Development Cycle Archive
Thread: Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one? (II)
Psyko1469
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:00 pm
#209
It should be known, but with enough variables that it can take a while to find the right path for that player, or perhaps the player to find the right one for them (give the player the choice of which path they want to take... make it their choice and not dictate what they have to do).
Here's a bunch of random ramblings...
1) The path should not require a profession change. Hologrinding has already ruined the economy on most servers and the end of the grind will help bring some stability. Hopefully it will reverse some of the damage it has already done.
2) There should be multiple paths. Entertainers can't do combat quests. Combat can't do Crafter. Crafter can't do Medic... etc. But there should be a choice of which path a person wants to take. For example, if someone was an entertainer and started the Hologrind because the AFK grinders in the cantinas ruined their experience but did not unlock should be able to pursue the Entertainer Path at the same time they return to their chosen profession.
3) At each stage of the path a check can be done against the player's skills to determine which pool of quests theydraw from for the next one... and there should beseveral in each "level" so it maximizes the different paths... saya quest for each skillbox, a MD/MCM/1-4-1-4 Marksman will get less variety than an Artisan/Pistoleer/Merchant/Swordsman/Medic/Scout.... the more you dabble, the more you're forced to use those skills in the path. People chose those professions so make them use them. This also ties into the possibility that someone can affect their own path by selecting the skills they have, so a Holo-Pistoleer that was a Medic can drop Pistol and reinvest in Medic to affect their path. There should also be a minimum amount of skillpoints that the player must have, to avoid people abusing this methodby rerolling theirtoons (also will help new players get into the game before they can immediately go for FS).
4)It should take time, but not an absurd length of time. You cangrind out several professions a week now, so in a month or two of powergrinding you can theoretically unlock now if you have the time, money and resources to do so. Yeah, it's "unfair" to the casual players, but those same casual players took their time to get to their current professions. There should be a time sink, but it should not be limited to a fixed amount of "real-life" time for anything. Timesinks can be created much like the Themeparks. For a powergamer a Themepark is a couple hours one night.... for a casual player it could be a week. You shouldn't penalize those people that chose to play the game a lot. The path should directly relate to time invested on pursuing the path in-game (if someone wants to play for 20 hours a day, they should become FS faster than a player that plays for 10 hours a week).
5)Perhaps the players should seek out Luke or Vader... or maybe Ben's housecould provide a clue on how to start. This is a great opportunity to add not only more content, but add some functionality to the existing content. I know I was pissed when I couldn't go into the Lars Homestead and look around. It could even start with looting a Lightsaber and going to find out "what it is" that triggers a series of exploration quests that leads to "enlightenment" and the journey down the path to FS.
6) NOTHING in this entire process should depend on camping for loot. If something requires a specific dungeon to be clearedor something, it should be instanced. Nothing frustrates me more than going to some cave to check it out and finding people camping it. Today I went to the Tusken Fort and there were more people there than spawns. If a quest requires anything it should only be available to that person, and possibly their group if it's needed.
7) NOTHING should require massive groups. Not everyone is in a PA. At most a few people might be needed for a dungeon or crafting quest.
DRWolfe
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:05 pm
#210
I believe the path should be known and enjoyable. Every player has to be considered, and anything but a known path will most likely penalize the more casual players. Power gamers and those who simply have more time to play will get there no matter what, so it must be accessibleto casual players as well.
Flames will come, but I feel those who insist that it be unknown and horrendously difficult are either those who already have a Jedi character or those who do not want Jedi in the game at all. The time period says Jedi are rare, but the game has evolved beyond that, as it must, just to make things fair to everyone who pays to play the game.
I am anxiously awaiting these quests and the methods of becoming a Jedi because I also would like to RP a Jedi, but the old system was not appealing to me as my character is what he is and I did not want to destroy him to get a Jedi character. Now, my hope is the Jedi will become the second character, as it always was to be, as again, I do not want to destroy my main character to get a Jedi character.
WookieBounty
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:12 pm
#211
Caylin Strikes Again...
Smuggler_Caylin wrote:
I believe the path should be known, the stories however presenting mysteries to be unraveled or puzzles to be solved.
Keeping it a mystery has only encouraged animosity between those who have, and those who do not. The system was known for far too long, to change it now to something 'mysterious' is not going to go well with those of us who made a specific choice not to sacrifice the professions that made our characters who they were.
jefmes
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:15 pm
#212
Can you guys create a server just for me, where I get to pick only the the hardcore Star Wars geeks to play with? Oh wait, then we wouldn't have any Jedi at all!
Blech...alright, path to Force sensitivity, in order of importance:
1. Story/Fiction focused - we're all "part of the Force" already, we just need to be awaken to the "reality" of its existance.
2. Multi-pathed - as has been said a thousand times on here, no one wants to see a "HOW TO: Become FS in SWG" that applies to everyone after the first week the system is in place.Uniqueness/RANDOMNESS need to play some part in it. Aieee! That spooky "random" word I kept bringing up on the dev boards! Just please oh please don't make it some loot thing that we have to kill Chunkers for hours on end to find. The best path I can forsee is aloosly connected story-line that can be completed in various orders, butonce the player pursues the first step, he or she is "compelled byvoices of theForce" (system messages like, "You have a strange feeling that you need to be on X planet in Y city.") Then somethingsimple like we already have, tieing it to the mission NPC system so that NPC will only talk to that person.
Just please oh please don't make it some loot thing that we have to kill Chunkers for hours on end to find. The best path I can forsee is aloosly connected story-line that can be completed in various orders, butonce the player pursues the first step, he or she is "compelled byvoices of theForce" (system messages like, "You have a strange feeling that you need to be on X planet in Y city.") Then somethingsimple like we already have, tieing it to the mission NPC system so that NPC will only talk to that person. 3. Profession Ignorant -Encouraging players to try out different professions is a good thing, but having to Master all these different professions was justencouraging theworst aspects of the game. The GRIND.But you guys know that already, that's why we're doing this. Encouragefollowing the path through crafting and combat, but don't require specific skills. Make the story line and missions bend to whatever the player currently has and can do. That may be difficult, but worth it I think. It encouragesKEEPING skills rather than blowing them away like the Holocrons did.
4. Difficulty - I guess I'm different here. I don't necessarily think it needs to be difficult, it just needs to be interesting and fun, but make it COSTLY. A player pursuing a path to the Force is going to encounter greater and greater dangers and possibly temptations. Make it a creepy choice! Make us feel like we're nuts for wanting to pursue it. I mean look, there's all these great professions out there, the Empire is everywhere, these Force Sensitive people are being rounded up, this is NOT something you want to do! Make the difficulty be in our choices, not in time and grindage.
Really, above all....just please make it INTERESTING! I've become a Bounty Hunter now because my continuity-minded self doesn't like the idea of so many Jedi around. If you gotta put all this time into makinga system for something that shouldn't even be here, make sure it's worth it - otherwise just throw Holocrons back into the game, lessen the number of professions required, and call it a day so we can get back to making this a Star Wars game set in the Civil War.
Keep up the good work guys, just don't lose focus! 
Garabaldi
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:18 pm
#213
Dear Devs,
I think you guys had the right *idea* with making the transition a mysterious one in the beginning. The *problem* was the tediousness of mastering professions. It didn't feel *personal* enough for players.
Keep it mysterious and unknown, but keep it story-driven.
*nods*
That's best for the game, and will keep your Jedi populace controlled.
Thank You
JCronic
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:22 pm
#214
Becoming force sensitve I think should be fairly easy to figure out and fairly easy to achieve, since I dont believe that in the Star Wars continuity that actually being Force Senstive is rare. Jedi are extremely rare during this time period, but force sensitive people are'nt. To mimic that, becoming Force Senistive should be a fairly easy task. However, actually becoming a Jedi should be a REALLY dangerous andextremely difficult path. Only the most dedicated people should achieve Jedi status, but the casual player should be able to achieve FS fairly easily.
Kalor_Kast
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:24 pm
#215
Known, also add in perma force sensitive skill loss lol
Message Edited by Kalor_Kast on 07-10-2004 07:29 PM
Kalor Kast - Master Bounty Hunter of Shadowfire
Ke3PeR
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:28 pm
#217
Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one?
I voted that it should be known for3 reasons...
1. Its going to be known eventually anyway, so why delay the inevitable?
2. I cant be bothered wasting anymore of my damn time, trying to figure something out that I should of had months and months ago.
3. Stupid theories annoyed me so much back in the day on the jedi forums.... I dont want to see that again....
Aakhperkare
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:28 pm
#218
Why do you bother making these posts, TH? You guys obviously are intent on making Jedi the norm. Screw any sembelance to continuity, screw the GCW and screw all the other professions that are still waiting for revamps...
WillbieJedi
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:30 pm
#219
This is starting to sound rediculous, do the devs hate the ppl who've been trying to become a jedi sense launch that much that after making it seem like they're going to give us some kind of break from the uncertainty of grinding that they'd actually consider making some random piece of turf or dorway or NPC make you realize that you're FS? The idea at first was to give EVERYONE FS in little skills here and there that tweak abilities that go along w/ their profession. I've ground out 21 profs and am still working even though I can't play any sort of FS character until 10. Am I going to be FS because I've done a fair share of profs or are we going to get jipped again? Those people who were Jedi already were give FS chars that were all the way to padawan. Those of us who have been grinding our arses off shouldn't have to worry about the general FS we should be close to recieving PADAWAN like all the other people who ground out say 6-10 profs which doesn't even compare to some ppls > 23 which I haven't even hit yet. I've been screwed over by the grind already being unlucky enough to be working on 22 now (and poor souls some actually had to master 32, of course they are jedi now and don't have any buisness meddling in the affairs of the non-jedi who are striving to become jedi) please PLEASE! don't screw us over deliberatly after we've worked so hard already.
Thank you
Thank you
destrkta
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:34 pm
#220
ok i seem to see the way the devs are going with this as well as alot of the community they want jedi easy and quick(personally i'm against this) ok so make jedi easy to get and kill the kids whining, but also nerf the profession so it's useless in pvp and only decent at pve those that really want to be a jedi will struggle on with the profession, those power gamers who want the most powerful profession will stick with the norm and not destroy the GCW.
REMEMBER the jedi in this time have NOT have had the formal training of the jedi accademy but merely slowly discovered skills.
perciple
Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:35 pm
#221
It should not be a mystery,,plenty of us are waiting for publish 10..to decide if we want to continue playing this game. Some of us have decide to play this game for waht it is and enjoy the professions we have mastered. The lucky ones(jedis) have spend plenty of time hologrinding unlike us..If the path is another mystery Im hitting my cancel subscription button..