Architect Archive
Thread: Alternatives to Experimentation Changes
Ok lemme get the ball rolling with category #1 (although it may cross into #2)....
In need of some serious recovery from the holo-grinders and other things, but its easy to blame holo-grinders, the SWG economy needs a wider variety of crafted goods (see i told you #2 would come in). As it is, the only stuff is the uber stuff and that sets a high price with a premium often added on top because the crafter thinks "i am the L33T weapon/armor/whateversmith". This is not the only or overriding problem; however, it is holding back the economy from really getting going. Also there is an innate problem in any mmorpg, that being the lack of information. I really dont know how to solve something like this. The dev's did very well with vendors, barking adds, registering vendors on the map, etc. But unless people use the /find functions or really delve deep into the planetary map they will not be able to find the vendor they are looking for. This lack of information is a two edged sword, crafters must be honest (meaning don't sell your cdef rifle on the bazaar for 6000 and change the name at creation to Laser Rifle 66-297 dmg) but buyers must be wary and look at the details. Shoot my econ fuse burned out, but hopefully this can get a discussion going....ill be back after i heal my mind wounds from too much thinking.
Before we start figuring out solutions, we need to define the problem being solved. SOE didn't really do that IMHO.
So what is the problem?
This is where it has to be specific. Chrysalide said that the game economy is in "poor shape". But does that mean that there is rampant inflation? Stagnation? Unemployment? What? How is the economy broken specifically?
They also said: "Our main concern centered around the fact that with most master crafters all making the best equipment possible, there is very little variety on the market."
So why is that a problem really? What does that do? The implications of that aren't totally clear to me.
Problem solving starts with a clear and specific definition of the problem you are trying to solve.
Pawlin wrote:Before we start figuring out solutions, we need to define the problem being solved. SOE didn't really do that IMHO.
So what is the problem?
This is where it has to be specific. Chrysalide said that the game economy is in "poor shape". But does that mean that there is rampant inflation? Stagnation? Unemployment? What? How is the economy broken specifically?
They also said: "Our main concern centered around the fact that with most master crafters all making the best equipment possible, there is very little variety on the market."
So why is that a problem really? What does that do? The implications of that aren't totally clear to me.
Problem solving starts with a clear and specific definition of the problem you are trying to solve.
Sorry Pawlin, this just makes too much sense. I'm sure that that they are well beyond Engineering Problem Solving 101 and have no need for things like requirements statements, goals, or metrics.
Redguard wrote:
Since G just posted the plan to implement experimentation changes has been halted it's time the player base thought of some ways to add diversity into crafting. I was not in favor of this particular change but something is needed to create diversity of product. I can understand why the dev team was trying to make the change but there must be other alternatives. Many of us are going to count this as a victory but it's best we start comming up with acceptable ideas that we all can live with.
This post is intended to gather up alot of the ideas discussed in the Test thread regarding the experimentation changes and have a discussion unencumbered by the fear of the nerf it would have become. We shouldexplore some of the ideas and provide some insight as to howthe changes they propose could havesome positiveaffects to SWG.Lets do this people and provide an opportunity for us to give something back to the game that the dev team can work with and we can deal with.
Obvious issues such as Hologrinding,duping/exploits, prenerf items have had a problematic affect upon the games economy. While we must learn to live with the legacy of past mistakes we need to also lean to live with progressive changes. We need to also face the facts that not all changes are going to be popular and SOME balance adjustments will be required.
Lets break it down into 3 categories:
1. Economic Improvements: What can be done to fix the economy of SWG?
2. Crafting Improvements: What changes can be made to create more diversity of product?
3. Generic Improvements: What can be done to SWG to make game play more enjoyable?
Regarding #1,
A number of people suggested to introduce (back) the miner and farmer who can enhance lower grade resources into top of the line. This will lesten the economy constraint of rare resources and improve competition. That is a good idea. Or they (the dev) could just make rare resources common wich have the positive side effect of less hoarding which in turn will lesten the burden of the database.Also adding more usefull schematics for every low crafter is imo a good decision. Improving the interdependency between master and lower crafter is another good idea.
Galaxyburst
I think one of the reasons that crafters make the best items possible is that all the high end items overshadow the lower level ones.
Why use a medium harvestor when a heavy is faster with more storage for just a little more cost and energy? No real benifit to using a medium.
The only reason I have ever had to use a personal mineral extractor was that the resource i wanted was on the side of a hill and only a personal would fit. If the devs can give us good, tangable reasons for using different sizes of harvestors then i could see that increasing the market.
Beyond that giving us a larger variety of structures for sale. We have probably the same amount of schematics as any other profession, but how many Tat city halls can an architect possible sell?
There is no limit on the number of guns or food i can own and use, yet there is a strict limit on the number of structures i can place.
G
Jnath
I look at some of my schems at times and wonder if there is any point to having chance cubes and dice. Shouln't these slots be taken up by something useful? There are a number of practical ideas that could be used as schematics but we get bird cages and creature habitats. Even a more effective flashlight would make me happy. Obviously this suggests that there is an issue with the schematic line. There needs to be more diversity of product.
Pawlin,
Take an objective look at your profession and try to come up with something that you don't like or even do like. I'm not trying to generate rhetoric. I'm trying to generate ideas that we all can live with. At some point they will want to take a second look at crafting and implement changes for balance sake. I'll be the first to admit that architect is not an area that I'm all that familiar with. What I do know is that the harvesters you folks make are the driving engine to the games economy. No resources means no crafting unless we all want to sample ourselves to death.