Artisan Archive

Let me preface this by saying that I am not on these forums very often. If someone else has said what I am about to say, or something similar, then chances are I never read it. Typically, when I am on the forums, I am in my home server forum or on the Weaponsmith forum - however, this area seemed the best place to post this.

I have been involved with SWG since before it was called SWG. I participated in all three phases of beta, and I currently play the game. I ammostly a casual player, although I spend more time logged in than I probably should.

In the time since SWG's release, I have noticed something that very much bothers me about the player economy. While the basic system is far and away more involved and appealing than any other MMORPG I have ever played, the sheer amount of goods one character can produce, when compared with the amount of demand for any particular item, means that market saturation is reached very, very fast. Given current populations and my own observations, A single server can realistically expect to support no more than 50 dedicated master craftsmen in any given profession - and by MMO numbers, that's a very small amount.

I see no way to correct this in the short term, but given that it takes a long while for all but the most avid powergamers to reach Master status in a craft, it's not something that needs to be corrected quickly.

What I would propose to the devs and to this community to do, is to increase the diversity of the player economy by adding new and different things for crafters to do - namely, more professions. This gives everyone more options, and creates more room for growth without having to change production rates or force crafters out of the system. Ideally, there should always be somewhat of a shortage of crafters in one area or another of the economy, as this gives new players a role that they can fill and promotes long term growth of the game.

I believe that adding more professions will accomplish the following:

1. Increase interdependancy among crafters.


2. Diversify the overall economy - right now there are too many people competing for business in too few professions - even more so because several professions are relatively undesireable to most players (chefs, for example).


3. Stratify the lines of production and make large scale production a true "end game" while still allowing casual crafters to compete. This is more along the lines of what was originally outlined as the initial design of the crafting system, before Beta.


4. Allow crafters to participate in upcoming feature additions, including vehicles, mounts, cities, and starships.


5. Give crafters a greater role in the GCW.


6. Increase the demand for and usage of organic resources (which are woefully underutilized right now).


7. Give crafters who have reached the top of their professions new options to try or to advance to.

All that said, here are my suggestions:

Miner

The Miner is a supplier profession. They focus mainly on providing things that other crafters use to create their goods. Many players already pursue this profession in spirit to earn money, and as more goods are added to the economy, this skillset will be in greater demand.

The Miner profession is activated by achieving level IV in Surveying.

Miner Disciplines

• Harvester Operation - This increases the production rate of harvesters under a miner's control.


• Harvester Efficiency - This decreases the maintenance cost of harvesters under a miner's control.


• Alloys - This allows the miner to use a crafting kit to combine two resources of the same type (copper, for example) to create an 'alloy'. This alloy material would be required by advanced crafters for some of the things they could make. An alloy material would have the same qualities as the source materials, but averaged between the two. Thus, an enterprising miner could make a superior alloy by choosing the right resource combinations. Obviously this would require an addition to the crafting system.


• Planetary Surveying - This discipline builds on the basic artisan surveying discipline.

Farmer

TheFarmer is a supplier profession. They focus mainly on providing things that other crafters use to create their goods. Rather than operating a wide variety of harvesters, farmers focus on providing organic materials to other crafters which need them. Some may argue that there is little demand for this profession, but I believe that in conjunction with some of the other professions I have listed, demand for organic resources will be increased.

The Farmer profession is activated by achieving level IV in Surveying and level IV in Exploration (Scout).

Farmer Disciplines

• Hydroponics - This allows the operation of hydroponics chambers - a new type of factory. Hydroponics chambers are less efficient than traditional farms, but allow a farmer to combine existing strains of organic resources (like wheat) to create and grow new hybrids - much like alloys work for miners. The skills in this discipline affect the efficiency of hydroponics chambers that farmers can operate. In order for a chamber to work, the sample resources used must be refreshed from time to time, insuring resource turnover.


• Farm Efficiency - This allows the farmer to get greater efficiency from traditional farms - thereby generating more resources for the same amount of maintenance and power paid to the structure.


• Organics Storage - This allows the farmer to place organic resources into a storage structure (like a silo), which effectively decreases their normal decay rate. Higher levels of skill affect the decay rate of items inside the structure to a greater degree. Since the majority of a farmer's sales will be bulk resources (keep reading), this will be important.


• Farm Management - This skill discipline directly affects the maintenance costs of farm structures.

Rancher

The Rancher is a supplier profession. Much like the farmer, ranchers focus on providing things to other crafters. However, they also raise creature mounts for sale to other players. Ranchers rely mainly on large quantities of organic resources (from farmers) and breeding stock (from creature handlers or bio-engineers) to create their goods. Creatures raised by ranchers can be harvested for meat, bones, or hides, as well as sold as mounts (if the creature is of a suitable type).

The Rancher profession is activated upon attaining Hunting IV (Scout) and Business IV (Artisan)

Rancher Disciplines

• Herd Management- This discipline allows players to grow (with suitable breeding stock) herds of creatures. In order to grow a herd, the player must have a special structure (a ranch), sufficient feed (provided by farmers), and a minimum number of creature samples provided by a creature handler or bio engineer. Higher levels of skill allow therancher to maintain larger herds. A ranch can only have one herd at a time, and the herd must be sold, harvested,or destroyed before another one can be created. Herds require ongoing maintenance in the form of food, but will replenish themselves (as individual creatures are sold or harvested) as long as sufficient food is available.


• Herd Harvesting - This discipline allows the rancher to harvest increased amounts of resources from herd animals in their herds. Harvesting in this case is performed through the structure menu, rather than through engaging in combat with the creature and defeating it.


• Ranch Diversity - This discipline allows the rancher to raise more exotic creatures. Predatory creatures can never be raised on a ranch, however.


• Ranch Management - This discipline decreases the maintenance cost of ranch facilities, and increases their efficiency (less food needed, etc.)

Industrialist

The Industrialist profession focuses on manufacturing goods provided by other crafters. They are able to operate larger and more efficient factories, and are the only profession able to factory produce advanced components required for some professions (like ship designers).

The Industrialist profession is activated by achieving Engineering IV and Business IV (Artisan).

Industrialist Disciplines

• Factory Ownership - These skills allow the industrialist to operate advanced factories (provided by Urban Planners)


• Factory Management - These skills decrease the maintenance cost of advanced factories, and increase their efficiency.


• Research and Development - These skills decrease the resources required to factory produce items.


• Manufacturing Quality - These skills increase the quality of manufactured goods above and beyond what the schematic would dictate (percentage increase in stats).

Vehicle Engineer

These guys make vehicles and vehicle components('nuff said). Obviously in order to work, there would need to be a variety of vehicles available to them.

This profession is activated by achieving Engineering IV (Artisan).

Vehicle Engineer Disciplines

• Vehicle Frames - These skills grant the ability to produce more vehicle types


• Vehicle Engines - These skills grant the ability to produce better/more powerful engines


• Vehicle Components - These skills grant the ability to produce more miscellaneous vehicle components.


• Vehicle Engineering - These skills grant the ability to make better vehicles (faster, more cargo space, etc. - in other words, it increases available experimentation.

Advanced Weaponsmith

This profession is an extension of the existing Weaponsmith Profession. While this profession grants the ability to make a few additional kinds of personal weapons, its main focus is on vehicle and ship weaponry and static defense installations (turrets).

This profession is activated by achieving Master Weaponsmith.

Advanced Weaponsmith Disciplines

• Personal Weapons - This allows the player to create additional types of personal weaponry - mainly heavy weapons.


• Vehicle Weaponry - This allows the player to create additional types of vehicle and droid weaponry.


• Ship Weaponry - This allows the player to create weaponry for starships.


• Defensive Installations - This allows the player to create turrets and minefields.

Advanced Armorsmith

This profession is an extension of the Armorsmith profession. While the profession allows the creation of one or two additional types of personal armor, its main focus is on creating armor for ships, vehicles, and combat droids.

This profession is activated by achieving Master Armorsmith.

Advanced Armorsmith Disciplines

• Personal Armor - These skills allow the creation of advanced types of personal armor.


• Heavy Plating - These skills allow the creation of heavy armor plating for ships, vehicles, and droids.


• Advanced Deflectors - These skills allow the creation of advanced deflectors for players or for droids.


• Ship Shields - These skills allow the creation of starship shields.

Electronics Engineer

The electronics engineer focuses on creating electronic components required for droids, vehicles, ships, and advanced installations.

This profession is activated by achieving Master Artisan.

Electronics Engineer Disciplines

• General Components - These skills allow the creation of more types of general components.


• Droid Components - These skills allow the creation of advanced droid components.


• Computers - These skills allow the creation of advanced computers (required for many things).


• Ship Components - These skills allow thecreation of starship electronic components.

Ship Designer

This profession designs and builds starships. Obviously this won't happen until the space expansion.

This profession is activated by achieving Master Vehicle Engineer.

Ship Designer Disciplines:

• Starfighters - These skills allow the creation of starfighters (Z-21 Headhunters, etc.). Draft Schematics for Rebel and Imperial models, such as X-Wings and TIEs,should only be available to appropriately factioned players.


• Freighters - These skills allow the creation of small and medium freighters.


• Hyperdrives - These skills allow the creation of advanced hyperdrives.


• Outfitting - These skills allow the ship designer to customize his design (within limits), by increasing speed or adding more cargo space. Basically, they grant additional experimentation points.

Urban Planner

I included this for completeness, even though it's already announced. Urban Planners create large scale city structures. Rather than speculate on the existing design, I'll just say that I HOPE this profession is dependant on other crafters for the items needed to create some of their best structures.

That's all I have. Hopefully everyone will find these suggestions interesting, if nothing else. Please post your thoughts - this is something I have been preparing for some time now and I would appreciate candid feedback on my ideas.