Creature Handler Archive

Thread: Fanfest News Flash: Event is over with all questions now posted and my final thoughts

Joker9125
Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:38 pm
#27




DaBudo2 wrote:



......As far as customizing, though, we will be able to give (or change) our pets abilities and stats. For example, if we want our pet to be a tank, we will be able to increase its healthpoints - possible at a cost to its offensive abilities. Or if we want our pets to have more offensive capabilities, we can increase those - at cost to health points maybe. There will be some give and take, but we will be able to "train" our pet to fit whatever particular role we want it to play.................



Why does that sound so very very very fimillar?




http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=creature_handler&message.id=218063">Clicky To My Sticky

"If nothing else, I've got time to explore some of the other games my friends are playing. It could easily be argued that the NGE is the best thing ever to happen to guild wars" - Me

Velitham MCH
enigma_writer
Sun Jun 05, 2005 5:52 pm
#28

bump



Ko-aIri
Sun Jun 05, 2005 10:01 pm
#29

Thanks to everybody who posted the Q/A stuff, this thread has been very informative and I have increasing hope for the future.

That said, I'm going to see what kind of feedback the devs give after they get back from FF, and I'm really going to pursue the crippling bugs and hope this next big publish they've been mentioning all over FF has some CH fixes/love.

I'd like to apologize if I'm absent from posting the next couple days, I'll be quite busy so my game and forum time will be more limited. I'll catch up daily, just not sure when and how much.



Ko-a Iri / Aosa Oto / Heston / Si'ro Eti
Twi'lek Creature Handler / Rodian Dark Jedi Knight / Human Bio-Engineer / Ithorian Shipwright
Dark Order Guildleader


Creature Handler Correspondent & Combat Upgrade Alpha Participant
...has been recognized as having an exceptional biography (Ko-a)
...has been recognized as an exceptional soldier in the war (Ko-a, Aosa)

Kitoth
Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:40 am
#30

Can someone confirm this for me?

One of my fellow guildies was there, and said that people could only ask 1 question each. So she asked about the issue of the GPS and the lack of babies due to static spawns not refreshing.

And the devs insisted that babies only come from lairs!

And that it took the CHs in the room to tell them how their stupid game works (or did, anyway).




_______________________________________________
Oona Amari...................Talyyn......................Rey'va Amari
Glowstick swinging..........Tamable: Yes............Keeper of the
Nerf Victim
..................Chocolate wookiee......Amari menagerie
BraccusD
Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:56 am
#31

Maybe he used a BE CL60 which could kill a CL80 when grouped without even trying. The wild CL60 might have a health advantage with embolden, but I would think even with rage it wouldn't outdo the damage.





- Drachus (of Kettemoor and Starsider)

CH/Fence and BE/CH
SioBabble
Mon Jun 06, 2005 8:17 am
#32






Kitoth wrote:
Can someone confirm this for me?

One of my fellow guildies was there, and said that people could only ask 1 question each. So she asked about the issue of the GPS and the lack of babies due to static spawns not refreshing.

And the devs insisted that babies only come from lairs!

And that it took the CHs in the room to tell them how their stupid game works (or did, anyway).





This is not at all surprising.


The developers are OFTEN caught not knowing what they're talking about with their own game. They don't play it, they are repeatedly shown to be ingnorant of gameplay mechanics, and they repeatedly show a lack of interest in understanding how the game works.


I know more about the way the game works than the people responsible for maintaining it. This is the equivalent of me looking over the shoulder of my auto mechanic and directing him were and when to turn a wrench.


The appalling lack of professional conduct and pride of the SWG development team as a whole never ceases to disgust me.


Message Edited by SioBabble on 06-06-2005 08:19 AM




Tazz vonMannstein Baron-Administrator of Corellia, master navigator of Corellia, captain of the Gregarious Gurreck

Sio Babble MBH/MCH/Cabana Boy; master of Tyson, the GNORT OF DEATH

Jeffn Akbar Nerfed from here to Lok MD/MCM

Zanti Agaesia Bothan MBE, 12 point Master Chef, Havoc Squadron Ace pilot


Iakimo
Mon Jun 06, 2005 10:51 am
#33

Wow....


I'm not sure what to say after reading this thread. It seems to fit the usual SOE mode of behavior: lots of bad news now, but a glimmer of a portion of hope residing in some future publish with an indefinite timetable. I guess the only suitable response is to remark that I am going to be gradually giving up Creature Handler as I need the skill points for another profession, but will keep my pets in my datapad and continue to monitor the CH forum in the forlorn hope that it one day becomes a viable profession again. It's a tough call between giving up CH and cancelling my account, but I'm not quite ready to cancel yet. I'll try a few other professions and see if they're worth playing.


Right now, I have a newly-unlocked alt that might become a CH in the future, but as it stands, our profession is ridiculously unbalanced. And with the broken state of many of our core functional elements, it isn't even fun to play.


Thelone bright spot in this picture is the news that pet armors, resistances, and special attacks are on a concrete fix-list timetable with a specific publish targeted for their release.


So the devs do NOT view Creature Handler as a PvP-oriented profession?? Egad! Well, that explains much of the abuse. With an attitude like that, it's no wonder CH is so fundamentally flawed. And the notion that they are "balanced" for the CU? (Iakimo doubles over, laughing convulsively.)


Let's do some analysis....



  • A Master Rifleman can equip himself with two cybernetic arms and an uber rifle, and do upwards of 2000 points of damage with a single special attack from up to 80 meters away. My best pet locks in onto a single damage amount, typically about 150 points or so.

  • Pets are the only "weapon" that can be disabled in combat -- typically in fewer than four hits. This vulnerability far outweighs any competitive advantage they might give in PvP.

  • Pets could find a useful role in PvP, if they were fixed and balanced. I created a cute analogy in an earlier post: Owning pets is like owning a sports car. Most sports-car enthusiasts expect to be able to take their shiny Ferrari Testarossas out and drive them at high speed. The same mentality goes for Creature Handlers. We expect to be able to use our pets in all modes of combat: PvP, PvE, whatever. And right now, my mood is similar to what a sports-car enthusiast would feel if his Ferrari Testarossa were suddenly replaced with a little red wagon.

  • For example, a fast pet could have a role in tripping up a Force-running Jedi -- like, say, a Gurreck using a posture-down attack. This would be an elegant counter to Force Run-3. Of course, that assumes the devs didn't intend FR-3 to be a totally unbreakable get-out-of-jail-free card for Master Enhancers... which could very well be what they intend! Same goes for mounted combat. In this case, a mounted CH should be able to ride his pet into bodies of water and chase a swimming target back to dry land. The key here is that every move should have a counter in this game.

Small wonder only six activeCreature Handlers attended Fan Fest. That's probably the sum total of active die-hard CH's left in this game.




---------------------------
Things every player should read....
1. GameSpy's interview with Julio Torres on the negative fan reaction to his earlier interview about the launch of the New Game Environment: Clicky

2. ZDnet's GameSpot.com's reader reviews of the Post-NGE Star Wars: Galaxies Starter Kit: Clicky No. 2

3. MMORPG.com's editorial on the ethics of changing an active MMORPG: Clicky No. 3
darkstar860
Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:38 am
#34

Many thanks Miltek for your taking the time ( & money) to attend FF and then reporting this


to the CH community. While we wait for future fixes it's good to know just how SOE feels and


views our profession. I feel your pain over therare pet issue.


I count myself proud to be on the same server with you and all the


good folks at BEAST. Keep the faith.



Meano Darkstar, Radiant MCH/MBH, Nearly Master Pilot

WarWidow
Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:52 am
#35

I was also saddened to find that out of all the players who attended fanfest, I could only find 6 players who were currently a creature handler. I would also average that more then half the people in attendance were Jedi or players actively trying to become a Jedi. It appears that not just CH is growing smaller but many other professions such as Doctor, entertainer, and ranger are all becoming a profession that fewer people are mastering.


I respect Jedi, but Jedi have ruined this game. This is SWG not KOTOR. Having a few well earned Jedi on a server is fine, everybody and their grandmother becoming one isn't!
So Many professions like CH are being lost among the wreckage.
As for MCH in PVP...unsure what can be done for us if your mobbed by a gank squad of Jedi. I don't care how big and bad your level 70 pet is, it will die fast in a fury of lightsabres!
Oh well...lets see what happens next patch.





Seita: "The Iron Maiden" Loyal Imperial Panzer.
Shadmare: old school Master Creature Handler (semi-retired).

3+ year Scylla veteran (8/03). Vanguard here I come!
Served: LOD/MOD/MODSF/AEDI/DTOS/KV
hossp
Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:19 pm
#36

thanx for the info milteck...


well it seems ch is destined for banality...we will get specials back but how often will they have a chance to stick in the 10-15 second lifespan of an attacking pet? and for that matter what effect will a -3 disease tick have on an ancient krayt?


it seems ch is good for low level combat. ie the nargs ect..but when dealing with high end mobs it just makes little, if any contribution at all..for example i destroyed the avatar last night, very tough mission, had a group of 6..at one time i tried to use a pet for a pull, and the pet became an aggro magnet, and could not be controled...when facing several mobs in the 80's this is not a desireable result for the safety of the group. it became clear that ch has no role in the higher end missions.


i have a freind who has a pre curb driod with 6k health she uses to pull mobs, the driod does not aggro other mobsand controls well..since it has 6k health it is essentially a mch pet, can be repaired quicker and lasts longer in combat..and the cost ? 0 sp


i am sympathetic to the desire to stay away from the beast wars, i would not enjoy that either..so it seems most new ch are in fact ,as stated earlier, new players drawn to the cool looking animals...serious gamers ( those adept at high end combat)aviod the profession. only my rifle lets me partake in high end group quests


seems this is the way the devs want it, so i'm not looking for any dramatic changes to the pet's combat ability in the new publish..i am however looking forward to the new "rare" creatures, even if they can't fight, i do enjoy the extendedhunts to search out a truly "rare" baby


i guess we have to wait and see what they are working on, i'm sure reports will come out of TC soon enough..i am keeping the profession even though my sp could be spent a lot more efficiently on specials from other professions..and i can hang with the other combat professions because of my rifle skills...but i do feel sorry for those ch's without any other combat skill..it's grey cons for you only, or a lot of dead pets...not really sure how that equates to "balance" but then again i'm not a dev



Maega Armor
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theorb22
Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:45 pm
#37






BraccusD wrote:

Maybe he used a BE CL60 which could kill a CL80 when grouped without even trying. The wild CL60 might have a health advantage with embolden, but I would think even with rage it wouldn't outdo the damage.






Well it still would of needed to be an extremely lousy CL 80 even if he had a great regen fully bufffed BE pet, now that I think about it, I'd also like to know what it was that dev was fighting too :/.






november 5th 2005- greatest hotfix ever
" you may now board shuttle while burstrunning, running normally, shuffling, walking, standing, sitting, prone, hopskipping, jumping, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU MAY NOW BOARD SHUTTLE WHILE BREATHING!!!!"
JMShunter
Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:28 pm
#38

.... shel take you out for a night cocaine






















how I feel about the CU and CH

I thought we were gonna be great or at least failry balanced but this profession still needs a little work



_______________________________
vFIRE BURNS ETERNALv

::::::ROGUESTAR::::::
:::::::::::::::REBEL SOLDIER:::::::::::::::
²CREATURE HANDLER FOREVER²
_______________________________
enigma_writer
Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:12 am
#39

Kitoth


Yes the devs first thought that babies only come from lairs and I was one who yelled out creatures who statically spawn only such as Great Plains Stalker and Wild Dune Boar. They then answered that a fix is in the works for static spawns and we should see them fixed within 2-4 weeks. In that static spawn fix they are also fixing Loot drop meaning we can once again get the good pearls and other wonderful loot that currently is not dropping.


Milteck (BEAST)


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