Bio Engineer Archive
Thread: Setting up shop is difficult for a BE
Page 1 of 2
Cephalo
Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:30 am
#1
Being a BE without merchant skill is a big pain. I'm a Marksmen/Ranger/Master BE and while my skills are great for sampling big creatures, I have to choose between not being able to hunt or not being able to run a vendor.
If you can't run a vendor, you have to spend way too much time peddling and annoying people, or you have to rely on someone else to sell your goods for you, which requires a great commitment from both parties. Since most people are like me and take a break for a month here and there, this really isn't sustainable.
If you can't hunt, then you really can't sell tissues anyway, because factory runs of tissues require more meat than is available for any amount of money. My experience with hunters since I mastered BE is that for 20 cpu on a specific, good quality meat that was spawning, 10 different hunters, in spite of their outward enthusiasm, flaked out on me. During the entire length of that particular spawn, I ended up with 500 that I was able to eek off the bazaar in stacks of 5 to 50.
Joining different skill trees is too expensive for some professions. I really wish that BE didn't require so many basic professions. Novice scout/medic/marksmen/artisan is a whopping 60 skill points. I guess if I drop all my Ranger skills and all the unnecessary scout skills I may be able to function, but then I'll be in for some long evenings trying to find and sneak up on specific animals to sample. It would be nice if their was some way to let Rangers do that instead of hunt meat, which they don't really like to do.
If you can't run a vendor, you have to spend way too much time peddling and annoying people, or you have to rely on someone else to sell your goods for you, which requires a great commitment from both parties. Since most people are like me and take a break for a month here and there, this really isn't sustainable.
If you can't hunt, then you really can't sell tissues anyway, because factory runs of tissues require more meat than is available for any amount of money. My experience with hunters since I mastered BE is that for 20 cpu on a specific, good quality meat that was spawning, 10 different hunters, in spite of their outward enthusiasm, flaked out on me. During the entire length of that particular spawn, I ended up with 500 that I was able to eek off the bazaar in stacks of 5 to 50.
Joining different skill trees is too expensive for some professions. I really wish that BE didn't require so many basic professions. Novice scout/medic/marksmen/artisan is a whopping 60 skill points. I guess if I drop all my Ranger skills and all the unnecessary scout skills I may be able to function, but then I'll be in for some long evenings trying to find and sneak up on specific animals to sample. It would be nice if their was some way to let Rangers do that instead of hunt meat, which they don't really like to do.
Agruel
Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:40 am
#2
Ouchy, sounds like you have a hunter shortage on your server. I personally went the "find aMerchant friend" route, but you are correct, it can be annoying.As far as hunting goes, I know just last week, on Kettemoor, a Doctoroffered 40cpu for DantooineHerbivore meat, and got so much responsethey had todelay some of the purchases, because they ran out of money faster than the meat appeared on their vendor. I know this because I myself sold about 6,000 units in two days of casual hunting. The only advice I can give is don't look forRangers specifically to hunt meat,because, as you mentioned, the are few and far between, andrealistically, the way things are now,Scouts withHunting IV and varied combat skills can harvest more meatquicker than a Master Ranger. The trick is finding them.
Centurion
Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:02 am
#3
I have it a bit better since a buddy had started on Tailor and then stopped playing and let use his account. So now I have an alt and I've gotten him novice merchant and master artisan so I have 3 vendors now.
As for buying meat, post to your trade or galaxy forums. I've managed to find several shops where PAs put the results of their hunts and my meat needs have been met reasonably well (they don't know what meat is good so they're posting stuff that's not prime but it's prices are better as a result).
As for buying meat, post to your trade or galaxy forums. I've managed to find several shops where PAs put the results of their hunts and my meat needs have been met reasonably well (they don't know what meat is good so they're posting stuff that's not prime but it's prices are better as a result).
FlyMoe
Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:26 am
#4
I know exactly how you feel. That's why I think that the devs should give BE's a vendor at master.
One thing I would suggest is maybe instead of going the ranger route, maybe go the Master BE/Master Swordsman route which is what I'm going. I figured out that I can be a Master BE, Master Swordsman, 4/0/3/0 Scout, 0/0/3/0 Artisian (for the vendor), and 0/0/0/4 Medic. I haven't made master swordsman yet, but I think that will leave you with like 2 skill points left, if my math is correct and I'm not mistaken. If you take vengesh and have a harvesting driod then you won't miss that 4th tree in scout for harvesting as much. With master swordsman, you can easily kill the creatures fast for the meat, and do a decent job of harvesting the meat. So far, on a given night I can pull in 5-6k of meat in like 2-3 hours of hunting, and as I said I'm not close to being a master yet (I'm only 2/2/2/3). So when I do become a master swordsman and get a faster, better weapon, I should easily be able to kill creatures even faster and harvest faster as well. But with the character template I can get good DNA, kill and harvest for the meat, and have a vendor as well. Out of all the templates I've seen for BE's out there, this is the one I like the best.
NancyJ
Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:28 am
#5
You will miss that scout Harvesting 4 a lot - its a prerequisite for BE 
Also without Mask Scent - making pets will be very difficult
Also without Mask Scent - making pets will be very difficult
Message Edited by NancyJ on 06-10-2004 08:29 AM
SomeUser
Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:37 am
#6
NancyJ wrote:
You will miss that scout Harvesting 4 a lot - its a prerequisite for BE
LoL
I was thinking the same thing
Vezek
ArthurDentOnBria
Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:45 am
#7
In all honestly, I really don't see how someone can play a BE with only one account. Like you say, its really messed up to try to be any sort of crafter, or seller of goods without a vendor. And if you want to make pets you need exploration 4 minimum, and if you want to make tissues you need to have a bunch of surveying skills. And I agree about the meat, there is no reasonable way to just buy what you need and expect to compete, particularly for the tailoring stuff where you need a big variety of different meat types. No way you can buy all that, no way.
I notice in the doctor skill tree there is something there about getting onto the global map. If that's what I think it is: grrrr, we should definitely have that in our tree as well.
Message Edited by ArthurDentOnBria on 06-10-2004 08:46 AM
NancyJ
Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:00 am
#8
The /register thing wouldnt really work for us since we dont have a BE specific structure. Its for entertainers and doctors to show that they are at a hospital or cantina and their services are available.
We're not service providers, we're crafters so we're stuck with having advertising 3 if we want peopel to find us.
As for the 2 accounts thing - I have only 1 account and although mask scent is highly desirable - it isnt strictly necessary I've sampled Merek Harvesters with no exploration at all. Not something I would recommend but its possible. Though I still think the prereqs should be exploration 4 instead of hunting 4 and +creature knowledge added to the clone line
We're not service providers, we're crafters so we're stuck with having advertising 3 if we want peopel to find us.
As for the 2 accounts thing - I have only 1 account and although mask scent is highly desirable - it isnt strictly necessary
I've sampled Merek Harvesters with no exploration at all. Not something I would recommend but its possible. Though I still think the prereqs should be exploration 4 instead of hunting 4 and +creature knowledge added to the clone line
Akelan
Thu Jun 10, 2004 11:15 am
#9
I had an idea after reading this post, and started a thread on a way to provide vendors to non-merchants; see if this is a possibility for you or if you have some good suggestions or criticizms to help find a better way.
LLan
Powsaut
Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:03 am
#10
it would be nice to have that ability to tell a creatures CL somewhere in the BE tree.
JayceMilam
Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:25 am
#11
Since all I have ever been or wanted to play was Master BE I have lived this nightmare. There are not enough points to go BE and and do a combat profession. So yes meat can be hardto come by. After MBE and then 9 points in artisan for my vendor, I tried different combinations. Best i found was to have tracking 1,2,3 to track creatures i need to dna sample, plus bonus to harvesting when i hunt in a group. Spent what i had left in CH ... figured it was the only way to have some type of ability to attack things without spending 15points for novice brawler or marksman. I often go ER hunting on Dath ... the bigger the group the better as far as I am concerned. Although it is funny to see everyone with red swords but me. No if only Pet Stim C's used Dath Carn instead of insect meat.
RyskMylyan
Sat Jun 12, 2004 8:20 am
#12
My current character on Bria currently has and isstriving towards:
Marksman 4/0/0/4
Medic 0/0/0/4
Scout 4/0/4/2 (going to drop one level of survival so I can get Novice Rifleman)
Novice Bio-Engineer (on my way to Master)
Novce Creature Handler (on my way to Master)
Novice Rifleman
I think it's a fairly balanced character and I don't really have any problem defending myself if I get into a tight spot.
Just something to consider. It still doesn't help us hawk our tawdry wares, but where there's a will there's a way.
Meplorium
Sat Jun 12, 2004 8:32 am
#13
RyskMylyan wrote:
My current character on Bria currently has and isstriving towards:
Marksman 4/0/0/4
Medic 0/0/0/4
Scout 4/0/4/2 (going to drop one level of survival so I can get Novice Rifleman)
Novice Bio-Engineer (on my way to Master)
Novce Creature Handler (on my way to Master)
Novice Rifleman
I think it's a fairly balanced character and I don't really have any problem defending myself if I get into a tight spot.
Just something to consider. It still doesn't help us hawk our tawdry wares, but where there's a will there's a way.
This is very similar to my template. You'll want to drop the range support line in marksmen and get some rifleman skill as those skills are more useful.I am 0,0,3,1 in rifleman. This gets me a bit more rifle speed and the godly flushingshot2.
The interdependacy of the professions is how SoE gets people to buy multiple accounts. I think their latest poll show that there are nearly as many with 2 accounts as 1. This feels about right, as I know about as many people with 2 accounts and just 1. So that is basically the solution to your question, you need two accounts if you wish run your own pet store. You can find chefs more than willing to buy food enhancers right off you rather than off a vendor. Pets will be a harder sell without a vendor and petstims would be nearly impossible. Use the bazaar to buy meat. Coronet and Theed seem to have the most for sale.
Page 1 of 2