Creature Handler Archive

We really need to make some choices. It should be understood that this one time attention may not happen and even if it does will likely not be something that makes ALL CH happy. I hate Utilitarianism, but alas this will only bring the greatest happiness to the greatest number.

The best way I see to do this is a series of questions. So should the attention be directed at:

1) Tamers/Roleplayers (feel free to list your own ideas, mine are just examples)

a) New Content ie Storage

b) Fixes ie Mounts not following

c) Issues ie Rare Spawns

2) PvE

a) New Content ie CH quests

b) Fixes ie Specials not working

c) Issues ie Pets run too much

3) PvP

a) New Content ie Pet control device that disallows Pet Damage to stack with secondary profession (this needs to be discussed

further though if we are to take the power drain but our pets have little output for damage)

b) Fixes ie Pet damage mitigation

c) Issues ie We do not do the amount of damage that BH does with less skill points invested.

These are all mere suggestions. The sooner we can narrow down what we would like to see boosted the better the discussion can be towards that single issue.

Sign for Hutt Faction here: Hutt Faction

Not against broad changes, just profession specific ones (read as CH) that go against what we've been told in the past.
(I hired Trayson as a ghost writer for a good tagline)

1) a. storage..ie corral? more datapad space quicker fix.

2) a. We have no Quests. Would love a cool quest. But what would we get?

3) b. Take back damage restrictions. Easy fix. Also need diff types of damage. Armor?

I try to play all 3 types, so here is my suggestion. I realize this is in hopes of getting something to help us get by. Not an answer to all are problems. Please remember this when posting.

=SIVART SMADA= ~ANNAED SMADA~
-Elder Jedi--Elder Medic-
DWORKIN = Officer
!Master Creature Handler Forever!

This is the list that was presented to Thunderheart last month. Proposed interim changes would be "quick fixes" to get us into more competitive shape between now and the combat revamp, as opposed to continuing in our current condition for another 6+ months. Things like CH-specific quests and content would be fantastic in the long run, but probably not what we'd be looking for with regard to quick fixes.

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Problem: Pets are very easy for players to kill in PvP

Solution: Allow pets to benefit from the 75% PvP damage reduction (or remove this reduction from players)

Problem: The special attacks "Poison," "Disease," and "Knockdown" do not work with the UseSpecial training commands

Solution: Fix the UseSpecial training commands so they work with these three pet abilities

Problem:Animalmelee attacks only do Kinetic damage... the most commonly resisted form of damage in SWG

Solution: Give all animals (both wild and pet) a variety of damage types

Problem: Some Bio-Engineered pets are brokenly powerful, trivializing the CH's taming skills and giving non-CH too powerful of a pet

Solution: Bring Bio-Engineered pets in line with wild animals. Apply more weight to things like Kinetic resist, Light Armor, HAM, and special attacks to discourage brokenly overspecialized pets

Problem: Not enough variety in wild pets, particularly at the high end. Leads to the few available choices becoming "Flavor of the Month"

Solution: Make all creatures CL 70 and under have a chance of spawning babies

Problem: Pets still sometimes lose vitality in PvP, despite the changes in Publish 9

Solution: Have QA examine this issue and make recommendations for repairing it

Problem: Pet defenses are weak compared to those used by players (defense mods, mitigation, 80% composite armor, etc)

Solution: Nerf player defenses. Or boost creature defenses to compensate. Perhaps even a short duration boost, like adding defense increases to the skill Embolden Pets

Problem: Petdamage per second is weak compared to those used by players

Solution: Nerf player damage. Or boost creature damage to compensate. Perhaps even a short duration boost, like adding damage increases to the skill Enrage Pets

Problem: Pets are extremely vulnerable to state effects (DOTs, Dizzy, Intimdate, Warcry, etc)

Solution: Boost pet defense against state effects. Could take the form of across the board creature revamp, bonuses embedded in CH skill tree advancement, or bonuses embedded in short duration abilities like Embolden Pets

Problem: Mounted combat is tactically weaker and riskier than combat on foot. Makes mounts very undesirable compared to vehicles.

Solution: More robust mounted combat system. Allow players to use special attacks while mounted. Allow pet itself to attack while mounted. Add area of effect "trample damage" to mounted pets. Add mount wearable armor.

Problem: The skill "Jedi Mind Trick" is basically an "I Win" button against Creature Handlers.

Solution: Change Jedi Mind Trick so it does not affect player-owned pets.

Problem: One big pet has much more tanking power than two or three smaller pets

Solution: When a CH calls multiple pets, apply a stat bonus to them for "working together." See Ultima Online's "pack instincts" system

Problem: Some pets run away constantly during battle, even when at full health. Some "body types" more affected than others (i.e. gronda, gulginaw, reptilian flier, graul)

Solution: Probably related to problems with ideal attack range. Send to QA and work on improving for the affected pets.

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-Vertexon.

Thanks for the info Vert.

=SIVART SMADA= ~ANNAED SMADA~
-Elder Jedi--Elder Medic-
DWORKIN = Officer
!Master Creature Handler Forever!

I think the quest reward should be our own personal little zoo. I would even use all 10 slots if need be. Heck Im not using them for anything now anyway. I live in the wild with my pets to keep me company.

Great list Vert. Thanks for sharing. My question is can we as a community narrow all of this down to just one thing for each type. The Tamer fix should make "most" tamers happy, in turn the definitive PvE fix, same for PvP.

It is my experience that if something is presented to the Devs ina very vague way, then we have a much harder time of making sure what we really want is understood. See any discussion in the DE forums based on a Droid Handler profession.

I would rather see fixed by CH deduction rather than Dev induction.

Sign for Hutt Faction here: Hutt Faction

Not against broad changes, just profession specific ones (read as CH) that go against what we've been told in the past.
(I hired Trayson as a ghost writer for a good tagline)

_________________________________________________________
There are two things certain in life: Death and Taxes. -Benjamin Franklin
**Co-Manager of -RunningCrest Shipwrights-
Jadefalcon TheAvenger
Y-8 Guide for Dummies

Sorry dont have edit message yet

^^ 3c) eliminate /summon /beckon /follow for successful PVP

_________________________________________________________
There are two things certain in life: Death and Taxes. -Benjamin Franklin
**Co-Manager of -RunningCrest Shipwrights-
Jadefalcon TheAvenger
Y-8 Guide for Dummies

great list Vert, props.

/sig

Master the Creature Handler profession, the most rewarding profession in Star Wars Galaxies...

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A flying mount would be nice.

A pet with lightsaber resists.

Ditto on the above, some cool quest that would involve a new pet, perhaps in conjunction with BE's crafting it.

I'd even settle for a bone, a friggin bone, something, anything, but this is rather pointless, as we will not get any changes until after jtl comes out.....so I predict no changes for CH until next year sometime...sigh........./ranton no2

Which reminds me. Why does everything have a vulnerability to lightsabers...a little odd dontcha think?...

Vert with all due respect this is all well and good but I have never seen any evidence that the developers listen or care about anything we say. I have been CH since aug. 2003 and have never seen anything to make me believe developers will do anything positive to our profession or even listen to us.I have been a harsh critic and a huge supporter as well of SOE, but feel I have wasted my time and that nothing we say here is really listened to.I simply do not see that all this effort will do any good.