Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Am I on a treadmill??
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Chris97b
Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:17 am
#1
Hello all, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster.
I began playing SWG about a year ago, but had to quit after about 3 months (financial reasons) and I just started up again.
I love the DE idea, as soon as I found out I could build droids, there was just no other carreer for me (that, and I really don't find combat all that amusing. I would rather hand craft a one of a kind droid than blast some interstellar cockroach)
The thing is, I feel like I'm stuck, like I'm on a treadmill: running like mad, but going nowhere. I have all artisan except master, and novice DE. I'm constantly broke, and it just seems like I've hit a wall. I have no cash, no marketable skills, nothing I can sell (except crappy MSE droids, and I can't even make them det for the BHs)
I have no resources, and no funds for a harvester (see above) I tried using a personal mineral harvester, but I just didn't have the cash to keep it running. (running crafting missions at 800 MAYBE 900 bucks each gets a little old after 300 of them) Basically, I just ran missions, bought resources, and ground crafting tools to get where I am.
How do I get past this hump? Do I need to just suck it up, and run another 10,000 missions to buy the resources to advance in DE? Has anyone else ran into this?
Please don't get me wrong, I *LOVE* being a DE, I will NEVER give it up, it just seems like I'm going to be stuck selling MSE droids with no modules as toys for 1000 bucks a pop till SOE shuts down the last SWG server. (heck, I can run a mission and get more cash than that, in less time, and I don't have to spend 8 hours on my hands and knees surveying)
Also, with Master Artisan, I can't seem to find anyone who needs to be trained, so I'm really not seing how I will ever get master. (At least with MA, MAYBE I will be able to build something people actually want to buy)
I'm on Kauri. It seems really dead compared to when I played before. I have been back for maybe a week now, and I think I've seen maybe 50 players. I used to see that many in one city. Is kauri dead? Should I suck it up, and (*gasp*) start over on a new server?
Guilds: I would really like to find a guild of DE's, just to try and get some advice, or maybe offer my services building the crap parts cheap, since DEs appear to be the only people who need what I make. Are there any DE guilds on Kauri, or any guilds who need a DE, and are willing to deal with my crap, and the fact that it will be some time before I can build anything useful?
Please understand, I don't expect to get rich of this, I just want to build something that's actually functional, and contribute my part to the economy. If I can make enough cash to sustain my training, and build the occasional cool droid, I'm happy.
Sorry so long, and thanks to everyone here for the advice I have gleaned from this forum over the past while; as well as any help you can give.
-Chris
I began playing SWG about a year ago, but had to quit after about 3 months (financial reasons) and I just started up again.
I love the DE idea, as soon as I found out I could build droids, there was just no other carreer for me (that, and I really don't find combat all that amusing. I would rather hand craft a one of a kind droid than blast some interstellar cockroach)
The thing is, I feel like I'm stuck, like I'm on a treadmill: running like mad, but going nowhere. I have all artisan except master, and novice DE. I'm constantly broke, and it just seems like I've hit a wall. I have no cash, no marketable skills, nothing I can sell (except crappy MSE droids, and I can't even make them det for the BHs)
I have no resources, and no funds for a harvester (see above) I tried using a personal mineral harvester, but I just didn't have the cash to keep it running. (running crafting missions at 800 MAYBE 900 bucks each gets a little old after 300 of them) Basically, I just ran missions, bought resources, and ground crafting tools to get where I am.
How do I get past this hump? Do I need to just suck it up, and run another 10,000 missions to buy the resources to advance in DE? Has anyone else ran into this?
Please don't get me wrong, I *LOVE* being a DE, I will NEVER give it up, it just seems like I'm going to be stuck selling MSE droids with no modules as toys for 1000 bucks a pop till SOE shuts down the last SWG server. (heck, I can run a mission and get more cash than that, in less time, and I don't have to spend 8 hours on my hands and knees surveying)
Also, with Master Artisan, I can't seem to find anyone who needs to be trained, so I'm really not seing how I will ever get master. (At least with MA, MAYBE I will be able to build something people actually want to buy)
I'm on Kauri. It seems really dead compared to when I played before. I have been back for maybe a week now, and I think I've seen maybe 50 players. I used to see that many in one city. Is kauri dead? Should I suck it up, and (*gasp*) start over on a new server?
Guilds: I would really like to find a guild of DE's, just to try and get some advice, or maybe offer my services building the crap parts cheap, since DEs appear to be the only people who need what I make. Are there any DE guilds on Kauri, or any guilds who need a DE, and are willing to deal with my crap, and the fact that it will be some time before I can build anything useful?
Please understand, I don't expect to get rich of this, I just want to build something that's actually functional, and contribute my part to the economy. If I can make enough cash to sustain my training, and build the occasional cool droid, I'm happy.
Sorry so long, and thanks to everyone here for the advice I have gleaned from this forum over the past while; as well as any help you can give.
-Chris
Jenden
Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:36 am
#2
One of the things I did when starting was ran a couple missions for some harvesters (10 would get em enough to pay for 10 small harvesters for a day), used those to harvest resources, and sold off the resources. Rinse and repeat till I had a decent stockpile of cash, then sold off what resources I didn't use for making droids.
Velneth
Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:49 am
#3
One thing I'll point out... you can throw in a crafting station with those MSE's. Novices can make weapon.droid/generic stations... which at least for me sell (on Eclipse... though, there seems to be a slump right now...)
TheRealTK421
Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:51 am
#4
What he said. Get yourself a stockpile of credits and then start digging in deep. I didn't even attempt to get serious until I had like 100k banked to buy factories, harvesters, resources, etc.
Jenden wrote:
...till I had a decent stockpile of cash, then sold off what resources I didn't use for making droids.
Once you have some 'start-up capital', you can turn on the heat and get to cookin'.
/bow
Respectfully,
neinnunb
Wed Sep 22, 2004 10:06 am
#5
Here is my trick for best non-combat money:
Artisan crafting missions from Mos Eisley to Anchorhead. Look for a mission in Eisley that pays at least 1200 credits. Those are the ones that end up in Anchorhead. Now with shuttles taking off every 5 minutes its even faster.
If you have at least Pistols, Rifles or Carbines IV and a gun that is certed in any of those skills and equipped when you browse the artisan terminal, you will then find 1200+ credit missions that take you from Anchorhead to Eisley so you can take more missions on your way back to Eisley. I know that sounds silly but thats how the crazy devs have made you get better paying artisan missions.
You will be making credits relatively quick this way. 
Ke_la
Wed Sep 22, 2004 10:06 am
#6
Sence thoughs above me gave you the best advice I can give
I'll TRY to explane why your city may seem deserted. As I am not on your server I don't know for shure, but its likly everyone is ether working out of Player Cities or on Advanced and Adventure Planets Hunting. Places like the Dant Mining Outpost and A large Player City in South Lok on my server(Intrepid) always seem busy. Also lots of people are grinding FSXP on Dathmore.
I'll TRY to explane why your city may seem deserted. As I am not on your server I don't know for shure, but its likly everyone is ether working out of Player Cities or on Advanced and Adventure Planets Hunting. Places like the Dant Mining Outpost and A large Player City in South Lok on my server(Intrepid) always seem busy. Also lots of people are grinding FSXP on Dathmore.
RasalTheWise
Wed Sep 22, 2004 11:39 am
#7
A great place for artisans to run high-payoff missions is from Tyrena to the island in Corellia. They pay off like 1500 a mission (you might have to refresh the missions a couple times to find 'em). And with shuttle times down to five minutes, you can rake in the dough.
Anyway, the first cashflow from actual products for me was from droid batteries. It wasn't much, but I sat in Coronet selling batteries for 100/piece and it seemed to work. After that, I just ran the Tyrena missions to generate cash flow for grinding resources and maintenance for buildings. During all this, I was scouting out a good vendor location.
Once you have a good vendor location, no more sitting outside the starport annoying people with your barking. Once you get MDE, you're set...so to speak.
Anyway, the first cashflow from actual products for me was from droid batteries. It wasn't much, but I sat in Coronet selling batteries for 100/piece and it seemed to work. After that, I just ran the Tyrena missions to generate cash flow for grinding resources and maintenance for buildings. During all this, I was scouting out a good vendor location.
Once you have a good vendor location, no more sitting outside the starport annoying people with your barking. Once you get MDE, you're set...so to speak.
Jjiaah
Wed Sep 22, 2004 1:12 pm
#8
One other bit of advice that may help you out. If you haven't already, do the Green Can newbie droid missions. All of them.
You get a little over 2k per beginning profession, and there are 5 of them. Plus you'll get the free cloning voucher, free travel voucher, and a 5 use rental speeder.
They're relatively easy to do, andat least3of them can be completed in less than 1/2 hour. All of them can be done in about 2 hours if you'reat a busy city (with acrowded cantina and med center).
As a bonus to this, while you don't care much for combat... getting some combat skills at the beginning and doing NPC missions is one of the fastest ways to get cash. On Naboo for example, once you get to rifles 2, you can run Alkhara(sp?) gungan and plasma thief missions. There are max 5 NPC's at the lairs, very easy to take down with no armor or buffs (using cover and headshot), and they drop cash themselves. You can complete 2 missions in about 15-20 mins max. At 1k+ a pop, plus 100-600c in extra loot, that adds up in a hurry.
Plus the added bonus of potential loot-kit items off of NPCs which can sell for 6k - 1mil (depending on your server and which piece you get). Either way, even the lowest pieces sold in the bazaar or in auction channel will supplement cash quickly.
Not to mention, that taking critter missions while you have scout is another cash flow. Sell harvested Hides (always harvest the same type... but check each type for quality before settling) for example on the bazaar for 2-3cpu. If you get 1k in hides, while running missions and sell for 2cpu in bazaar... you just made 2k more cash for no extra work.
Once you have your cash base (about 100-150k should be enough), get some power (doesn't need to be much - like 20k of any radioactive 500+ PE should do the trick) and throw up some Harvs. Have 1 pulling up power at all times (at least BER10), and the rest resources regardless of quality (BER4 personals minimum). If you get lucky you can find something high quality to sell off, or something rare like Tolium gas. Sell some for more cash, and save some for making your Det Droids later. You can even sell off some of the extra power.
There you have cash flow, resources coming in, and a base start for getting DE going full speed.
I hope at the very least that something I said here give a bit of encouragement. It is a vicious treadmill, but it's not infinite. There is an end in sight, just how long it takes to get there depends on you.
Zorkk
Wed Sep 22, 2004 1:18 pm
#9
I'd also like to add/suggest you see if there are other MDE's on the server that sell components.... perhaps you can get a de to make you 25 or so lvl 6 storage compartments, or other actually useful modules that you can insert into the chassis' you can make I know there's a DE on flurry that has vendors full of droid modules
I know there's a DE on flurry that has vendors full of droid modulesstorage (even level 4 or 5 modules would be good for a novice)
the other crafting stations (food/chem, structure/furniture, clothing/armour)
foam entertainer effects
you can put any 1 of those into a MSE sell it on the bazaar for 3-6K once you get adv mses, then start putting in storage/crafting, and sell for 6K
once you get adv mses, then start putting in storage/crafting, and sell for 6K Definatly getting yourself some harvesters going, and finding a good buyer for the resources you aren't going to be using will help out immensely.... especialy if you can find someone that will buy anything they can for 1.5-2 cpu to resell higher. you just need to unload and get cash quick, not sit on something hoping for a good price.
Z
Straker_Atrella
Wed Sep 22, 2004 1:23 pm
#10
To elaborate more on what TK and other said about selling resources. Now common sense would tell you to harvest what you need to grind DE, yet that is the opposite of what you want to do.
First, learn to use SWGCRAFT.com find what the hottest best current resource on your server is. Preferebly something for Armor or Weaponsmith. Harvest as much as you can, either by hand, or with personal harvestors.
Put it on the bazaar, should be able to sell 1k for about 6k, if not even more. Sell as much as you can. Invest the profits into more harvestors. Rinse and repeat.
Eventually, all of your lots will be filled with heavy harvestors, and you will no longer be selling on the bazaar, but directly to people. Build yourself a little bankroll, THEN you start harvesting for yourself.
I know it would be nice to make a living from selling novice DE parts, but that isn't likely. Sorry.
Chris97b
Wed Sep 22, 2004 3:13 pm
#11
Thanks all!!
Some great advice. as soon as I get off of work I'm going to try it out. BTW, I REALLY wish I could have gotten the "green can" missions at the beginning. Would have saved me 2 weeks (as I said, I started SWG over a year ago) Is there any way to do them now??
Thanks again all, I really appreciate it!
*bookmarks DE Forum*
-Chris
Some great advice. as soon as I get off of work I'm going to try it out. BTW, I REALLY wish I could have gotten the "green can" missions at the beginning. Would have saved me 2 weeks
(as I said, I started SWG over a year ago) Is there any way to do them now?? Thanks again all, I really appreciate it!
*bookmarks DE Forum*
-Chris
Ke_la
Wed Sep 22, 2004 5:51 pm
#12
Yes you get them each time you learn a "starting" Profession. So if you go pick-up say Novice Entertainer You will get an entertainer "green can", Same for all the other "frist Tree profs" (the ones that don't have some other min requirment Like Polititions does)
AudioOrgana
Wed Sep 22, 2004 8:45 pm
#13
Start with personal harvesters - if you have Eng III you can make both mineral and wind power personal harvesters with low maint/power costs.
Run some missions - which might mean picking up some combat skills in the meantime, even just Pistols or Rifles IV in novice marksman will help.
We all had to do it. I spent the first three days of live play running deliver missions between Naboo cities - I never saw the outside of a city that whole week. When I was working my way up DE, I used personal harvesters until I could afford better ones. I got my metal each day, and worked as far as I could, rinsed, repeated the next day.
The mechanisms for you to make money are there - you just need to take advantage of them. Think of it like someone having to work as a waiter to put themselves through medical school - ya gotta do what you gotta do.
AO
Run some missions - which might mean picking up some combat skills in the meantime, even just Pistols or Rifles IV in novice marksman will help.
We all had to do it. I spent the first three days of live play running deliver missions between Naboo cities - I never saw the outside of a city that whole week. When I was working my way up DE, I used personal harvesters until I could afford better ones. I got my metal each day, and worked as far as I could, rinsed, repeated the next day.
The mechanisms for you to make money are there - you just need to take advantage of them. Think of it like someone having to work as a waiter to put themselves through medical school - ya gotta do what you gotta do.
AO
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