Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Discussion: Combat Utility Modules, A Middle Ground Solution.
You know, people are beating each other up about DE's and droids; ie. the infamous combat vs. crafter debate.
Black on one side.... white on the other.
If there is any truth in this world (virtual or real), it's that a middle ground must be sought.
I've proposed an idea ages ago that would, I believe, address the concerns of both camps: Those wanting more "powerful" droids or DE's a more prominent role in combat, groups, or the economy and those who prefer crafting, don't wish to see a focus on overpowered droids, or the overpowering the DE profession. One possible solution?
Combat Utility Modules
Why must we lock ourselves into the concept that a droid must do overwhelming damage with rapid fire blasters decimating the ranks of the enemy? We've already understood as a community (and even the developers agree) that the setting of SWG between Episode 4 and Episode 5 is a time when ultra-powerful combat droids simply were not prevalent, legal, in the hands of the common person.
And...
Why must we lock ourselves into the idea that DE's can't add some highly sought after droids usable in combat or that DE's are chained to their workbenches, without nary a thought on combat or combat situations? It's well known that droids (and real life robots) would find a perfect niche in dangerous combat situations because, by their nature, they're expendable.
So, forget all your preconceived ideas about outrageous damage, droid flame throwers, plasma cannons, and droid armies. It's time to champion a middle ground... something that reinvents DE's as having a critical role to the entire community with their droids.... droids that provide more dynamic utility in combat... not simply monolithic damage.
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Charged Field Module: A droid with this module installed will be protected by a dangerous energized field surrounding it's entire frame. This field causes damage to any and all who may attack it physically (MMORPG terminology: a self DPS "damage" shield, extremely common in MMORPG's). When a person or creature physically attacks this droid, a modest percentage of the damage done to the droid is reflected back to the creature or person causing the damage (as energy, not kinetic). (Movie inspiration: Destroyer droids were known to have shields impervious to damage, so this may be a modified shield that Imperial Law may allow).
Base Terminal Interface Module: A droid with this module installed will be able to add another step to the destruct sequence for factional bases. To do so, you need to be overt for your faction and have target the base control terminal. You instruct your droid to "Install A Failsafe Code" which then adds another, final step to the base shutdown sequence. For an enemy, the only way to remove this lock is by having his own controlled droid loaded with a similar module. That player must be overt, he must target the control terminal and instruct his droid to "Break The Failsafe Code". Once the droid does this, that last, final step to the destruct sequence is removed and the countdown begins like normal. (Movie Inspiration: Many instances of R2D2 interfacing with Imperial computer systems in the movies).
Stun Charge Module: A droid armed with this module could fire a short blast of powerful sonic energy which has a chance of stunning an enemy for a short period of time (stun attack). An enemy stunned in this manner cannot move or attack until the duration of the stun wears off. This attack is extremely power and systems intensive which then renders the droid completely out of power, immobile and non-responsive. The droid must then be stored to "power cycle" it's computer systems and then recharged in order regain full operability. (Movie Inspiration: It's well known stormtroopers are able to stun opponents, why couldn't droids?)
Minesweeping Module: If an enemy controlled minefield is identified, you can send droids in equipped with Minesweeping modules to remove and neutralize the enemy minefield. To do this, you must be overt and have your droid at the ready. Target the enemy minefield indicator and instruct your droid to sweep the field. This will take a number of minutes depending on how extensive the minefield is. For each mine removed, there is a very small chance that the droid accidentally sets off a mine and is immediately incapped. If successful, the minefield will be completely neutralized and removed from the ground area. (Movie Inspiration: Floating droids and low lying ground roving droids (Probot, DZ70, WED Treadwell) make an excellent platform for removing mines, though there isn't much to this subject in the movies).
Smokescreen Generator Module: A droid with this module installed will be able to generate a large, opaque cloud of gas which obstructs view in a sizable area. Anyone who is grouped with and within 10 meters of the droid receive a +10 Ranged Defense bonus for 2 minutes in addition to a -10 Ranged Accuracy penalty. In addition, there is a large graphical cloud which surrounds the droid, making opposing player's sight through the cloud difficult. (Movie Inspiration: R2D2 on Cloud City unleashes a large obscuring cloud from a fire extinguisher to cloak the escape of his friends).
Ion Blaster Module: A droid with this module is a bane to other droids. This module's ion attack completely shuts down the electronics in opposing droids, forcing it's owner to immediately recharge his droid in order for it to regain function. This attack, however, drains the droid's power down to 0%, so an immediate battery recharge would be needed to restore the droid to full functionality. (Movie inspiration: Ion Cannons can shut down entire Star Destroyers for moments, the same should and could be done on a much smaller scale).
Mobile Shield Generator Module: This module requires a large amount of power, so it can only fit in the Power droid chassis. When activated, this droid's shield generator extends to each player within the group out to a range of 10 meters. While the shield is active, each grouped person within that radius gains a +30 Ranged Defense bonus. Due to electrical interference, only one shield generator can be active in a group at any time. (Movie Inspiration: The Gungan shield generators seen in Episode 1, but on a much, much smaller scale).
Covert Faction Scanner Module: Behaves exactly as a covert faction scanner. This droid is interfaced directly to Alliance / Imperial databanks and has access to all known lists of enemies or enemy agents. In order to use, the droid's controller must be overt and the droid must be stationary. Instructing his droid to "scan the area for known enemies", the droid makes a single, low intensity sweep of the area locating all known enemies. These players earn a temporary enemy flag which lasts only a few minutes. Scanning by the droid can only be done once every 10 minutes and cannot be done in cities. (Movie Inspiration: R2D2 has been known to alert people when enemies are approaching, so this is a logical extension of this ability).
Scanner Jamming Module: This module interferes with the scans emitted by a droid equipped with a covert faction scanner module. In order to use, the droid's controller must be covert and the droid must be stationary. Instructing his droid to "jam enemy scanning", the droid does so, foiling any attempt at the enemy to assign TEF's on fellow covert members of his faction. Due to the relatively weak strength of this jamming signal, normal base factional scanners are unaffected by this jamming signal, and will easily detect both the droid and his master. (Movie Inspiration: None really, but it's necessary as a balance to the droid faction scanning module).
Neural Charge Module: A droid armed with this module could fire a beam of energy on a specific wavelength intended to cause a temporary synaptic overload in the target. This overload causes the target to lose partial control of it's musculo-skeletal functions, thus reducing it's movement by 30-50%. The synaptic overload is short lived and the target regains full function over it's movement shortly thereafter (increasing to 100% by 5% blocks within a 20-40 seconds or so). (MMORPG terminology: a "root" spell of short duration, very common in MMORPG's - still allowing the target to fire ranged attacks normally, but temporarily restricting movement.) This style of attack drains a droid's battery by 75%. (Movie Inspiration: None really, but it's a feature widely seen in MMORPG's).
EMT Module: This module allows a grouped droid to medically aide all members within a group. Specifically, the presence of this droid and it's various healing techniques helps to speed the passing of ill effects on group members (poison, stun, dizzy, etc). A droid loaded with this module reduces the duration time of these effects by 20%. (Movie Inspiration: None really, but it might cause a combat group to seek out a droid that's equipped with this module and have it grouped in combat also).
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Author's side note: some of these modules I originally proposed last year and again in January. We've seen word that one module at least (faction scanning) may be introduced soon. This is a perfect example of this middle ground that we can explore. In addition, if additional combat utility can be added to any number of low level (CL10) droids, the entire concern over CL20, CL30, or CL40+ droids may be completely invalidated due to the increased viability and utility of CL10combat droids.
When people overwhelmingly requested that we have a focus on "utility", this should not exclude utility in combat situations. If anything, droids could provide a utility function in every aspect of SWG, combat or no. Let's not lock ourselves into one strict paradigm. Think out of the box... approach this discussion from a new, fresh angle. Don't resort to one inflexible argument pro, con, or otherwise. It's time to look at this entire situation with an original perspective.
Please, add your constructive thoughts to this thread and remember the goal: Finding a middle ground to the crafter vs. combat debate!
Abosultely excellent ideas.
My problem with the utility droids the Devs are talking about is that they don't address actual needs in-game. They are fluffer - distractions. What we need are droids that address the actual needs players already have - not creating new niche markets in a profession that is already riddled with them.
There seems to be a perception by the Dev team that droids are superflouous when I feel they should be ubiquitous. They fear adding essential functions to them because they are seeing them as an almost asthetic addition instead of actual utility.
I think that's the core of the issue - we need UTILITY droids, not just a couple of (arguably) neat visual effects.
The ideas you present above enhance but do not overpower. Examples of popular suggestions with that ideal in mind :
- Slicing droids - Used to give a small bonus to the minimum slice. If a Master Smuggler gets a slice range of 15-35%, then a slicing droid enhances that ability to 18 or 20% - 30%. The maximum does not change, so balance is kept. Or another more passive idea is that having a slicing droid out means you only use up one laser knife per slice, instead of two.
- Survey droids - Launching an arakyd type droid could give you the listings of resources on a distant planet (not locations or even stats, just a list of what resources are on a given planet). Or on a more local level they could simply increase the range of survey tools.
Again, great ideas, Virtanis. Let's hope someone listens.
Audio, who really isn't excited about 10 (!) entertainer modules that don't actually enhance entertaining
AudioOrgana wrote:
My problem with the utility droids the Devs are talking about is that they don't address actual needs in-game. They are fluffer - distractions. What we need are droids that address the actual needs players already have - not creating new niche markets in a profession that is already riddled with them.
Let's try to keep the "pure-utility" module discussion aside and focus on some "combat utility" module solutions., Well done. I like a lot of these. I hope that maybe someone red will stick his/her head into this one and let us know which one of these might be worth fleshing out more.
That's what we need on our discussions right now the most....some direction.
When I'm in-game, I keep thinking of situations that I find myself in and thinking, "What kind of droid could make this a lot easier" (and things like that).
Along those lines...I submit:
Vendor "Inventory" droid module: This droid would have the ability basically backup (and later reuse) information listed in "Details" for items on your vendor. I find myself having to retype the entries I make for any Details I add to a droid's deed (or whatever it is that I'm putting on my vendor). When that listing expires, and you have to repost your item to the vendor, these details are lost.
It would be ridiculously useful to me, personally, if there were a droid/module that would take a 'snapshot' of all of these items (linked to the specific crafting 'serial number' assigned) and reinsert them in the Details window when the item is relisted.
This would save me some amount of time, in-game, whenever I have to go back and try to put everything back on that's dropped into the Storeroom.
I'll keep trying to spot little areas like this where we can find cool new uses for droids/modules.
I hope we get direction on which items to focus on, though...
/bow
Respectfully,
Kollos wrote:
You hit the nail squarely on the head - "utility" doesn't have to mean "non-combat". All it really means is "in support of some other activity" and you have captured that very well.
Virtanis wrote:
Thank you very much... My real goal here isto try tofind a middle ground between those who view DE's as "pure crafters" and those who "want DE's to make serious combat droids".
That's why I believe that combat utility modules can be an amicable middle road that everyone can agree on.
What do you guys think?
Jenden wrote:
The only thing is I don't think thats the debate anymore. Most pure crafter DE's don't have a problem with making combat support dorids, its the suggestions of certing these droids specifically to droid engineers that I know I have a problem with. There is a big difference to making a serious contribution to combat (ala weaponsmiths and armorsmiths) and being a serious combat power (ala creature handler).
Do I see some coming together here? I hope so, because while the 2 camps will not rationally debate, the Devs have no guidelines and will ignore us after Pub8 for a loooong time.
I was excited to read the original post, and encouraged that Jenden and kollos didn't just strike it down.
Maybe there is hope.
Annoying though I may be, can I remind those againt a combat role, that I believe there is room for a slightly more powerful droid usable by the DE (and others). It dosn't have to be Uber, just a little bit more than we have. I posted elsewhere..I want to be able to do what I do now (craft good quality droids) and also experience some more of the content of this game. As it is I either have to have a second account, or I have to abandon my friends made up over months. This is not a good formula for player happiness.
I don't want to upset Jenden's business with an influx, even if he is not a MA. He plays his own game and thats cool.
I Dont want to upset Kollos and his monumental desire to be a 'pure crafter'..let that be so.
But , the fact remains that even medium level groups wont accept a DE, we contribute next to nothing, and there is no need or reasonwhy that should remain true. My PA thinks its amusing I want to come on hunts.
If the probot was like it was before, in this updated world, would it honestly be imbalancing? So much has changed, and yet we remain as we were. Even if the answer is yes, is there not some room for improvement in the only droid we have that stands any chance. I see no anwere in upcoming publishes either.
Well I for one think thats is not right. And, I am tired of trying to find a middle ground. I said all along I dont want Rancor Droids, but even that doesnt satisfy the purists. We have always been somewhat of a hybrid, more so before the probot nerf, but again, that was before the CH nerf. Like I said, all has changed. Except us.
Its time to add, not take away.
Mid level is somewhere we should all come to agreement and put this horrible split to bed once and for all
Cheerily