Development Cycle Archive
Thread: In Concept 1-1: Combat Roles; Bounty Hunter
Tonymitsu wrote:
Hmm...
In light of the spam I've seen here I'll try to keep this as close to the original intent as possible.
-What defines theBounty Hunterrole in combat?
To be quite honest, in my opinion, nothing. "A bounty hunter is a tracker of men. Skilled in the hunting and capturing of their targets." (quote from an old D&D book). The title of bounty hunter is sort of like and addition to whatever else your character chooses to train themselves in. Bounty Hunters in SWG are very static with very specific requirements and abilities. Bounty hunters most everywhere else in myth and real life are very different people who are feared not because of what they are but how they execute their trade. The role of the Bounty Hunter is to seek out, track down, and above all locate their bounty. When they reach their quarry that's where the role of bounty hunter ends. Their ability to neutralize their target (incapacitate, kill, "dead or alive" as they stay), stems from whatever other abilities they carry with them. The current system pretty much requires that all Bounty Hunters be highly offensive ranged attackers. Something that I would like to see addressed. Bounty Hunters shouldn't necessarily be a solid relentlessly offensive beast by default. In Attack of the Clones when Obi-Wan started going after Jango Fett, what did the Bounty Hunter do? He ran!! Once he saw that he couldn't take this guy down with conventional methods he lit that jetpack and moved his butt out of there. Bounty Hunters need to be as smart as they are tough to ever hope to survive.
-What basic combat elements should they possess?
Definately agree with stealth. And some form of trapping that reflects the skills practiced in Scout. Being able to approach a target as cautiously or recklassly as they choose. Not all bounty hunters seen in Star Wars are the hiding in the shadows type. There are plenty that prefer to simply kick down the door shooting. But having an optional advantage of stealth that other professions don't have is a must. Other than that, they should be required to rely on whatever other combat skills they bring with them (stick with me on this point, I promise I'm going somewhere with it).
-What offensive/defensive/unique ailities?
I think I pretty much covered this already. But to add, they should be players that are allowed to accept bounty missions. What will keep the Bounty Hunter mission flavorful and mysterious is the potential for how that player might fight. As it stands, most players would have nothing to fear from a Bounty Hunter that walked up to tried and attack them because they know exactly what a BH in SWG is capable of and how to defeat it. But suppose it were possible for a Bounty Hunter to choose to engage targets as a Teras Kasi artist? Or maybe he specializes in Bounty Hunter specific traps designed to disable or slow down players in combat? Suddenly that Bounty Hunter is looking a lot more dangerous. Will certain players be able to handle one type of Bounty Hunter more easily than another? Certainly, but that's also the point. It's the fear of the unknown that will keep slicers, PKer's, and smugglers on edge. Sitting in the corner of the Cantina and watching that Bounty Hunter walk in and think, "Oh crap. What if he's a melee? I can't handle a melee fighter. What if he can heal himself? Or throw traps?"
-Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
With other non-Bounty Hunters, limited at best. A Bounty Hunter might function as a scout or a spec-ops character...a person to sneak in and deliver an unsuspecting blow to unsteady a powerful creature. A lot of people want to see Bounty Hunters as lone wolfs and while this is mostly true, it is not uncommon for Bounty Hunter's to band together in order to take down a particularly nasty or dangerous mark. It's all about the money. So Bounty Hunter's in groups could play off each other's abilities. You might have a group of pistol fighters backed by riflemen. Or a group of trappers with a big melee fighter as a tank and maybe a ranged or two for support. Bounty Hunters should be mainly offensed based but they should have options just for those times when their target chooses to stand and fight rather than to run.
-How could/should they interact with other professions?
That would depend entirely on what skills they acquired before they became a Bounty Hunter. Perhaps the bounty hunter was an ex-Imperial officer. In that case he would need weapons and supplies which he would buy from vendors. If the Bounty Hunter has any medic training he could help fellow players with their wounds. The title of Bounty Hunter is most often simply that, a title. Very rarely is it a 24-hour-a-day job, as there are only so many criminals out there to catch. Not all Bounty Hunters are moody non-socialists. Nor are they all mercenaries and guns for hire (perhaps the very best are, but still...). It states explicitly in the manual that Boba Fett can use almost every kind of weapon you can imagine, but at the same time he can stitch himself up after a particularly nasty encounter. The Bounty Hunter profession should allow players to be diverse to reflect on their ability to survive in a time when there aren't so many bounties to hunt.
-What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
I'm assuming you mean if they choose to group with other non-Bounty Hunters? Well again that would reflect on their skills they use when being a Bounty Hunter. In a group they would mostly depend on their teammates for survival while they work to take down whatever they are fighting.
-What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
What role? Seriously, how many bounty hunters do you see fanatically throwing themselves in support of one side or the other.
"I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe."
There you go. That says it all. The role of Bounty Hunters in the war should strictly be at the discretion of those rich enough to hire them. And the Bounty Hunter is certainly free to refuse any such offers as he sees fit (that's exactly what it is....and offer...a contract.). Perhaps there's an PC over-bearing Imperial commando who catches wind of this upstart PC squad leader who made another successful raid on Imperial facilities. He's got the money, so he decides to issue a mark for that players head. And that's the key for implementing Player Bounties...make it so that players can issue Bounties for any other player, and make them cost a fortune. I would say somewhere in the tens of thousands of credits just to put your mark up on the terminal, and then an entirely seperate bill for the reward. That way we can help to aleviatepetty crap like, "This guy made fun of my mother so kill him for me." Have the player type their own message in for the mission details page, just to keep it fun. The biggest issue I have with the Enviorment setting player bounties is the unpredictability issues. If Player A is trying going for Master Smuggler because he got in in a holo grind he's going to be slicing quite a few terminals and weapons. Suppose he decides to go for that aspect of it, now suddenly he has a 30,000 credit bounty on his head for an activity that he might not have even wanted to participate in.
My main suggestions then for Bounty Hunter is that it needs to be as customizable as possible to suit the desires of the player. It doesn't have to offer very many advantages to not be weak and not worth taking. But what it can be is as weak or powerful as the player who took the time to think out and develope their own strategies for using it.
I haven't read half the posts here, but I was most impressed by this one... It'd be nice if BH prerequisite is one elite weapon mastery, and it got turned into a generic mini elite elite profession(like was being considerred with droid handler), that gave you the tracking abilities, and the missions. The weapon skills should be whatever you pick, and it would allow for a far greater variety of bounty hunters and their tactics(and no more BH vs. Pistoleer arguments
)
agreed.
computer65201 wrote:
But. the fact he was a Jedi when we have trouble fighting master rifleman as a MBH.... think about it...
no arguement there. a master rifleman should only be able to get us if we're standing still for too long. in that case, a 1 shot kill is completely reasonable and believeable. rifleman in rl have little or no chance of hitting a moving target when sniping.
(ROTJ).Fight with distance, only come close when there is no danger (rifle would have made more sence that pistol in this view). More into intelligence that brutal one on one.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
Stealth, invisibility before first strike
What offensive abilities?
Shoot in the back, dirty fighting like smuggler to take advantage (eye shoot, underhand shoot show already that), use advance weapon, maybe the ability to enhance is own weapon with better power up, or just change the type of damage (to differenciate from smuggler), should be able to capture for bounty and not kill. Should have more possiblity of unique weapon, 1 carabine, thermal detonator (ROTJ anyone?).
What defensive abilities?
It is fair that he has no def nearly (IMO), because he shouldone hit strike to incap via trap or other things.If he is detected, it is schuss!! Should be able to have some kind of conceal shot or sneak attack to. So the defense comes from the stealth attack.
What unique abilities?
Stealth closer than conceal shot from rifleman. Maybe some more unique weapon and the possibility to switch the damage made to match the opponnent defense with special BH enhance weapon (maybe a skill at master level)
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
no real advantage in group, he should die fast if taken in a cross fire. But he should be able to stealth to certain objective, like bombing lair or base.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
Very limited, nothing more special.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
Very limited, nothing more special.What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
Here is something that would bring much I think:
What defines theBounty Hunterrole in combat?
Bounty Hunters should be the NPC/PC counterpart of Rangers. Where rangers are stronger than others verses creatures, Bounty Hunters should be able to do put status effects on NPCs. They should be an average Carbineer/Pistoleer/Rifleman with their strength being in their versatility.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
They should have the basic elements of Carbineer/Pistoleer/Rifleman. The LLC needs to be removed and Rifle specials added.
What offensive abilities?
Should be able to target all the HAM areas as well as the respective Elite Professions.
What defensive abilities?
Bounty Hunters should have an average defenses that the Elite Professions have. They shouldn't have the best, but they should have something. Like 20 to everything.
What unique abilities?
A Bounty Hunter should be the feared Combat profession in 1 on 1 combat. With all the strengths from the other Ranged Elite Professions, they should stand a 50/50 chance again another player if they are both using Pistols/Carbines/Rifles, but the chance should be raised to be in favor of the Bounty when they learn to switch and use specials with the other weapons. They should have unique traps that work on NPCs/PCs, that cause delays, slower attack speed, decreased defenses, intimidation, dizzyness, and stun.
Bounty Hunters should also be able to track NPCs/PC as well as, if not better, thana Ranger. Bounty Hunters are also Master Scouts, giving them the prerequisit for this skill. While Bounty Hunters have droids that they can use, they also know the basics of detection, stealth, and tracking. They should be able to follow the footprints of their target when they get close enough to spot them (500m) and track them from there.
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
Damage Dealer. Their versatility would make them an asset to any group, since they can target any area of the targets HAM, and also minor crowd control abilities.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
They should be an asset to any group, since they can target any area of the HAM, but given the nature of the profession, they should be able to survive solo against NPCs the best of any class. With the specials/traps that they have, NPCs/PCs should be scared when they see a Bounty Hunter coming after them.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
None. The Bounty Hunter deals with noone, they are solo killers, out for money. The only people a Bounty Hunter should depend on would be a Droid Engineer, a Weaponsmith, and an Armorsmith.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
They should stand a greater chance than any profession in winning 1 on 1. Fast damage dealers, lower defense than others, anything other than 1 v 1 combat should be hard if not in a group. Bounty Hunters should shine in 1 v 1 combat, making anyone scared to duel a Master.
Seomon,
20 defense for each mod is not good at all... Rifle man stacks so much ranged defense, and when u dable with others, you can be the guy never getting hit and owning 30 Vs. 1. We need more than 20, a lot more, at least 50 ranged defense, i mean comon. You have seen the players that can never be hit because of there mods, and if your MBH you dont have skill points to dable, only get a few things in rifle for defense but not nearly enough to maker any difference. We need tons of defense, Offense sucks in PvP, i'm MBH i can't usualt knock ppl down, LLC cant get through the armor, pistol is not powerful enough and especally when your opponet has armor on. A Master CM has a 1 instant kill button, i get posioned for -500 each posion act, which is what? 5 seconds? so in 5 seconds i have no mind and am totaly defenseles, when MCM takes to much fewer skill points to get as MBH and SO much easier to grind. BH needs a lot more offense/defense. I wont be happy with a little 20..."
actually bh should get IMMENSE ACCURACY i mean if u read any of the books the bh could hit while floating on jet packs but they never really dodges.... so instead of giving us 50 defence give us 20 so we can do something but give us like 3x the accuracy we have now so all their defence is WORTHLESS
Player Bounties, did I mention player bounties. PLAYER BOUNTIES !
Having BH´s in a PvP environment but not a player bounty system is odd.
And this has to be implemented SOON, I am not gonna wait another 6 month like waiting for the droid speed fix !
my first post got 5 stars (page 10?). now here's yet more ideas from the mind of mandragore, master bh:
forget the defenses! who needs em?
bh special abilites:
bh shouldbe ableto craft high explosives and set them up as traps that are invisible until triggered. i.e. the bh rigs a nice explosive trap down a dark alley. then he lures an unsuspecting victim down said alley. the victim triggers the trap when he/she comes within 10meters, but the bh is immune to it. this trap should do more than considerable damage, medium ap,blast. more than 1 type ofexplosive trap could be available, but i think 1 is enough to have ALOT of fun. a 1 hit k.o. would be awesome!
this would make players very unlikely to follow a bh, and that alone is worth something to me. allowing me some time to think up some more strategies, as well as working wth the current system.
mandragore, master bh, kauri