Development Cycle Archive

Having read 20-30 star wars books, i have seen very few jedi who actually obtained or quested to become sensive to the force.The force almost always finds them. Really, what was Luke, a farmer, thats it, Anikan, a slave Mara Jade, a personal body guard and mercenary. Only in the later years of the NJO were there any Jedi who Knew they were and had to perform to prove it to someone else that they were worthy. The Solo children, they knew, and Lukes son will know, these particular Jedi spend all of there time on quests to prove that they are worthy, while the adults whom the force found know they are and use the force in the best manner that they see fit. Now the reason for this is that if the Jedi path requires us to change what we like to do then so be it but it should find us first. We should not have to quest and look to become a force sensitive. Now this may not be possible in current game mechanics, but it may. How many of us are maxed on xp and connot do anything with it? Or ap. for that matter? We all dont want to have to give up a profession to have to master 5+ professions that we dont enjoy. I think that we should be able to spend these pionts, and do profession related tasks to open our FSCS then once we have a slot we can begin the journy to become a jedi knight. The way its set up now is that your journy ends with the FSCS and the grind begins with Jedi.

I see the path to becoming a Jedi being somewhat similar to the "epic" quests in EverQuest in concept. No, not how EQ epic quests turned out to be after months (and now years), but what they were originally envisioned to be -- a series of quests that would lead your character across the world, take a lot of time, have different interdependencies, and have a coveted prize at the end.

In SWG, what has been lacking is that "epic quest" feel. Unlocking the FSCS is currently a matter of grinding random professions. If you happen to have a Holocron (or can afford to buy one from players farming them), you get a clue, but the clues are finite (the last profession is a mystery) and the order is frustrating. I was a Master Architect, used my first Holocron which said Master Fencer, then used another Holocron which said Master Tailor. I gave up Artisan (I was a Master Artisan) to persue Fencer, so having to redo something I'd already done was depressing (and something I still haven't done).

Whatever quests there are, they should NOT include camping, farming, or similar. I'd even like to see items given along the way that cannot be traded (or only usable by the player it was given to). I'm generally disgusted with the camping/farming of Holocrons and related items by powergamers and it's something the average gamer will never be able to get even with time due to the powergamers power over these areas of the game.

I would like to see a mix of quests with involved subplots, much like the COA quests/events. There, you have quests that involve just chatting with NPCs, solo battle, and group battle. I'd like to see some alternatives to combat for crafter/entertainer types, although I don't think they should completely get out of any battles.

I liked the system I saw in Knights of the Old Republic where there were three types of Jedi -- diplomat, hybrid, warrior. These could easily match with the type of player and the quest path he/she chooses. Similarly, I liked how your actions in Knight of the Old Republic, be it conversation with a NPC or taking off someone's head, would affect dark/light alignment.

Jedi should be rare, so the quest(s) have to be long and challenging enough to ensure that every new player isn't a Jedi in a couple of weeks. I would like to see a system where you can see the path ahead of you instead of the somewhat frustrating system we have now.

I also think it's important to make players more equal. As it stands, Jedi is more of a powergamer haven. Things like challenging battles, mastering professions, collecting items, etc. is a tiny blip to a powergamer. Insert time requirements at various stages so that the "next" quest isn't accessable to a player until having spent a fixed amount of time at that level (call it gaining experience and wisdom, or something like that).

Make becoming a Jedi FUN! In EverQuest, I approached the monk epic casually. I dabbled at it when it was convenient and only when I hit level 60 (the max at the time) did I really start gathering people to help me do the harder areas. Despite it taking me a long time, I had fun because it wasn't an endless grind where the end result was something I HAD to have sooner rather than later. Reward players for their patience (light side), or change their path to something more difficult if they are not patient (dark side).

Lastly, I don't want to see a player written "How to become a Jedi" a week after the new system is released. The existing system was supposed to be "unique for each player", but the method to become a Jedi is the same for everyone -- try/grind different professions until you unlock your FSCS. By taking into account a player's current profession (and maybe previous ones based on badges), faction affiliation, order some quests are completed in, and that kind of thing, the path to Jedi can be unique for everyone and be less predictable.

An important note on lightsabers!

This had to go here since in general the devs dont seem to understand that there is a jedi forum, jedi correspondant, or in fact, a jedi profession. Lightsabers currently do knetic damage, which is like saying a stone knife should do electric damage. It just dosen't work. The only suggestion thus far that the devs *may* have listened to at least somewhat is to switch them to stun damage, but this is also a terrible solution. In addition, they don't seem to have thought about jedi during the early stages of the game (and we sure know they didn't exist, despite dev claims) and they claim they cant add a new damage type for lightsabers. Here is the sloution:

1. Make lightsabers energy damage. This is the type of damage they really are.
2. Make lightsabers heavy armor peircing. Maybe medium for a training saber.
3. Add EFFECTIVENESS for jedi. You devs know what this is, right? Add 100% effectiveness for any lightsaber use by a jedi. This would make them slice right through resists, as lightsabers are supposed to do in the first place.

See? That wasn't so hard. You could even add effictiveness to the jedi skill tree, although it's not really a good idea for continuity (it should be always in effect 100%), although that isn't a trait the jedi profession can relate to in any way right now.

Heres a problem I see down the road. Jedi in PvP will be a powerful thing, just give them a full set of 90% Composite Armor and buffed and you got a PvP that can just dominate a battlefield, and yes, I believe Jedi should dominate, so dont look at this as a nerf cry. But to be honest, I would rather the GCW remain Rebel vs Imperial, without Jedi really becoming an unstoppable problem. So, heres what I ask.

Limit Jedi to these types of PvP.

1. Duels

2. Bounty Hunter Missions

4. Dark vs Light

In the Dark vs Light, your "always" red to each other. If your in theed and you seea Dark Jedi, you both can attack each other at will. No Declaring, no nothing. Its always active. But to stop problems, after a jedi is killed hes notattackable forabout 10 or 20 min so they wont get killed right after they clone.

For the Star Warsy reason that Jedi should not be in the GCW is cause their in hiding right? Luke was special cause he was the son of Vader. Most Jedi were in hiding, and not really active running around "owning" theed =D

My simple suggestion is to not make these like the epic quests in EQ. The path to jedi should be a solo endeavor that everyone from a crafter to TKM can accomplish. It should by no means be easy, but it should focus on things that becoming either a light or dark jedi should entail..

I do not know what you have working under the hood in this regard but, for example, person A has gone silent on their holocrons. This person goes to speak with either a light side or dark side quest giver. The person is given whatever points are deemed fair by the dev team and told to go to another person. Now this quest for a light side character may involve aiding someone or something in either a combat or monetary fashion. Maybe even finding a padawan that is in danger of dying and healing said padawan and assisting them in defeating the bad guys. For a dark side to find the bad guys and make sure that the light jedi is anihilated. Either through healing of the bad guys or actual combat.

Once this is done to find an either light or dark knight. Then run through a series of tasks that would prove both intelligence, wit, and perserverence. After finishing that they should then need to seek out a master. This would entail a number of quests that would give hints as to where the master is available. This master then should have a series of another 3 or 4 quests that involve several planets, and make it more a test of wit and iq than of brawn. Like I mentioned before any class of character should be able to attempt this.

Now with these quests there need to be some additions made. First it can not be a camp fest. We have several planets available in this game make use of them. This will serve two purposes: 1. IT will keep the walkthroughs from making it a complete cakewalk for everyone and 2. it will allow everyone solo or guilded to partake. I belong to one of the largest guilds on my server if not in the game and that guild should not be given precedence over the player who likes to go it alone. I seem to remember that Luke never took a party of people to dagobah in order to lift the xwing out of the swamp

Finally I think there needs to be some changes made to the force powers. Lightning and choke are definately dark side powers as is life drain. Not every jedi should have these powers without some risk. Perhaps the game should start tracking jedi actions and rather than making it a choice of going light or dark make it mandatory as a result of actions.

I have to bump this! This is great stuff.

In regards to the quests needed to attain Jedi:

It is my understanding of this new system that is designed to function with all professions. So, the optimal solution I would see is a quest system that is different for each profession. I.E. Dancers have one set of quests that is less combat oriented, while commando's have another set of quests that is more focused on raiding bunkers or something to that extent.

I think the questsshould span every planet, and be totally randomized, although increasing in difficulty. Maybe for instance, if one was a BH, the developers could make 5 Level 1 BH missions. The player who talks to the npc to get a mission will receive on out of 5 level 1 missions. Then, after completion, he will receive one level 2 out of a possible 5.

This could continue and get increasingly difficult. But I also do not beleive a combat oriented profession shold have all combat missions. They should have a variety of missions that best tests their capabilites. Anybody can do a search and destroy mission, why not flare it up by searching for the feather of a long lost legendary creature or something (i.e. peko peko albatross)

In summary, I do not think these quests should require one to modify their profession, but rather are tailored to the ability of the player, while offering an extreme challenge that rewards the player with one of the most desired goals in the game.

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Bleylock wrote:

1. The new system should allow for holo-grinding or questing, not just one or the other. This will help keep everyone happy. Those that hate the holo-grinding will have a way to avoid it and those that like the path, or at least have gotten toward the end of it, can be happy too. The only legitimate reason for eliminating the grinding path is that you want to cut down on the number of Jedi and the grinding path is too easy and predictable. If that is you logic for making this change, then I present point number 2.

2. If you are concerned about the number of Jedi and to remove the essentially unfair nature of changing the system in mid-stream all current Jedi should be deleted and the players set at the last stage of the FS quest. This is especially important if you are going to institute a system that is more difficult and time-consuming than the current system (unless you keep the current system intact of course). It is really beyond unjust that the power-gamers and cheaters are allowed to keep the covetted slot when the regular players that have been grinding for so long are totally crushed. If you change the system, EVERYONE should have to play by the new rules.

3. Make things more interactive. Why not have NPC's contact us via email or even tells? Things become a lot more immersive if you actually feel there is a real conversation going on.

4. No Camping!

5. No repeatable quests. One person should not be able to follow the path of another to reach their FS. Each path should be suffciently random that the "solutions" cannot be simply planed on some website for all to copy.

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number 5 is a big one imo, there should not be no camping

Many good ideas here.

I don't really have any for the path of the jedi itself but for unlocking I do.

I think a mix should happen. Here is my idea.

3 Holocrons will give you the following information.

1.) Do a profession (elite or hybrid only)
2.) Do a specfic themepark (any)
3.) Defeat a certain creature/npc, a difficult one (you must get the kill shot)

now after 3 holocrons like that what would happen?

you have only begun the 4th instead of being completly silent would give you a hint of what to do next.

Profession:
In order to continue your path you must do something in the medic field (but it doesnt tell you which)

Quest:
Your quest continues on tatooine

NPC:
To continue you must defeat (some kind of SW lore that involves an npc, like nightsister (akva min) )

okay now you are 2/3rd complete with your quest to unlock your FSCS, you get your 7th holocron and a truly silent one it is.

"..."

for this part you would need a 3 part process of some sort to finish unlocking it could be something like becoming a general on either side of the GCW (not specfic), visiting certain POIs, etc etc. this is where the real mystery would come. I dunno maybe it's far fetched and complex but just my 2 credits.

i want to beable to unlock my FSCS with the skills i have...i dont want to hafto drop my skills...

but maybe make it so that you need to have atleast mastered an elite or hybrid profession

ty

/bow