Development Cycle Archive

I hate the word nerf, I won't use it.

What most Smugglers refer to as "nerfs" have generaly been the erosion of Smuggler skills as a side-effect of other professional revamps & the last few publishes:

* Chef revamp has decimated the spice market for many smugglers
(I went from 15-20 crates a day, to closing my vendor due to lack of business)

* Imperial Crackdown brought the concept of contraband to SWG, then evasion of contraband scanning was given as a freebie to avg. ranked imperials. (Sorry, but I view WOII as averagely ranked, not high-ranked) - In addition to making every player with droid storage able to bypass scans, Scan evasion as a smuggler skill was admittedly just a bone thrown our way, but even that was eroded the day it went live due to the above.

* Panic Shot was included in the PanicShot/Warcry "amendment" - regardless of the fact that due to it's nature the change to warcry & panic shot removed PS's usefulness entirely, making a mockery of the pistol xp requirement to master Smuggler.

* And how about the Feign Death "amendment" that made it effective suicide in PvE? A mob now not only remembers the fact that you attacked it and re-aggros from ANY distance once you stand up, but also the critter can and WILL break of a current aggro'd player to finish off the Smuggler once he stands up again.

They have been eroding the Smuggler profession, taking away peices a little at a time, and this *after* Smugglers were told they were the one of the professions in the most need of love/attention.

This kind of *tough* love I can do without, as for Smuggler Revamp... Where? What have you heard? Becuase we haven't heard *squat* since the last bunch of broken promises.

What are we really left with?

There is a reason many Smugglers refer to themselves as a Slice-Monkeys.

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Thunderheart wrote:

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Kyros_Dragoon wrote:

I would like to see Smugglers able to make slicing kits for MagSeals that players can buy when they are hunting in dungeons. Also can we get dungeons that are not recycled from one another I think us players deserved better than that, however the Warren and Geonosian Lab are great

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Thats a great solution to the MagSeal containers! Ill check into this with the correspondent and the developers.

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No.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no.

No.

First of all, MagSeals aren't even slicable, even though the option exists on the radial menu. After an item is removed, the container locks for a time to allow new loot to spawn inside. Then the container is unlocked again.

And even if they were slicable, just handing the ability to slice anything to someone besides a smuggler defeats the purpose of the skill tree. I'm not a bounty Hunter, but I want to be able to use Eye Shot. Does that mean I'm going to be able to? No. If I want that ability, I have to spend the points for it. Same with slicing. Slicing is arguably the ONE defining ability of smugglers. Anyone can sell faction (though they can't buy it). Chefs and doctors can make buffs with longer duration and zero penalty (unlike spices), and most everyone can fire a pistol. But no other profession canmodifyalready-made weapons or is able to hack into a terminal.

In case my position isn't clear, NO.

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zzSeawock wrote:
Thanks for continuing to host these discussions.

Re Smugglers. Players "shouting" availability to slice or sell spices still runs rampant at Theed and Coronet Starports, and does much to dispel the sense that they are actually "smuggling" or that there is any law enforcement around to stop it. In fact, it's more like an open bazaar for contraband. Imagine what would happen if someone were standing at the Port of San Diego or San Diego Airport shouting "Free Weed! Get your Free Weed!" or "10 grams of Coke for $Xxxxx!" -- They'd be arrested in short order. Ports, in general, in the U.S. tend to have lots of law enforcement -- and we're not in the midst of a civil war!

Question: Is there a way for the devs to cue uber trooper spawns (not troopers that are so easily aced like the current crackdown spawns) everytime someone overtly uses the word "slice," "spice" or an iteration thereof in "spatial" speak? I feel like there's more of an Imperial Crackdown in LAX than I do in SWG, which is in the midst of a crackdown!

Thanks!

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I noticed that too. I think it would be neat if they added a check for speech, so that if anyone said "slicing", "muon", "pixie", etc. in spacial, a nearby trooper would come scan them automatically. It would be fun listening to people try to get around it:

"Selling weapon improvements along with tasty and invigorating side dishes! /wink"

On the other hand, the reason that no one gets caught is because there ARE no police in Coronet and most cities. I doubt people try selling much spice in kor vella and Mos Espa. If troopers checked for slicing tools as well as spice and a couple of troopers and an AT-ST was plopped at the coronet starport, you probably would see slice spamming move the the back alleys where it belongs.

I am a smuggler, btw.

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I noticed that too. I think it would be neat if they added a check for speech, so that if anyone said "slicing", "muon", "pixie", etc. in spacial, a nearby trooper would come scan them automatically. It would be fun listening to people try to get around it:

"Selling weapon improvements along with tasty and invigorating side dishes! /wink"

On the other hand, the reason that no one gets caught is because there ARE no police in Coronet and most cities. I doubt people try selling much spice in kor vella and Mos Espa. If troopers checked for slicing tools as well as spice and a couple of troopers and an AT-ST was plopped at the coronet starport, you probably would see slice spamming move the the back alleys where it belongs.

I am a smuggler, btw.

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Well met ... and writ far more lucidly than I was able.

/crossfingers

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DeQuosaek wrote:

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Vespya wrote:

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I don't think it would be fair to let just anyone open these, but they are essentially smuggler only loot as it stands, so smugglers might want to quit whining about their profession being constantly nerfed, when in reality they have the only profession specific loot.

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You're arguement might have had merit if Smugglers were able to slice MagSeal containers.

We can't.

The point isn't that smugglers want exclusive access to "phat loot" - it's that Smugglers want exclusive access to Smuggler skills, I'd say exclusive access to Smuggler content too, but well, they need to add some first

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D'oh! You can't? I thought you could. My mistake. I don't really see how the smuggler profession has been nerfedthough.

I do think the upcoming smuggler revamp is a good thing, since there isn't much smuggling going on currently. But then again, the smugglers main boon seems to be slicing weapons and armor, not especially smuggling anything.

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Nope, you cannot slice them. Once the "loot" is removed, the mag seal container locks for about 20 mins to allow the loot to re-spawn. Then anyone can open them. So smugglers have no advantage with regards to mag-seal containers.

Most smugglers are againstwhat we see as an erosion of our already limitedskills. Most skills in the underworld tree and only helpful if you are high ranking in a faction. Our dirty fighting line is now almost useless because of recent changes to panic shot and feign death. The chef re-vamp has pretty much killedour spice tree. Our master box is useless for anything except for a 5% bonus to slicing. And there is of course the issue of factional members getting the ability to avoid contraband scans better than a master smugglers.

The introduction of "slice kits" will only further make smuggler a throwaway profession.

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TheWok wrote:

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Thunderheart wrote:

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Kyros_Dragoon wrote:

I would like to see Smugglers able to make slicing kits for MagSeals that players can buy when they are hunting in dungeons. Also can we get dungeons that are not recycled from one another I think us players deserved better than that, however the Warren and Geonosian Lab are great

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Thats a great solution to the MagSeal containers! Ill check into this with the correspondent and the developers.

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No.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no.

No.

First of all, MagSeals aren't even slicable, even though the option exists on the radial menu. After an item is removed, the container locks for a time to allow new loot to spawn inside. Then the container is unlocked again.

And even if they were slicable, just handing the ability to slice anything to someone besides a smuggler defeats the purpose of the skill tree. I'm not a bounty Hunter, but I want to be able to use Eye Shot. Does that mean I'm going to be able to? No. If I want that ability, I have to spend the points for it. Same with slicing. Slicing is arguably the ONE defining ability of smugglers. Anyone can sell faction (though they can't buy it). Chefs and doctors can make buffs with longer duration and zero penalty (unlike spices), and most everyone can fire a pistol. But no other profession canmodifyalready-made weapons or is able to hack into a terminal.

In case my position isn't clear, NO.

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Wok, there are two types of mag-seal containers. I'm glad you brought this up because it may have been unclear to TH.

There are ones that anyone can open, like you describe - they often have the "slice" tag but nothing happens. Any player can just open them up and extract the loot, as you describe, and then is empty until respawn.

Then there are others that ARE locked - you get a system message when you try to access it, "The container appears locked..." A smuggler supposedly can slice them, but we can't - the option doesn't even come up. NO ONE in the game can open them.

Some caves/dungeons have the first type, some have the second type, and a few have mixes of both. Most of the ones that have locked mag seals that cannot be opened by anyone are "old" dungeons, i.e. ones that have existed in some form or another since beta.

AO

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Vespya wrote:
This kind of *tough* love I can do without, as for Smuggler Revamp... Where? What have you heard? Becuase we haven't heard *squat* since the last bunch of broken promises.

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Well, granted the last I heard of the smuggler revamp was about 2 weeks ago, but I assume it is still in the works...

Check here... about halfway down the page

I should have been clearer, apologies, if you knew just how long we've been baited with the word "revamp" you'd have noticed the severe dose of sarcasm in that sentence

I'll believe theres an actual revamp coming for us when I see it arrive.

And even then I'll probably pinch myself, just to be sure.

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I would like to see an option to turn off PVP. I would love to get invovled inthe Faction Based Gameplay but only against the PVE section.

I think this would draw a huge crowd for players who wish to play one side or the other but does not like the PVP aspect of the game. Without PVP this game limits the player.

Many of my friends who play PVE have al talked about walking around and if we get suprised attackedby acertain faction. then it would be up to us to get out of it. This way there people can be overt and just play the game without one faction talking about who's daddy can beat who up.

I posted this in teh Commando forum and thought it would be good here..

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=commando&message.id=52713

*inhales deeply*

For a long time, I have thought deeply on this game, and quite frankly, I find it harder and harder to log in each and every day. I run a somewhat large Imperial guild on Starsider. The only reason I find myself logging in, is because I have an unspoken promise to those members to make things 'work', for lack of a better term. Over my lengthy period of play, since the beginning of Beta 3 there has been but two weeks I was unable to log in, I have seen so many issues my stomache turns slightly thinking about it. In a, most likely, wasted effort, I am going to post several ideas here. Some are profession based, others are more global.

Professions:

Combat Medic + Doctor: Having been a Combat Medic and a Doctor, I am quite perplexed by both professions and feel many changes need to be made for them to fit in properly.

1) Mind Heal should be a Doctor skill. Yes, it is more useful by game mechanics standards to give it to a CM, however, it makes little sense for a CM to eliminate head trauma.

2) Fire Blankets need to be in the hands of the CMs.... period.

3) State Defenses should also be a CM skill set.

4) Both classes need a visible Poison and Disease resistance. Assumably, these are the people used to dealing with such.

5) Doctors should be able to heal wounds as quickly as CMscan heal damage.

6) In addition to number 5 above, Doctors Poison and Disease cures should be added to wound treatment so as a Doctor can adequately counter poisons and diseases in the field.

7) Doctors should have an AoE Disease and Poison cure radius of 20 meters focused on themselves. If a Master Brawler can lunge from 25, why can't a Doc cure Poison at 20?

8) Combat Medics deserve SOME ranged defenses and state defenses, period.

9) Poisons and diseases need a cap for creation. 500 even seems outrageous. Perhaps 300 for Cs and 200 for AoE Cs?

Rifleman: Rifleman, though quite powerful, have been implemented far wrong. Many skills are next to useless outside PvE.

1) Cover is still quite broken. Yes, I know, 'Cover increases defenses.'. To what extent? Also, did anyone take into consideration the extra damage you get for lying down? Um, hello, if they hit me 4/5 standing for 200 thats 800, and 2/5 prone for 400, thats still 800.

2) Suprise shot does what again?

3) Why did Rifleman lose crawl speed?

4) Rifleman need a method of disappearing off the map. A temporary three shot invisibility from radar. Cost to Rifleman: 10 second pause between shots that would apply even if they are spotted. After they are spotted, they must only wait out their current pause. When three shots are landed, they would instantly appear red on radar. Hello, snipers people.

5) Um, something to keep meleers at range would be nice. Suppression Fire is next to useless for that.

Carbineer:

1) Um, defenses, yep, definetely defenses.

Pistoleer:

1) Um, can we say give them at least a little ranged defense? Just because they like fighting close doesn't mean they don't deserve some love in the ranged defense department.

TKA: Used to hate this one, tried it, loved it.

1) Dizzy/KD needs a fix bad. Just a bit too effective really. Perhaps a two hit max while on the ground, then you can actually stand again. Also, it might help if the posture change from... let's say... stand to... umstand... didn't knock you on your arse.

2) Accuracy needs to be toned down, especially with the new addition to the game mechanics. Okay, just a bit overwhelming now that they REALLY don't miss.

Pikeman:

1) Not a bad profession overall, but could use a little loving in the HAM usage and equipment department. I hate paying a million for a pike that only has 9000 charges, and then paying a nother million for one I use the rest of the time.

2) Perhaps a bit more damage.

3) Um, yeah, you're going to hear this a lot, DEFENSES.

Swordsman:

1) Along with just about every class, needs more defenses. Why not, if a friggin Musician gets +5 to ranged/melee.... or is it 7 now?

Fencer:

1) Another one of the very few professions that just might be right. Perhaps a little damage might help though.

Okay, I'm not too big on crafting, so let me move on to some of the global stuff.

1) Poison/disease defenses. Supposedly we have them, but no one knows what they are. Show us the money!

2) Allow for just about every skill in the game to have an SEA made for it. Perhaps you can split them up between BEs and Tailors, maybe even Armorsmiths and Artisans can get some loving with that. Why not? Is there not a cap now?