Artisan Archive
Thread: Petition to make fireworks useful
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Sokko
Sun Aug 22, 2004 9:31 pm
#1
I always love to watch fireworks in SWG, in addition to crafting my own and launching off those nifty show packages. In fact, just a half-hour ago I launched a spectacular 30-second display that involved three full packages for a total of sixty fireworks, and let me tell you, it was quite a sight. Although, I announced the event a few minutes prior to its start, and it was in a very populated area, but not very many people stirred from the cantina or the bazaar to watch the massive deflagration occurring over their heads. The reason this happened is because, I realized, fireworks are simply not useful. They are good for nothing but decoration, and while I may be happy with that, you can bet that I wouldn't earn enough to keep myself in business if I someday opened up a fireworks store.In the time it takes a person to watch a show, which does nothing for their personal well-being, they could be doing something that directly benefits them instead. At least, I assume that's how the thought process goes.
My suggestion isa simple one: Make fireworks heal battle fatigue and mind wounds in the same way that entertainers currently do.Because fireworks are more few and far between than entertainers, they must be crafted, and they are easily expendable, each blast should heal a significantly large portion of BF and wounds, and a 60-firework show like the one I mentioned above should heal up even the most crushed of spirits. Fiddly balance calculations are up to the dev team. The only requirement should be that you have a direct line of sight to the firework blast, i.e. you need to be able to see it to get the healing. If I was feeling really evil, I'd say that you need to be actually looking up at it, but I fear that many people would develop neck cramps that way (use first-person mode already!), plus I don't know if that's possible in the current game engine.
Oh, and while we're looking at fireworks, we should address an important bug they have. Namely, the first firework you set off after logging in will just disappear from your inventory and fail to work. If the first thing you try after logging in is a show package, the package won't disappear, but it won't go off either. Hence, the only way to get a show package to work is to try (and fail) to launch a single firework beforehand.
So, I guess that about wraps it up. /sign if you agree, or /unsign if you don't, but either way, please give your reasons for doing so in a rational manner, because it helps me understand why this has not been done before and/or why it will continue to not be done in the future. Pointing out any critical flaws in my proposed system would also be appreciated.
bloodvor622
Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:18 pm
#2
/sign
they need to blow up stuff or atleast get the attention of creatures/NPC's so crafters can defend themselves somewhat.
IcepickIIIDragonrider
Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:31 pm
#3
/sign
Good idea, but the person should have to access the radial menu and select watch on the person launching those fireworks. That way it would cure battle fatigue. I watched a very long show over the fourth of july weekend on the Ahazi server at a player city where they set up a fireworks show. Unbelievable, it went on for at least 15 minutes and there were 5 launch points throughout the city. It was a great sight and makes me glad us Americans can do this to celebrate. Of course, what I would love to see is that the story in this galaxy of our gave us something to cheer about or worry about. There is no news, nothing in the emails about what is going on in the galaxy. Honestly i never thought about it, but the story is dead it feels like to a normal business man like myself.
Also the idea about spookin the creatures, or at least distract them...thats great. Dont know how to implement that...but good nonetheless.
Sokko
Mon Aug 23, 2004 3:17 pm
#4
Good idea with the "Watch" option on the radial menu; however, it would be a bit tricky to determine when someone is going to launch fireworks and whether they are going to launch more in the near future. The easyway to do it is to make the option available as soon as someone launches off a firework or show package, and continue to make it available for up to 30 seconds after the most recent firework/package was launched. Obviously, you'd still only get the healing along with each firework blast, and then only if you have a direct line of sight.
The idea of spooking creatures with fireworks is new to me, but then again I picked up a combat profession for self-defense so I just never thought of it. It would be nice for people who can't spare the skill points, though, or just don't want to be training a whole other profession alongside their main one. Say that if a firework is launched outside a municipal zone, any creatures within a 100m radius of the launcher will cease any attacks in progress and attempt to get at least100m away from the launch zone for a period of about one minute. Aggressive creatures would resume a previous attack once the minute is up (assuming that their target is still within viewing distance at the time).
Further comments are, as always, appreciated.
Clarf
Tue Aug 24, 2004 5:26 pm
#5
Perhaps they could be use to scare smaller creatures away.
Not sure aboutthe healing thing though. People would start using them all the time, everywhere, they would just get annoying. Sure it would look pretty the first couple of days, but I think it would just become a new form of spamming.
And the entertainers sure won't like it. They spend a lot of time becoming good musicians and dancers - but crafting fireworks, or buying them, takes little effort.
But don't get me wrong, I love fireworks. I used to make lots of them in my novice artisan days. Didn't sell many though 
Had fun letting them all off.
Had fun letting them all off.I think that novice artisans do need schematics for more useful items, so that they can make money, but making fireworks useful is not the answer.
Guruweaver
Wed Aug 25, 2004 4:30 am
#6
While I laud the idea of finding useful game functions for more of Artisan schematics, I'm in disagreement that fireworks should heal mind wounds and/or battle fatigue. The entertainer community has really suffered for lack of content and enjoyable things to do in this game and I don't think we should be looking to further undercut them.
Visualize: Fireworks require no skill to deploy. They heal battle fatigue, currently the only unhealable damage in the field. Every uber combat d00d will stock up on fireworks and never visit an entertainer again. We've just basically killed three professions of this game of one of their primary functions and seriously changed the dynamic of play.
Nah. Startling animals to drive them away? Now, that's not a bad idea. It'd be interesting to see a mechanic where you could launch your fireworks near your harvesters and it'd drive away the agro critters for some period of time, allowing you the chance of servicing the machine without getting eaten.
Hrm.
Thanks for starting this topic, it's an interesting discussion.
Guru
Giamai
Wed Aug 25, 2004 5:24 am
#7
i have to go with guru on the healing issue...the much maligned entertainers would be be even more alienated by endless fireworks shows stealing their customers.
if it were possible to use them to scare animals that would be awesome but add in npc's as well. my tatooine factories are a favorite hangout for tuskens for some reason 
Cafa
Wed Aug 25, 2004 10:06 am
#8
I just want fireworks package loading to be drag and drop.
Package loading improvements would increase the heack out of my fireworks sales. As is, there are a core group of dedicated people that love fireworks and put up with the overhead. I just cannot imagine that the person that created the package loading options ever experienced the pain of actually using that tool! ARGH!
Fivo Asia
Package loading improvements would increase the heack out of my fireworks sales. As is, there are a core group of dedicated people that love fireworks and put up with the overhead. I just cannot imagine that the person that created the package loading options ever experienced the pain of actually using that tool! ARGH!
Fivo Asia
darkmane
Wed Aug 25, 2004 3:34 pm
#9
Guruweaver wrote:
While I laud the idea of finding useful game functions for more of Artisan schematics, I'm in disagreement that fireworks should heal mind wounds and/or battle fatigue. The entertainer community has really suffered for lack of content and enjoyable things to do in this game and I don't think we should be looking to further undercut them.
Visualize: Fireworks require no skill to deploy. They heal battle fatigue, currently the only unhealable damage in the field. Every uber combat d00d will stock up on fireworks and never visit an entertainer again. We've just basically killed three professions of this game of one of their primary functions and seriously changed the dynamic of play.
Nah. Startling animals to drive them away? Now, that's not a bad idea. It'd be interesting to see a mechanic where you could launch your fireworks near your harvesters and it'd drive away the agro critters for some period of time, allowing you the chance of servicing the machine without getting eaten.
Hrm.
Thanks for starting this topic, it's an interesting discussion.
Guru
Ok, how about this suggestion (Much more complex to implement)
Make a DE module that uses fireworks packages like stim-a's for the stimpack dispenser and converts a certain area into a cantina for the duration of the show. Add usefulness to DEs, artisans and Entertainers. You might limit the healing to Mind wounds keeping cantina's a necessary part of the healing process.
RSQViper
Wed Aug 25, 2004 5:19 pm
#10
Myself and a friend have made 136 firework packages we will be setting off in one show on Bria. Should be this Sunday near Mos Entha. Time TBD. For those of you counting that is over 2,500 fireworks.
Message Edited by RSQViper on 08-25-2004 08:20 PM
Garzukeen
Fri Aug 27, 2004 3:44 am
#12
Colour option, easier loading (Drag and Drop), Ground effect fireworks (for scaring off creatures), give outdoor entertainers a boost to healing skill if there is a fireworks display also going on
Bloodreaver1406
Sat Aug 28, 2004 12:18 am
#13
hey mate i herd of my friend in guild chat when i was getting annoyed with aload of binayre pirates hanging out around my harvester (i would usually slaughter em but i had just started my new templete and was really weak i no i should have kept my BH 4 as long as i could) anyway he sed that if you have named ure harvesters then it attracts mobs too em this is anoying because it doesnt let u personalize ure stuff whithout conciquence. hope this solves ure problem it did mine never get attacks now
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