Development Cycle Archive

17 pages of stuff to read. I really think in order to open your slot, it has to be HARD. Very hard. The present way to open the slot is fair. just some people open it faster than others. Is that fair? Not really, but this is the way it is. I opened my slot in 1.5 months of playing and 12 profs. Some might complain about that, but it was still hard. I am not sure how the quest thing would work, but it has to be hard. That is only my recommendation. Make it hard.

In regard to Jedi XP earned, I think it should be changed. I do not like killing hundreds of creatures to level in 1 skill box. That is totally unjedi-like. With this period of time, we cannot all have Jedi Knights or Masters assigned to us to train us. We must learn to do it by ourselves. I think they should create Degobah planet and only jedi can go to in order to train. But I think the quest should be in order to get Jedi XP. Lots of it to make up the XP we would not get for slaughtering innocent creatures in order to level. I would not mind hacking up some stormtroopers as part of a quest.....

But whatever you decide, make it hard to unlock. It has to be. Keep the population down....

This is only in reference to opening the FSCS, not what to do after....

Any quest system to open FSCS should be uniques to each character in some way. A static quest can be figured out, posted on a website, and bloat the Jedi population to the point of destroying any illusion of continuity.

I'm adapting this concept from a post I made to revamp the old profession based system.

1. Create a large list of possible character achievements. A broad range of achievements should be included, and more could be added over time. For example: Gain a certain weapon cert, craft a certain item, earn a certain skill box, earn a certain badge, earn "x" number of badges, visit a certain POI, talk to a certain NPC, kill a certain creature, etc. Use whatever trackable data is already in the game system to draw from.

2. When a character is created, "x" number of specific achievements are randomly drawn from the list and assigned as the characters "combination" to unlock the FSCS.

3. Whenever an achievement in the combination is completed, the variable is set to "done".

4. When all variables are set to "done", the FSCS opens up.

5. Have quest givers (NPC's) who will assign quests based on one of the random achievments in your combination. The quests don't have to be straight forward, and may not guarantee the completion of the task. In other words, they are intentionally a little vague. They could even continue to give quests based on completed tasks. That way you have a dynamic and non-linear path to open the FSCS. It also allows for some players accidentally opening the slot.

Example:
One of the tasks assigned to my combination is to kill a Tuskan Chieftan. So the quest giver may ask me to gather and return 10 tuskan robes to him. If I buy them off the bazaar, I didn't check the task off my list, but he would still accept them and tell me "good job".



Devs: Thanks for giving us a chance to give our input. Keep up the good work.

Well, I havn't the time to read all 17 pages of this thread. However, I do have one thing of my own to add:

DON"T ADD JEDI QUESTS. "Well why not?" you say.

Because there is a simpler solution. A solution that gaurentee's an organic cap. A solution that is totally mission based! A solution that can take months to finish! And guess what, it's already in the game!!!

"WOW! WHAT IS THIS HOLY GRAIL OF SYSTEMS THAT YOU SAY IS ALREADY IN GAME?"

The INVESTIGATION TREE ladies and gentlemen! The key to making Jedi difficult and mission based is to move the Investigation tree into a new Jedi quest system. You simply change the missions from random NPC spawns to important figures that are threatening the rebel cause. No brainer!

/sarcasm off

I wish the FSCS wasn't a jedi, its not like every force sensitive character is a jedi, and much less starts out as a jedi. I think you should make an option to be some other kind force sensitive type, Like a Force Adept, a night sister, a sage, a warrior adept, someone that learns the way of the force him self, not following some jedi bojo code that has no place in a setting(era) like this.

Now i know you can't just remove the jedi cause that will piss alot of players that already are jedi, but atleast make an option. If you want to, you can be a Force Adept for example.

I seriously can't see how you got this past George Lucas without him slapping you silly and taking away your SW license....

But anyway, please consider the fact that not every Force Sensitive character is a Jedi (and close to non in this era). It would be great imo if all FS characters would have to do a tree now, and that the Jedi skill tree opened when Luke restarted the Jedi Order on Yavin and started taking students.

But i guess that chance is already gone =/ since you already introdused them

Just a thought, but in every game that deals with the Star Wars universe, the dark side has always been stronger, so why not have the dark side with more powers but the downfall would be that u would need more missions or quests to become a dark jedi instead os a light jedi. So that would mean that there would need to be two different sides of npc's that gave missions or quests. And i would be great if jedi and dark jedi had the ablity to find there npc without having to worry about bh's camping out in the area and taking pop shots at us. Can we say ouch, but having mobile npcs would make it harder for vh's to find us but would give us a chanllenge in the hunt.

as long as the new system doesnt involve having to drop/learn profesions ill be happier .

I will try to first consider what should be taken into account for these kind of quest, than feasability, then, fun. I hope I am lucky to hit all of them.

The FSCS must be at reach for everyone. So if some kind of NPC appears in the middle of nothing at 3am wednesday in your local time and do it from one week to another, well, maybe that kind of method is not the very best so eveyone can access it. And if you know it, but you are far away, and recieve the infamous "The next shuttle will aboard in about 10 minutes" you are dead meat.

On the other side, they must be able to program easily, and put the character in some kind of quest that should be funny, interesting, and time consuming, so not all the universe is full of jedi. If you want it, patience and work.

This is my proposal. It is only an idea, not something definitive, more "sort a.." Please, it is immposibleat the time to read all the above post if you do not devote hours to it. If it appears before, well, y'know.

First thing you should do is to find your teacher. You are supposed to be looking for someone that "stirs" inside of you and seek someone who can help you. It is not neccesary he is a jedi, but you feel it is relaed to the Force. So you start "questing".
Talking to NPC quest giving and mission terminals at this very moment, happens that some of the missions there are related to force things. They are implemented and exist at the moment, so no work for developers. But this kind of quest are frustrating in the sense they don't give you anything related to the Force. Do it. Make them so that the coversation with the NPCs give you some hint about where is someone who can help you with your "inquires".
Some of those missions can give you cities, names, isolated places...

After a lot of this Force related missions you could guess more or less where your contact is. The coversations can give you the feeling that you are discovering something, this push you more and more into the path never losing the interest (hopefully). And you are only seeking the start of the quest.

I suggest that the one you are looking for, is unique for each character. Being so much people in game, maybe each NPC could be a "tutor" for 10 or 20 people. You have your tutor assigned but you have to find her. This way maybe you find some other people along a path similar to yours. It is known in the Jedi tales that some Jedi have a strong connection between them since start, then maybe one of them diverge towards the dark side, and you have been his partner... well, I am being off-question.

At this time, you have all kind of characters, be they crafters, scouts, warriors, medics.. all have a way to start his path in the Force.

Now that you could have a personal trainer, he can give you a LOT of different options. Maybe he only knows what you are seeking, he is no jedi, but know of some place, NPC, thing, that is Force related, and he is "waiting for someone who is worth of it" This is a good place to insert the Light/Dark choosing. The teacher, give you a series of quest that try to determine if you are worth of his confidence, This ones can be regular quest. You are only seeking another step in your path, BUT, the way you solve them can make you light or dark oriented. so they are important. Maybe the teacher starts to talk to you differently.. more sinister or more kindly.

Okay, you have get it, have his confidence and now.. he gives you the information you are seeking... the place, the one... maybe he reveals it drop by drop... maintaining interest in the coversations, making you hungry for more (power? you darksider )

Well, this can continue this way, step by step doind things that can maintain your interest in game and in path, doing it as long as you find interesting things to do, let's say, you find a frustrated jedi who didnt reach jediknighthood, incapable of using the Force, but with knowledge about it, that finds in you a suitable pupil with potential. He can teach you the history of the Jedi (using quest, all kind of them are allowed here, why not making a dress for some rich merchant who knows a history or two?? he can send youto him... ) How to build a lightsaber (seeking every component, looking for some special materials.. you donthave to be a crafter for this, maybe you can get the crystals from a beast, they are hidden in some cave, you can survey for them, talk to some NPC...) I suppose at this leght of my post you understand what I mean. There is so much a Jedi must learn before he is padawan.

And in all the path you are being tested again and again. Your patience (lenghty conversations with a fool?) your kindness, your anger... some things are not so difficult to measure with programmation in specific circumstances.

Well, I dont want to get you bored. Last thing I would like to mark is, take care with doing something like that (or any other idea, for that matter) linear. If you miss some clue, you can get stuck. Doing them appear again and again, may be frustrating, but better that than to lose the thread completly. There must be some kind to recover your lore and the next step in your path.

Again, this is only an personal point of view, so I admit other people can be more attracted to other kind of seeking.

My two cents

May the Force be with you

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CarinKaldesh wrote:
I would like to see these missions balanced out, like 1/3 thinking, 1/3 combat, 1/3 delivery&discover.

A jedi-only theme park to start the questing would be great, maybe like an old Padawan training grounds. I just wouldn't want to see only one kind of missions, received from an easy to find Jedi trainer, standing in the middle of somewhere accessible. This should be hard, next to impossible. I don't want it to be easy.

NPC's might be:
-Luke
-Yoda
-Force Historian
-Thrawn

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what the hell does thrawn have to do with jedi????

Yoda told Luke he was the last of the Jedi. Vader whiped them all out. My opinion, remove Jedi. They're not even within this time frame. The only reason it was 'easy' for Luke to become a Jedi was because it was in his blood, his destiny. He's the son of the man who balanced the force. Plus he had the two greatest Jedi offering him guidance! For everyone else they were adopted at a young age and vitually trained from the ground up, child to adult. And even then some failed the trials and weren't granted the title of Jedi.

All these theories are way off key in terms of the Star Wars universe and our current time frame. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Jedi and would love to be one but let's be honest - this isn't Jedi Knight II or whenever, where Luke brought the Jedi back. This is pre Jedi Knight II and past Clone Wars/Ep III. There are no Jedi apart from Luke, Kenobi (deceased yet?), Yoda (only teaches Luke), Vader and the Emperor (and they're not about to help no one). Random NPC's that can assist you in your training shouldn't exist. Lightsabers, sure they should be in the game but you would lose your own arm trying to weild it.

I apprecaite the Dev's wanting to make a game that can appeal to everyone, but in keeping with this time frame there should be no Jedi. If you could be a Jedi in this game then it should be set pre Episode I, but then I guess there's no chance of a time frame change happening anytime soon. When you unlock your Force Sensitive Character you go through the jedi academy and get proper schooling!

You cannot become a Jedi without the proper training. And if everyone who can offer training is either deceased or in hidingthen there wouldn't be any. Look at Anakin, do you honestly think without Qui and Obi he'd have figured out his natural gift?

I didn't read the thread, but FWIW, I think it would be neat if part of opening up your FS slot would be selling a krayt pearl for 1 credit on the bazaar. It's that whole self-sacrifice thing. :-)

-Jeff

Well I suppose it's my turn to say something about this. I've read the threads and so far everyone has great ideas on this, but i have yet to see any comment on the jedi trials issue. Jedi Trials are an important part of the Jedi system. It alows the Jedi to advance to the next level: i.e Jedi Apprentice becomes Padawan, Padawan becomes Jedi..so on and so forth.

My suggestion for the Jedi Trials is this:

1.)Through specific NPC missions(This NPCgives only Trial Points when the missions are completed. Also the location of the NPC will change after completion of each mission so as to avoid the problem with Bounty Hunter camping.)

2.)All skill boxes of the Jedi players current skill level are completed.

A Jedi can gain Trial Points by completing the above mentioned things. Once a Jedi reaches the required amount of points needed to begin the next trial for advancement. A waypoint will appear where a NPC will be that can start the Trial Quests.The quests should consist of many different aspects of the Jedi profession. For example: constructing a new and better lightsaber(If the Jedi has the required components), demonstrate knowledge of the "Force" i.e. use force abilities to accomplish specific missions, and a final test...fight a Jedi NPC that is a level higher than the Jedi Player. This would allow for a more realistic Jedi Trial, due to the fact that in Star Wars, whenever a Jedi student went through the trials. They always had to duel with another Jedi of greater skill in order to pass the last part of the trial.