Development Cycle Archive
Thread: Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one? (II)
RancorBeastofFear
Mon Jul 12, 2004 12:15 am
#508
I think the way to force sensative should be something of a community orriented effert. I feel that the player wanting to be Force sensative must find a live player to do something for them and crafters will have to craft something for this person,combat professions will have to help them with gathering something from a creature, and Entertainers will have to possibly use music to tame a wild beast or us there dance to mesmrise a evil creature that was thought unconntrolable and help them ferther in these quests and these players will better become friends in the background possible. This way it not only gets the force sensative involved but the community as well, and once the player picks his Han Soloesk buddy to helpthem, Hebecomes attached to him almost like a badge. There by giving us association as well as friendship type bages that have a spcaific players name on it. I think the level of Community would be awesome and even though Jedi are the power cards, they are for a reason, so I feel those who roleplay well up to the role of jedi should also go toget the Force Sensativity and I propose that every month to keep this RP changing so people don't figure it out and thatyou change the NPC dialouge so it confuses the players. Sure, there are always smart people out there working to brake the system, but when the system relies on the players to help in seeking out what a player needs then that is diffrent. I hope I am understood and I didn't confuse any one 
ViperOSU
Mon Jul 12, 2004 12:27 am
#509
In the stricktest answer to your question, NO I do not believe that the path to FORCE SENSITIVITY should be a mystery, some un-seen path and choice of actions. All of the paths to the quest of becomming a jedi should be VERY game oriented, it should be carved from the mystique and world of star wars. The holo-grind could not have been more detrimental to the jedi porfession than it was, especiialy SUCH and iconic character as I jedi. The jedi should not be governed by simple game mechaninc that exist now, ther should be quests, some long involved process that teaches each player what it means to become a jedi. It should be a process that can be tailored or made uniqie to each individual player, even a master/student realtionship that could exist between currnet jedi and potential jedi, not some stupid quest of trying to find and kill creatures. MAKE it JEDI LIKE.
Lt_Cawthorne
Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:19 am
#510
I think it should be known.
It will be known after the first person gets it anyway, so why bother keeping it a secret?
Some ideas i've had...
1. Screw continuity. it's already gone for the most part. so let's just go for KOTOR online? when you get through the trials you need to get through to become FS, you're given a few last tests to become a Jedi. first test is to go to 9 remote places in the galaxy and read parts of the jedi code, or things like that, and come back and say them to your teacher. second test is to builda lightsaber. last test is to go somewhere and practice with said lightsaber. upon completion of these tests, you return to your teacher and choose a class of JEDI. he then gives you your jedi robes and you gooff into the galaxy to hide.why limit it to jedi/not jedi when you could have jedi broken down sort of like the new publish has it. have different 'professions' within the jedi system to work with, so not all will be good with a lightsaber but might be able to hit you with the most powerful force lighting imaginable. etc etc.
2. make it fun. you can make the quest to becoming force sensitive much like the different quests in the game Final Fantasy 11 to become a paladin or whatnot. sure, some meatlump genocide(or something to that effect) might end up occurring, but at least it wouldn't be grinding professions. there are hundreds of amazing ideas in this thread, much more elaborate and well done than anything i could dream up....the forums are here so the devs can listen to the people. so hey, why not listen?
Dreadeagle
Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:20 am
#511
ok I dont even want to know why this is being bought up now this should have been posted months ago . Yuo are all silly to think the dev have supposly been working on this for the last few month why would they need are input when it goes live in like 3 to 4 week unlest they never started and that means they have to rush and it going to be bugger then all hell . O devs one thing dont have random spawn it already bad enought have to find a npc or mob and having them spawn in tree house or what ever is around . also i like to see the old spawn rate where there was so many mobs that you had to fight all the way to where you are going . it sad when you go to a poi or more then 1000m form a town and there nothing out there .
Raverbane
Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:26 am
#512
I believe the path to force sensitivity should be known. And shouldnt be a kill fest. This was thepath that it was before and completely left out the non combat professions. I know folks that were just crafters and happy being just crafters. But, they got frustrated and quit when the word got out about hologrinding and Crystal Cave camping. If the path from Force sensitive to jedi is going to be a long journey of ordeals and quests, that should be enough. Let folks get thier foot in the door with Force Sensitive. Then make them jump thru hell and back on the journy to jedi.
Some say this will lead to too many jedi. Well, an MMO has to give up some continuity. It cant be just like the movie. Everyone wants to be a star and not part of the sea of extras. Give everyone the chance. Alot of folks will discover that it isnt thier cup of tea, drop it and move on to other professions.
Thyriel
Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:29 am
#513
well just my 2 cents about that:
- all current Jedis (ecept a hand full of them) knew how to become jedi. They set much time in it but knew what to do
- all current grinders that do not get their FS Slot with Publish10, would be very upset and annoyed when they maybe where 2 or 3 professions away from their Slot, put months of work in it, and then stand for before a myserious unknown way, ergo they would quit SWG
- and i for myself as a non-grinder (but even with 10 mastered profs in 5 months) would also be very upset with it.
A mysterious way would be very cool, if this would not mean giving other players a bonus. All Players should have the same bonus with the same effort, not regarding if they r playing since July 2004 or since release. If u lock the way to know the path, it would only result in a overflow of quitters, that put many effort in becoming jedi, and u would just shut the door in front of their Jedi.
My suggestion of this way would more be, make it easy to become Force Sensitive, maybe 1 or 2 months of hard work. But then, when u became Force Sensitive, make it really hard to become Jedi. Maybe things like they where in the past, XP loss on death. I think it would be a very good way giving all players the chance to "test" a Jedi with minor work, but then giving them a that hard way to go, that only those that are really made for it will do it, and all the others will go back to their normal characters.
SetzerZell
Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:34 am
#514
The path should be unknown. i feel that a known path, no matter how difficult you make the quests, it will have huge implications for the game,
Firstly in a years time this game willl end up looking like a online version of Knights of the old republic in a years time, with jedi walking openly around whilst and in numbers.
People will never go overt for their faction in fear that a Force ranking jedi will appear and cut them down in 2 seconds, this is from personal experiance, i have sat in Mos eisley cantina as a overt imperial, and there have been over overt imps in there, and a light sidejedi walks in and kills all of us in less then a minute, without so much as a warning, i wasn't even able to equip my weapon before dying.
Also the player economy will suffer i think, people will drop there skill templates, to take up the best professions to get FS skills and therefore there will be lesspermanentcrafters, entertainers etc.
Crafters with the FS skillswill also be able to make better weapons and armour, meaning they will rise there prices to insane levels, as they can make it just that bit better then everyone else. and people will pay the money just to get the "uber" items.
Also if the path becomes known, you lose any chance of keeping the number of jedi in check, the numbers will just grow and grow, with no way of bringing them down, death only delays a jedi's progression, it doesn't stop it.
i just think it would be incredibly selfishto openly tell everyone how to get a profession (jediin general), that really has the potential to ruin this game if its not kept under control.
The only non- FS/Jedi will be new players and players who don't want to be a jedi, and i think these will be the ones that suffer when we have jedi running about right, left and centre.
My only plead is that if the DEV's do make the path known that they create a single server without jedi, so people who believe jedi shouldn't be around at all, and want to play Starwars at a time of the galactic civil war. Not a game based on the Starwars trilogy 
AkashaMille
Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:41 am
#515
I just ask you one thing :
New FS path should develop Player Associations and Party Hunts gameplay.
Solo group are borring.
That's why the patch have to be known because, player will rapidly understand they have to play with each other to unlock their Force slot, bringing fun and excitement to all.
Please hear me.
ouderkirk
Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:50 am
#516
I mastered 30 professions and didn't get anything. I dont want to run in circles again.
chutz30
Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:52 am
#517
I think it should be known and i also think id like to know what the plans are for those on thier silent holos that do not unlock before the publish 10 release .
Impdigger
Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:56 am
#518
In my opinion the path of the jedi must be known at publish 10. Why are several players were punished for their non-destructive gameplay, with publish 10, waiting for the complete revision?
Many players are destroyed the gameplay to use the biggest game error since release, the knowing way to be a jedi vs. 32 mastered professions! Hello! Was it unknown? I don't think so!
Why should the last crusaders, fans and roleplayers of an epic and bombastic sf-mmorpg be punished for boycott the stupid and destryoing way of hologrinding? I couldn't believe it!
Any other intentions, are from players who already have their fs-slots yet. They will be only singularly in the end, referring now to the basically intentions of the release status in my opinion. All equal but some are same? Hello?
The storyline was broken since the first knowing holo-way, in direction of the episodes and the expanded universe. I didn't think that's the glorious way to make the way to be a jedi unreachable from now on? A really unorthodox marketing policy? Who knows?
Sorry for bad english, hope you understand the contents?
Many players are destroyed the gameplay to use the biggest game error since release, the knowing way to be a jedi vs. 32 mastered professions! Hello! Was it unknown? I don't think so!
Why should the last crusaders, fans and roleplayers of an epic and bombastic sf-mmorpg be punished for boycott the stupid and destryoing way of hologrinding? I couldn't believe it!
Any other intentions, are from players who already have their fs-slots yet. They will be only singularly in the end, referring now to the basically intentions of the release status in my opinion. All equal but some are same? Hello?
The storyline was broken since the first knowing holo-way, in direction of the episodes and the expanded universe. I didn't think that's the glorious way to make the way to be a jedi unreachable from now on? A really unorthodox marketing policy? Who knows?
Sorry for bad english, hope you understand the contents?
Ihro
Mon Jul 12, 2004 2:04 am
#519
One of the worst things about the past year has been the grinding which people have done, leading to AFKers and people picking up and dropping professions. The player economy was disrupted while people chased some elusive quotient. Now, some of the best stuff I ever experienced while playing were the story story arcs, theme parks, and live Dev-coordinated moments.
My feeling on the FS path is that it should be known how to access the first step. After that first step,things should bedynamic and based upon player choices and multiple outcomes for success and failure. I would prefer it if these particular FS quests were more profound than the usual quests - reflecting more of what the Force is within the Star Wars universe. The choices should be difficult to make, and have consequences all around, reflecting the tenuous balances of light and dark. There should be a stage that allows a player to see the impact of choice before they become a padewan. Perhaps there will be some sort of personal sacrifice to make (of a sort which another player could fix).
If you had the ability to make the game reflect these choices, perhaps by a recurring NPC whose appearance and state altered based on a specific player's choices, then there would be one aspect in the game which dramatized the choice each individual was making. I imagine such a recurring NPC role would be unique in online gaming, and might require instanced dungeons to pull off the associated storylines.
When we were all trying to figure out what it took to become a jedi - BEFORE we knew it had something to do with mastering professions - we theorized it had something to do with exploring, talking to NPCs, visiting key locations, and completing theme parks. All of that stuff was fun because it got you into the SWG universe and made you interact rather than AFK.
FS should include hunting down a key NPC in some canonical spot, and there should be various key npcs, so that if I were a medic, I could seek out a great healer, or if I were a crafter, I would seek out a reknowned artist. The first step doesn't necessarily have to point you right at them, but could involve quests that eventually guide you to discovering their existence, the way theme parks guide you to the next important NPC. Accessibility seems to be a key here, because many of the players I knew chose when they wanted to participate in theme parks and the story arcs - just because those activities were present didn't mean they tried them out.
I was seriously put off by the previous route which required a heavy dose of professions I had no interest in pursuing. By keeping the pathway within our existing professions, maybe players would continue to become known for what they excel at (ie, Evacai W has always been a great dancer!), and therefore their persona as it takes on force sensitivity reflects their enlightened status.
Beyond that initial step, it seems like there should be a tree of quests, allowing players to explore light and darkness, so that whichever paths you eventually follow, its not a simple one, and the end result (as with KOTOR) reflectsyour choices.