Development Cycle Archive
Thread: In-Concept Open Discussion (Week Ending 3-15-04)
95M3
Thu Mar 11, 2004 12:46 am
#118
Deer SOE employee if you value your customers please communicate with them.
You NEED to put in Game or on Site a complete and detailed skill mechanics breakdown.
This should have been done from the start and has led to confused anddisappointed customersthatare now leaving the game.
This is obviously information you have and should not take much effort to make available. It does not look good on your part withholding this information as it seems you don't want us to know how much is not working and is still not being fixed. It gets worse whenthe info you do let out is not detailed enough and leads to even more confusion and player speculation that doubts you play test your changes.
I think we all understand that this game was released too soon but neither we nor you can change that. I believe you owe it to your customers to "open the books" on what we have now and then listen to what the players want changed for the better instead of Nerfing things into balance.
Please most of us would love to stay in this game but with the upcoming releases you need to try to keep us here.
Thanks for your time.
WolfwoodCross
Thu Mar 11, 2004 2:16 am
#119
Things I think would help this game out ALOT.
Armor Certifications.
Doctor Buffs that only buff up to 50% of a players current stat. Not 1000's above.
Macros limited to no more than 5 lines of commands, and cannot restart themselves or start other macros (killing endless hour on end macro looping)
The removal of the ability to automatically fire back.
The former two are for combat balance, the latter two are so people actually start PLAYING the game, not just grinding while at work.
Daisame
Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:03 am
#120
Suggestion:
Skill Enhancing Attachments (SEAs): I would like to see the interface for this cleaned up. Perhaps a new item on the raidal menu that opens the item's properties similar to a crafting window. You can drag SEAs into the slot and see what it will look like BEFORE you commit the change. Then you can commit those changes or back out. This way, you can sort of expirament with various layouts of upgrades in an effort to make a better enhanced item. Not sure if you can still enhance packs (even though they have the slots) but it would certainly help with that also.
Drazzule
Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:11 am
#121
Things that would help the game ALOT
Add more Macro lines to 50+
I do poems somtimes for a group we have. As well as lead the band. So between lines of the words I have band commands. This takes a lot of work to prepair and a lot of effert to organize. Would be nicer if I did not have to spreed it about the toold bar.
I have a friend I help set up a set off commands to help with the wounded and to run a set of healing sommands while still being able to take part in the fight.
Macros are one of the best aspects of the game. And lets people actually PLAY the game. Adding more lines will give more options and added fun for players.
In other words. In a level based game it is generaly understood that your Avatar is smarter and more talented then you are. Macros evens the playing field for a lot of us.
Oh and thank you for fire back. But if possible would you add the "option of not auto firing back. So WolfwoodCross will be happy. 
Remember, It's not just a game. It's a monthly Expence. 
Redguard
Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:14 am
#122
Great Post Wepps
I cant say that I agree with free artisan skill points. I understand your concern about the crafting community but I think that approach would make us more of a side show. Why craft when you can have fun hunting?
Probably the biggest issue with crafting is the fun factor. Itake pride inthe fact that I've accomplished probably far more than I intended but I cannot say that getting there was enjoyable. I've come to SWG to have fun and immerse myself in a metaplot that I've enjoyed for over 20 years. I understand that as a crafter I'm not going to have "l33tskilz" in pvp or even be all that effective in pve. I make things and this is the role I've chosen for myself but it really needs to be more than a virtual part time job. I'm not sure how they can do it but some way there has to be something they can do with crafting to make it more enjoyable. Having the ability to create unique things would be nice but then we start butting heads with the database and once again we become the red-headed-stepchild of the game. If I'm having this issue then I'm sure others are as well.
As far as the hologrind goes well I guess even the develeopment team realizes now that it was somewhat of a flawed process. Yes, this game is unique because you can make changes. Yes, the hologrind to become Jedi was the best way possible at the time. Fortunately times have changed. The problem with the grind was that it wasn't very community friendly. Crafters tend to be community orientated people and the system forced them to be self-centered and thus they were lost to the community not only because the professions changed but what investment would anyone have in making things when the next step was to change. Obviously the focus would be on becomming Jedi and not what you're presently doing. (Funny how Yoda criticizes Luke for not living life in the moment and yet to become a Jedi you must follow a path that the old master would not have approved of)
Since this is open forum I guess I should state what I would like to see.
1. Something that would put the fun factor back into crafting.
2. An end to the hologrind but the quest should open the FSCS slot. Let us play our characters and play Jedi too.
3. SOE gives me a large basket of $100 bills because I'm a nice guy...j/k well maybe not
Owen-Lars
Thu Mar 11, 2004 5:53 am
#123
Ive come up withaidea for a future dungeon, is it ok i post it in here? Its prety long
Owen-Lars
Thu Mar 11, 2004 7:25 am
#124
I cant think of anywhere else i should pu it so ill put it here
Owen-Lars
Thu Mar 11, 2004 7:33 am
#125
In the last month things have realy started moving forward with pace and the game is forming into something that i cant stop playing but at the same time, cant stop thinking of what to do next and how fun the next session is going to be.
Its great how the game is moving along now especialy in the development area, i honestly cant wait to try out the corvet dungeon. Its a great dungeon design, looks great and most of all feels starwarsy. I know this dungeon hasnt even been pushed live yet but i can alreardy guess at future dungeons.
I think this instancing design is great and should be used very often in future dungeons. Although i want to feel part of a world, i also want to hunt with friends in exotic places with 'rare' creatures without tens of other groups attacking these suposedly rare creatures and mobs. Im not bothered about being the only person to do something, or the only person to get a piece of great loot or reward, i want to have my own fun experience with friends doing a quest where you feel like its just you and your group. It would be great to head to the cantina after the days hunt and talk to other groups about how they went on and what they did. I think this game is heading this way. Cant wait.
ROUGH IDEA FOR FUTURE DUNGEON/QUEST (INSTANCED)
Antlak Hive Dungeon: This dungeon starts of medium difficulty moving to very hard in the hive with difficulty due to numbers enemy rather than damage given (although still hit very hard)
Description: I really like the idea of follow a trail of mission givers across planets before entering the dungeon. This dungeon and mission strings take this into account.
Part 1: The first mission giver is located in Moenia, Naboo. The NPC is an old man who looks weathered and experienced in traveling the worlds. By talking to this NPC he tells you great stories from when he was younger, his various hunts and travels. Throughout his stories (id realy like to see some nice pages of script in here to flesh the stories out) he talks of an old friend who he used to create weapons for, a great hunter named (insert name here). His final story tells of their last hunt together, the great hunt for the Antlak Queen (A giant 'ant like' creature). He talks about how they tracked its location down to a remote forgotten astoroid, the location of which only his old friend knows.
Further conversation you find out he is willing to tell you his friends location only if you help him out. You do 2 various themed mission (preferably hunt related). After this a randomly generated wp is given to you telling of the location of his friend on endor.
Part 2: Traveling to Endor you meet up in a nice looking camp. He is battered and damage from past hunts, he’s in a bad shape. You ask of the Antlak queen and he says he is willing to show you where the hive is once you do a few tasks for him. The first mission is the go to his house (random spawn) and retrieve an advanced medical kit (non useable). Second would be something like prove your skill by killing a special creature, maybe a ‘Murderous Endorian Eagle (A brown coloured Lantern Bird with very nice stats). Killing this and returning with the loot (a feather etc) he would tell you the location and a guy who will take you there.
Part 3: Upon meeting up with the pilot who will take you there he asks you some random questions about the Antlak Hive, the answers to which you have been given in previous text from the two hunters. After answering these questions correct a ticket is given to you and you board the shuttle (along with your group if you want…………… you’ll need a group hehe)
This is where the main dungeon starts, it looks like what you would imagine the insides of a giant ant hill would. You are given breathing equipment (after all this is on an asteroid) giving you 1 hour of oxygen and time to complete the hunt. The place where you load into should look like a caved in area in the roof where you can see the pilot sitting there next to the ship, on edge, waiting for you to return. You head down the passage into a large circular room with 8 dark passages heading out from the walls all around you. Upon entering this room a spawn sequence starts where Antlak drones attack from the dark of the passages fast and hard one after another surrounding you in a swarm making for a tough fight. If you survive the various waves you can head down each tunnel. There are 3 main tunnels that lead to 4 various parts of the hive. These could be:
The Corpse Area (contains the dying NPC)
The Hatchling Area (locked until pheromone A is gained) (contains pheromone B)
The Food Stores (Locked until Pheromone B is gained) (contains pheromone C)
Throne Room (Access through food stores and locked until pheromone C is gained) (contains Antlak Queen)
The Corpse Area (lots of dead bodies, humanoid and beast): You loot various corpses dropping some nice small hunt trophies, but you find one dying old man, talking to him you learn that certain areas of the hive are only accessible to certain types of insect and access is controlled via ‘living tissue’ pheromone scanners. In order to access each room/area you need the correct pheromone. He gives you a pheromone collector (Placing the correct pheromone in the tool creates a pheromone displacer of that specific pheromone similar to keycards used in the Geo Cave) and a sample of pheromone A (used to access the Hatchling Area).
The Hatching Area: Full of youths and guards, this area is a two level area with the bottom area full of eggs and cool looking knee height smoke (hehe Alien like). The higher level is an enclosed area where you enter first with many Antlak Guards who attack on site, upon killing these beasts you head down into the main hatchling area. As you walk around various non-attackable babies move around on the table like area squirming (all adding to the atmosphere). You use the pheromone collector on a baby Antlak Feeder (those who work in the food stored) and collect Pheromone B. Upon extracting this pheromone a loud screech is let out from the baby and in charges the Antlak Mother. This beast is much taller than the drones/workers/guards and drags an agg sack behind it. It has very nice resists and armour. This beast is very hard has lots of HAM and has a KD special attack. This should be a nice battle and the loot from the mother is an Antlak egg (a large semi-transparent egg similar to those in the alien movies that is purely for decoration with no real use apart from eye candy. Would make for a nice reward)
The Food Stores: With the pheromone B sample you can access the food store area, which is another large area with lots of alcoves, filled with food and various beast limbs. In this room you will find Antlak Feeders (small but very heavily armoured mobs). Killing these enables you to search the ‘Kitchen Area/Food Store’ unagroed. As you explore you find a room containing a dismembered human with a data disk on him. Upon reading the data disk you find that the last entry was that of an Imperial Hunter. Apparently the Antlak Queen uses a sophisticated attacking claw that causes serious damage via electronic pulses. You also learn that a First Guard Pheromone is needed to access the throne room, and one can be summoned via the use of a high frequency beacon (looted from the corpse) however it seems the beast was too powerful for the imperial hunter to defeat and ultimately lead to his death. Activating the beacon summons the First Guard (Evil looking Antlak with nice resists to kinetic to and has medium armour). Killing this you loot Pheromone C and take the head as a trophy (C needed to access the throne room).
The Throne Room: This area is split onto two rooms one of which is large containing about 4 Antlak Warriors (very similar to the Feeders but large with more ham but less kinetic resists). Killing these enables you to prep for the battle ahead in the Throne Lobby Area. Take you drink, eat your food and head into the Queen chamber. Use your imagination here guys, think of a very large Ant-Like beast that has a glowing electrically charged claw. Make this have very large resists and ham so it takes a while to kill and is very challenging. Maybe give it KD and Stun specials. Once you have killed this beast looting it will give you an Antlak Queen Claw and the head to the queen.
The Loot, The Reward: The claw you loot from the queen is small in size and is hollow enabling the user to fit his/her hand inside like a glove. This weapon is used by Tera Kasi Artists at the correct level with max damage stats ranging from 140-160 with similar speed, HAM and AP ratings but most of all, hits for Electronic damage. You can choose to keep this looted weapon or trade it in for another reward at the end of the quest. The Antlak Queen’s head is a trophy piece and will not be taken away from you if you choose to trade in the claw.
The Ending And Extended Quest: After taking down the queen you can head out of the hive via the way you came in by talking to the pilot. You are dropped off at an Endor Outpost and all you need to do is travel back to the Hunter’s location to receive your badge for the quest. Upon talking to him he tells you how happy he is, he can die happy, he respects you blah blah blah hehe and that if you wanted you could take the claw to his friend (the first mission giver). He used to be a great weapon smith and personally crafted ALL the hunter’s weapons and could maybe do something with it. The quest ends here and you have nothing more to do, if you choose not to. However if you do choose to follow his guidance and return to Moenia to the NPC and talk to him, you have the chance of receiving the Antlak Queen Claw Schematic (limited to 3 uses), An Enhanced Queen Claw with +3 melee defense (due to increased electrical output that numbs the enemy’s senses or a reduced HAM weapon with slightly reduced damage too.
I like the idea of leaving it up to the player to decide what to do next and having the opportunity to continue with the story even after the main quest body has been completed. I think this new weapon would be very welcome in the TKA camp and would be a very exciting dungeon for all who take part in it.
Im sorry for boring you for so long, just hope you enjoyed my idea.
Any feedback would be great, like how this dungeon could be enhanced etc.
Zaletans
Thu Mar 11, 2004 9:44 am
#126
1.) I hope I don't get flammed, It's just an idea. But how about the ability to poison food or drinks? Like they decay after a bit or someone can poison them.
2.) How about NPC's have brawls in the canteenas? More npc's in the canteenas maybe?
3.) How about Hoth? We need a new planet and I would love to take a womp womp home to Tat with me
4.) 2-3 seater land speeder..maybe other people have the ability to shoot from it. It would be fun to have chases
5.) How about player towns getting taking over for a week when they get raided? make more use for the militia.
6.) If your like me the corsec hates you. How about the ablility to get hunted down by them?
7.) Player issued bounties, even though this will prolly be worthless make it more fun for the role player's.
8.) A gambling system where we can bet on duels.
9.) Think of better deas becasue this game is getting boring
Zadokk
Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:07 am
#127
I haven't really read the other forums (although I have flicked through them) I thought that perhaps to make the game more varied (even futher) perhaps you could have professions which are based on top of the elite professions (sort of elite hybrid professions). Obviously, there isn't enough points to do two basic professions, two elite professions and then another on top so I propose you do it in the similar fashion to the way you did the hybrid professions. So for instance you could have vets. Vets would have Master Medic, Master Scout, Creature Taming IV, Creature Management IV, Master Wound Treatment and Master Doctor Knowledge. Overall, this would leave 62 available xp points which should be enough to get full training in the "vet" profession.
You could also have a similar thing for combining the fencer and swordsman professions?
Owen-Lars
Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:24 am
#128
1.) I hope I don't get flammed, It's just an idea. But how about the ability to poison food or drinks? Like they decay after a bit or someone can poison them.
Im not flaming but i think this idea isnt that great because how would someone poison someone else via food? I could see the point if food was open in cantinas etc but is someone came up to me either neutral or opposite faction offering me food id be inclined to say no. Added to the fact that even if you manage to get a player to accept poisoned food, the likelyhood is that they arnt going to eat it right there and then, most likely much later in the day or even another day when all the effects would do i require them to sit about for abit until the effects where off.
2.) How about NPC's have brawls in the canteenas? More npc's in the canteenas maybe?
Definatly, this is something id like to push for. Many more npcs in the cantinas. It isnt often that lots of players enter a cantina accept to grind out entertainment skills or prepping for battle/raids. Id like to see lots of NPCs in the cantinas to add to the atmosphere. It would be great to experience some fights, maybe some arguments, even moreso would be the ability to butt into thesearguments and attempt to mediate, maybe gain a certain badge if successful in difusing the situation for showing good mediator skills.
3.) How about Hoth? We need a new planet and I would love to take a womp womp home to Tat with me
Hoth is a difficult one. On one side i want to explore the base there, i want to raid some caves there, however this place is meant to be super secret with not even most rebels knowing of its location.Taking this into account i wouldnt expect to see imperials on this planet at all resulting in a planet onlyavailable to rebels which i dont think is fair. I have no idea how they would handle to freezing cold nights on that planet. If this planet was introduced i would also want a system that would give players 5 minutes to get indoors or freeze to death and have to clone. I dont want players staying out all night in the cold when luke and hans almost died when wrapped up warm.
Overall i believe there are just too many variables that would need to be added and controled to make this planet well designed and true to the films.
4.) 2-3 seater land speeder..maybe other people have the ability to shoot from it. It would be fun to have chases
Hell yeah. I dont agree with the passanger combat part as it would leed to people getting two commandos on the back with a driver kiting a krayt. Having a friend or two would rock simple as, i hope they add this soon.
5.) How about player towns getting taking over for a week when they get raided? make more use for the militia.
Again although a good idea would lead to unfair griefing by arsehole players. I would realy love to have an npc led raid squad come into our town and lock us down for a week or so and basically harrass us, search us and our houses and attack offenders. This would add alot of atmosphere to player cities and also make us feel the crackdown alot harder as they would be hitting our houses.
6.) If your like me the corsec hates you. How about the ablility to get hunted down by them?
That would be coolaswel as other factions too. I would like to see a complete redesign of jabba faction. A playable faction that enabled you to do missions for jabaa.You take a currier mission where you need to transport a certain shipment to another location by avoiding imps and maybe other factions. That would rock especially if the smuggler profession got a redesign too. You have the option to drop your cargo or abort a mission, if you do, jabbaputs acontract on your head for player bounty hunters to take as missions and at any time, unless you can get tojabbain person and/persuade (possible smuggler skill)jabba to spare your life the bounty hunter can attack and kill you. Now thats the sort of hunting down i would like thats somehow related to how you play.
7.) Player issued bounties, even though this will prolly be worthless make it more fun for the role player's.
Along with the jabba bounties id like to see this feature added too, although maybe you can only place a bounty if the other player has done something, such as failed a player-created mission (hehe another nice addition). Such as a player takes a mission from the terminal to collect 10k of wooly hide from endor in 4 days but failed to come up with the goods, the mission giver has the option to:
Forgive and forget
Show disaproval (email warning goes to player)
Black List (This makes it sothe player can never take this person's missions again and is sent an email indicating this action has been taken)
Place Bounty (System message and email sent to player stating you have been placed on the terminals) Also due to your reckless behaviour in doing your missions you loose 10,000 credits if killed by the bounty hunter. A reward stated on the bounty mission is given to the bounty hunter upon player death.
Lots of different features involves in that one but all feasible and anti-grief.
8.) A gambling system where we can bet on duels.
Duels maybe but NPC controlled pod races on tatooine definatly. I think they should make a large city/structure similar to the size of jabba's palaceon tattoine like the grandstands from the films and allow players to sit in bars etc and watch the various races.Enable players to bet with each other and the hutt and with the better allow smugglers to /ignore bet payout. This feature would allow smugglers to keep the credits he/she bet but run the risk of being placed on the player bounty terminals and loosing the bet upon death plus 10,000 credits.
The Race should be held every saturday and the track should be closed off1 hour before and30 minutes post race. Maybe this could be done by ejecting players from the cource like the ejection system in houses so they cannot interfer with the race. I dont think holding the races would take much thinking about and man power.Just placea small selection of npcs out of which 10 race each week onvehicles (very fast) and place them on a fixed course around the track. In other words instead of makingNPCswalk to a point, make them drive to a point . And then to decide races make each racerhave a random chance of slowing down slightly to give the effect someone elseis going faster.
I like this idea, infact im going togo away and writesomething on this and post it at a later date.
9.) Think of better deas becasue this game is getting boring
Better peas?
Deers? Dont they have antlers?
Yango
Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:30 am
#129
i got an idea for stats for charecters i never liked the idea that you only got a certain amount of points to alter your stats i think we should be able to earn more points to alter stats of course earning them shouldnt be easy so that way if u use all of your skill poit instead of starting a nw skill you can try to max out your stats i just thought it was od that when u gained more skills your stats never changed u didnt become stronger or anything. i think it might add a senss of realism and make pvping a little more unpredictable
Jerjonmik
Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:30 am
#130
1. TEFs and other states should have a timer like buffs/spice/food/downers. Hover the mouse over a state and there is an estimate of how long until your poison has subsided or how long until your TEF is gone.
2. Jedi Knights should have a move like Obiwan/Luke where they jump up, flip-twist, and land behind an opponents back to deliver a massive blow to the enemy, at a major force cost obviously.
3. PvP deathblows should have animation that are profession or at least ranged/melee specific. A fencer might jam his gaffi downward to deliver daethblow or a pistoleer slautes with pistol and then deliver one shot to the head executioner style. A double mouse click seems like an empty ending for such combat.
Sorry if any of this has been mentioned already. Way too many posts to read through.
Thanks for your time!