Architect Archive

First let me say that yes I know there is a billion threads on this already, and yes I know that some of this has been mentioned over and over again. Yes I know that none of these will probably be implemented but here is my take on Architect. Also let me say that this will be LONG!! I just want to get this all in one post.

Just starting the game a month ago I decided to go Architect because I like building stuff in games. SWG in my opinion has the greatest trade skill format of any game. However I do not feel that Architect is a permanent class for anyone to play as it stands.

Work with me here. I want to buy a house, furniture, or harvesters I go to an architect. So I get a medium house, a few harvesters of each kind, and a buncha furniture. That's it. I never talk to an architect again cause as long as I pay my maintenance for house, and maintenance and power for harvesters, and don't get bored with my furniture I never have to hire an architect again.

As an architect I make and sell these things. I have NO repeat customers. In fact coming into the game at this point in time with player created malls all over the place like McDonald's resturants I have not sold one single atchitectural item in my vendors. Even though I am selling at lower then ANY other vendor I have seen anywhere on any planet. All the money I have been making is in selling resources (IN THE BAZAAR) which I can harvest and sell as any class.

I MIGHT get an order for a town item (Bank, Town Hall, Shuttle Port etc) but since my server is current OUT of player town space on any planet and those towns probably already have the structures or an established Architect the chances of me getting those orders is slim to none.

So currently the plan is go to Master Architect, build a crap load of furniture that I will probably never sell, some heavy harvesters just for my use, and a few house deeds just in case I want to move from Naboo to say Tatooine where my current house deed is no good. Other then that I will probably never sell a house deed. After that is done I'll surrender the Architect skill, not because I'm a holo-grinder, but because there is no reason for me to stay an Architect.

So where is the real problem. Consumables!! Currently the only consumable item I can think of for Architects are Lamps and Candles. Street Lamps do not run out, neither do Torches. Nothing else in the architect line is a guaranteed consumable as long as people pay their maintenance.

Various fixes I have thought of.

Harvesters - Placement degradation. Everyone knows that harvesters have to be picked up and moved frequently. I figure about every 4 days average. Each time a harvester is picked up and moved it degrades by a portion. Once that degration amount is reached the harvester is GONE. It shouldn't degrade too much but lets say 5% every placement. This would make the harvesters hit 0% at 80 moves (If I calculated that right). BUT lets say harvesters can be fixed at any time. This requires an architect SKILL + Structure repair tool. Fixing a harvester can be done at any time, but drops the BER of the harvester by 1 AND the max quality drops by 5% as well. This means a 100% BER13 Deep Crust repaired at any time before destruction would be a 95% BER12 Deep Crust. The thing will still last a long time but not permenantly like they do now. Added experimental effects maintenance/power costs, balanced so that you could make a slow cheap harvester or a fast expensive harvester, added power/maintenance expense for an overtuned harvester (cranking up to 16BER as opposed to max of 14BER. Placement and Performance rate rules applied to Factories.

Houses and Buildings - Ug these need changed big time. Every floor plan looks the same. Architects need the ability to change something about a house even if the floor plan itself stays the same. There should be a colorization menu. One for house trim, one for interior walls, and one for carpeting color. This would take place at time of creation...OR again using an architect skill + paint kit can be done on an existing deed. Experimental capabilities of houses and buildings should be in maintence costs and storage. Houses should NEVER degrade due to people having vendors and items in them. However add this...if you want to move your house an architect with the appropriate skill can redeed a house will ALL ITEMS intact inside so once the house is placed again all items are in their proper location. Houses with items inside CANNOT be sold, but can only be transfered to the owner of the house. Houses with items inside can ONLY be placed by the owner.

Lighting - Houses are too bright! They need to be dark, very dark, to make it so lighting almost MUST be purchased from an architect. ALL lighting should have a set decay rate, no getting around it by buying torches and street lights.

More consumable items!

Furniture colorization - At time of item creation ONLY. This would make it if someone wanted to recolor they would be forced to purchase new furniture (AKA consumable)

New Structure and Fixture ideas - Probably discussed here as well but maybe not.
Player City Hotels/Casino - placeable by Mayors only. Casino boxes (as seen in NPC towns) add 3 or 4 more game types (video poker, bacci, slots). Placeable by Entertainers only in Hotels. Entertainers become hotel managers and odds in machines can be tuned by the hotel manager. Money paid in goes 50% to money sink. The other 50% is split between the city and hotel maintance negotiated by the Mayor and the Hotel Manager. Hotels and Casino machines Architect created.

These are just a few ideas. Kick them around, flame me, whatever.