Development Cycle Archive
Thread: The Path of the Jedi: Reckoning of Effort
"Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen..."
Always in motion is the future is and back on January 23rd, we announced that the Jedi system would be revamped from the previous profession based system to a more quest-based way to become a Jedi. That time is now upon us.
The old path to Jedi was a very long and arduous journey which involved becoming master in numerous predetermined professions that were specific to each player. Once you completed all of your professions and your Force slot unlocked, the challenge did not end. You started as a totally new character and had to develop that new character. From beginning to end, this was a new character with a whole new development path; first you completed your professions and then you started again from scratch with the new slot, working your way back to effectiveness even as you learned your new Jedi skills.
While this resulted in a very mysterious and perplexing experience for those that wished to take the path, it put people on a path of playing through professions as quickly as possible in order to unlock their Force sensitive slot. This was not healthy for the game, thus our desire to revamp this system.
Initially with the old system, you had to unlock 5 hidden master boxes. (This is they way I understood things to work) As the number of Jedi increased on the servers, we increased the required number of hidden boxes. As the number increased, people were completing more and more professions to hit the hidden requirements. Although we will not be giving specific credit for the total number of professions ground, we will be giving credit for how many of the required hidden master boxes you completed. (This is unfair and done right wrong approach) There is a very strong correlation between the raw number of professions that players completed and the number of hidden master boxes people completed. In other words, for those players that acquired 32 master boxes, they by default acquired the necessary 8 master boxes that unlocked their slot. (Not known to me till this post, PLUS IT SHOULD NOT MATTER HOW MANY JEDI ARE RUNNING AROUND. PEOPLE PLAY THIS GAME SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ACHIEVE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO. CONSIDERING WE PAY FOR THE GAME AND THE RIGHT TO PLAY IT ONLINE) For players that finished 29 or 30 master boxes, they almost certainly acquired 7 of the necessary 8 master boxes that unlocked their slot. This was the case all the way down the scale.
As we shift from the old system to the new system, the biggest question has been, "If I didn’t unlock my slot, how much credit will I get?" Players who were unable to open up a force sensitive slot in the old system will be eligible for credit under the new system based on how many required professions they completed. Reckoning player effort has been a challenging task and here is what it boils down to:
Credit consists of giving a player the ability to unlock Force sensitive skill branches without having to complete the quests. Since each set of quests requires the village to be in a different phase of the cyclical story arc, different quests are unlocked depending on what stage of development the village is in. Players who have completed required professions will have these quests automatically unlocked for them based on how many "holo-professions" they completed. This will give them the advantage of not having to wait several weeks for phases of the Village to shift. Players will also be given enough experience points to fill up all four boxes for any particular Force Sensitive branch that they choose to unlock. (This is wrong I have worked my tail off to get to this point, and have to wait, due to lack of planning or poor planning by people that fail to listen/or understanding to their customer base)
The measure to determine how much credit you get in the new Jedi system for effort spent unlocking professions in the old system is determined by how many of the required "holo-professions" you have mastered.
Here is how the credit is calculated:
If you have… The credit you will receive is…
No professions remaining: 6 Force Sensitive branches will be granted
1 profession remaining: 5 Force Sensitive branches will be granted
2 professions remaining: 4 Force Sensitive branches will be granted
3 professions remaining: 3 Force Sensitive branches will be granted
4 professions remaining: 2 Force Sensitive branches will be granted
5 professions remaining: 1 Force Sensitive branch will be granted
(This is fair to some point but the other none required professions should be rewarded as well)
Everyone will still have to be visited by the Old Man and do the intro quests in order to gain access to the village. (Fine but not that clear) After access to the village has been granted, you must go to the village skill trainer. The skill trainer detects if you qualify for free branches and will train you in those branches based on your choices in the conversation menu. Note that this merely grants the skill branch. You may still do the quest if you choose. Doing so will gain you the quest reward.
Regardless of the number of free branches received, you must still complete the final quest that makes you eligible to become a Padawan. When you become Padawan, you will be given your Jedi robe and your additional character slot will open up. This character can be used in any way you see fit, including developing him into another Jedi.
The other side of the equation is when do people get a visit from the Old Man? In the new system, when a player is ready to travel down the path of becoming a Jedi, they will be visited by a wise old man who knows the secrets of the village of the <ST1laceType>Village</ST1laceType> of <ST1laceName>Aurilia</ST1laceName>. (Means what? NOT EVEN CLEAR ON WHEN THIS HAPPENS.)
How and when does this visit happen? The old man will visit you when you have completed the requirements of the new path to becoming a Jedi. While this new path is still a secret, it is no where near as daunting as the holo-professions method. We have made additional provisions for those that worked partially through the old system. Here is how you will be allocated a visit based on the old system: (HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT GROUP I AM IN? Again this could not be well thought out.)
If you have… You will be granted access to the village…
No professions remaining: Automatically qualify
1 profession remaining: Automatically qualify
2 professions remaining: Group 1
3 professions remaining: Group 2
4 professions remaining: Group 3
5 professions remaining: Group 4
Since there is a large wave of players that will be going through the system, we are going to be monitoring traffic daily as players start and finish the Force Sensitive quests. When enough people have completed their path, we will open it up the village to the next group. Groups 1 – 4 will qualify for a visit when the village traffic has died down. Of course, if you qualify for the visit under the new system, you will automatically be granted a visit from the old man. (IT SHOULD NOT MATTER HOW MANY PLAYERS ARE GOING TO THE VILLAGE> IT SHOULD HAPPEN LIKE THE CORVETTE)
May the Force be with you. Always.
Kurt "Thunderheart" Stangl (IMPORTANT HE READS THIS AS WELL)
Community Relations Manager
In closing if the system the DEV TEAM has put in place is fair, they and whoever agrees with them should hang up the civilian clothing join the military and go fight in a real life war. This is like a slap in the face of a troop returning from combat rather or not you support the politics behind it. The reason why I play this Star Wars Game in the first place is it a MPROG in the STAR WARS setting. And to have this done to me after working so hard towards a goal (UNLOCKING MY JEDI CHARACTER) to have all the hard work taken (OR HAVING IT DELAYED BECAUSE SOME DEV TEAM THOUGHT IT WAS RIGHT THING TO DO) from me is wrong at so many levels it is unmentionable. .
TheRealWalker wrote:
Man there is one post that shows up over and over that pisses me off.
"I dont understand what you wrote, TH, therfore you must be a liar"
My GAWD. Everything has happened EXACTLY as he laid out in the original thread.
READ IT!!
Of course he not gonn ajoin in this crap-spew-fest. If you didn't read the first one, why would he post more?
Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing for the last day or so. 
But it's so much FUN to watch the heads pop....