Droid Engineer Archive

I decided to dust off an old idea and add some more details to it. Our Deed Crafting system is in need of a major overhaul. I think that the DE profession needs to have its Deed crafting system completely changed, so that it is much more healthy. Now that Armor has been changed so that people can have a choice between what 'skin' they want on their armor, depending on armor type, we clearly see that people want to make their own choice.

When someone wants to buy a Droid, they usually ask for the droid that will offer them the greatest number of modules over the actual look of the droid. This has lead to the largest majority of Droids sales being limited to the Adv R3, Adv Probot, and Adv R2. Very few people own Power Droids, BLLs, or Treadwells in comparison, even though these three droids have a much more distinct look. The following is a change that I think would help to breathe a lot of life back into all of the 13 different Chassis types, and at the same time offer a larger overall market.

Droid Model Redesign

In order to change the current system of design, we need to do away with the Advanced/Basic droid models. We also should do away with the concept that only an Adv R3 has 6 modules or that a Power Droid will always have 1 Module slot. Instead of each droid model having a set number of modules, the Droid Model should instead represent the skin being used.

To do this, we would need to give each Droid Model a corresponding Chassis. Everything from an MSE to a BLL would have a Chassis that would be used in the creation of a final droid deed. The Chassis / Deed relationship would no longer be limited to a per droid model basis. At Novice, instead of gaining the MSE deed, a Droid Engineer would gain an MSE Chassis and a 1 Module non-Combat Droid Deed. The MSE chassis would be built using the same methods as the MSE deed, but would not include module sockets. Once completed, the MSE chassis would be used in the 1Module non-Combat Droid Deed. By using the MSE Chassis, the 1Module non-Combat Droid deed would take on the characteristics of an MSE droid. The finished droid would look like an MSE and would have the same features as an MSE (bonus to Detonation Modules).

At Master, a Droid Engineer would gain the 6Module Combat and non-Combat Droid Deed. This would allow a Master Droid Engineer the ability to turn any of the current droid models intoa droid with 6 Module sockets. The following chart illustrates what changes would be made to during this process, from Novice to Master, on the Droid Blueprints line.

|---------------------------------------|
| Master |
| Droid Engineer |
|---------------------------------------|
| 6 Module Combat DroidDeed|
| 6 Module non-Combat DroidDeed|
|---------------------------------------|
| Master |
| DroidBlueprints|
|---------------------------------------|
|5 Module Combat DroidDeed|
|5 Module non-Combat DroidDeed|
| Binary Load Lifter Chassis |
| R3 Chassis|
| ProtocolDroid Chassis|
|---------------------------------------|
| Expert|
| DroidBlueprints|
|---------------------------------------|
|4 Module Combat DroidDeed|
|4 Module non-Combat DroidDeed|
| R2 Chassis |
| Probot Chassis |
| Surgical Droid Chassis|
| LE Repair Droid Chassis |
|---------------------------------------|
| Advanced |
| DroidBlueprints|
|---------------------------------------|
|3 Module Combat DroidDeed|
|3 Module non-Combat DroidDeed|
| R4 Chassis |
| PowerDroid Chassis |
|---------------------------------------|
| Intermediate|
| DroidBlueprints|
|---------------------------------------|
|2 Module Combat DroidDeed|
|2 Module non-Combat DroidDeed|
| DZ70Chassis |
| R5 Chassis |
| Treadwell Chassis|
|---------------------------------------|
| Novice |
| DroidEngineer|
|---------------------------------------|
|1 Module non-Combat DroidDeed|
|1 Module Combat DroidDeed|
| MSE Chassis |
|---------------------------------------|

This change would have a significant impact on the variety of Droid Models that would be seen in use. No longer would droid use be limited to just personal taste or overall benefits. If such a change was made, a larger variety of droids and droid configurations would be created, which would help to stimulate the overall market of each Droid Engineer.

Here is an example of what the 6 Module Combat Droid Deed would look like. I'll explain the optional components in the appropriate section.

|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| Resource |Resource |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| Droid Chassis | Personality Chip|
||(Optional with Converse Chassis)|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|1 CombatModule Socket | 1 CombatModule Socket|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|1 Armor Module| 1 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| LootComponent- Appearance|LootComponent- Power up|
| (Optional) | (Optional) |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

Droid Deed
Vs
Droid Chassis

The Droid Deeds would work the in the same manner as Advanced Droid Deeds do, that use an Advanced Droid Chassis. The amount and type of resources used in the crafting process, for each droid deed, would be left up to the DEVs to decide. The current Advanced Droid Chassis' would be transfer directly to the new system. For droids without an Advanced Chassis, the Basic deed model would be used as the Droid Chassis.

Combat Droid Deed
Vs
Non-Combat Droid Deed

Combat Droid Deeds would only use the current Combat Droids. Non-Combat Droid Deeds would only use the current non-Combat Droids.I thinkthis is pretty self explanatory and wouldn't be that difficult to figure out. Such a change may also help to straighten out the Combat-Capable Module Socket Cluster and General Module Socket Cluster issue that some people have with Droid building.

|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|6 Module non-Combat DroidDeed |2Non-CombatModule Sockets|
| |2 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|6 Module Combat DroidDeed|2CombatModule Sockets |
| |2 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|5 Module non-Combat DroidDeed |2 Non-Combat Module |
| |1Non-CombatModule Socket|
| |2 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|5 Module Combat DroidDeed |2 Combat Module |
| |1CombatModule Socket |
| |2 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|4 Module non-Combat DroidDeed |1 Non-Combat Module |
| |1Non-CombatModule Socket|
| |2 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|4 Module Combat DroidDeed |1 Combat Module |
| |1CombatModule Socket |
| |2 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|3 Module non-Combat DroidDeed |3 Non-Combat Module |
| |1 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|3 Module Combat DroidDeed |3 Combat Module |
| |1 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|2 Module non-Combat DroidDeed |2 Non-Combat Module |
| |1 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|2 Module Combat DroidDeed |2 Combat Module |
| |1 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|1 Module non-Combat DroidDeed |1 Non-Combat Module |
| |1 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|1 Module Combat DroidDeed |1 Combat Module |
| |1 Armor Module |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

ComponentChanges

Besides the obvious crafting changes that would need to take place, with changing the Advanced / Basic Chassis, there are a number of other issues that should be resolved at the same time. The following components should have their resource qualities removed, since experimentation should not matter.

The newest version of the Centralized Droid Issues thread clearly shows how many of these components are bugged, due to experimentation not playing a role. The removal of the resource qualities would take away a lot of the confusion that many new Droid Engineers have in regards to what matters for experimentation.

Removal of the Mechanism Quality Rating

The craftingchanges should also include the removal of the Mechanism QualityRating on all DE built items, including all modules andsubconponents. On parts that the MechanismQualitycurrently matters, the name should be changed to reflect the component being experimented on. (IE The MQ rating on ISDs should be changed to a listing for the amount of time it takes for the droid to return.)The removal of the Mechanism Qualtity Rating would also go a long way towards removing the confusion that many new Droid Engineers experience. If the MQ rating was removed, then experimentation on the following parts could also be removed, to reduce the above mentioned confusion.

• 
  
  Merchant Barker Module






Playback Module




Droid Repair Module



• 
  
  Effects Module (Avian)


• Effects Module (Confetti)


• Effects Module (Dancing Jawa)


• Effects Module (Electric Fog)


• Effects Module (Foam)


• Effects Module (Mind Bloom)
  




Clothing Droid Crafting Station Module


Food Droid Crafting Station Module


• 
  
  Structure Droid Crafting Station Module


• Weapon Droid Crafting Station Module


• Ship Component Crafting Station Module
  


• 
  
  Geeky Droid Personality Chip


• 
  
  Slang Droid Personality Chip


• Prissy Droid Personality Chip


• 
  
  Stupid Droid Personality Chip


• Sarcastic Droid Personality Chip


• 
  
  Worshipful Droid Personality Chip

Optional Components

Personality Chips -
The Droid Personality Chips would only become usable in a droid deed, if a converse chassis style was used.

Loot Component - Appearance -
This could be a lootcomponent that could be added later in the game through either a Faction Recruiter or a Jawa loot drop item. The appearance would of each droid could be modified in some way, such as a different head for the Protocol Droid, a different texture pattern, or an increased customization pallete.

Loot Component - Power Up -
This could be a lootcomponent that could be added later in the game through either a Faction Recruiter or a Jawa loot drop item. The power up could boost such things as Item Storage space, Combat Stats, Health increase, Harvestor increase.

Deed Experimentation

Since all other aspects of the construction process are under the cursor, deed experimenation could also be changed to take advantage of the recently changed CL30 system. The experimentation process could be changed from 3 experimentationlines, that do not work, to 2 lines of experimentation that are effected by what is installed in the droid.

Experimental Effectiveness -
This line of experimentation would increase the Health of each droid, based upon the CL of the droid, due to the Armor and Combat Modules installed. The base Health of the droid would be lowered, from what it is now, to compensate for the increases made by experimentation.

Experimental Quality -
This line of experimentation would increase theCombatstatsof each droid, based upon the CL of the droid, due to the Combat Modules installed. The base combat stats of the droid would be lowered, from what it is now, to compensate for the increases made by experimentation.The Combat Rating could play a direct role in the damage statics, making it easier to hit the maximum damage using high rated combat modules

Example - The Combat Rating of a droid, before experimentation starts, is 106. 8 Experimentation points are needed to increase the damage stats on the droid to maximum. The Combt Rating of another droid, before experimentation starts, is 500. 2 Experimentation points are needed to increase the damage stats on the droid to maximum.

Droid Deed Listings

All Droid Deeds should show information that is understandable to the Droid Owner. This should include the following

• 
  
  Combat stats that a Droid has such as damage and armor


• 
  
  How many items a droid can store


• 
  
  What skills are needed to use the certain module


• 
  
  How many Strutures a droid can service

Faction Content

In order to tie Droid Engineers into the GCW, faction schematics could be offered for both Imperials and Rebels. The schematics could be limted use, 5 single uses per schematic. The Faction schematic droids would need to be bio-linked, just like faction armor is bio-linked. The schematics could only be purchased by a Master Droid Engineer through Faction Point cost.Here are the schematics that I would suggest

7 Module Droid Deed (Combat and non-Combat) This one is pretty self explainitory. This schematic would allow a Master Droid Engineer the ability to craft a 7 Module Droid Deed. There would be a Combat and a non-Combat version of the deed.

Droid Chassis The Faction Recruiter could offer a 5 use schematic for the following Droid Chassis styles - Battle Droid, Droideka, and Super Battle Droid. These Droid Chassis' would increase the maximum CL of a droid to 45 - 50. These three droid chassis' would be faction use only, just like AT-ST and Troopers.

Innate Droid Fuctions

There are a few issues that would arise with such a change. Namely, we would have the issue of the Super MSE bomb Droid. This could be addressed by giving each droid a built in function such as the following.

• 
  
  Binary Load Lifter Droid




• 
  
  +5 Item Storage.


• DZ70 Droid




• +10 Creature Harvest Bonus.


• LE Repair Droid




• +10 Auto-Repair.


• MSE Droid




• +10 Detonation Power.


• Power Droid




• Power all Droids, including itself.


• Probot Droid




• +500 Armor Effectiveness


• Protocol Droid




• Innate Barker Module


• R2 Droid




• Innate Level3Data Storage Module


• R3 Droid




• Innate Level4Data Storage Module


• R4 Droid




• Innate Level2Data Storage Module


• R5 Droid




• Innate Level1Data Storage Module


• Surgical Droid




• Innate Level 4 Medical Module


• Treadwell Droid




• Innate Droid Repair Module

All of these functions could stack with the module that they correspond with, with the exception of the BLL's item storage, which would stack (IE Level 6 + BLL = 15 item storage).

Centralized Droid Issues Thread Material?

I wanted to get feedback from the DE community on whether or not this was material that should be added to Section 4 of the Centralized Droid Issues thread.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Message Edited by Drashk on 07-12-2005 07:40 AM

Excellent compilation of various ideas. A lot of this is I am for. Perhaps a good chunk of this will be implemented when the "crafting upgrade" they've been talking about gets pushed out.

As far as adding this to the "central issues" thread, I'm not sure it belongs there. It's a great idea, worthy of sticking to the top, but it may not necessarily be appropriate to be blended into the droid issues thread. Just my two cents.

---

RasalTheWise wrote:
As far as adding this to the "central issues" thread, I'm not sure it belongs there. It's a great idea, worthy of sticking to the top, but it may not necessarily be appropriate to be blended into the droid issues thread. Just my two cents.

---

I agree that it doesn't belong directly in the content of the thread, but it should be at least linked to it. If you haven't had the chance to see it, the new Centralized Droid Issues thread is somewhat broken down into 4 sections. There are a few 'feature creepers' in Sections 1 and 2, but they are geared towards the perspective of showing the DEVs what we have been talking about.

Sections 3 and 4 are going to be geared towards more of a DE perspective on how we see things, in a hopes to further explain to the DEV team our position. I really have to wonder if part of the issues that we have been seeing with our profession is a lack of DEV understanding for our, and our customers, point of view. Having a list of examples to follow might help out with any future development.

Message Edited by Drashk on 07-11-2005 11:10 PM

OMG Drashk, please, somehow, get a Dev to notice this proposal!

This system perfect! I'd like to make a suggustion to make it better, but I don't see ANYTHING wrong with it. The chassis bonuses have got the be the best part. They make sense of the chassis' in the game. This should be in Section 4 of the Centralized Droid Issues (CDI) thread (or at least a link to from there to here). This sums up a great deal of the things that the community has aksed for and added other ideas to make it work. And I agree with Tigasnake, a Developer should see this, and the CDI.

I like it. I think it might end up being a bit too big coding/time wise to ever get implemented, but that doesn't mean we can't try. Only real critique I had right now was the combat/noncombat "sockets" should be labeled either socket clusters or even just clusters to cut down on confusion. Will probably add more as I turn it over in my mind.

---

Atan wrote:

Very good collection of ideas, just some nit-picking:

The use of "Socket"instead of Clusteris a bit confusing (a "6 Socket Combat DroidDeed" with "2CombatModule Socket"?)

I corrected the Socket Issue. Renamed them all Module where appropriate.

Regarding the MSE Innate Bonus, the +10 Det. bonus would fall in line with their current use, yes. But a Courier or Maintenance Ability would fit better, according to the Starwars.com Databank

Not really any other benefit that isn't already covered in some way. I agree that something else may be appropriate, however like you said, it fits with what we have now.

And for balancing the CL of the Droideka should be the same as the AT-ST (CL 65)
(Maybe 55 for the SBD and 40 for the Battle Droid)

I listed them as a general CL, so that the number isn't set in stone for each droid. Those decisions are made for the Red named people.

The costs for Bio-linking a Droideka should be the same as a AT-ST costs at a recruiter, or higher to keep them rarer (fits the timeline)

Timeline < limelight. Droidekas are found all over Lok. They since we are the 'heros' we would be the people to have the combat droids. I think that the bio-link should be in the price range of linking a set of armor, which I'm not certain on the cost. Regulating the droids to only Master DEs that purchase the schematic is a decent bottle necker on its own.

And whats most important, they should not be permadead, no faction perk should be, maybe 10 Uses or 1 every 12 hours

Vitality Decay should be enough of a decay on its own, since the three droids would be combat style. I disagree with limited use or a time factor. This would just ensure that the droid was never popular.

---

---

Jenden wrote:
I like it. I think it might end up being a bit too big coding/time wise to ever get implemented, but that doesn't mean we can't try. Only real critique I had right now was the combat/noncombat "sockets" should be labeled either socket clusters or even just clusters to cut down on confusion. Will probably add more as I turn it over in my mind.

---

• Packing in5-6 low grade combat modules, then exp on the final build.


• Packing in5-6 mid grade combat modules, with no exp needed on the final build.


• Packing in 3-4 high quality combat modules, with no exp needed in the final build.


• Packing in 1-2 High quality combat modules, with exp on the final build.

The only way to make maxed Health and maxed Combat rating droids should be with 1000 OQ checmical, and 3-4 top quality Combat modules. Being a 12 point DE should save you maybe a combat module slot. Making maxed Combat Droids should not be easy.

It may seem like I am trying to keep a monopoly as an experianced DE on making top droids, that isn't true. The reality is that there isn't that much of a difference between max and near maxed droids, just in calling them maxed. Obtaining that "maxed" name should only be gotten through a lot of serious work through resource watching and collecting.

---

Straker_Atrella wrote:

The only way to make maxed Health and maxed Combat rating droids should be with 1000 OQ checmical, and 3-4 top quality Combat modules. Being a 12 point DE should save you maybe a combat module slot. Making maxed Combat Droids should not be easy.

---

This is pretty much exactly what I was aiming for. Health would solely be based on the experimentation and the resources being used. Combat stats would be based on the Combat rating, the experimentation, and the resources used. In essense, experimentation on the Quality would besort oflike increasing the Combat Rating of the droid, under the old system.

Very good, I' have one or two small issues with this which ill post when i got time. But neither is major or fundamental. Peak quality proposal. Lets Rattle some sabers at the devs, till they hear this, that is if we even own sabers... and provided we wont be castrated for doing so as has been common fashon to those who have rattled sabers in the past.

---

Drashk wrote:

---

Straker_Atrella wrote:

The only way to make maxed Health and maxed Combat rating droids should be with 1000 OQ checmical, and 3-4 top quality Combat modules. Being a 12 point DE should save you maybe a combat module slot. Making maxed Combat Droids should not be easy.

---

This is pretty much exactly what I was aiming for. Health would solely be based on the experimentation and the resources being used. Combat stats would be based on the Combat rating, the experimentation, and the resources used. In essense, experimentation on the Quality would besort oflike increasing the Combat Rating of the droid, under the old system.

---

Yea, I just went into more detail then you did. I just wanted to clarify that it would need to be much harder then the lame system we have now.