Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Cerification Methods
Anyway, what do you think of this idea? If you don't like it, how specifically would you like to see certification work?
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Okay, assuming we're going to have a certification system how about instead of basing it on your level in an existing or proposed class, base it on your experience in the SWG universe? Assign points to each box within a skill, then use that total to restrict droid usage.
What I mean is instead of saying "A marksman of X rank can control Y droid", make it so "A charactor with X points worth of skillboxes can control Y robot".
So it'd work something like this:
Basic class(ie artisan, marksman):
Tier 1 - 1 point
Tier 2 - 2 points
etc
Elite class(ie weaponsmith, fencer)
Tier 1 - 5 points
Tier 2 - 6 points
etc
Utility Droids - any charactor can use them
Combat droids:
DZ70 cert (up the DZ70 HAM to 300) - 0 points
Probot - 12 points
Roger, Roger droid - 50 points
Droideka - 148 points
This way, all beginners can have a basic combat droid. Any class with all 4 skill trees at tier 2, or class with tier 4 in one skill and tier 2 in other, or any of the combinations could have a probot. The Roger,Roger droid would go to someone who's mastered a basic class or multiskilled a lot. The droideka would go to an elite master or someone who multiclassed but is working on their elite skills.
This will allow those who diversify their skills or concentrate in non-combat classes to be able to obtain decent droids.
There's also enough flexibility in this to mess around with the numbers and add more droids in the gaps in future expansions as well.
Point methods have been discussed several times. The new idea in this one is that each skill box gets it's own amount of 'points' seperate from SPs consumed. But the way this system is managed it may as well use SPs to rate progress instead of skillbox 'points'. The problem about a newbie attain multiple novice skillboxes is eliminated by the point system here as well.
All in all, a new spin on the SP based cerficiation system.
This is one of the better cert proposals I have seen so far 
I wish there were some way to get the devs to visit our boards more...
Wish I had an edit button...
In any case, Holo has indicated that there WILL be some sort of certs - and maybe even a seperate Droid Handler class. For a number of reasons, I think that a DH class would be ruinous to the DE class - if for no other reason that the DE dependancy on the MA tree. It would not be like a BE/CH - as DE's would not be able to use their own droids, and have ANY fighting skill at all.
With that said, I think that coming up with certification ideas that are better than some of the possible brute force type methods that might be used by the devs is a good thing.
For exampel, lets say that the devs tie the certs for combat droids to weapon skill levels. Then the DE's, the one's who made the droids would not be able to use them.
Now, if they added a huge range of new droids - for example, a special droid type only usable by smugglers, another one only useable by squad leaders, etc, it might not be so bad. But I don't see that happening for some time.
Well, my idea was to use SPs and havethe limiting factor being their highest ranking skillbox. To prevent the jack-of-all-trades novices (that would gain tons of novice skills for the SP use to gain droid certs), your highest ranking skillbox is used as a limitation.
For example, using the example outlined above a novice would be able to use a DZ70.
Aperson with X amount of SPs consumed AND at least the third skillbox in one skill tree for a novice profession would be able to use a probot.
Then to use a 'roger-roger' droid they would have to haveX SPs used up and either novice of an elite profession, or master of a novice profession.
And for the droideka they would have to use X SPs up and attain the third skillbox in an elite profession skill tree.
That's just a rough guide, but I believe that system would work as well. But if a point system is being used for skillboxes, then they might as well revert to the SP system...
Fig wrote:Point methods have been discussed several times. The new idea in this one is that each skill box gets it's own amount of 'points' seperate from SPs consumed. But the way this system is managed it may as well use SPs to rate progress instead of skillbox 'points'. The problem about a newbie attain multiple novice skillboxes is eliminated by the point system here as well.
All in all, a new spin on the SP based cerficiation system.
I thought of using the SPs already assigned too but while this works for the basics classes it messes up when you get into the advanced/elite professions where thier SP cost decreases as they progress through their profession. And not assigning the novice skill boxes points, ie only using tier-skills earned, will prevent someone from taking all the basic classes and qualifying for high point droids.
Sketh, I sincerely hope they don't decide to start a DH class. I always believed that droids should belong to all(that's why utility droids have no point value) even though I do see the necessity of restricting combat droids.
Fig wrote:
The main thing I have against the droid handler class is that it doesn't let us use the droids we create! While this is understandable for things like weapons, which require some marksmanship abilities to actually use effectively, it makes little to no sense as to why you would create a droid and program it yourself and not know how to use it.
Exactly. Only one thig to add:
CERTS FOR DROIDS ARE BAD.
C-Type -
Once again, Holo has said they are gonna happen before we get good combat droids. In no uncertain terms did he say this. Three approaches have been put forth:
- Some as yet undeveloped cert system.
- DE's only being able to use high level combat droids (there goes the market)
- A Droid Handler class (yrchhh... and we have the skill points for this?
)
Take your pick - loss of market, a ham-fisted approach involving a droid handler class, or a cert system that we can live with?
Only specialized droids (ie BH droids) should require certs. (Or high lvl battle\millitary droids). The rest should be open to anyone.
Are their any "illegal" droid types in the SW universe? Im not a heavy fan so I dont know, but it could be interesting to tie the DE with smuggler class for operating illegal droids.
In any case, certs for droids leaves an un-easy feeling in my stomache. Dont wanna be a mechanized version of the CH\BE proffessions.
Once again, I agree. I would MUCH rather not have certs. However, basically, they are going to happen. THere is no way that the devs are going to let high level combat droids out of the box w/o certs.
I really like the origonal poster's idea. It allows anyone to use the utility droids, and gates the use of the combat droids in a logical manner.
Now, if the devs would just listen to this board like they did the merchant board....
(I posted this on another thread, but since it's applicable here, I'm reposting it)
My opinions...
Current situation = The worst possible outcome.
Split the situation into Droid Engineers & Droid Handlers = Mindless, not in step with the movies, band-aid fix.
Skill Certification = Does not help DE's use their own creations, not in step with the movies, just dumb.
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My suggestion. Hear me out on this. Just like with vehicles are licensed and taxed by my great state of California, what about a "Droid Registration Certificate" that is directly linked to the type or class of droid employed. Example: in reality, if you purchased a 60,000 dollar SUV in the state of California, car registration costs an arm and a leg each year you claim you're using that vehicle. A whole series of certificates can be "purchased" from planetary governments for the "registration, tracking, and administration" of these droids. This could be a deed item that shows up in your datapad and resemble the way maintenance works for houses or harvesters. You could view the status of your registration, cancel or modify it at any time with the planetary government, add credits, etc... A mouse droid with a storage module in it might have a maintenance fee of 1 while the Advanced R4 with 110 Medical module would be right in the middle, and of course, the truly advanced combat droids would be the "SUV's" of SWG... a bit costly, but certainly manageable.
It could work just like vehicle registration works: you still own the property and may retain your droid indefinitely, but in order for you to use it, you must be "current" on your Registration. If you're not current with your registration of your droid, you simply can't use it. DE's should have a significant reduction in these fees, by the way, since they could be "subsidized" by the planetary governments.
This is a multifaceted fix: It will hopefully help DE's sell more goods (but SOE still needs to make droids truly useful), it will help remove more cash from the economy, it will prevent the wanton ab(use) of droids (ala Pokemon pet situation we have currently). This could easily "fly" with the whole Star Wars saga since it's plausable that the governments might want to tax labor done by droids or something. Win, win, win situation.
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The Devs really still need to fix the droid lineup, make the modules work properly, add more combat droids, fix experimentation and customization and a whole MESS of other things... My suggestion above is purely to help prevent what is going on with Pets happening to droids AFTER all these problems are fixed.
Heck, they could even do this with Pets the way the system works now... that would go A LONG WAY to help this game with it's horrendous pet problem.
Might want to look at this post on the main boards:
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=Development&message.id=508386
It is not my thread, but I took the liberty of reposting Raleran0 's suggestion there.