Development Cycle Archive
Thread: IC 1-17 Star Wars Galaxies Combat Profession Mix and Match
In Massively Multiplayer combat, each profession should have a distinct role. Each role should help define the profession and have a relationship with its abilities in combat. In popular fantasy games, wizards cast ranged spells, warriors are “tanks”, and clerics “heal”. Each archetype has a specific role in combat. Additionally, each role gives any particular player group a unique feel depending on how many of each type is involved in a group and the role they play when combat gets tough.ffice
ffice" />
In a Science-fiction oriented game, those traditional roles aren’t clear cut. Most skills and abilities are redundant because of balance issues, which take away from the unique feel of the profession. Many players have stated that they would like to see SWG professions have a more unique feel to them and we would like to know what your thoughts are.
One of the key advantages in SWG’s combat system design is that it escapes these confining roles, allowing players ranged and melee combat roles can be “cherry picked” or hand chosen by players. Players can create hybrid characters that can escape the traditional combat roles of having a single function in combat. This is an advantage we want to maintain, highlight and evolve.
- What do you think the strengths of professions mix and match are?
- What do you think the weaknesses of professions mix and match are?
- How do you think we should maintain the unique skillset flavor the game is built on?
- What are some neat combinations that would be good for the game?
- Anything else you want to say on this subject?
Request For Comments:
The community is invited to make commentsthrough April. At that time, the thread will be closed to further comments. Feel free to comment on any or all of the above items. Please stay on topic.
Prof mix and match is good because it allows you to do more than one type of thing in game, on the other hand it's bad in the sense of defense stacking and things of that nature.
I would like to see more hybrid prof type skills wich require you to master two smaller skills like BH or Commando does. The only flaw I see right now is that there are far to many proffeions that require you to master the starting prof. This way players could pick and choose like they do now, or be a truly powerfull medic by mastering medic and Scout and becoming a Elite doctor or something of that effect.
so to sum up my idea is keep the skill systems we have, but add some more prof that require you to master more than one starting prof so that you can play as you do now, or go all the way as a particular role. Basicly the better you want to be as "one role" the more skill points you must spend
++++++++EDIT+++++++++
The only flaw I see right now is that there are far toFEW prof that require you to master the starting prof
OrlandosDarkcloud wrote: /first?
Tool....
I guess I'm not entirely sure what information you're asking for...
1) I'd think the strengths are obvious. You can pick out the ideal aspects of each of certain classes creating a statistically ideal template. Hence, FOTM. Right now it's common to take a class' high damage aspect, and then pile on as much defense as is possible.
2) There are going to be some weaknesses of prof combos, mostly that you lose the bonuses from the Master boxes, but in a lot of professions right now, the Master bonuses aren't good enough for that to make a huge impact. There are exceptions, but by and large hybridization is vastly superior to specification.
3) All in all, many class bonuses need to be shifted up into the Master box. There are exceptions where Master adds a lot, like TKM and Rifle, but in classes like Smuggler the Mastery box is almost a joke, and hence the reason for such classes to get hybridized a lot.
4) Ideal combinations all depend on game dynamics, and since that changes constantly, it's hard to pin that down. As to what is good for the game, that's really up to how players choose to play it. You can only encourage a certain hybridization by making it over all more powerful.
5) Since I'm still not entirely sure what you're asking for, not at this time.
pistoleer/fencer, swordsman/carbineer, those sort of uber templates
What do you think the weaknesses of professions mix and match are?
are there any?
How do you think we should maintain the unique skillset flavor the game is built on?
split the stacking (and abused) bonus points. pistoleer for instance instead of getting +20 dodge perlevel, gets +15 pistol dodge & +5 general dodge. same with fencer. that way you can alter the general dodge number that would still stack on top of the pistoleer or fencer without overkill.
What are some neat combinations that would be good for the game?
just me, but commando/chef would rule. throwing flaming pies anyone?
Anything else you want to say on this subject?
not that you want to hear...
Strengths : It allows for a very diverse community. Instead of being pigeon-holed by your professions it's only a partial factor because you can cherry pick what you want to do.
This also allows it to appeal to a large base of people since it's more versatile and can better fit their play style.
Weaknesses : Can not be balanced. Balancing is made by making everyone equal. Because of the ability to pick and choose this can not be done. Instead niches need to be made for each profession that they best fit. So that profession A is good against B, B against C, and C against A. It's a circular balancing as opposed to a linear one.
the strengths of profession mixing should lie in the original intent of the bounty hunter role. someone diverse, someone with access to a variety of weapons and special attacks to get the job done.
as a trade off for this versitily the jack of all trades should be devoid of the special bonuses granted to a person who has mastered their profession.
How do you think we should maintain the unique skillset flavor the game is built on?
first empower all mastery boxes appropriately. balance them equally against each other. past their masteries there should always be oppertunities to learn other professions to better their role in combat. professions bonuses should not stack with another profession's bonuses. but people who spend more points on combat should have more combat prowess than people who have not. however, they are going to have to utilize alternate weapon access and different specials at the expense of speed/accuracy/damage that would be obtained at mastery to beat their opponents, not on innate defenses.
What are some neat combinations that would be good for the game?
you mean not yet possible combinations? current combinations that are good for the game? right now there are tons of useful combinations and each player has the oppertunity to pursue them on his own to fit his own playstyle. imo the system works well now, but would work better if.
Anything else you want to say on this subject?
no
Gravez wrote:
Make the Master Boxes worth something (BH for example). I'd like to see more of what was done to CH to the other professions.
I agree, but I think that the CH changes coupled with the creature changes was a bit overboard. Now getting creature handler and spending 20 or so skill points in it plus 43 skill points for the scouting portion (there are advantages to having the exploration line of scout, but not really the hunting) doesn't give much reward. I think every profession should have something good for dabblers who have invested quite a few skill points but dabbling should not make one better at doing any one particular thing than mastering a profession that specializes in that thing.
Thunderheart wrote:
- What do you think the strengths of professions mix and match are?
- What do you think the weaknesses of professions mix and match are?
- How do you think we should maintain the unique skillset flavor the game is built on?
- What are some neat combinations that would be good for the game?
- Anything else you want to say on this subject?
What do you think the strengths of professions mix and match are?
Players can customize the play experience to best suit their particular interests and can change these choices to try new and different aspects of the game.
What do you think the weaknesses of professions mix and match are?
Players wishing to excel at combat will manipulate combinations that use identical modifers to create hybrid templates that are often superior to mastering a given elite/hybrid profession. Moreover, these templates often have the ability to get higher secondary skills, such as medic, by doing this mix and matching for the min/max effect.
How do you think we should maintain the unique skillset flavor the game is built on?
Mastering a given elite profession should represent a significant step above mastering any single skill tree. Also, each profession should have class specific modifires (e.g pistol dodge and fencer dodge instead of just dodge).
What are some neat combinations that would be good for the game?
Combinations of basics for new elite hybrids, such as artisan and marksman for droid commander.
Anything else you want to say on this subject?
The cost of different professions affects a charcter's ability to invest in a diversity of skills. Bounty hunters, commandoes, and combat medics all are limited in the number of additional professions that they can master. While balance is nice, it is important to recognize that masters of these professions should have a significant advantage over other professions as they are limited in additional choices. Without significant benefits at master, these players are at a disadvantage to those with a variety of skills.