Artisan Archive
Thread: Focused Discussion for the Week 9/28/03.
What do you believe the Artisan's role in the GCW/PvP should be?
Please post your thoughts/ideas/suggestions here. Let's keep it as civil as the rest of this forum has been lately. 
Bianca Minola
Not exactly what I was looking for Ulic, but it would be better than what we currently have, lol.
Bianca Minola
Only artisans could assemble temporary static offensive & defensive placements (true commando weapons, i.e. machinegun encampments etc). Engineering 3, 4, and MA would have certifications for deploying these structures (like tents).
A weaponsmith would create gun placements and they would have standard heavy weapon and limited ammunition variations.
An armorsmith would create shield placements.
To encourage PvP outside cities only the smallest would be buildable in municipal zones.
Just off the top of my head... how about sort of a faction-specific bazaar? Artisans can turn in certain pieces of equipment or resources for set amounts of FP, which can then be purchased (requisitioned) by other members of the faction with FP. It doesn't have to be anything sweeping... maybe just a few kinds of resources, a few pieces of clothing, bone armor, personal harvesters, crates of fiberplast panel, etc.
And they can add some equipment schematics that can be purchased with the FP gained. Maybe faction uniforms, special weapon powerups, that sort of thing.
Feel free to point out the gaping holes. It's just a thought. 
The ability to create bunkers on the battlefield. Defensive structures that would give players from the same faction a defensive bonus while they were inside.
The ability to survey for siesmic faults, and use charges to disrupt them. This could cause ae damage to enemy players in a set radius.
#1 idea along these lines would have to be the ability to craft faction items: weapos, armor, AT-ST parts, etc.
To keep it from dirupting game balance, you could require the artisan to "purchase" a schematic from a recruiter. Say, 5 uses but at a total FP cost equivalent to buying 1 of the item? Or buy the ability to craft an item (schematic ability is permanent, but untradable), but it can only be sold back to the recruiter (for FP, creds, or a combination)?
This would obiously include the Elites off of Artisan (Architects able to build Faction HQ, for example), but would add a new dimension to the game for crafters.
I do think it would need to be carefully done, otherwise every Imp with $ can get armor, or any Artisan with a factory will have max rank & FP, etc. Multiple exploits leap to mind so while it might be easy to code, it would not be easy to implement.....
In the case of the Imperial speeder bikes (from RotJ Endor), the artisan would purchase the schematics, chassis, motive unit parts, nav unit parts, etc. They would then create some of their own parts (electronics units, storage units, all the mounted weapons, shields, armor) and do the final assembly.
In one word "Droids"
In Episode I, the merchants of the Trading Guild used an army of Droids. In SWG, a merchant is allowed only one feeble one.
I suggest a "droidmanagement skill" and every artisan box, and artisan based elite box,gives +1. With that a wealthy elite artisan becomes a valuable and important faction member.The exact number and the strength of the droids is an important TBD variable.Artisan basedelites, howerver, need a large enough group so they are able to adequately defend a headquarters, and could make a substantial contribution toward taking one.
Not to mention eliminating the stupidity of having to waste skill points on pistoleer and scout skills just to be able to safely travel to harvesters and suppliers.
It would not be unbalancing, Deploying a droid army to take or defent a headquarters would be expensiveto prepareand have major repair downtime after. While using them to gain faction would certainly be feasible, and good training in tactics to boot, the artisans arn't going to dominate because of the requirement to persue their primary trade. While a well preparedartisan might have an advantage in a duel, the skill point demands would limit their defensive bonuses and make them a soft target once reached.
Bored as an artisan -- take your army on a rampage into enemy territory!
I have to agree with the factional crafting idea. It would also provide an opportunity and a reason for artisan and crafter classes to become involved in the GCW rather than be war profiteers
Artisans are generally not front line combat troops and would appear to have a limited role to play on the battlefield. Face it we're the airforce and navy not the army or marines. We provide the equipment and facilitiesto keep the troops combat ready.
I think however the DEV's might have an opportunity to make artisan types more involved if they also created a combat specific artisan class. Sounds silly? Well combat engineers have been a decisive factor in many RL conflicts. Why not create a Combat Engineer class?
How about extending the uxp concept to faction points. If a crafter makes an item and it is used by a player in the same faction, in addition to uxp the crafter is awarded faction points. This would allow crafters a way to generate faction points without having to run destroy or delivery options.
One option for using the faction points would be on the "special" faction schematics that other people are suggesting (really good idea). Faction schematics would generate extra faction points on use.
Mavev Ohi
Novice Chef
Ahazi - Corellia - Kor Vella
For example a rebel power conditioner for use in a rebel turret made by architects.
All faction based schematics though should result in a TEF when used.