Development Cycle Archive
Thread: Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one? (II)
Solstise
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:06 am
#14
I agree that it should also be a mystery. Also, it should be based on how old the character is. I think anyone less than 3 or 4 months old shouldn't be able to become FS. They haven't had any time to really experience any other part of the game. After that point the FS should be determined in by many factors. How many quests they've done, how many badges they have, etc.. etc...
So much stuff in fact that people don't know exactly what it was that unlocked their FS skills. But not so much that they are completely lost and can go months without triggering the correct course of events.
So much stuff in fact that people don't know exactly what it was that unlocked their FS skills. But not so much that they are completely lost and can go months without triggering the correct course of events.
OckVofad
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:08 am
#15
Hmmm... apparently I was wrong I thought thats what we were talking about. I was under the impression that getting the FS skills were quest driven. But now I definately understand what you are saying.
My previous post still stands (In the first thread). This should be a known mechanic.
Reader's DigestVersion:
1) Needs to be known so that it can be fully tested on TC.
2) The path will eventually get revealed anyway.
3) Better for the casual player.
I would like to see each skill box (24 boxes) have a quest with a one week timer on it. So at least 24 weeks to unlock the FS slot.
AlvintheMaker
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:08 am
#16
Being Force Sensitiveis something a person is born with. Either they could feel the force or not. From the EU booksI've read I got the impression that almost everyone had at least a tiny connection to the Force. This being said I think that if a person wants to explore the Force sensitivity within themselves it should be open to them. It should be a known path to Force Sensitive skills.
On the other hand, actually training in the USE of the Force should be an extremely mysterious and difficult thing to do.
DarthHawk
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:09 am
#17
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?
I think it should be visible personally. I mean why not give a littlehelp to the people who pay for this game if they want to be a jedi. I'm not advocating everyone being a jedi, but a little hiunt on how to start the path wouldn't be that bad IMO.
joshjay
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:09 am
#18
I think it should start with an npc like yoda or someone that has to do with the force. You could find them, or they find you, and once you prove yourself to them you could open up the FS trees. And keep it mission based. Where you realize your powers not earn them.
Yoda would probly be a bad choice since I believe in this timeline hes on dagobah (or how ever you spell it)
Yoda would probly be a bad choice since I believe in this timeline hes on dagobah (or how ever you spell it)
Message Edited by joshjay on 07-10-2004 11:23 AM
Retsim
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
#19
Like some people said, once a few discover how to become Force Sensitive, everybody will know.
Make it fun and rewarding. Just don't force people to change skill just to "kill time". Make it complex and fun. And complex does not mean difficult or impossible. Metal Gear, Resident Evil, Metroid and Zelda are complex games. The are also fun and some of the best games ever made.
Oh and learn from past mistakes. The economy is getting better now that hologrinding is at (almost) an end. If the path to become a Jedi will be long, don't make the FS path long too!!!!!! Heck, since you allready decided that Jedi should walk on the streets with their lightsabers out with no fear of be hunted, make those FS skills worth enough for a player to keep them and become a better Weaponsmith/ID/Doc/Gunfighter.
My 2 creds.
Message Edited by Retsim on 07-10-2004 03:14 PM
LordSano
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:13 am
#20
It should be proffesion orientated. The harder some one must push them selves as a Master of an Elite Proffession the more they need to tap into the force, So the combat classes need to go thru the planets saving people killing enemies, hard enemies, like the knight trials. But please no graul spawns please.
Crafters canmust simply go to a location and help somoneby creating a random item from schematics npc's will give you.\
Doc/CM can go to different location finding cures to rare diseasesandsaving lives.
Message Edited by LordSano on 07-10-2004 02:13 PM
JackFlack007
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:13 am
#21
The question is this: Should the method of becoming Force Sensitive be a mysterious, unknown mechanic or one that is visible and known to everyone?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I think it should be a known path, but also 'personal' -- in other words, the quests should not be overly difficult to find, but they are unique to the individual (at least to some extent), so that you don't have to stand in line at a spawn location waiting for your turn to complete a given quest.
Take advantage of the existing NPC quest system, give the players a hint at where to start (ie, like the holocrons, use one and it tells you the first NPC quest giver you need to talk to, and maybe what planet he is on, but not a waypoint to where he is at). The first guy gives you a quest, and upon completion, he tells you the NPC name and (maybe) planet of the next NPC you need to locate. The quests should start out easy, but get progressively harder to complete. The existing NPCs can be utilized -- just have them give 'normal' quests, and when spoken to by the player who is on the FS quest, have them react specifically for that individual. Either that, or make their locations more random, or spawn only when the player gets within the same region as the NPC.
Quests need to have real variety, like a scavenger hunt (mult-legged via multiple quests) (kinda like the current junk dealer quests), brain puzzles (like the some of the hermit badges), combine these with some of the regular destroy/deliver quests (but more interesting). Each quest completion should reward you with a FS Skill Box or XP.
This approach has several benefits:
1.) It's 'known' to the player (you know the next NPC you need to find)
2.) And yet 'mysterious' (don't know where he is, quests are more interesting).
2.) It's different for each individual (at least as far as locations, so no one is standing in line).
3.) It's do-able by those who want to achieve it.
4.) It takes advantage of the existing game mechanics (ie, already have holocrons, already have NPCs, already have questing system w/a variety of quests).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I think it should be a known path, but also 'personal' -- in other words, the quests should not be overly difficult to find, but they are unique to the individual (at least to some extent), so that you don't have to stand in line at a spawn location waiting for your turn to complete a given quest.
Take advantage of the existing NPC quest system, give the players a hint at where to start (ie, like the holocrons, use one and it tells you the first NPC quest giver you need to talk to, and maybe what planet he is on, but not a waypoint to where he is at). The first guy gives you a quest, and upon completion, he tells you the NPC name and (maybe) planet of the next NPC you need to locate. The quests should start out easy, but get progressively harder to complete. The existing NPCs can be utilized -- just have them give 'normal' quests, and when spoken to by the player who is on the FS quest, have them react specifically for that individual. Either that, or make their locations more random, or spawn only when the player gets within the same region as the NPC.
Quests need to have real variety, like a scavenger hunt (mult-legged via multiple quests) (kinda like the current junk dealer quests), brain puzzles (like the some of the hermit badges), combine these with some of the regular destroy/deliver quests (but more interesting). Each quest completion should reward you with a FS Skill Box or XP.
This approach has several benefits:
1.) It's 'known' to the player (you know the next NPC you need to find)
2.) And yet 'mysterious' (don't know where he is, quests are more interesting).
2.) It's different for each individual (at least as far as locations, so no one is standing in line).
3.) It's do-able by those who want to achieve it.
4.) It takes advantage of the existing game mechanics (ie, already have holocrons, already have NPCs, already have questing system w/a variety of quests).
The_Great_Destroyer
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:15 am
#22
From a Star Wars enthusiast, I'd ask that you make it mysterious and difficult. Unfortunately, I don't believe this is reasonable within SWG. For one, I think a great deal of the retired hologrinders that have already put a lot of time and effort (and money) into obtaining Jedi will feel slighted if they are once again thrown into the dark for either not guessing the correct professions or just not doing it early enough. Also, unlocking when it's a mystery will take a great deal longer, which will skew the FRS even more so. The current Jedi will rise to heights that, at least from Arjun's reports, make it sound incredibly difficult for a lower level Jedi to even dream of competing with. Finally, many of the bonuses found within theForce Sensitive trees could push current professions very far out of balance so non-FS will be flung even farther down the food chain.
Therefore I'd ask that FS be a known path. My greatest fear is that you will replace Holocrons with something like the Knight trials which will result in massive camping and migrations to high DPS templates even more-so. I would hope that they would be quest-oriented puzzles of sorts, moral challenges you could call them. Maybe toss in a bit of player interaction by having player Jedi as the novice box trainers, but that may be putting too much power into the players' hands as I think a lot of people already resent Jedi's power and influence within the game.
mmaughme
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:15 am
#23
I'm rather appalled that only now, a year after release, are you even asking this question.
plonger
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:16 am
#24
I think you should complete a rather long quest to become FS. It should begin when you discover a hint about a class of mystical warriors that seems somewhat familiar to you. As you investigate further, you begin to discover bits and pieces which add to you knowledge, and to your awareness of the force.
WedgeStarkiller
Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:19 am
#26
Ok now I'm confused. If Publish 10 is dealing mainly with going from Force Sensitive to Jedi then it is going to include the new method of unlocking the fs slot or not? The description of Publish 10 in JustG's State of the Game Letter says "Complete overhaul of the path to becoming Force Sensitive" not "Complete overhaul of the path to transitioning between Force Sensitive and Jedi". Some clarification would be appreciated. Non-Jedi have the expectation that the important aspect of Pub. 10 is the path to unlocking.
I still think that the path should be obvious just to cut down on whining and unhappiness of the wannabe Jedi in hopes they will annoy the rest of us less about it.