Artisan Archive

Repost from: http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=Development&message.id=292775

Taking the Surveying Tier away from the Artisan skill tree, might be not be such a loss afterall.

In it's place would be a Mechanical Experimentation skill Tier in Artisan. This skill Tier would not only provide xP and advancement for Experimentation but allow for more customization of Schematics including retrofitting, repairs and modifications. This Mechnical Experimentation Tier would become a pre-req for the Mechanic/Vehicle Manufacturing Profession. The Survey Skill Column having been removed from The Artisan profession would then be logically divided into four rewarding columns like every other tree. This is where we can take a cue from RL science.

The Four SkillTiers of the Starting Scientist Skill Tree Would be:

1. Earth Sciences Branch - (pre-req for Miner & Chemist)

2. Life Sciences Branch - (pre-req for Farmer & Doctor - CH and BE too?)

3. Social Sciences Branch - (pre-req for Politician, Linguist, Anthropologist)

4. Research & Development Branch.

Check out the Skill Tree image for Starting Scientist Here:
http://www.nexusstorm.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20

The starting scientist schema basically sets all organic and inorganic compounds as resource 'schematics'. Artisans would then purchase Organic and Inorganic Materials from Scientists, Miners, Chemists, and Farmers. The bazaar market could have new section for commodities markets, as way to establish a dynamic hardcoded base price for the lowest complexity materials. As a Side note, players should be able to generate pick-up and delivery missions for materials, and indeed all items. It should always be cheaper and more convenient for artisans to outsource their materials than to source them individually.

Artisans will pay more for higher quality of resources as well. In the starting Scientist system, the process of refinement allows the Scientist/Miner to refine their materials down as a linear function between quality and volume. The better materials will have a higher average yield in refinement. The base prices established by the commodities market, are hardcoded but not fixed in a static way. So the prices aren't exactly 'fixed' per se'.

The price of Uber Alloy X would be computed based on the quality of the Ores, that were used in the compounding of it's resource schematic. That is the lower the quality of those ores, the lower the quality of the alloy, the cheaper it is. The quality of the elemnts used in compounding directly affects the purity of the compound.

Your thoughts and Comments on the New Tier would be especially helpfull.

I really need some input on how the new Tier in Artisan should work...

Interesting ideas... but a bit too late. I really don't see the Devs radically altering the Artisan-based professions this much.

Ok step outside the box for a moment. let the devs decide what i implementable and what is not.

The PLayer city, mounts, vehicles and SE updates and expansions, are going to dramatically altering the game anyways.

With all that in mind, how do u think this new Tier could work?

I'd like to see them do almost anything for Surveying. It's insanely quick and easy to get to Survey 4 and from then on you tend to loath every mention of how much survey xp you are getting. It's like they're telling you "I've just placed another 10K in a Trust Fund you'll be able to have on your 500th Birthday!" YaY

Boinky: I agree completely... but as an Artisan what would you like to see in the Skill Tier that replaces surveying?

Wow i was thinknig this would generate a big discussion...

I honestly think that the surverying line is important for newbie crafters. It is the only way a new player can aquire resources. While I find your idea interesting I don't think replacing the Surverying line is the right way to go.

Exactly my conerns about artisans in my scenario. That is why i think that they should get some resources to start. Something that will allow them to make some money to invest in new resources...

Having palyed as an artisan for most of beta and post release, I can tell you that i'd love to ahve a more immersive gameplay for experimentation and design of schematics. Any more thoughts or criticisms?

Last post before i drop, what I thought would have been a huge discussion topic...

SWGX has moved... the active discussion forthis topic is now here:

http://swgxpansions.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=140

The lastest idea is to include a recycling skill for artisans in the mechanical tinkering column.

see my comments in the mining profession thread

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=artisan&message.id=16598


in general your approach to experimenting on resources conflicts with the game, but given an alternate implementation (one I suggest in that thread) it could function well and add content to the game