CUEmu - Thread Posts

DarthRusel

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:28 am

#92

make it known, but not easy. Make it fun though. Story driven content is the -way to go in this game-. we need more!

Kal_Silas

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:31 am

#93

Well... if there was every something for me to actually respond to as my first ever SWG board message, this is it.

Be gentle with me.

I think that the method of becoming Force Sensitive should indeed be known. First, your previous attempts to keep the Path mysterious were, quite honestly, a failure. I do not mean this in a derogatory manner, however, as your motivations were seemingly in the right place. Certainly, Jedi should not be numerous, yet as has been stated any number of times before, if there is a method, it will be discovered.

The Hologrinding craze has wreaked havoc upon SWG, and I'm certain that I'm not alone when I say that I'dlike to avoid a repeat of that horrendous incident. If the new Path is made to be mysterious then the liklihood of a repeated history seems to be quite high. Perhaps this new system will not require us to endlessly grind new professions, but substituting that with an endless grind of new quests, in the vain hopes of stumbling on the right series, is not much better for the game than the previous system.

Moreover, keeping the Path a mystery in the end rewards those who have virtually unlimited time to play the game, while inadvertantly punishing those of us who do not. It is an unfortunate consequence of real life that some of us have to work and can not spend our every waking moment playing this game. Time which would be otherwise spent in endeavoring to follow an ever-elusive Path must instead be spent on making money to pay the bills, so to speak.

Indeed, there are those of us who are playing this game, and have played since Day 1, who want nothing more than to play a Jedi. Yet, some of us feel that the previous method was too odious by far, and that it went against everything that we believed in. Some of us have shown faith and patience in the Development Team, hoping that the day will come when our perserverence would reward us and we would be able to take hold of our own lightsabers for the first time as new Jedi.

In the end, I hold no anomosity towards the previous system, and those who dilligently worked to earn their Jedi have my respect. Hard work certainly is one aspect of being a Jedi, and isvery deserving of bothbeingpraised and rewarded. Now, it is time for those who have shown patience to take their place in the ranks of the Jedi. After all, isn't patience worthy of reward as well?

Keep the Path known. Make it fair to everyone so that the Path can be persued if a person so desires. However, make it a difficult and ardous Path so that only the most deserving will ever complete their journey. Make it so that the quality of one's morality is important, and that difficult decisions must be made. Do what you must to make the life of a Jedi challenging, but do not hide the Path from those of us who have yearned for this chance to play something greater than before.

If these things can come to pass, then I feel that SWG will finally have taken its first step into a larger world.

----------

Sev Kalarro
Master Commando / Master Teras Kasi Artist
Colonel, Army of the Alliance to Restore the Republic

GrandPotato

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:32 am

#94

You also have to remember those of us who have been with you since beta, ground out 22 professions with no unlock, and were locked out at publish 9. Those first Jedi were unlocking with 7-10 professions, and I better get some compensation for totally borking my character concept from November 03 to June 04.


oOjow Eeno Labs Erbo Anyi Ojow Eeno Labs Erbo 
iEeno Labs Erbo Anyi Ojow Eeno Labs Erbo Anyi 
wLabs Erbo Anyi Ojow Eeno Labs Erbo Anyi Ojow
 Erbo Anyi Ojow Eeno Labs Erbo Anyi Ojow Eeno
 Anyi Ojow Eeno Labs Erbo Anyi Ojow Eeno Labs
 Ojow Eeno Labs Erbo Anyi Ojow Eeno Labs Erbo
 Eeno Labs Erbo Anyi Ojow Eeno Labs Erbo Anyi

JangusFett

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:33 am

#95

JustG wrote:

There are many stages in the path to becoming a Jedi...

The first among them is becoming Force Sensitive. Once you become Force Sensitive you can choose to continue on the path to becoming a Jedi or not. The path to becoming a Jedi will be a long and dangerous one.

The question is this:

Should the method of becoming Force Sensitive be a mysterious, unknown mechanic orone that is visible and known to everyone?

Thanks for the feedback...

- g

Message Edited by JustG on 07-10-2004 09:02 AM

Message Edited by JustG on 07-10-2004 09:06 AM

Mysterious but not totally mysterious...give hints and clues to players by ways of system messages...

OOOOOOO.......O.........O.......O.......O.O.O.....O........O
........O..........O....O.......O.O...O......O...............O.......O
........O........O..O..O......O..O..O.....O.................O.......O
.......O.......O.........O......O..O..O......O....O.O.......O........O
O.O.O.......O.........O......O.......O.........O.O.O........O.O.O..O....S

trickydawn

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:33 am

#96

A few thinges that could have made the hologrind not so bad:

Holocrons == no drop regardless of where they came from. This would limit camping since people would only camp until they had enough. I think any quest items in this new system should follow that idea and be no drop.

Also, if there were some way you could have found out your next profession once your holocrons went silent. If they were quested for or something. I do not think people would have complained about the grind so much if they could have done 4 holos, done some quests found the next profession, mastered it, done some more quests found the next profession, mastered and then unlocked (or even doens some more quest found that ended with you unlocking). You would not have been fighting a random battle where some people unlock in 10 and some un lock in 32.

So ho do I translate that to the new system. I guess I think it should be a mystery, but there should be the means to solve that mystery in the game. I would welcome a different path for everyone perhaps by the quest giver being a random NPC in your birth town to start then random npcs in other towns as you progress. It could then be the same basic structure for everyone but you could not simply write a guide for it. It also would serve the supposed jedi in hiding (yeah right, hiding) theme.

So the verdict? Mysterious like the old with the caveat that you should have some way to solve the mystery.

~~> Othello - Master of Nothing -

If you read with your eyes shut you are likely to find, that the place you were going is far far behind.

snyker

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:34 am

#97

Mysterious atleast sounds better if it can be pulled off right.

And you are quite capable (IMHO) of keeping things a mystery. It was the problem of creating a system a little too mysterious that prompted introduction of holocrons, although that could have just been a function of the simplistic-grinding nature of the original system.

If you can only figure out how to do one of those without rewarding people for grinding, camping, or mind-numbing boredom, that's what you should do.

Meplorium

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:34 am

#98

Mysterious -

Fun and exciting until it is 'figured out'. Then it becomes board spam until 'How to become a Jedi' is posted as a sticky on the boards.

Only Q&A can test the new code properly, as they are the only ones that know how. This leads to more bugs and exploits.

Known -

Camped like crazy from day 1. No chance to be 'the first one to figure it out'.

The hologrind now becomes the quest grind.

Any needed loot drops will be camped and items sold at high prices from the go.

Personally I would love forit to be mysterious and exciting. However everyone else in the game will ruin it for me. As soon as it is figured out, whatever is needed is going to be camped. I hardly doubt I will be the first one to figure it out, therefore someone else will and tell everyone. So the reality of it is that mysterious can't be accomplished unless there are so many different ways to do those quests it is impossible to figure them all out in some easy to do fashion. I don't see there being that much development time, so make it as solid and bug free as possible, ie known.

- Meparch (Master Crafter, AS, DE), Mepaarch (MiniMep, Chef, SW), Meparca (Master Wookiee), Mepthorian (Master Naturalist, CH, BE)
Drop Off Vendor: Buffy in the Bacta Tank, Crystal Hollow, Dantooine. -6931 4819
Visit the commerce district, Crystal Hollow, Dantooine.
The Armored Wookiee - Kashyyykian Armor Specialist
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Wongsiufu

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:45 am

#99

How about a long epic story quest? Each step can be finished with several different solutions, depends on your profession. For example, one of the step need you to get an item from a NPC. You candefeat a NPC to getthe item, or you could entertain the NPC until he is pleasedto give you the item, or you could craft a better item to exchange with him. So basically it is the same quest aboutunderstanding the natureof the force, but with different solutions and path.

Corbantis Siufu {Fong Shen}

Blu_Haze

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:46 am

#100

It should be mysterious and difficult, but not impossible or frustrating. You should be able to find hints and clues as to how you can progress further along the force sensitivity quests, but it shouldn't be as simple as "go to this waypoint, kill that creature, come back to quest giver", something we've already seen far too much of in this game. It should also be dynamic and have several different paths to gaining force sensitivity. It wouldn't hurt if new paths were added in over time as well. This should keep people from creating hard guides on exactly what to do, there should always be at least a small portion of it that the player has to figure out by themselves.

One last thing, it should most definately be story driven. I think we've had enough missions where you have to mindlessly kill 20 of this and 50 of that. It would be nice to have some content in the game with a compelling storyline where you have to actually talk with and interact with NPCs rather than just getting destroy missions from them.

____________________________________________________________________________
A few words of advice to those who don't agree with the motives of The Empire: Move along

Stoffer217

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:46 am

#101

Make it a mysterius path, where the players will have to embark on quests given from different NPCs all over the planets. Etc. "find(A scientist) and request for a DNA test that will be delivered to (A medic) which will make a force sensivity test which will be delivered to (A jedi) and so on..."

Anyways, keep it mysterious

KRISEK - INFINITY

TERAS KASI MASTER | COMMANDO 2-0-4-0

So many professions, so little skill points...

BenkeiHami

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:47 am

#102

JustG wrote:

There are many stages in the path to becoming a Jedi...

The first among them is becoming Force Sensitive. Once you become Force Sensitive you can choose to continue on the path to becoming a Jedi or not. The path to becoming a Jedi will be a long and dangerous one.

The question is this:

Should the method of becoming Force Sensitive be a mysterious, unknown mechanic orone that is visible and known to everyone?

Thanks for the feedback...

- g

Message Edited by JustG on 07-10-2004 09:02 AM

Message Edited by JustG on 07-10-2004 09:06 AM

I'm inclined to say myterious but how long would it stay that way?

Fire-spray

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:48 am

#103

OK i did not read all of the messages, so don't gank me if this is on page 2 or 3. Likewise, don't form a lynch mob over this idea, but here is a way that will keep Jedi down to dedicated players for at least a while. Eventually it will be trivialized and people will run through it faster as the means become known, but here goes...

-----Make the quest to become a Jedi like the Everquest Epic Quests------

----Each starting class has a different quest. Aka. Entertainers will have a different quest than Marksman who will have it different from scouts etc etc.

-----Involve multiple people, but do not make it so that a person has to have a group of 20 to do it. For example, part of the Marksman's quest may require them taking down a particularly difficult mob for a piece of an ancient Lightsaber... He cannot do this solo, but do not make it the frickin Deathwatch bunker. A group of 6-10 who are well prepared can get in and get out if they are smart.

----- Make it take some time, but do not make it so that it involves "camping". You can put some grind into it without making it a grief to your players. For example, an Artisan may have to find some very rare resources to combine, and then must go through a series of quests to gain a schematic...once they get the schematic and use the resources they create a modern day "holocron" of sorts that gives them the location of their next clue.

-----Make travel a necessity, make players travel all over the galaxy, a minimum of one stop per planet at the VERY least. Get folks out there to see this beautiful world you guys have created. Make some use out of Talus and Rori lol.

-----Make badges and POI'S worth something. Say, for example, the person that the Pc's need to talk to to begin their quest will not talk to them until they are master in at least one novice profession and have aquired XX number of badges from themparks and exploration.

----- Let me repeat DO NOT MAKE these quests/this journey so that only uber PA's are able to accomplish it....just thought that beared repeating

-----Make it take time, but do not make it a money sink. Some of run missions to get by, and some run them into the ground to be rich, Some craft for cash and some craft for xp/fun. Don't make it break your bank.

Example of a quest:

I have never played an entertainer, but this is just an idea of how to go about it.

After hitting master entertainer, and aquiring enough badges, the entertainer goes and talks to the quest starter.

1. First the quest starter sends them on errands to pull together the best outfit for the "show to end all shows"

2. The player then begins to track down this outfit that can consist of 5-9 pieces. It can be dropped loot, or tailoring schematics earned from quests that they in turn use another player to create thereby involving other profs.

3. After completing the outfit portion, the quest starter may require the PC to prove themselves as an entertainer and require them to earn badges of entertaining from major NPC's. For example, the player must earn the Badge of Jabba's approval. Which also means they would have to earn the Jabba's badge of trust. If they have already done that, they go straight in and he may send them on a few quests to "take care of some issues that will free up some of his time". Thus these quests done, Jabba will consent to watch/listen to the PC. Allow the PC to then "perform" for Jabba for X amount of time resulting in the Badge of Jabba's approval.

4. Repeat step 3 for the other themeparks (excepting where overt Rebels/Imps trying to perform for the opposite faction).

5. Next have the Entertainer perform for a HOSTILE NPC. at the bottom of a dungeon. Of course this would have to be an instanced NPC. For example, the player would activate the starter npc for this after aquiring the other badges and an Instanced version would then spawn that was not targetable. The entertainer would have to find a way to the bottom of the dungeon and converse with the NPC then perform for them. AKA. The entertainer brings some friends to help him get to the bottom of the Fort Tusken, they fight their way in, get to the bottom and talk to the Tusken King. He watches the PC dance, nods approvingly, viola badge !!! Then tells the group that they had better leave and gives them either a secret exit out, or flags them as non hostile in some way to prevent having to fight all the way back out, or...screw em...make em fight it back out lol.

6. After the player has aquired the badges of approval from the NPC's , the quest starter tells the pc that he must now find the back up band to start the show. He will give clues that lead to people who have info as to where this band member may be found. The trick here, is to make sure that the bandmember does not always pop up in the same place...then it becomes cookie cutter and folks will run through it too fast. Make them pop up randomly like BH targets after the player has spoken to enough "contacts". Also do not make it so that the contact just says "oh yeah i saw him talking to soandso on this planet". Make them do a destroy or delivery mission to get the information...aka time sink.

After the player does this for a 4-5 piece band and gets them through yet other quests to agree to perform,the player can talk to the quest starter to arrange for the time and place of the show.

7. The Show. After arranging the particulars, the player makes their way to the event......which can utilize some of the precreated theaters. amphitheaters. cantina's, town squares etc etc. When the PC gets there, the band is set up and ready to go, when the player takes the stage, a system message like a shout, or even a planetary message goes around that a terrific show is about to start. Finally, the player must perform for x amount of time....with this caveat......the more people watching, the shorter the time it take to complete the show. This would encourage people to talk their friends and PA's and perfect stranger to come out and see the culmination of their massive undertaking. After so long, the player is told they feel a tingle and a surge of energy unlike anything they have experienced before. All of their trials and tribulations have expanded the scope of their thinking and reasoning.....they have become sensitive to the greater worlds around them.....and to the force. At the end of the quest, the player has opened their Force Sensitivity.

Again, this is a very very rough first draft pounded out very quickly while i am at work. But personally i think this could be refined and expanded upon in so many ways, to make it not only fun, but different for every player. Additionally, let people know up front that it requires ALOT of time, energy, work and patience.......as it should to become a Jedi.

I know i have forgotten some things, will try to add more thoughts later.

Questions, comments, complaints, requests ???

Mourn
Gunslinger For Hire
Chilastra

WORKING AS INTENDED:SWG BH's: More Issues than T.V. Guide

ToppDog

Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:49 am

#104

The problem with trying to make it completely unknown is that you will inevitably steer theunlocking mechanisms away from anything that would make sense to roleplayers in the effort to keep it mysterious, & this would result in more ridicule from the playerbase once it is found out. For this reason & in the interest of immersion I think it should be known...maybe not completely spelled out step by step, but there should be a general guideline of Jedilike behavior that you must do that would eventually open it up.

For example, Jedi are traditionally peacekeepers, defenders & protectors of those who cannot defend or protect themselves. Why not have combat players accept missions where they must defend a small town from thugs, or hunt down creatures that are killing civilians, etc. And why not have non-combat players be able to react to spawned scenes where they must choose to defendnpc's from an attack, such asthe spawn of the slave girl who would run up to you begging for help before being attacked by the Stormtrooper chasing her down?

Things like this would be a great way to unlock FS & would be totally immersive & enjoyable along the way for those that desire to roleplay their chars. Especially since it's the roleplayers who have mainly not unlocked yet.

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Thread: Should Force Sensitivity be a known path or a mysterious one?