Artisan Archive

Having reached a total of 3 pages on the bio-engineer forum and having had everyone say it was a fantastic idea (and in some cases saying it's perfect) I figured I'd post the information onto the other profession forums that are part of this new concept which helps solve an issue that is already starting to occour... people wanting to change their species without losing their current character and all that hard work. It's really a very simple request from the players which I put into a focussed idea which increases the markets for a number of professions while also providing a money sink which the develoeprs are always saying they need more of. On the whole the idea is almost flawless except for some things which need to be carefully considered but aren't issues that can't be worked around.

The full topic is at the following URL: http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=bio-engineer&message.id=11553&view=by_date_ascending&page=1

The actual idea is quoted below, the reason why I'm posting this on all of the profession forums that would be involved is that this seems like the ideal solution to the issue and we want to rally as much support for this concept as possible. So please post your concerns and/or approval here and hopefully we'll get it submitted to the developers for serious consideration.

This wasn't an idea I proposed a while ago but some people rejected it because they felt it fell into the catagory of the image designer, I argued that it actually falls more fittingly into the catagory for bio-engineers but none the less I could see their point. As SWG expands to include new player species types I can see folks wanting to change to these new species without giving up all of the hard earned effort they spent on their current character. It's not unfair to say that you can change your appearence anyway in the game and that a species change is really not any different from a gameplay and balancing point of view. Also this idea will open up more business for imagine designers, architechts, master artisans and bio-engineers as well. Let me explain.

Lets say that Tosk Lightwalker is a transhodan who is sick of the alien penalties associated with being in the empire and wants to switch to being a human. However they have invested alot of time building their character into a master bounty hunter and doesn't like the idea of having to delete this character or play on another server away from their friends in order to be happy with being in the Empire. So in comes this new ability for the bio-engineer to change someone's species with the help of several of the other professions.

Step 1. First of all after the bio-engineer and Tosk have arranged to go through with this the bio-engineer needs to own a gene-sequencer device. This looks exactly the same as the clone template machines seen in the cloning facilities where people store a clone to be activated if they die.

Step 2. The gene-sequencer is a very complex peice of machinery which requires master artisan components and can only be put together by a architects who has tech furniture 4. The bio-engineer also needs to synthesize a human dna template for use in the sequencer.

Step 3. Tosk the transhodan goes into the house/lab of the bio-engineer. And steps into the gene-sequencer. The Bio-engineer then has to load the human dna template into the sequencer. Depending on the skill of the bio-engineer the process will either trasnform the transhodan into the default appearence of the human or they'll fail and have to try again.

Step 4. Assuming things work the transhodan now looks like the default human. In order to get allowing how they want they now have to visit an image designer to get their features changed. Tosk has also reverted to the default stats of a human as well. The change is 100% and they cannot go through another species switch for 24 hours (due to physical stresses on the body)

The market potential

On the whole you're looking at expanded business not only for the under used image designer but also for master artisans. Architects also benefit from the furniture line now having a higher perpose than decoration. Bio-engineers gets something other than tissues or clones to play around with. The gene-squencers would also require maintaince and alot of power each time they are used to change someone's species thus increasing the flow of money to people who sell the power sources.

The money sink

The developers are always saying that we have too much money and they'd like to introduce new money sinks. Well the gene-sequencer is the ideal solution to having money flowing out into the virtual abyss. The successrate for changing someone's species would be based on the quality of the dna tample made, the bio-engineer themselves plus the quality of the gene-sequencer as well. Thus there's alot which factors into the successrates meaning there's alot of risk for failures. Since the sequencer would need power, maintaince plus the template you're looking at something which can result in money flowing out with nothing in return. Something the developers are working very hard to introduce with the inclusion of the casino games, the gene-sequencer is just the same as the roulette wheel or someone trying to slice a locked container which then fails. The loss of the power, the wasted upkeep from maintaince and the dna template would be enough to slowly drain some of the money from the economy. As long as the process is suitable expensive.

The conclusion

Sooner or later the new player species are going to come in. Players are going to see something new they want to try out without the risk of deleting their character which they worked so hard to build. In the long run the majority of players will complain enough to make SOE allow for species changes and they know it's a reasonable request since they already allow us to drop skills and alter what our character is on a whim. Species changes which also add a market AND a money sink are an ideal solution to a very simple request.

Thank you for you time.

Just to summerize for you artisans, this is just another insenstive for you to reach the status of master artisan. Something which at the moment has little or no perks outside of being a stepping stone into other businesses and with a fewcomponents which you can sell to other professions. Obviously sheild generators are not bug bussiness but if they make these gene-sequencers expensive to make as well as suffer normal furniture decay over time then you have a steady demand for the components used to make them.

Sorry that should have said 'artisans' not architechts in the title.

Not to bad of an idea. However I would increase the time to several weeks at least. Twenty four hours isn't all that long actually.

There is another side effect that you should consider also. Stats. Racial min/max can be vastly different. Changing race can easily bump you out of those. Solution : Stats start at racial minimums. You have to assign the rest. This will bea minor pain to do but considering you've completely changed races it makes some sense. You're DNA has just been completely redone and your body needs extensive recalibration. This will also disuade the casual race changer.

I agree with Waste93 in that 24 hours is like a drop in the bucket. The time between changing your species should be several weeks, at least. Maybe a month is a good round number to use.

Again, Waste93 comes up another good point on stats. Racial min/max's are vastly different, and it does make sense that the stats should be at the minimum for that race. The subject can then stat migrate the stats up to their own preferences. To get up and running, it will take awhile to do.

I think the idea is a really good idea (especially, since I recently was playing a Master Ranger Wookiee, when I decided that I wanted to concentrate on roleplaying, and didn't feel like role playing a wookiee. So I deleted and created a new character, just so I could change my species and still play with all my friends). Is it stretching our dis-belief? It is, but the way it is described it fits. It is no more bizaare than completely tame Rancors running around, a short, blad, fat human, going to a tall, skinny, muscular human with completely different eye and skin color.

What about sex-changes? Should that be considered also? Maybe something similar with less penalites?

The first issue I see, is an issue of what happens if the final step fails. What happens? When can they retry? I would say some big wounds are placed on the subject, and then they couldn't try for a period of time. I would say this maybe 24 hours or 48 hours. The body goes thru some stress, and can't handle it, so you'll have to wait awhile.

Next issue is the fact that the new body is the default appearance. I don't relish the idea of seeing the same default appearance running around. I think that the new appearance should be random. (remember character creation, randomize all). That way the outcome is more than likely not exactly what the subject will want, and still require some Image Design, and that way, everyone who steps off of the gene thing-a-ma-bob, isn't going to look the same.

Furniture might not be the best place to put this schematic. Installations might be more appropriate, but I'm not an architect. I do like the idea that atleast, a component of your gene thing-a-ma-bob requires a component or 2 from Furniture 4, and I would say, components from Master Artisans and Bio-Engineers, as well as one of the more expensive Architect components, the power core (or something like that).

The last issue I think maybe the biggest issue. It has to deal with the Imperial faction. We all know that the empire is bias against non-humans. In game, it means that faction perks cost more for non-humans. How should that be handled in game? I don't think it is an issue for a Wookiee, who is already a covert sergeant for the Empire but who wants to become a Human. But what about the Human covert sergeant for the Empire, with 2 AT-ST pets, and a dark tropper, who wants to become a Wookiee? I don't know the answer, I'm really posing the question and stating the issue. You can theoretically destroy the pets, but a smart player would trade it to their buddies, and have them trade them back after the change is complete. Is removing rank or ranks and or faction points enough? too much? I don't know.

In summary, I think this is a good idea, and would support it, if the issue of imperial racial switching is resolved.

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drezbizkit wrote:

Next issue is the fact that the new body is the default appearance. I don't relish the idea of seeing the same default appearance running around. I think that the new appearance should be random. (remember character creation, randomize all). That way the outcome is more than likely not exactly what the subject will want, and still require some Image Design, and that way, everyone who steps off of the gene thing-a-ma-bob, isn't going to look the same.

Furniture might not be the best place to put this schematic. Installations might be more appropriate, but I'm not an architect. I do like the idea that atleast, a component of your gene thing-a-ma-bob requires a component or 2 from Furniture 4, and I would say, components from Master Artisans and Bio-Engineers, as well as one of the more expensive Architect components, the power core (or something like that).

The last issue I think maybe the biggest issue. It has to deal with the Imperial faction. We all know that the empire is bias against non-humans. In game, it means that faction perks cost more for non-humans. How should that be handled in game? I don't think it is an issue for a Wookiee, who is already a covert sergeant for the Empire but who wants to become a Human. But what about the Human covert sergeant for the Empire, with 2 AT-ST pets, and a dark tropper, who wants to become a Wookiee? I don't know the answer, I'm really posing the question and stating the issue. You can theoretically destroy the pets, but a smart player would trade it to their buddies, and have them trade them back after the change is complete. Is removing rank or ranks and or faction points enough? too much? I don't know.

In summary, I think this is a good idea, and would support it, if the issue of imperial racial switching is resolved.

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I agree with the random appearance. It would get the Image Designers some work to tweak the character.

As for the whole faction thing. A simple but rather painful solution. When you undergo the change you loose all your faction points. Start back off at 0. To radical? Consider this. How does the Empire or Rebels know whom they are dealing with? You've just changed your DNA so you can't check that. Everything else has changed (blood type, retina pattern, fingerprint, etc).

The next step would be a change to the faction pets. Require certain ranks be achieved before certain pets could be obtained. I don't think any military would put the command of say three Spec Forces Commandos or AT-ST's under the command of a private.

Require certain ranks for each type of faction pet. The lowest would be available to privates. You would also have to make it so the number of a certain pet would be available at certain ranks. Say the first AT-ST at Sgt. Two at Lt. Three at Colonel. While stormtroopers would be available earlier. Say first at Cpl, second at Sgt, third at Lt. You get the idea. Think of it as faction pet certs.

Of course you could mix and match. Sat at Sgt you could have your 1 AT-ST and two stormtroopers. This would solve the problem of just trading your faction pets, changing race, grabbing a quick 200 faction points and have your three AT-ST's back.

Dang Waste93, you are good. That is an awesome idea about the pet certs and stuff.

That seems to do it for me. This is a great idea.

Secondly, the idea about the pet certs tied to ranks is a good idea. Hopefully this idea is discussed in the GCW forum. If not, weshould go post there.

In regards to sex changes. That should be something fairly easy to do. It has no real effect on the game. It doesn't change any stats, faction perks, etc. It's just cosmetic. Make it something a Master Image Designer can do. Maybe require them to use a new piece of equipment called an Image Design crafting station. This would be like the other crafting stations and craftable by a novice architect.

I don't think that furniture nor installations would be the right place for the DNA sequencer. Make this something a novice Urban Planner can make. As a limited use crafting station maybe? Has five charges say. I see it as not just one machine but as a small building with all the support machinery something like this would require.

If they make it something for an Architect instead of Urban Planner make it a crafting station makeable by a Master Architect. Of course it would require parts from other professions such as BE and Master Artisan. Maybe some DE parts like regular crafting stations also.

I was at lunch thinking about it. I'm going topost the faction pet / ranking idea in the GCW forum also. I'll link here once I'm done with it. I've fleshed it out a bit and came up with an idea that I don't think would be to hard to implement and would make it fairly easy to expand when new stuff comes out.

Thanx for the compliment.

It appears there was already a thread in regards to a similiar idea so I posted there. Here is the link.

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=GCW&message.id=669&view=by_date_ascending&page=6