Bounty Hunter Archive

This is an old argument that I've made that has made its rounds a couple times. In light of a new Jedi/Player bounty system, (which Haden hinted at in an interview and Runesabre here has acknowledged it as "something for Publish 7") it's taken on greater importance.

That issue is the Bounty Hunter profession as it relates to the Galactic Civil War.

How many "hard-core" players of Bounty Hunters have run into this problem:

-- Bounty Hunter A is aligned with the Rebellion/Empire in order to participate like a full member of the online community. The game is structured along the lines of a 2-dimensional conflict and most all its content is related to this, ie. "Monthly Story Arcs," etc. etc.

-- Bounty Hunter A is part of Player Association Bso s/he has a group to talk to and hang out with. Our profession is solitary by nature, but that doesn't mean that we as players have no desire to interact with those around us for the simple pleasure of it.

-- Player Association B, like almost all other PAs, is aligned with the Rebellion/Empire and partakes in the 2-dimensional conflict involving base/city raids, etc.

-- Bounty Hunter A wants to take on Jedi/Player marks. Bounty Hunter A is not informed of the Jedi/Player mark's alignment in the Galactic Civil War at the time they take the mission. Bounty Hunter A takes on the mission anyway, to find out that the Jedi/Player is on the same side of the Galactic Civil War that s/he is.

*Now we have a problem. In this case, as in most cases, the Bounty Hunter will be ostracized and banished from his or her Player Association and bad things will be said about him/her around the server if s/he takes out the mark regardless of factional alignment.

Now, this could be an argument of roleplay style. But my question is, how long would a bounty hunter's reputation survive if s/he took out contracts on people but did not complete them? From a roleplay stand-point, their reputation would be hurt badly with the guilds that offer these bounties.

From a practical gameplay standpoint, if the Bounty Hunter decides not to complete the mission against the Jedi/Player, that means someone who WOULD have completed the mission did not get the chance to try.

As most people may know, Neutral/Bounty Hunter Player Associations rarely survive. In my personal experience most of them are eventually divided along Galactic Civil War lines and fall apart. Again, it is because the majority of game content is centered around the 2-dimensional conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire. It ignores all else, such as the criminal syndicates, etc.except in a very backgrounded way -and thebounty hunter is inextricably a part of those ignoredsyndicates,at least in Star Wars canon. The same could be said for Smugglers, which is another poorly thought-out addition to this game.

I've thought of two solutions:

1.) Allow multiple Bounty Hunters to take on the same Jedi/Player mission, so no one is left out and those who want to complete the mission can. Continue to ignore Star Wars canon and force the majority of Bounty Hunters to align themselves in the Galactic Civil War to have access to any sort of game content beyond bounties.

2.) Create a 3rd "Underworld" (Hutt?) faction where Bounty Hunters could join as neutrals in the Galactic Civil War. Possibilities exist with a 3rd criminal faction to allow for Smugglers and perhaps even Entertainers to join to make it more dynamic. Furthermore, perhaps a "3rd-party TEF" system could be implemented which would allow Underworld characters to act as Mercenaries in the Galactic Civil War, thus not completely removing them from the main content of the game butcertainlylimiting theirparticipation.

This problem also highlights the need for some sort of "reputation" modifier for Bounty Hunters. Jedi players have been crying for some sort of consequence for Bounty Hunters, and this could be it. Instead of hinging bounty pay-outs solely on "mission difficulty" modifiers perhaps pay-outs could be scaled on the personal"reputation" points accumulated or lost for successful/failed bounties.

Just a few thoughts. These problems have directly impacted my play in the game. I watched as the Player Association for Bounty Hunters that I helped put together fall apart and eventually align themselves in the Galactic Civil War, losing much of their original mission. I havebeen at odds with the Player Association I joined afterwards, also aligned in the Galactic Civil War and very insensitive to the issues my character faces as a Bounty Hunter.

I do not want to go Neutral and leave my PA, that is a very lonely road and cuts off 99% of the game content from me. I do not believe that forming a stable Bounty Hunter PA is a reality given the nature of the game, not without a 3rd faction which would not divide the group along GCW lines.

I would just like to add that Bounty Hunters, as far as the way this game is set up, cannot all just simply join the Empire.

Reason being, the backgrounded "criminal syndicates" which offer bounties on the terminals are also offering bounties on Imperial, "Dark Jedi" (or will be, should any have the gall to join the Dark Side and leave the Rebel PAs which are babying them through Padawan.)

The inclusion of Dark Jedi necessitates a 3rd criminal faction if Bounty Hunters are to operate at all without being cut off from friends, Player Associations, and most of the content in this game. At least in my experience, it will come to that if I ever am afforded the luxury of taking a Jedi or Player mark. I will do the mission regardless of faction, and I know the price I'm going to pay for it.

If things turn out as I expect them to, this game may turn out to be unplayable. Bounty Hunter is the only profession I've enjoyed so far.

Ack, forgot to mention: The Empire wasn't the only group interested in eradicating the Jedi. Bah, no more from me.

This is an old argument that I've made that has made its rounds a couple times. In light of a new Jedi/Player bounty system, (which Haden hinted at in an interview and Runesabre here has acknowledged it as "something for Publish 7") it's taken on greater importance.

That issue is the Bounty Hunter profession as it relates to the Galactic Civil War.

How many "hard-core" players of Bounty Hunters have run into this problem:

-- Bounty Hunter A is aligned with the Rebellion/Empire in order to participate like a full member of the online community. The game is structured along the lines of a 2-dimensional conflict and most all its content is related to this, ie. "Monthly Story Arcs," etc. etc.

-- Bounty Hunter A is part of Player Association Bso s/he has a group to talk to and hang out with. Our profession is solitary by nature, but that doesn't mean that we as players have no desire to interact with those around us for the simple pleasure of it.

-- Player Association B, like almost all other PAs, is aligned with the Rebellion/Empire and partakes in the 2-dimensional conflict involving base/city raids, etc.

-- Bounty Hunter A wants to take on Jedi/Player marks. Bounty Hunter A is not informed of the Jedi/Player mark's alignment in the Galactic Civil War at the time they take the mission. Bounty Hunter A takes on the mission anyway, to find out that the Jedi/Player is on the same side of the Galactic Civil War that s/he is.

*Now we have a problem. In this case, as in most cases, the Bounty Hunter will be ostracized and banished from his or her Player Association and bad things will be said about him/her around the server if s/he takes out the mark regardless of factional alignment.

Now, this could be an argument of roleplay style. But my question is, how long would a bounty hunter's reputation survive if s/he took out contracts on people but did not complete them? From a roleplay stand-point, their reputation would be hurt badly with the guilds that offer these bounties.

From a practical gameplay standpoint, if the Bounty Hunter decides not to complete the mission against the Jedi/Player, that means someone who WOULD have completed the mission did not get the chance to try.

As most people may know, Neutral/Bounty Hunter Player Associations rarely survive. In my personal experience most of them are eventually divided along Galactic Civil War lines and fall apart. Again, it is because the majority of game content is centered around the 2-dimensional conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire. It ignores all else, such as the criminal syndicates, etc.except in a very backgrounded way -and thebounty hunter is inextricably a part of those ignoredsyndicates,at least in Star Wars canon. The same could be said for Smugglers, which is another poorly thought-out addition to this game.

I've thought of two solutions:

1.) Allow multiple Bounty Hunters to take on the same Jedi/Player mission, so no one is left out and those who want to complete the mission can. Continue to ignore Star Wars canon and force the majority of Bounty Hunters to align themselves in the Galactic Civil War to have access to any sort of game content beyond bounties.

2.) Create a 3rd "Underworld" (Hutt?) faction where Bounty Hunters could join as neutrals in the Galactic Civil War. Possibilities exist with a 3rd criminal faction to allow for Smugglers and perhaps even Entertainers to join to make it more dynamic. Furthermore, perhaps a "3rd-party TEF" system could be implemented which would allow Underworld characters to act as Mercenaries in the Galactic Civil War, thus not completely removing them from the main content of the game butcertainlylimiting theirparticipation.

This problem also highlights the need for some sort of "reputation" modifier for Bounty Hunters. Jedi players have been crying for some sort of consequence for Bounty Hunters, and this could be it. Instead of hinging bounty pay-outs solely on "mission difficulty" modifiers perhaps pay-outs could be scaled on the personal"reputation" points accumulated or lost for successful/failed bounties.

Just a few thoughts. These problems have directly impacted my play in the game. I watched as the Player Association for Bounty Hunters that I helped put together fall apart and eventually align themselves in the Galactic Civil War, losing much of their original mission. I havebeen at odds with the Player Association I joined afterwards, also aligned in the Galactic Civil War and very insensitive to the issues my character faces as a Bounty Hunter.

I do not want to go Neutral and leave my PA, that is a very lonely road and cuts off 99% of the game content from me. I do not believe that forming a stable Bounty Hunter PA is a reality given the nature of the game, not without a 3rd faction which would not divide the group along GCW lines.