Droid Engineer Archive

Ok, folks, Thunderheart told Drashk that we're stuck with DH or with lvl 10 combat droids UNLESS we give him solid ideas for certs. See below...

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TH responded:

well, for the time being, there will be no "high end" droids.

It will be the same as Pets - no handling over LvL 10.

UNLESS, I can get good feedback from you folks on how to implement them.

We WANT Droideka's in the game, but since they arent going on the DE tree, they have to go in some Skill tree that makes sense. Players MUST spend points and skill boxes to get this "Droid Handling" ability.

The devs intend on adding a "Droid Handler" profession (which would work like Creature Handlers) but thats a "next phase" thing and isn't going to be considered until Summertime (July-ish).

So in summary, if we were going to add Droidekas (above level 10), which skill trees would/should get the certs?

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I think we need to rally consensus against Droid Handler and for some manner of cert system in which DEs can use their droids. THIS IS NOT A POLL!!! It is a brief discussion before a poll.

I want to hear from RealTK421and others on how to word the poll as EXPANSIVELY as possible. This is not the time to quibble over how to configure droid certs. We want a poll that in one sentence (needs to fit in the subject line) will allow people to vote for or against the general idea of using droid certifications instead of a droid handler profession.

THEN once we have (I hope) established that certs are the consensus instead of droid handling, I repeat, THEN we will turn to specific cert proposals.

Yoru constructive comments are welcome only as to how to structure the poll and NOT as to whether the poll is a good idea, whether DH is a good idea, or other off-topic comments. Focus your comments on the fair, balanced and CLEAR wording that we can use for the poll (as well as its explanitory text).

Sodan,

I'll throw out some polling ideas and let you tweak a bit. I think that building the RIGHT question, by consensus, will give us the best polling results.

NOTE: Devs are fond of metrics, so we should try to get this right.


"Poll: Would you rather see combat droids/modules available as a new Droid Handler profession or thru a certification system?"

"Poll:Droid Handler professionvs. Combat Droid Certification system - Which is better for the future?"

"Poll:Would you accept a Combat Droid Certification system instead of a new Droid Handler profession?"


Those are just a few off the top of my head...but I'll try to think of more that will help.



/bow

Respectfully,

All I can suggest is to make sure to keep discussion out of it, and make it a yes/no or a word or two answer

Eric,

I'd obviously setup the poll such that it could be answered in one word.

Of course, there are those that will inevitably attempt to hijack it for their own petty concerns. /sigh




/bow

Respectfully,

As the De-Facto leader of the Droid Mafia, I will myself and my men kill / maim, disembowel, castrate, and/or tickle anyone you want me to.

But no sponge baths.

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TheRealTK421 wrote:

"Poll: Would you rather see combat droids/modules available as a new Droid Handler profession or thru a certification system?"

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I like this question best. Any other thoughts from others. Please register objections and suggestions now. ia gre we should do this right.

THIS IS NOT A POLL

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EricTheGreat wrote:

All I can suggest is to make sure to keep discussion out of it, and make it a yes/no or a word or two answer

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Agree. Big time.

Oh geeze. Here we go again.

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Players MUST spend points and skill boxes to get this "Droid Handling" ability.

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Herein lies the problem. You cannot attach a certification for a combat droid to any existing combat class. It would make that class that much more powerful, requiring it to be rebalanced to allow for the new power of the attached combat droid certs. And who gets to sacrifice the existing way their class works for this new power, anyway?

Likewise, you cannot attach a certification for a combat droid to any existing NON-combat class. If you do so, you wind up turning that class into a combat class. And those who play in non-combat classes may not like the idea of turning their profession into a combat class, either.

Finally, like TH said, you can't give players added power without requiring that they spend some time and skill points to acquire it. The skill point system is the sole regulator in keeping players from becoming too powerful. It's the thing that keeps people from becoming Master BH/Master Commando/Master TKA/Master Pistoleer/Master Rifleman/Master CH/Master Artisan/Master DE.

Given those three points, the only solution that remains is the creation of a new profession. People can choose or not choose to be a part of it. It stands on its own, so it can be balanced on its own instead of complicating the balancing of some other profession(s). And it allows that the power it grants falls under the checks and balances of the skill point system. Personally, I just don't see any way around it.

Likewise, the DE community has created this conundrum for the developers ourselves, by saying:

• We want combat droids


• But we don't want to be a combat class


• We want to sell them


• We want some for ourselves only too


• We shouldn't have to spend any points for the added power


• But we don't want a new profession

You can't have all that without breaking the game. You just can't. It's unbalancing. Show me any other crafting class that has that kind of power, and I'll gladly agree with you (note: CH is not a crafting class and it does cost points and stand alone primarily as a combat class, so leave that alone).

In any event, I guess it doesn't matter much to me. Along with my participation in pre-beta discussions involving another MMO based on a contemporary science-fiction film (and the approaching beta of that as well), the announcement that the really meaty combat droids won't be around until July probably means I am going to cancel this month. I've held out for something real for as long as I can. I just don't think I can justify $15 a month for the 4 hours a month I'm playing now any longer.

The devs intend on adding a "Droid Handler" profession (which would work like Creature Handlers) but thats a "next phase" thing and isn't going to be considered until Summertime (July-ish).



July? Eh? So the droid invasion will be lvl10 combat droids and other droids only?
Hahaha... thought it was februari.

I think we need to do this poll. We can't just offer a resounding "NO" to the DH profession, without offering a new option.

TH asked Drashk where the certs should go. I say we put out a poll on the idea of certs instead of DH and then tweak Drashk's plan and offer a specific proposal or several options.

That way we're not just naysayers, but we're contributing to the solution. At this point, its better our plan than theirs for sure!

I'm not surea poll is what you need. TH recognized that the majority didn't want a DH profession, but that we needed to give them some solid ideas for a cert system that we'd rather see. Thats what you should be focusing on.

I think a poll is what we need, since the one thingof whichthis latest DH incident has convinced me is that the communications pipeline between us and the Devs is of really low bandwidth. Complicated ideas just can't make it through.

Therefore, we must break down this problem into individual, self-contained, easily stateable points. Do we want a DH profession? Answers of the form "Not if <X>", "Only if <Y>", "<Z> would be better" and so on just confuse the issue. "Yes" or "No", "Certs" or "DH"might just get heard.

Unfortunately, I don't think TH or the Devs care one bit what we think. Face it.

1) We represent a minute fraction of the SWG players.

2) This is a business decision gauged to generate MORE accounts and players to join

3) Decisions will be based on the Financial Bottom line and not what the DE's think or want.

WE DON"T MATTER AT ALL.

sorry to be so negative. But I think this is the reality.