Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Sodan's Hybrid DE Proposal
Lets do the math on a potenial Hybrid DE variant. I hate math. If I am wrong in my calculations pls correct them, rather than flame me. This is only one possible configuration, but is grounded in skillpoints and balance by comparison to CH.
It takes takes 77 skillpoints to be a 0044 CH. That gives you +36 max pet lvls and +4 stored pets among many other skills including taming etc. We will focus on the pet lvls only.
Under my hybrid proposal, all droid levels will be in the 0040 tree except for a small bonus at master. DEs -- from novice to master -- will be able to craft the droids and modules they can craft according to DE lvl as usual. To take advantage of the droid certs in the DE tree (0040)however, a DE must have at least one lvl 4 brawler or lvl 4 marksman skill. This reflects a bit of combat knowledge making combat droids appropriate for an otherwise crafting class.
It costs 29 kill points to get one lvl 4 branch in either marksman or brawler. It costs 49 skillpoints to get to 0040 in DE. Thus, under my proposal, a dabbling Hybrid DE would have to spend 78 points to get 0040 DE and a lvl 4 tree in marksman or brawler. In exchange for that skillpoint expenditure the Hybrid DE dabbler would get +35 Droid Lvls and +4 stored pets. Edit: Alternately, the max droid lvls would be somewhere between 25-35 to account for droid armor resists. The final number would be chosen by the devs since they have access to more balance info (HAM, resists, etc).
Under my proposal, DEs who care only for crafting may do so and prograss as if combat droids did not exist. Hybrid-minded DEs would get some combat droids to play with AND DE dabblers would get +35 in droid lvls and would also make up a substantial marker that both crafter and hybrid DEs couls sell to.
Some dabblers will want to sell and will no doubt impact our market. Query whether they will have any lidum extrusive ore or any of the new required resources. Also, 0044 DEs might create a market for more components since they will have only certs and blueprints. And if they have more than 0044 they're starting to be real DEs and they should be welcomed to the club. However, we can assume that most dabblers will want to go 0040 DE and a combat class like Master Pistoleer or whatever. The point is they will want to spend points at being good in combat and with 0040 they will NOT be making their own droids.
Dabblers will need droid stims, wound packs and the best combat modules credits can buy. We will sell these to them.
Crafters can craft all they want and never have to pick up a gun. Hybrid DEs can enjoy crafting on occasion and hunting as well. And best of all, my proposal does not dish out more checkers than can be purchased by a CH who spends 77 skill points to become a 0044 CH and gain 36s pet lvls.
This proposal avoids giving DEs free checkers; prevents non-combatants from other crafting professions (or newbies) from getting pet lvls without skills; gives a combat droid and droid stim market; allows combat minded DEs who spend the points access to the droids they love; and allows others to dabble and enjoy droids.
Message Edited by Sodan-droiddreamer on 03-05-2004 09:56 AM
Message Edited by Sodan-droiddreamer on 03-05-2004 11:01 AM
Message Edited by Sodan-droiddreamer on 03-05-2004 12:41 PM
Message Edited by Sodan-droiddreamer on 03-06-2004 06:45 PM
Sodan, this idea could actually work. At this point, I just want to see something worthwhile added to the DE profession. Given the "Minor Droid Transgression" we are getting thus far, and based on the Devs saying utility is either a) too difficult to code or b) extra checkers, and that they have the work for combat droids in process, this is probably the easiest workable solution.
Not a bad idea.
Still - it would be the only combat hybrid profession that has Artisan skills in it, wouldn't it? I can see that annoying people trying to build "uber templates".
Oh, wait....that's a GOOD thing. 
duncje wrote:
Sodan, this idea could actually work. At this point, I just want to see something worthwhile added to the DE profession. Given the "Minor Droid Transgression" we are getting thus far, and based on the Devs saying utility is either a) too difficult to code or b) extra checkers, and that they have the work for combat droids in process, this is probably the easiest workable solution.
The thing is they already worked up some cobmat droids. Betcha the super battle droid was for us. Under my proposal, they can add the Droideka, Super Battle Droid and IG-88 as long as they make them Lvl 35 or lower.
It goes without saying that high droid customizability is needed and that bug fixes should come first.
I'd suggest that we should maybe vote on it after a couple days of hashing (things don't happen over at SOE onthe weekends anyway, I don't think) but I'd say you have my vote. From my standpoint it seems solid.
Is this is assuming as well that the promised few utility modules are coming through as well or? You know how much I'm looking forward to that new Entertainer module 
Message Edited by TheWoody on 03-05-2004 09:03 AM
/sign
thisis whati was hopping to get when i say DE should be an hybrid profession.
Crafter can craft,
the one who only wants combat droids can have them without beeing able to do the same work as a "real" meanwhile having more combat skills.
and Hybrid who want to craft and use combat droids can have all of them at the price of no elite combat profession beside the powerfull combat Droids.
Sodan-droiddreamer wrote:
<snip>.
The thing is they already worked up some cobmat droids. Betcha the super battle droid was for us. Under my proposal, they can add the Droideka, Super Battle Droid and IG-88 as long as they make them Lvl 35 or lower.
It goes without saying that high droid customizability is needed and that bug fixes should come first.
I think (and hope I guess) that this has always been the sticking point, the belief born, Lord knows where, that anyone here wanted CL70 Droids.
Now you have put that one to bed, I honestly cannot see why this should be objected to. DE as a new 'type' of profession, without having the abomination of a completely seperate profession 'grafted on', and with proper combat pre-requisites...who could reasonably ask for a more balanced state?
All I know is that time is very swiftly running out for all of us, so can't we all agree for once?
Shian_Tavkin wrote:
All I know is that time is very swiftly running out for all of us, so can't we all agree for once?
It would be awesome if we could get behind this proposal and demonstrate consensus to the devs. Then Drashk could take the message directly to them. I think this proposal is WAY better than what we're getting and it does NOT mean we should not get 1) bug fixes and2) new utility modules (in that order).
This would be so frigging cool. Image being a DE who, having gotten some combat skills, gets to control very cool combat droids.
Another reason why this proposal is balanced is that it only gives droid lvls and +4 stored droids, unlike comperable skill point CH who gets additional skills. In fact, a DE with 0040 will NOTbe able to make any droids due to the parts beign in other trees while a 0044 CH will be able to tame lots of pets even if they are not BE'd pets.
This is a conservative no-free-checkers proposal.