Development Cycle Archive
Thread: Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one? (II)
DarkY0da
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:11 pm
#144
My vote is the unknown mechanic.
Should the method of becoming Force Sensitive (not the path from Force Sensitivity to Jedi) be a mysterious, unknown mechanic orone that is visible and known to everyone?
Ko-aIri
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:11 pm
#145
Repost from the other thread, I guess I didn't read the focus quite right, and my comments dealt with becoming Force Sensitive not progressing from Force-Sensitive to Jedi.
The method TOWARD Force-Sensitivity IMO should be a combination of known and unknown factors.
Ideally, it would take the form of a content-driven quest similar to the new Hermit Quest. Perhaps with the semi-static spawns or spawn areas, preferably with quests on each planet of the galaxy, driving the player to complete stories and missions.
Please do NOT make them like the Jedi Knight Trials. Those are the most uncreative missions that have been put in this game. Find MOB, Kill MOB. Repeat ad nauseum. Every quest should have a story. Every quest should be compelling.
Also, at least some of the quests should take time to complete, in order to purposely gate people from advancing too quickly. In other words, the spawns might not be there every day. Or if they are there every day, perhaps some of the key quests are quite difficult to locate because the spawn area is so broad. If this step is not taken, and the path is able to have spoilers written about it (which it will, this is unavoidable), you will find that powergamers invariably will find ways to complete the "months of work" in a few weeks or days. The Hermit Quest was completed by a good number of people the day it went live. I'd say that is evidence enough to support some form of gating. Even if the quests say "return to me in 3 days time" or something, at least this will stretch out the progress.
Perhaps every new quest, and indeed some old quests, could be adapted to grant a certain amount of invisible "Force-Sensitivity" rank, similar to how visibility works for Jedi. For example, the Hermit Quest could be made to be worth 10,000 Force Sensitivity points. 2,000 for each of the 4 parts, and 2,000 points for returning to the Hermit. Make the goal something like 1 million Force Sensitivity points to "unlock," and grant Force Sensitive skills along the way as you progress. I don't think the player should necessarily know the value of each quest they do, just know that they are progressing. This also would enable you to assign a value to any given act in the game. Killing a nightsister elder might generate some points. Mastering a profession that one had not yet completed might generate some points. Doing missions might generate some points. Crafting an item might generate points. Obviously, the quests would be where the "big" point-gain is, but in this way every person could truly mark their own path, by progressing in whatever way they see fit.
There must be a COMPLETE path to Force Sensitivity that includes no combat whatsoever. A master chef/master tailor should have just as much opportunity through their own quests as a master combat medic/master rifleman. There must be entertainer quests, crafting quests, combat quests, medical quests, etc. If not, the system is fundamentally unfair to the playerbase as a whole. Do NOT require crafters/entertainers/medics to group with combatants to progress. This is UNFAIR to a person with no interest in combat. And before you say "well, Jedi is a combat profession"... yes, this is true. However, some people will prefer to play a "combat-lite" Jedi and fill out the ranks of the healers/enhancers, or will want to just benefit from the passive Force Sensitive skills that can be earned. EVERYONE should have that opportunity, this game is not just about combat.
In conclusion, this system has a lot of opportunity to impress... but it must be like the Hermit Quests, not like the Jedi Knight Trials. And as I said, people should have a general idea of what they need to do, but not necessarily the EXACT path nor should they know how much value everything they do has. In this way, it can be a truly epic adventure, taken at the pace of the player, and be something one is proud to have accomplished.
The method TOWARD Force-Sensitivity IMO should be a combination of known and unknown factors.
Ideally, it would take the form of a content-driven quest similar to the new Hermit Quest. Perhaps with the semi-static spawns or spawn areas, preferably with quests on each planet of the galaxy, driving the player to complete stories and missions.
Please do NOT make them like the Jedi Knight Trials. Those are the most uncreative missions that have been put in this game. Find MOB, Kill MOB. Repeat ad nauseum. Every quest should have a story. Every quest should be compelling.
Also, at least some of the quests should take time to complete, in order to purposely gate people from advancing too quickly. In other words, the spawns might not be there every day. Or if they are there every day, perhaps some of the key quests are quite difficult to locate because the spawn area is so broad. If this step is not taken, and the path is able to have spoilers written about it (which it will, this is unavoidable), you will find that powergamers invariably will find ways to complete the "months of work" in a few weeks or days. The Hermit Quest was completed by a good number of people the day it went live. I'd say that is evidence enough to support some form of gating. Even if the quests say "return to me in 3 days time" or something, at least this will stretch out the progress.
Perhaps every new quest, and indeed some old quests, could be adapted to grant a certain amount of invisible "Force-Sensitivity" rank, similar to how visibility works for Jedi. For example, the Hermit Quest could be made to be worth 10,000 Force Sensitivity points. 2,000 for each of the 4 parts, and 2,000 points for returning to the Hermit. Make the goal something like 1 million Force Sensitivity points to "unlock," and grant Force Sensitive skills along the way as you progress. I don't think the player should necessarily know the value of each quest they do, just know that they are progressing. This also would enable you to assign a value to any given act in the game. Killing a nightsister elder might generate some points. Mastering a profession that one had not yet completed might generate some points. Doing missions might generate some points. Crafting an item might generate points. Obviously, the quests would be where the "big" point-gain is, but in this way every person could truly mark their own path, by progressing in whatever way they see fit.
There must be a COMPLETE path to Force Sensitivity that includes no combat whatsoever. A master chef/master tailor should have just as much opportunity through their own quests as a master combat medic/master rifleman. There must be entertainer quests, crafting quests, combat quests, medical quests, etc. If not, the system is fundamentally unfair to the playerbase as a whole. Do NOT require crafters/entertainers/medics to group with combatants to progress. This is UNFAIR to a person with no interest in combat. And before you say "well, Jedi is a combat profession"... yes, this is true. However, some people will prefer to play a "combat-lite" Jedi and fill out the ranks of the healers/enhancers, or will want to just benefit from the passive Force Sensitive skills that can be earned. EVERYONE should have that opportunity, this game is not just about combat.
In conclusion, this system has a lot of opportunity to impress... but it must be like the Hermit Quests, not like the Jedi Knight Trials. And as I said, people should have a general idea of what they need to do, but not necessarily the EXACT path nor should they know how much value everything they do has. In this way, it can be a truly epic adventure, taken at the pace of the player, and be something one is proud to have accomplished.
Thunderheart
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:18 pm
#146
I put up a poll, "Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one?" - - go weigh in your vote 
Fallsguy
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:19 pm
#147
Path long and dangerous
This is a joke - look how many Jedi Knights there are now.
Look at just how powertful they have become - with infinate full heals and unincaps - PVP is completely over with due to them. Nobody able to stand up to them - BH's are being taken down consistantly and the jedi have no serious penelty for dying. A little loss in XP that they can gain back in less than a day.
I have surrendered all my accounts due to this and due to the fact that you cannot even install a simple elevator control button in the weapons depot POI on Talus.
Message Edited by Fallsguy on 07-10-2004 07:20 PM
NemsisJedi
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:22 pm
#148
Nice Idea TH
Thunderheart wrote:
I put up a poll, "Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one?" - - go weigh in your vote
Done - hopemy Voiceweight enough 
Message Edited by NemsisJedi on 07-11-2004 03:23 AM
DaHowler
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:23 pm
#149
Thunderheart wrote:
I put up a poll, "Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one?" - - go weigh in your vote
Where can you find the poll? I can't seem to locate it?
Thanks 
walkerwind
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:25 pm
#150
Thunderheart wrote:
I put up a poll, "Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one?" - - go weigh in your vote
Well done TH, I think we all start getting carried away with this problem and the path gets more and more complicated as we discuss it, best keeping it simple.
I think more polls should be made to decide stuff, but this forum software doesn't really make them stand out, I would probably have missed the poll if I hadn't seen your post.
Maybe we could have a polls section so more people got involved, I have been on ere for a year and thats the first poll I have ever done. lol!
Thunderheart
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:27 pm
#152
DaHowler wrote:
Thunderheart wrote:
I put up a poll, "Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one?" - - go weigh in your vote
Where can you find the poll? I can't seem to locate it?
Thanks
Go to the main forum...
It should be right over the Dev Tracker
Mawock
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:32 pm
#154
I would like to see the force sensitivity path to be unknown, because than it will bring at least some of the community back to pre-hologrind status and people wont be saying "I have to go do the force sensitive *bla* to get myself force sensitive". It should bring back alot of the people who were trying to GRIND to get jedi, instead of just letting luck and actions play out.
I would really applaude you devs if after the first person becomes force sensitive, that it still remains somewhat of a secret on how that person got to be force sensitive, or have a variety of ways to become FS so that it doesn't turn into a grind fest again. I just miss the good ol' days where it was a community instead of jedi and the rest.
Number-1-Commando
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:44 pm
#155
I think the path should be mysterious and unknown, however, I highly recommend you give us a hint or a clue of how to become one. But, make it not so obvious, make it a little vague. Thank you for this poll, and for this thread
NippyBooBoo
Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:47 pm
#156
What happened to the idea that you guys stated back when it was announced theat Holos will be going away, that the new system would be accessable by all the player base?
This really frustrates me that now in the 11th hour you all are thinking of making it an unkown tangent again.
This really frustrates me that now in the 11th hour you all are thinking of making it an unkown tangent again.