would be nice, lol but i'd still need to pay for the maintainace for houses. it just seems this is less of a game and more of a job i'm begining to feel like i'm oblagated to get on everyday so i could make money just for my harvesters. lol the only thing braking me even is the fact that i have some combat skills so i can run missions.

The Architect profession, was a dieing profession from the start, with the urban Sprawl of people wanting houses and people selling houses really cheap. it just ruined it. the houses don't even go away there is no decay. where as everyone needs a weapon or armor and they do go away and people do need to by another, so those professions are pretty much the safest, same with Droid Engineer. the only bad part i see for that is droids suck now and you never need a new one. Sigh it seems to be the Architect profession is more about helping people out then making money, which i guess is ok other then i still need to make money.

"I'm the god of fire, ofcourse i flame" Shin "Umbra" Shodei

"Without some form a long-term income there will be no need for architects in six months."

What? That doesn't make sence. More like without longterm income there will BE no architects in six months.

I agree that mainenance should be a part of architecture, and I also believe harvester maintenance should be a part of the artisan tree, so we don't have every tom **edit** and harry having 6 or 8 harvesters. That just makes no sence.

"ok, slam, maybe architect isn't for you."

LOL, thanks for telling me what I already know. It was a wonderful contribution to the discussion of ideas too.

"It's commonly known that resources shift every 5-7 days."

It's commonly known that they can and do shift a lot more frequently than that. Do you really own harvesters?

"If you pay attention to when the last shift was, you won't come across these problems... Harvesters + Lack of Attention = Out of Business"

How do you know when the last shift was if you don't log every day? Rely on rumor and hearsay from other players? Heh, now that is a formula for disaster.

By the way I've never seen anyone on the dev team ever say "Arch is not for casual players". That would be a dumb position. They are in business to maximize their subscriber base not turn people away. The problem, as it relates to Arch and casual players, is that they just didn't put a lot of thought or imagination into the occupation. For example they took the "easy" way out by treating harvesters like all other structures. A fixed maintenance fee schedule for houses makes sense. Especially since they don't decay. But unlike houses a harvester can be turned off making it completely useless. So why then should I still pay the same rateof maintenance for it? If I'm not getting a return on it why should it cost me?

I'm not asking for the devs to give us an advantage, just to remove a silly penalty that is magnified for casual players.

As an armorsmith I want a WAREHOUSE please!

Come on Architect team leader! chant with me now

WAREHOUSE
WAREHOUSE
WAREHOUSE

now just the architects on the right!

WAREHOSUE
WAREHOUSE
WAREHOUSE

now the left !

WAREHOUSE
WAREHOUSE
WAREHOUSE

I would love to spend 1-2 lots on a building (maybe the size of a small house?) that can hold say 10000 items. And maybe allow for the Warehouse to be equiped with a Binary Load Lifter for an extra 5000 item space.

And I think Architects should get a maintenance skill!

Let buildings slowly deteriorate (Sp?) unless an Architect is there to fix it.

If you tie this into Exp you can have it so the owner of the house has to give consent so you dont have all the architects going to big towns to "farm" houses.

Also I think that maintenance costs going to architects is a good idea. Just not as high as 30%. Maybe more like 1% per lot taken or as high as 5% per lot taken. You need to get it to the point were it is a nice bonus but also so it won't cause people to "give away" houses.

W - A - R - E - H - O - U - S - E -

whats that spell ?? WAREHOUSE!!

lol well, i don't think the taxes is gona be the best idea becouse money is just gona be going back to the pa's. considering very few houses went to non pa members. ether way there is still no money in it