Development Cycle Archive

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Blix wrote:
I'd like to see a major rework of how pets/animals behave:

I don't like the idea that pets behave exactly the same way as droids do. They are handled like killing machines that always do what they are told. But IMO creatures should be more 'alive' and should have a head of their own. Here is my list of what changes I would like to see done to pets:

1. Make dangerous animals really dangerous (to their group, to their master). If a dangerous animal gets hurt pretty much there should be a little chance that it will attack its master and/or group. After that the pet may or may not be tame any more.

2. Pets shouldn't always obey. They should be likely to do something else when given an order. How often that happens (and how 'severe' the deviation from the given command will be) depends on how well-trained the animal is.

3. Pets should be trained gradually. The more they are trained, the more they get used to their master they less chance there should be for any disobedience.

4. Pets should be able to be trained by other things appart from fighting. There should be more different tricks.

5. After a pet has been tamed for the first time (see my comment about gradual training above) it should not be very tame and therefor have a chance of running away when left alone for too long or when frightened too much.

6. A possible idea for gradual training would be to make a creature handler be able to punish or reward an animal after it did something well or not so well (of course an appropriate animation should accompany that...). That would (maybe) include a whole new AI for these pets... so...

7. ... I'd really like to see pets with different characters and behaviour depending on how they were trained. But I know that's a time consuming thing to implement and test.

This way it's more difficult to handle a pet. Maybe people think twice before they mess with a rancor for example. It would be more challenging and include thorough training to get a pet that really does exactly what you asked from it even in a hard fight. (In reallity, only really well trained animals can do dangerous jobs...)


Some additional wishes:
- All animals should react more to people near to them. A guarding tiger-like creature could growl for example if a stranger gets to near...
- It would be great if it would be possible to let your pet act like it is now possible via the /emote command. Since pets don't have a big repertoire of actions their master should be able to /emote what a pet does. For example
/petemote raises an ear.
or something like that.

Just my 2 cents...
IMO This game isn't about combat only.

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ClollinLightningsun wrote:

BTW, they should make you be able to play other players in Pazaak by sitting at cantina tables. This would give you something to do while healing mind and make people actually use the tables.

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1. LET SMUGGLERS, SMUGGLE!!!
   
   
   
   • How to do this:
     
     
     
     • This will not be popular, but Smugglers should not be in the GCW, they would need to be removed (samefor Bounty Hunters) - When Han Solo joined the Rebels, he stopped beinga smuggler!
       
     • Every minor faction (Hutt, Swoops, Demon, etc) and the GCW Factions would issue standard missions that require the transportation of goods (resourses, weapons, armor, suppiles) from one city to another.
       
     • To do this, there would be Specific Smuggler Terminals within the factions base (Jabba's palace would have one and the smuggler would have to run the needed missions to get into the inner circle). Once there, they can get a missions that will require them to goto a city and pick up the cargo.
       
     • After they get the Cargo, they have to goto a series of "waypoints" that would require at least 3 Planet jumps and 3 city jumps.
       
     • During this time, the Smuggler will be TEFed to "Guardsmen" and "Enforcers" (more to come on them).
       
     • To complete the missions, and get paid, the Smuggler has to succesfully navigate through the cities and planets without getting caught.
       
       
       
       • If they do not get caught, they get paid thier fee for the mission.
         
       • If they get caught (by Gaurdsmen or Enforcers) they either fight thier way out or lose thier cargo
         
         
         
         • To many lost cargo's will result in a Bounty
           
         • If the Smuggler decides to SELL his cargo, he'll lose ALL future missions with that faction and will get routine Bounties placed on him
       
       
     • Smugglers will see Guardsmen and Inforcers on their Radar as BLACK dots within 50m (see below to know what a Guardsmen and Enforcers are)
       
       
       
       • If the City you are in is to heavly patroled, you may want to try and other starport first and come back when the activity is not as alerted to your activity.
   
   
2. Create NEW FACTION PROFESSIONS
   
   
   
   • Guardmen
     
     
     
     • Requires:
       
       
       
       • Master Squad Leader& Master Pistoleer / Master Carbineer / Master Riflemen
         
       • Faction Rank of Sergaentor higher
       
       
     • Profession Purpose:
       
       
       
       • This profession's purpose is to patrol a city making sure there are no illegal activity going on. Guardsmen are assigned a city that they are responsible to patroling and they gain faction points for thier service and if they get a bonus with they uncover illegal activity.
         
       • Guardsmen, while partoling thier assigned city, will have TEF on any Smuggler, that has cargo, when they get within 30m. It is important that Gaurdsmen do not just focus their efforts on the starport, as a Smugglers Pick-Up and Drop-Off points can be anywhere within the city (player citys are not included in this).
         
       • Guardsmen can also "Hand Select" people in the city and stop them from moving for 20 secs, during which time an "Inforcer" can determine if that person is a Covert Member
     
     
   • Enforcer
     
     
     
     • Reguires:
       
       
       
       • Master Ranger & Master TKA / Master Fencer / Master Pikemen / Master Swordsmen
         
       • Faction Rank of Sergaent or higher
       
       
     • Profession Purpose:
       
       
       
       • This profession's purpose is to work with the Guardsmen and provide support when combat is needed. This comes when the Gaurdsmen finds a Smuggler or"Hand Selects"Covert Faction member(s). The main purpose of an Inforcer is to use thier "Ranger" skills to locate and retrieve lost cargo. Any time a smuggler loses his cargo, it will be an Inforcers job to locate it. They will get a missions (faction mission terminal) for Cargo Retrieval. Based on a series of clues and information, they must trace the last know path of the smuggler and search for the cargo using thier Ranger Radar.
         
       • They receive extra faction points for cargo retreived and Covert Members detected. Bonus for killing the covert member.

BOUNTY HUNTERS!

1. Aslo removed from the GCW, they to can get Bounties from different Factions
   
   
   
   • These missions only apply to Master Bounty Hunters
     
   • Just like the Smugglers, Bounty Hunters would have to get in the "inner circle" of the faction in order to get access to the Bounty Hunter Terminal.
     
   • Bounty's would be for:
     
     
     
     • Smugglers thatlose to much Cargo
       
     • Smugglers that SELL their Cargo
       
     • Guardsmenthat are TOO effective at finding and confiscating cargo
       
     • Jedi's of course
       
     • Enforcers that are carring Cargo
     
     
   • Bounty Hunters have the option of declairing that they are on the "payroll" for a faction
     
     
     
     • They can only do this for 2 factions
       
     • You can only run Bounties for the Faction you are employed by
       
     • This will also give you access to "perks" bonus rewards
       
     • You will also be able to run NPC missions
       
     • Faction NPC missions will not available to Bounty Hunters who are not on the "payroll"
       
     • Faction NPC missions pay 50K per mission (twice the normal NCP mission)
     
     
   • BEWARE, Guardsmen / Enforcers can and will detect you and they do not like Bounty Hunters in thier city!
     
     
     
     • Guardsmen can "stop" you& Enforcers can uncover that you are a Bounty Hunter

Apart from having to deal with nerfs to your favourite profession, the advent of skill adding foodswould seem to lower the status of the combat profession master even more in the near future.

I also have no intention of dabbling anymore or startinga new profession altogether so is there anything in the pipeline for the seasoned master, ie additional resist bonuses, new skills for a selected weapon or abilities which can be attained by mission maybe or just more exp? There needs to be something to distinguish the master from all the rest in PVP and PvE.

On a side to this ive got an amazing idea even the Dev or Art Team didnt think of!

Make RIS, the epic,long sought armourable to be equippedby more than 3 races!! I wonder if they have even started looking into this ridiculous oversight?

I want to suggest something to prevent grind.

Give the mastery badge (which is the'flag' counted by the game to know if you already mastered that profession) only after a week IRL being at master level. If master competence is dropped before this week completion, the badge is not aquired and a full week has to be completed again to gain this 'certificate'.

Also make competences 'not dropable' the 24 hours following its aquisition.

Bored by these 'fake' masters who doesn't merit their titles.

A few more things to consider:

Why if ya own a factory cant you declare it public and set a fee for players to use, in fact why isnt there such a public factory of each type in each city. Player uploads item, types number of crates he wants, pays the price (set by costs of materials which is set by standard Baazaar rates on each planet), name added to list of contracted users that the factory follows, when done he gets an e-mail message to come and pick up his items. The need for this I think is due to the limited number of allotted building lots.

Pet Directional Arrow, definately need this added to the hud pointing you in the direction where your pet(s) or for that matter your vehicle is, comes into play like a WP, after the pet is incapped, dead, or stopped, very irrating to see yer pet run off into the sun set amid a cloud of dust, lasar vapour, then when ya done fighting, have no ideas where your pet is, so need to store and re-call thus a new camp needs to be deployed.

The ticket book's a great idea.

Also (and I know many people will disagree): Give us a place on the SWG website where we can check our in-game e-mail, so that we don't have to login just to see if there are (for example) any guild events worth logging inFOR or something like that.