Bio Engineer Archive
Thread: Me, BE and Correspondants
I think communication is important and I want to get a few things out in the open so you all know whats going on.
I've seen my name being spread around with others as a possible candidate as well as concerns that I am bored with the profession so I want you all to know how I feel about the matter.
Firstly - yes, I have applied to be considered as the new correspondant. I dont think I'll get it but I think when theres a problem its better to try to do something about it than just sit on the forums and complain about it
Which brings us on to where I stand with bioengineering as a profession. I am not bored with the profession - I love it, if it werent for the mess we're in with pet validation checks I'd go as far as to say its the best profession in the game... BUT I dont intend to keep BE on my main character on Farstar. The skill point drain is just too much (an issue I'd really like to see addressing) for my main, particularly with the impending merchant changes.
I originally took BE to compliment my tailoring - I wanted to be more than just a tailor, but the pet creation process was so fascinating I found myself spening more time on my belly on endor than swanning around my glamourous fashion house.
But spending all day working on the perfect pet for a customer to then have the dreaded moment of pet invalid on taming was just too devastating. So I started making less and less pets, customers had to settle for what they got and then when the FF came out - the one shining beacon of hope that was going to answer all our questions that turned out to be a cut and paste of the guide stickied at the top of the forums I felt I'd had enough. The clincher however was being told that the BE dev was in charge of the Jedi revamp - and who can blame them, the BE revamp was amazing, sure it has its problems but the potential is overwhelming.
As yet I still havent had the heart to drop my BE skills even though I've already taken up armoursmith and smuggler, I've dropped tailoring rather than lose BE just yet. But eventually it will go and Nyria wont be the pretties BE on farstar anymore
So I do still love BE and all my little ginger step-siblings but to really be able to enjoy BE I'd need more skill points than they'll let me have
The eaier it is to get the DNA the less frustrating it is when you get that inevitable crit fail and I'd love to be able to check my pets before I sell them but I just cant spare the points for all that.However if I do get the position as BE correspondant I do intend to level up a BE/CH/Ranger (tracking 3) because I really do want to carry on making pets but I just cant do it with my current skill set.
Ok this has gone on far longer than I intended, sorry if I waffled but I wanted to get out into the open exactly how I feel about the situation and give you all a chance to make your feelings known.
If you dont feel that you can accept a correspondant who doesnt have a BE as a main character then here is the place to say it. I will forward this thread with my application so TH can be aware how you all feel about it.
Doesn't matter to me which of your characters is a MBE. What matters most is this statement:
NancyJ wrote:
Firstly - yes, I have applied to be considered as the new correspondant. I dont think I'll get it but I think when theres a problem its better to try to do something about it than just sit on the forums and complain about it
I think quite a few people through their hats into this ring. Hopefully we will be in good hands no matter what.
To address your pet making woes, I personally never have this invalid pet problem. How I avoid it is by making pets that are reasonable for their CL level. It is when you start making them far to powerful for their CL that problems happen. The system is bugged and exactly what is reasonable for a certain CL needs to be defined some how. That definition to me is the key to this problem and I get the feeling things aren't gettind defined until the combat balance is well underway.
Meplorium wrote:I think quite a few people through their hats into this ring. Hopefully we will be in good hands no matter what.
To address your pet making woes, I personally never have this invalid pet problem. How I avoid it is by making pets that are reasonable for their CL level. It is when you start making them far to powerful for their CL that problems happen. The system is bugged and exactly what is reasonable for a certain CL needs to be defined some how. That definition to me is the key to this problem and I get the feeling things aren't gettind defined until the combat balance is well underway.
If only that were the case. The issue is the lack of logic in the validity checks, very 'reasonable' pets are being declared invalid and ones that are way off scale are fine.
I'd love to make pets that were more in line with what the devs intend but I dont want to spend my paid for leisure time finding new recipes that arent valid when the ones I know (overpowered as they are) do work.
ArthurDentOnBria wrote:
Ok, I've been kinda keeping out of all this, wanted to avoid the mud-slinging and such, but for what it's worth I did decide to toss my hat in the ring myself yesterday.
But anyway, I just wanted to say Nancy, that I'd much much rather have you as a correspondent, then someone who doesn't think enough of this forum to contribute to it, irregardless of whether your BE is your "main" or not, and you would certainly have my support. And if you or one of the other long time regulars (Tal-N, Merril, Merroc, Vokeand others) do become the BE correspondent then I'm willing and able to help out testing new changes on TC or whatever you need.
Message Edited by ArthurDentOnBria on 05-05-2004 12:50 PM
arthur if you get it, you will have my support as well....
i think the BE community will be in good hands because there are many members of this community that are very knowledgable, helpful and polite 
also, does anyone know if uploading characters is up yet? i would be happy to transfer my current character's skills to test center and test out changes before they go live and help out in any way i can
The character copy is on the schedule that they sent out in the news letter. Looks like a couple months down the road. My guess is they want to get that ready for Space beta.
As to the pet issue, thereare some variables, or a certain set of variables that get checked. Theinvalid statecould come from which animal was sampled fromor some stat not clearly seen. My guess it has to do with the special vs effective resistence. The special resistance clones that I generally concentrate on always come up fine. The old supper bunny trick used straight effective resists. The valid check may look for that as HAM doesn't seem to be the determining factor. We do need a system that takes all the stats of an animal into cosideration and generates the CL from that. I feel that is also the key to getting the CL on the template.
Thanks Kevie, I appreciate it.
As far as character transfer goes, I'm not sure. I know that Bria is on some kind of pilot program for test center (not sure what all that entails, never looked into it before) so I may be in luck there should I need to test some BE things there.
Meplorium wrote:
The character copy is on the schedule that they sent out in the news letter. Looks like a couple months down the road. My guess is they want to get that ready for Space beta.
i was hoping you would apply for it, because i hope you get it.
i'm in the same dilemma with the skill points investment needed to make BE profitable..... lately i've just been making pet medicine and nutrient supplements
i LOVE making pets..... it just irks me to no end that i can in no way reliably sell them
i will probably be dropping BE soon after the combat rebalance and get professions that will help me with my pistol skills, but i will however drop by from time to time and try and lend a helping hand
i would love to keep BE, but i would also like to try my hand at some pvp and the new dungeons that keep coming out.
but dropping BE will not be for some time now, and i hope i can help in any way i can until then
Ok, I've been kinda keeping out of all this, wanted to avoid the mud-slinging and such, but for what it's worth I did decide to toss my hat in the ring myself yesterday.
But anyway, I just wanted to say Nancy, that I'd much much rather have you as a correspondent, then someone who doesn't think enough of this forum to contribute to it, irregardless of whether your BE is your "main" or not, and you would certainly have my support. And if you or one of the other long time regulars (Tal-N, Merril, Merroc, Vokeand others) do become the BE correspondent then I'm willing and able to help out testing new changes on TC or whatever you need.
Message Edited by ArthurDentOnBria on 05-05-2004 12:50 PM
Arthur has my full support, he's a great guy (and fantasitcally geeky screen name heh), always a very composed and thoughtful poster and I think he'll make a great correspondant.
TBH I wasnt sure if you'd apply but good on you for doing so, its good to know that if I dont get it theres at least a shot that someone who I really respect and I think will do a damn fine job of it will get the position.
With his marriage and move to england I dont think Tal-N will apply but if he does - best of luck man, though I do think your past history of 'passionate' postings may go against you.
That said - I've been known to have a few rants myself