Development Cycle Archive

I do like the Crackdown, its a real cool Thing...

But what i don't like is that the ST are so weak...Rebels farming em for cash, loot + exp...as seen in those Screenshots:

http://shadow-design.net/swg/screenShot0241.jpg

http://shadow-design.net/swg/screenShot0242.jpg

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Psimorph wrote:

I do like the Crackdown, its a real cool Thing...

But what i don't like is that the ST are so weak...Rebels farming em for cash, loot + exp...as seen in those Screenshots:

http://shadow-design.net/swg/screenShot0241.jpg

http://shadow-design.net/swg/screenShot0242.jpg

Can't you guys jack it up some more? Make it so 10 Stormstroopers spawn at once, and raise the HAM of those NPCs...maybe put a AT ST with a Group of 10 Stormies...

Rebels sure shouldn't be able to farm em this easy

And what about Loots, it got said that you guys raised the Droprates...but now it seems even worst...

I didn't saw a Crystal drop in 3 Days now, that sure sucks

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I tend to agree that there's a bit of a problem, but it's a tricky issue. I don't think the spawns should be increased from the get go. I do believe that fixing the AI would go a long way towards fixing the problem, as the individual STs don't currently respond in ideal ways (I posted recently explaining that some wouldn't use a ranged weapon, and could be kited; and that some wouldn't even leave the city perimeter, so could be bled).

I saw a recent post or two suggesting that their power be increased when under attack, and think that might be a good solution. Here's how I'd suggest it work:

Default spawns are the usual STs. If they're attacked and killed, their replacements should be the "next step up" in power, whatever that is. And so on, up until the most powerful (dark trooper?). However, the non-defaults must be on some sort of a timer (15 minutes?), so that they'll despawn if they survive to repel the rebels. The despawn should work in reverse order of power, until in makes it back down to the regular ST.

This way, those that can handle STs will have the opportunity to stage a temporary uprising. Those that can't handle the more powerful replacements will either die or retreat; those that can will make it to the next step. And so on. But it's important to reverse the process when the uprising is quelled.

Also, as I've said before, I'm a strong proponent of imperial players supporting the NPCs. The NPCs should not be expected to do the crackdown all by themselves. This is the perfect opportunity for Imperial players to help the NPCs and participate in the crackdown. Indeed, I think this is a much more valid way for overt Imperials to participate than waiting around the cantina to gank a covert that's overt'd, or waiting around a mission terminal to gank a tef'd covert.

An Imperial player adds expotentially to the NPCs through his intelligence alone, not to mention whatever ability he brings. While an insurgent may find a way to corner one ST and procede to take them out one by one, an Imperial player could easily force an insurgent into moving, making it much more likely that more npcs will be drawn into the fight and much more likely that the insurgent will fail. Again, Imperial players must take a part in the crackdown by helping the NPCs; those Imperials that both refuse to help and complain that the crackdown isn't working shouldn't be surprised.

Its nothing but a big joke. All the crackdown did was increase the rebel presence rather than the imperials. The day of the crackdown, I saw more imperials (npcs and players) getting owned than any other day since I bought this game. The Stormtroopers spawning 2 at a time in theed only gives the rebels more of a reason to claim overt and camp the cantinas. I would suggest that you guys boost the hell out of the imperial presence as in,... More, Stronger, Stormtroopers. Get specialized troops, backup squads, or whatever to assist. Dont have one stormtrooper going around acting tough trying to solo a group of 20 rebel overts. Power by force. That is how the empire works.

hey devs i think u are doing an excellent job with the crackdown. i think that the loot is great but i have just one problem when i went to kor vella all i got was a spam saying that i was a suspected rebel i did not go overt nor did i get a tef or anything like that. now i dont understand where the overtness came through but it feels a bit stale to me. most of the time i go overt anyway so i have no problem with the crackdown but it would be nice to fear coming into a city where there are a ton of stormies just standing around waiting to catch a rebel unawares.

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dianabol01 wrote:
Imperial Crackdown is a joke. My god man, when you will your development staff get it right?I have 1 question for the entire SOE SWG staff. How many of you actually watched Episodes IV, V, & VII ?

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A lot of people are making harsh comments like this without seemingly taking the time to understand the situation at hand.
As with most systems in this game you can't just throw in any old numbers and expect everything to work out ok. You must tread carefully, start small and monitor the effects and outcomes and adjust as necessary.

In this particular situation the devs are probably monitoring kill stats, rate of gain in faction, these forums and probably more I can think of or even know of. Unless there is something seriously wrong then you won't get very accurate results after a few days or even a week. In fact it would be unwise to change anything at this point in time unless, as I said, something is seriously wrong.

Believe me when I say that feedback is extremely important especially if you are not happy with the end result. However don't just say this is rubbish/crap/a joke or whatever, tell them why you came to that conclusion. A constructive post is more likely to be weighed in with the other determining factors.

(Apologies to dianabol01 for using their post to highlight my point)

Ok I have had a chance to explore 2/3 imperial presence cities, and I must say I was vastly disappointed and

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AudioOrgana wrote:

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_Felagund wrote:

I am trying to figure out what the people that want more scanning truly want. Do you want rebels scanned alot? If that happens, you will be have a ton of very easy targets to grief errr I mean kill. Is that what you want? You want to kill people that do not want to PvP, will be unhappy, & will be forced to resign their faction or quit the game?

Most people do not want to PvP in SWG, this is obvious just by touring any server. If you want to PvP, cool, have at it, but don't try to force it. It will not work. If your just wanting easy kills, your playing the wrong game.

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People that want more scanning want it to matter that you play a Rebel, making it a playstyle choice and not simply once based on nostalgia.

I rarely PvP - if you think whyI think being a Rebel should be tougher has anything to do with me wanting to kill them, you are barking up the wrong tree.

The simple fact of the matter is, you get scanned - you are busted.

It doesn't matter if it's an NPC trooper or a PC, the same result happens : you go to the cloning center, with NO DECAY and NO LOSS OF INSURANCE.

See, the whiners are failing to recognize the HUGE change in this patch - factional death means no decay and no loss of insurance.

So basicly the people who are crying are crying about being sent to the cloning center which is probably a few feet from the Starport you got scanned in.

The big-bad punishment is at most five minutes getting healed up if you hadn't stored your clone data.

Big whoop.

I understand "the principle of the thing" being important, but you know what - lots has changed in SWG, and they have taken just about all penalty out of dying factionally.

It's not about "easy kills" - the Rebels have a corner on that one. That's why very few of you are crying in here - most Rebels are out having the time of their life faction farming.

If you want to be a member of a faction that is at war and and just want to stroll down easy street saying, "Don't touch me!" YOU are playing the wrong game, or the wrong playstyle.

Just like being a CH or WS is a decision that carries certain benefits and risks, so is becoming part of the Rebel Alliance. And just like CH's who had their profession entirely turnedupsidedown, you have to decide if youwant to stay in the faction with these new developments, or if you want to run away and hide like a...er, if you want to reconsider yourchoice of faction.

Finally,being a Rebelmeans sacrificing something and not just running around going, "I'm a reb! I'm a reb!" and having it mean nothing- my gosh, who'd have thunk it?

Audio

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I agree with Audio. This Crackdown has no teeth whatsoever. A non-decay death as a penalty? LOL. You may as well just warp me toCity Hallfor a 2-minute prison sentence. The penalties are a total joke for everyone involved.

This Crackdown is a big waste of time on all fronts. I have to step over Stormie corpses as I exit the Espa Starport. Nobody is afraid of getting scanned, and I have yet to meet anyone who has been scanned, let alone fears being scanned. Stormies that harass you in a cantina die as soon as they arrive.

Speaking as a Smuggler, you botched this one badly, Devs. Nobody fears contraband checks, and nobody I knowhesitates to gettheir gear sliced. People carry spice just as they had before. Nobody needs to group with a Smuggler to get protection because, first, there's no real risk, and second, there are so many loopholes to getting searched that it's a waste of time. The loopholes I'm talking about are

1. buy a bit of Imperial faction pointsto get some ranks and make yourself permanently immune to scans


2. use a bank vault to put contraband in one city and pull it out in another one, dodging scans in between


3. do what everybody seems to be doing and buy five droids with storage modules to hold all your contraband - storage modules on droids which are in your datapad and are thus impossible to scan at all).

So come on Devs, this Crackdown is just wasting everybody's time so far.

Regarding PvP deaths bearing no consequences another system would be thinkable - you still have 0 decay, but when you go to the Clone Center, your HAM stats are heavily reduced for, say, ten or fifteen minutes (cloning sickness, or whatever). You can move, do some stuff, but getting back into combat would be certain death. Any TEFs should be removed. Overt characters might want to wait in CC for recuperation (CC/Med Center should be PvP safe). Would also cut down on the PvP battles where people come to battle 3+ times after being cloned.