Development Cycle Archive
Thread: IC 1-17 Star Wars Galaxies Combat Profession Mix and Match
JaxJay9
Sun Feb 01, 2004 11:54 pm
#131
In a game like this, i don't think anyone would like to see it become a first person shooter ... but if you think to 4-player console games the best option is to remove the radar cause its an unfair advatage. PVP doesn't work because if i'm looking north , i can see on my radar that enemies are behind me. It is this reason why professions are not standing out. If i'm a marksmen then i should be able to see enemies in the distance better , so that when i fire my riffle i'm safe from being attacked right away. A pistoleer or brawler would now have to scramble and hope they run in the right direction. I understand that this is not exactly a profession issue, but if you see from where i'm coming then you can understand how this could change professions drastically, without needing a profession revamp like Chef. Thank you for reading.
Kaelind
Mon Feb 02, 2004 12:15 am
#132
I just recently played around with character builders and learned about stacking mods. How did I learn this? Well I sat there and said: I'm a Wookie, a **edit** fine looking one too thanks to my constant visits to my local Image Designer. Now, I can't wear any armor what-so-ever fine, I came to grips with that after a week of playing. Yeah, I'm doing fine as a creature handler, if I sit way back and watch I normally don't take any hits at all, and thanks to my last holo I found that while I'm back there I might as well land some good mind bleeds and headshots to kill mobs in a really efficient, safe, and interesting way (4th holo: rifleman). Yeah I sit back and solo high level mobs, get tons of credits for doing it, pop some Muon Gold, shoot non stop... but at heart I wanted to be a melee fighter. The ONLY incentive I had for changing my ways, persuing a new and exciting path was finding out, well hell... the more I focus (yes, focus) my skill points in defense, the better chances I have to survive. Who knew, if I gave up my 6 gurrecks, 6 rancors, and handfull of pets I keep cause they look funny or really cool, give up my t21, my terrain negotiation, and my ability to collect Organics... if I gave all that up, and instead spent my points on melee proffessions, taking the defense's from them, distributing my points... then a few months from now I would be a good melee fighter, able avoid the damage that almost instantly takes my poor Wookieness down. Why can't that be my choice? I mean, I never have believed in uber templates. I just see options, choices. If THATS what a player wants to do, why take it away from him? If that is what you wish your chef could do, guess what? Don't be a chef. Cookie cutter theory? This game has more cookie shapes than I would have thought. There are a number of melee options to take, ranged combinations, and huge selection from good combinations of both, as well as combat/healing combinations. Even crafting has great combinations... a character can actually master 3 elite crafts and have enough points for a bit of surveying. I enjoy the fact that my spare account is master tailor, master weaponsmith, and on its way to master armorsmith. The benefits combined with my Mining Guild, are immaculate. Why change now? This system is more enjoyable, more entertaining than anything I have seen in my last 4 MMORPG experiences. As some one who is constantly looking for new goals, I think skill matching and mod stacking is awsome. In all honesty after mastering CH/Ranger/Scout I quit the game, nothing else to do and I had no clue as to how to open up a jedi slot. Some weeks later I learn of something called a "holocron" and the 4+1 method and I was excited. Right away I opened my main account. I was actually excited, thinking to myself: sweet, a reason to master all the proffessions
and try out a whole lot of combinations for different Wookie types. (on a side note I'm sad the system is changing as now I don't think I have time to master enough proffs. to guess my silent). With no reason to keep mastering proffessions over time (not really into the whole grinding scene, the masteries come when they come right?). Will I keep playing? Sure, I figured the melee fighter would be a nice change, and hey with def. mod stacking my lack of armor won't hurt that much... and so now even this is being questioned? Lets keep it fun.
Travixius
Mon Feb 02, 2004 1:49 am
#133
The can, it is called Combat Medics. If you want to poison people pay the points. I personally have nothing against stacking. I am mostly PvE but do on occasion play PvP. I am not the best, butI can hold my own. I think the whole stacking issue is a result of alot of people trying to PvP and getting their butts kicked. So instead of dealing with the fact that they suck, they cry foul.
I remember when I first started PvP I would CONSTANTLY get my but kicked. But given time I learned what to do and what not to do. It is mostly strategy. The only thing that I think needs changed is the TKM. Now wait guys I am not crying NERF lol. But I do think that it should be made that they have to at least master brawler instead of just 1 row to get that kind of power.
Now this is just my opinion hehe
Instead of this so called "balancing" make certain skills to counter others' Like Combat medics. We all know thatif you are against one in PvP you hate them, but at the same time you like them on your side. So instead of nerfing them, make a master medic be able to at least heal the posion or delay it. (the delay thing wasnt my idea btw I saw it posted but it is a great idea)
With TKA make them have to dedicate more points, hence have to master brawler. I think spending 13 points in brawler is not enough to become a TKA novice.
And for the love of god work on pikeman
I do not use the stacking strategy, but I do understand it. And if they spend all of their points strategically, then instead of crying nerf start putting some thought in the creation of your character.
Well I have rambled on enough, time to login and work on leveling my toon 
Seshemw
Mon Feb 02, 2004 4:54 am
#134
Customization of profession can be a big boon, but it lends itself to min/maxing (what professional aspects can I match up so they overlap for 'least cost, most gain'?). With that as a given, I understand that devs will be tempted to look at everything from a purely min/max point of view to prevent 'uber templates' and the like... but I'd like them to not ONLY look at it from that perspective. Many of us don't go that road (or don't take it to extremes), and the feeling of the many being punished for the few is a recurring theme in any nerfs.
Only other real comment I have: From the beginning, Devs of all stripes have promoted the flexibility of the skill system, and how you can 'just try things out'. So we've been getting the message that hybrid 'templates' with less than master boxes, were not only expected but desired.
When you compare that with the relatively more recent 'down with dabblers' attitude, you get some bad feelings getting generated. Which do you ACTUALLY want? Effective character mix and matches with multiple professions involved? Or true-effect-only-happens-at-master (or near to it), which vastly limits possible combinations? I would think it would be acceptible if someone was quite powerful with just specific trees from several professions, but Dev thinking seems to be that it's too often TOO effective, so the perks are moved to the top box (or split up and redistributed to require multiple trees, etc). The trend seems to be towards driving people at master boxes of late (see the 'holocron' system for Jedi opening, which seemed to assume that you'd go all the way to a master box to 'try a profession out', when usually you know you like that playstyle or don't well before youv'e got the master box... Great familiarity in the game and multiple professions, one of the stated benchmarks for Jedi, could be obtained without a single master box in a great many cases...
Only other real comment I have: From the beginning, Devs of all stripes have promoted the flexibility of the skill system, and how you can 'just try things out'. So we've been getting the message that hybrid 'templates' with less than master boxes, were not only expected but desired.
When you compare that with the relatively more recent 'down with dabblers' attitude, you get some bad feelings getting generated. Which do you ACTUALLY want? Effective character mix and matches with multiple professions involved? Or true-effect-only-happens-at-master (or near to it), which vastly limits possible combinations? I would think it would be acceptible if someone was quite powerful with just specific trees from several professions, but Dev thinking seems to be that it's too often TOO effective, so the perks are moved to the top box (or split up and redistributed to require multiple trees, etc). The trend seems to be towards driving people at master boxes of late (see the 'holocron' system for Jedi opening, which seemed to assume that you'd go all the way to a master box to 'try a profession out', when usually you know you like that playstyle or don't well before youv'e got the master box... Great familiarity in the game and multiple professions, one of the stated benchmarks for Jedi, could be obtained without a single master box in a great many cases...
Ulana-Intrepid
Mon Feb 02, 2004 6:16 am
#135
* What do you think the strengths of professions mix and match are?
The possibility to make "mixed" templates is great and I think that almost every elite combat profession has its strengths. So there are many different combinations worth trying in PvE and PvP alike.
* What do you think the weaknesses of professions mix and match are?
The only *real* imbalance I see are stacking defenses of the famous pistoleer/fencer template.
Another weakness are group oriented combat professions (like the Squad Leader and the Combat Medic) - they are not good to solo and group play is not encouraged enough. Especially the Squad Leader seems to be too weak overall.
* How do you think we should maintain the unique skillset flavor the game is built on?
Encourage more group play and making professions more unique by giving them skills no other profession has. For example (since I play Teras Kasi):
When I started to go for Teras Kasi I imagined that I would go really unarmed and without armor and still be the classical "melee tank". Now I am Master TKA and I see that I am one of the biggest damage dealers in this game but that I have relatively weak defenses against special attacks compared to other classes. To make Teras Kasi more unique (and more in line with my imagination of an unarmed fighter) you could:
1. remove Vibro Knucklers and up the unarmed damage just a little bit.
2. give TKA a "disarm opponent" move
3. disallow armor for unarmed combat (maybe add a meditation skill that gives you special protection 40-80% vs. a choosen damage type for a limited time)
4. give TKA the best defenses against all specials (dots, knockdown, dizzy, stun...)
5. give TKA much better HAM regeneration rates or simply make the meditation buff work for secondaries too (to compensate for the lack or armor)
The result would be a unique class that is very hard to hit and deals sufficient damage to go solo. It would no longer be one of the uber PvP classes one-on-one but very useful to have them in group-PvP, tanking and disarming opponents
* What are some neat combinations that would be good for the game?
When melee professions differ more from each other (like in the above example) it would be of more use to go for melee combinations, like TKA (for defense) and Swordsman (for damage dealing). As the game is now, there is not much use to have more than one melee class on one char.
* Anything else you want to say on this subject?
Encourage more group play - then the strengths of each profession would be valued more. Now we see way too many of the "solo" professions (Creature Handler, Bounty Hunter...). With more group play we would see more diversity without even changing how most of the professions work!
The possibility to make "mixed" templates is great and I think that almost every elite combat profession has its strengths. So there are many different combinations worth trying in PvE and PvP alike.
* What do you think the weaknesses of professions mix and match are?
The only *real* imbalance I see are stacking defenses of the famous pistoleer/fencer template.
Another weakness are group oriented combat professions (like the Squad Leader and the Combat Medic) - they are not good to solo and group play is not encouraged enough. Especially the Squad Leader seems to be too weak overall.
* How do you think we should maintain the unique skillset flavor the game is built on?
Encourage more group play and making professions more unique by giving them skills no other profession has. For example (since I play Teras Kasi):
When I started to go for Teras Kasi I imagined that I would go really unarmed and without armor and still be the classical "melee tank". Now I am Master TKA and I see that I am one of the biggest damage dealers in this game but that I have relatively weak defenses against special attacks compared to other classes. To make Teras Kasi more unique (and more in line with my imagination of an unarmed fighter) you could:
1. remove Vibro Knucklers and up the unarmed damage just a little bit.
2. give TKA a "disarm opponent" move
3. disallow armor for unarmed combat (maybe add a meditation skill that gives you special protection 40-80% vs. a choosen damage type for a limited time)
4. give TKA the best defenses against all specials (dots, knockdown, dizzy, stun...)
5. give TKA much better HAM regeneration rates or simply make the meditation buff work for secondaries too (to compensate for the lack or armor)
The result would be a unique class that is very hard to hit and deals sufficient damage to go solo. It would no longer be one of the uber PvP classes one-on-one but very useful to have them in group-PvP, tanking and disarming opponents
* What are some neat combinations that would be good for the game?
When melee professions differ more from each other (like in the above example) it would be of more use to go for melee combinations, like TKA (for defense) and Swordsman (for damage dealing). As the game is now, there is not much use to have more than one melee class on one char.
* Anything else you want to say on this subject?
Encourage more group play - then the strengths of each profession would be valued more. Now we see way too many of the "solo" professions (Creature Handler, Bounty Hunter...). With more group play we would see more diversity without even changing how most of the professions work!
Herby007
Mon Feb 02, 2004 6:23 am
#136
My thouhgts are few compared to many of the ppl that posted here but here they are, Do not get rid of defense stacks it is the only way to make great hybrid charcters, we dont all want to be cookie cutter characters, diversification is good and should stay that way. If the defense stacks are to high maybe there should be a cap but dont eliminate it completeley, Masters of profesions should have great bonus, ex. a weapon that only masters can use, (for combat classes of course). Getting all the specials in every combat class to work should be top priority.
Herby Scylla
Takiva
Mon Feb 02, 2004 7:09 am
#137
I will preface by saying, I am perhaps not the typical player (if such a thing exists). I do not PvP, and I am primarily a roleplayer. I do not sit around trying to design uber skill templates...I play what I consider fun, what fits my character's roleplay storyline and background, and what I need to accomplish the fun I want to have in a game.
Now, as to combat (which this thread is about...I assume you don't refer to uber skill mixing between chefs and dancers or the like), I tend to solo, which makes mixing and matching skills and professions a little more important. Why do I solo in a social game designed for groups? Because I am a roleplayer. I socialize in roleplay, but when I feel like being violent and killing things, that is typically out-of-character for my characters, so I do it solo and on an OOC basis. It doesn't fit my RP template, so I can't do it with others, since they are roleplaying too and I can't explain why my enlightened Priestess is out beating the brains out of wildlife...so I just do it solo.
A soloer NEEDS to mix an match professions if they have any hope of seeing any of the higher level planets fun and content. So, my perpective is a bit different. I don't mix professions to be uber and 'pwn' people in PvP, or any other unbalancing reason. I mix and match professions to be self-suffiocient when I am out trying to enjoy the same content as everyone else is.
Also: The questions below can be answered from at least two major perspectives...that of the Player, and what is best for the individual, and that of the Game, and what is best for the balance and whole. I will answer from the perspective of each where appropriate if they seem to differ.
What do you think the strengths of professions mix and match are?
Player: Mixing professions allows more self-sufficiancy. From a player standpoint, and from a soloer's standpoint, this is a good thing. It allows a soloer to experience higher level content and planets than they would ever see alone in a single profession. Some of us simply will NOT group for combat, for various reason, including RP realism and character realism. Mixing is invaluable to us.
Game: Mixing professions allows more realism in the game. How many people in real life do you know that can only do one profession? Or have only one skillset? I am a proficient computer programmer. I am also an excellent fiction writer and artist. And, I can repair my own car (yes, girls do that). Real people can know about and do more than one thing. Mixing professions allows depth to the game and the roleplay of those who decide to RP in a online RPing game like this one. Diversity is always good.
Developers: Also, mixing professions and skills prolongs the game...people have more combinations to try and thus get bored with the game slower than normal and are more likely to keep playing...and paying you.
What do you think the weaknesses of professions mix and match are?
Player: Lack of true specialization is an issue at times for some if the mix too many skills and never master any. This can make them diverse and somehat more self-sufficient at the price of overall usefulness and power. A soloer who mixes many professions may find that if they group, they just don't stand up with the others who spent the same amount of skill points and they just don't dfo anything well enough to be useful to a group.
Game: Mixing can make it much easier to solo...thus allowing some who are simply anti-social to traet the game as an online single-player game. This can strain community and even dilute it to a degree. Mixing can at times (though not always by nature) create uber templates that DO unbalance the game. Usually those who find these do so on purpose, and are not soloers or RPers like most mixers and matchers...but simply normal PvP groupers who want an advantage if they can get it.
How do you think we should maintain the unique skillset flavor the game is built on?
Is the game built on a unique skillset flavour? And if so, why were we not told so? As another poster commented, the professions really do not have enough uniqueness as it stands to make this claim, I don't think.
Besides that, when I first jumped in (during Beta and since launch), the ability to mix and match professions and skills was heavily promoted as a feature of the game. Most of the aspects of the professions that WOULD have made them more unique were removed before live, like player bounties, or where never developed at all, like smugglers having nothing to smuggle?
Put some uniqueness into the professions first, then worry about maintaining the uniqueness.
What are some neat combinations that would be good for the game?
Hmm...guess that depends on what you mean by "good for the game". By good for the game do you mean, what is good for balance? What is good for making players happy? Or what id good for keeping players in game and paying you money? As a programmer myself, I realize this is a business. You make these games to make money by making players happy and giving them a fun game they want to keep playing and paying for.
So, in the end, what is good for the game is what makes the most people happy and keeps them playing and paying you. This is the trick, since in a game like this, there is no "typical" player. Too many people play the game for too many different reasons. So you try to balance...which leads to upsetting a lot of people a little bit each. Or you make one group reall happy at the expense of another group that gets real mad, and may then quit. *shrug* Hard to really say what is good for the game in this sense.
I would say that any mix and match combination that allows ultra uber skills to do more than another professions mastery at the same skill point cost is bad for the game. But, mixes that allow a diverse player to do the same as a higher level master by being diverse is okay, and good for the game...both still are really level and equal, but in different ways. I am diverse because of my matching, thus I can hold my own in a lot of different circumstances, but will still never be better than say a master bounty hunter or commando, or rifleman, etc.
ferreting out the overly uber combinations while leaving the ability to be diverse and a jill-of-all-trades is the key.
Anything else you want to say on this subject?
I will say, I am a bit comfused as too where SWG is going with this issue of profession and skill mixing. It was marketed as a major feature of the game, and encouraged in the beginning. Until we saw some few people who were abusing it to find ultra uber combinations that were unbalancing...then it was suddenly called an exploit to mix and match skills and professions. Thunderhearts infamous post calling those who did such skill mixing exploiters really was a punch in the stomach to many of us who saw it as just a way to RP or to be diverse. Now, months later, we are back to a stance of...we want you to mix and match professions, so how can we do that best? Okay...which is it? Is it an unfair exploit that wasn't intended for us to mix professions, or was it a good feature you encouraged? make up your mind, okay?
battosai20
Mon Feb 02, 2004 8:55 am
#138
Here is how I feel it should be.
If you Master Smuggler, Doctor, andsome pistoleer, medic and entertaineryou should not be able to do this, the ability to create completely self reliant templates, with this template you can buff yourself, heal wounds, heal disease, heal poison, heal mind wounds, sell stims, sell spices, sell slices, and be viable in PVP and killing mobs.
This kills any type of community because players can just do everything themselves without relying on anyone. I think the requirements for elite professions should be raised, for example how can you be a Master TKA, Master Smuggler, and Master Doctor seriously think about it; Doctors go to school for years to learn how to be a Doctor and that is all they do during that time, Martial arts Masters also spend enormous amounts of time and years of training to become elite.
So what I amsaying is if you Master all three of those I just mentioned you should lose some abilities from all three, How can you be a true Master Doctor if you are focusing on your kung fu or slicing weapons, you should make support professions like create more basic profs like, as a pre-requisite to smuggler the basic supporting profession should be Novice Thug or something like that once you get Master Thug it gives you bonuses for Smuggler.
I would like to see BH's be able to Mix and Match if everyone else can, all you have to do is give Master Bounty Hunters 15 skill points since it costs so darn much, and other people can Master 3 professions and be more powerful.
Or you could do the one thing that needs to be done, since you have basically forced everyone to have novice Medic you need to Make Stim B's and Stim A's usable by everyone. This will create a much better Stim Market for Doctors and allow people a little bit of skill point freedom especially the BH's you screwed. Keep the wound packs at novice medic just make the stims usable by anybody that only makes sense. That way 80% of all servers arent Novice Medics.
Travixius
Mon Feb 02, 2004 9:56 am
#139
The day they make it to where no one can solo, is the day myself and alot of friends quit this game. Just because it is a social game doesnt mean that everyone needs to group. Alot of us out there, dont have time to wait for a group to form, and usually the groups suck (besides when you group with friends)
But pick up groups are unorganized and usually a waste of time. This game should not focus on forcing people to group but to encourage it. But at the same time, no penalties if you wish to solo.
ShrissOfTheSands
Mon Feb 02, 2004 9:58 am
#140
Sir Thunderheart,
My thoughts on "mix and match" in online roleplaying games:
1) It sure is nice being granted so much freedom, after playing the cookie cutter fantasy MMORPG's I have for years. It's also nice to not be penalized too much when I decide to revoke certain skills to embrace others.
2) It is NOT good, because the PvP in this game is really FUBAR. No restrictions on class picking means some people, who prefer to be 'pure bred' in their professions, get trampled on. Defense stacking is a huge problem in this area as I'm sure you know, so I'm hoping that its removal will fix all of this.
3) It is NOT good that some professions are left with so few Skill Points to spend. Case in point - the Master Bounty Hunter, left with a pitiful 33 POINTS apres master status. As a player who started in the BH profession, is one box away from mastering, and decided to start another character who won't be so tied down, I can tell you, Thunderheart... it is NOT FAIR to some professions. "Mix and Match" destroys my poor Bounty Hunter everytime. I had to put her on the shelf. My original intent was to put this GAME on the shelf, but friends persuaded me to stay. The amount of time and patience one must have to master BH is not rewarded in the end. Instead, BH are tortured, being run over by "mix and match" freight trains scuttling about in every city.
4) Finally, I'd like to suggest that you balance the Skill Points out a little more. Professions like BH would benefit from having more points to spend.
THERE'S NO REASON SOME PLAYERS SHOULD SUFFER, BEING LEFT OUT OF YOUR PRECIOUS "MIX AND MATCH" REVOLUTION SO THEY CAN BE RIDICULED ON THE BATTLEFIELD AT EVERY TURN.
My thoughts on "mix and match" in online roleplaying games:
1) It sure is nice being granted so much freedom, after playing the cookie cutter fantasy MMORPG's I have for years. It's also nice to not be penalized too much when I decide to revoke certain skills to embrace others.
2) It is NOT good, because the PvP in this game is really FUBAR. No restrictions on class picking means some people, who prefer to be 'pure bred' in their professions, get trampled on. Defense stacking is a huge problem in this area as I'm sure you know, so I'm hoping that its removal will fix all of this.
3) It is NOT good that some professions are left with so few Skill Points to spend. Case in point - the Master Bounty Hunter, left with a pitiful 33 POINTS apres master status. As a player who started in the BH profession, is one box away from mastering, and decided to start another character who won't be so tied down, I can tell you, Thunderheart... it is NOT FAIR to some professions. "Mix and Match" destroys my poor Bounty Hunter everytime. I had to put her on the shelf. My original intent was to put this GAME on the shelf, but friends persuaded me to stay. The amount of time and patience one must have to master BH is not rewarded in the end. Instead, BH are tortured, being run over by "mix and match" freight trains scuttling about in every city.
4) Finally, I'd like to suggest that you balance the Skill Points out a little more. Professions like BH would benefit from having more points to spend.
THERE'S NO REASON SOME PLAYERS SHOULD SUFFER, BEING LEFT OUT OF YOUR PRECIOUS "MIX AND MATCH" REVOLUTION SO THEY CAN BE RIDICULED ON THE BATTLEFIELD AT EVERY TURN.
Kovev
Mon Feb 02, 2004 10:10 am
#141
As it is, things are good. There are a few bumps in the road, I'll get to those in a sec.
The non-defined roles of the SWG system is why I like it. You should be able to have flexabiability. I truly hated EQ's chose a role system, that so limited you. Do not take away what makes SWG work! That having been said.....
Skill point pool? No, it does not need increased, everyone would become a solo player. One person not being able to do everything is why grouping happens. On that note, in response to the post above, TO ALLOW EVERYONE USE OF STIM A'S AND B'S WOULD BE THE WORST THING THAT COULD BE DONE, medic would have no purpose. Not everyone should be able to heal.
A wonderful job was done of assigning profession roles and skills in this game, from day one. If the broken skills were fixed, and BH had a few less pre reqs, and one or two professions got enhancements, like those chef and smuggler are going to get, there would only be one issue.
The only issue that I'd see as reamining relates to the power dabbler. You know him or her, no commitment to a profession, just take from each what will make you uber. I ahte that. It's ok to dabble, don't get me wrong, but the reward the dabbler gets should not come anywhere near that of a person well invested in the profession, and should not even be 1% of what a master of the profession gets.
I propose three changes:
1. Shift the "big deal" skills to 4 or 3 in each colum to reward those who work hard for them.
2. Make the master level rewards so appealing that anyone would feel cheated for not completing the profession. Basicially, make the master block double what all of the skills below it did for the player.
3. Add skill bonuses, and extra skills for completing a full horizontal roll. Example add a box to the far right of each roll on a profession, so that completion of all tier 1 skills gives these benefits, completion of all tier 2 skills gives a set of benefits, so on. That would truly reward those who invest time, and effort into a profession.
Dabbleing is ok, but those truly commited to a profession should reveive a much larger benefit. The player who has a colum of this profession and a colum of that profession should not pet as much benefit for the skill points he spent as the player who masters whole professions.
One other thought, in real life, if you became a master of a profession and left it, you would not forget all you knew. On that line of thinking, you should keep the certs from abandoned profs and the scamatics from crafting ones. Note, you loose all skills and bonuses though.
That's just my opinion.
The non-defined roles of the SWG system is why I like it. You should be able to have flexabiability. I truly hated EQ's chose a role system, that so limited you. Do not take away what makes SWG work! That having been said.....
Skill point pool? No, it does not need increased, everyone would become a solo player. One person not being able to do everything is why grouping happens. On that note, in response to the post above, TO ALLOW EVERYONE USE OF STIM A'S AND B'S WOULD BE THE WORST THING THAT COULD BE DONE, medic would have no purpose. Not everyone should be able to heal.
A wonderful job was done of assigning profession roles and skills in this game, from day one. If the broken skills were fixed, and BH had a few less pre reqs, and one or two professions got enhancements, like those chef and smuggler are going to get, there would only be one issue.
The only issue that I'd see as reamining relates to the power dabbler. You know him or her, no commitment to a profession, just take from each what will make you uber. I ahte that. It's ok to dabble, don't get me wrong, but the reward the dabbler gets should not come anywhere near that of a person well invested in the profession, and should not even be 1% of what a master of the profession gets.
I propose three changes:
1. Shift the "big deal" skills to 4 or 3 in each colum to reward those who work hard for them.
2. Make the master level rewards so appealing that anyone would feel cheated for not completing the profession. Basicially, make the master block double what all of the skills below it did for the player.
3. Add skill bonuses, and extra skills for completing a full horizontal roll. Example add a box to the far right of each roll on a profession, so that completion of all tier 1 skills gives these benefits, completion of all tier 2 skills gives a set of benefits, so on. That would truly reward those who invest time, and effort into a profession.
Dabbleing is ok, but those truly commited to a profession should reveive a much larger benefit. The player who has a colum of this profession and a colum of that profession should not pet as much benefit for the skill points he spent as the player who masters whole professions.
One other thought, in real life, if you became a master of a profession and left it, you would not forget all you knew. On that line of thinking, you should keep the certs from abandoned profs and the scamatics from crafting ones. Note, you loose all skills and bonuses though.
That's just my opinion.
EoZilbriss
Mon Feb 02, 2004 10:12 am
#142
Wouldn't making mods non-stackable eliminate the utility of mix n' match?
Orryhazard
Mon Feb 02, 2004 11:42 am
#143
Why do smugglers have to be really good at using pistols?
I wouldlike it better if you only had to learn a whole column under a specific Tree. If you want to be a smuggler, you need to have pistol - 4 or rifle - 4 or carbine - 4. You can choose which one.