Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: How to grind your way to Master Droid Engineer
Welcome hologrinders and aspiring Droid Engineers.You are obviously reading this post because you wish to grind through from Novice to Master in the quickest amount of time, or just wish to quicken the pace of your progress as you get to know your chosen profession.
Section 1 - The crafting macro
/ui action toolbarSlotXX;
/selectDraftSchematic XXX;
/pause X;
/nextCraftingStage;
/nextCraftingStage;
/createPrototype Practice noitem;
/createPrototype Practice noitem;
/pause X;
/ui action toolbarSlotXX; This command calls upon what ever is in the designated toolbar slot. The first row on the tool bar is number 00 to 11. The second row of the tool bar is numbered 12 to 23. You will want to replace XX with the corresponding position on the tool bar. For example if you placed the crafting tool into the top left tool bar slot your first line would read /ui action toolbarSlot00;
/selectDraftSchematic XXX; This command calls upon what ever schematic that you wish to craft.In order to chose the schematic, you must open your datapad and find the tab for draft schematics. Start in the top left corner and begin counting from left to right starting with the number 00. You will need to skip all schematics that have a complexity of 21 or higher when making your count. Since you are crafting droids, the W/D/G tool allows you to craft any item, as long has it has a complexity of 20 or lower without the use of a crafting station. Each time that you gain a new level, you will need to recount the draft schematic and enter the new schematic number into the marco
/pause X; Thiscommand sets the amount of time that you need to manually insert the resources to be used in the schematic.The easiest way to enter the resources into the schematic is to double click them.You will want to set the timer according to how many resources are needed. I suggest a /pause 3; for everyone 2 resources. I personally use /pause 2; , but I have some mad double clicking skills. 
/nextCraftingStage; Thiscommand advances the crafting process to the next step. Make sure that you include this command twice or you will lose the resources without gaining any experience.
/createPrototype Practice noitem; This command completes the crafting process.This command also needs to be entered twice for the marco to function correctly. The Practice noitem addition to the command will create the product in practice mode, which gives a slight crafting experience bonus. If you remove Practice noitem from both commands in the macro the item will be placed in your inventory, but you will not recieve the bonus experience.
/pause X;This command places a pause between the end of the crafting session and the next command. Typically, the above listed macro will follow after this command, with the/ui action toolbarSlotXX; altered to advance to the next crafting tool.
Section 2 - What to grind
As you first gain Novice Droid Engineer, you have a very limited number of items that can be usedin thegrind. There are a number of paths that can beused to grind DE, but all agree that the MSE grind in the beginning is the onlyway to gain XP.1 MSE takes 53metal and 15 chemical and will net 147 XP in practice mode and 140 XP with a crafted product. At 147 XP each, it will take 327 MSE to make itto your first tier 1 box, or 17331 metal and 4905 chemcial. More than likely, there will be 7 crit fails per 100 items crafted so plan on needing approximatly 19500 metal and 5500 chemcial to make it to the first box.You will want to train Intermediate Droid Blueprints, inorder to find the next fastest way to progress.
At Intermediate Droid Blueprints, you can either keep on crafting MSE or you can switch to Manipulator Arm Package Sets. The Manipulator Arm Package Sets require 65 metal, 18 ferrous metal, 60 extrusive ore, and 15 chemical.They net 331 XP while in practice mode and 316 XP while producing an item in your inventory. If you chose the Manipulator Arm Package Sets route, it will take 203 successful builds to make it to Advanced Droid Blueprints or approximately 14300 metal,3960 ferrous metal, 13200 extrusive ore, and 3300 chemical. If you chose to stick with the MSE grind it will take you 458 successful crafting sessions and approximately 26500 metal and 7500 chemcial to advance to the next level.You will want to trainExpert Droid Blueprints, in order to find the next fastest way to progress.
At Expert Droid Blueprints, you will want to switch over to Advanced Droid Frame Unitswhich will give you 462 XP in practice mode or 440 XP while crafting an item for your inventory. Each Advanced Droid Frame Unit requires 150 steel and 70 Fiberplast. If you grind out the rest of the profession using Advanced Droid Frame Units you will need to successfully craft 2411 more items or approximately 400k Steel and 186k Fiberplast.
There is one other route that can be followed, but will require a few days of factroy time, parts from a Master Artisan, and specialized resources, but offers 4200 XP per build. I am refering to Bianry Load Lifter ADV Chassis. Due to the resource intensive nature and need for factory run parts, I will only make reference here.You can find out the requirements for it here at SWGCRAFT.COM if you want to find out more information.
Section 3 - Grind Questions
This is a tried and tested grinding process, but some people have difficulties with the grind and other questions.The following is a list of helpful suggestions and anwsers to someof those qustions.
1)How long will it take me?
If you set up 10 consecutive macros, using 10 different tools, you should be able to produce at least 7-8 items per minute. If you have all of the resources gathered before hand, it will take you as little as 8 hours of straight grinding, or as much as 48 hours of grinding and breaks, depending on how dedicated you are to your path.
2) Whyis the wrongschematic coming up?
You must make sure that you do not re-order the schematics in any way, by changing the view in the Draft Schematic section in the datapad. Also make sure that you are skiping any schematic that has a Compexity of 21 or greater. Finally, make sure that you are not standing next to a crafting station while trying to use the marco, or while testing to see if you are using the right schematic numbers. If you are standing near a private, public, or droid crafting station your crafting tool will have more schematics available and will throw off the count.
3) Are you sure this is the best way?
Yes, but if you don't think so please try and find another so that I can post it here for everyone else to see.
4) ShouldI sell any droids while grinding?
This is a personal choice, just try to keep in mind that there are other Droid Engineers on your server that might use their droid sales to keep their harversters and other game aspects going.If you need help with pricing, take a look on your forum or around this forum for DE from your server. You can also ask around and introduce yourself to a DE or two on your server as well. Competitive pricing is good for the economy, but undercuttingthe markettends to make tempers flare. 
Message Edited by Drashk on 01-07-2004 05:56 PM
Message Edited by Drashk on 01-07-2004 05:59 PM
If you suck at double-clicking under pressure, you can also divide the above macro into two macros.
1. Use the first one to select your schematic:
/ui action toolbarSlotXX;
/selectDraftSchematic XXX;
2. Manually enter your resources by double-clicking on them.
3. Use the following schematic to "finish" the deal in practice mode:
/nextCraftingStage;
/nextCraftingStage;
/createPrototype Practice noitem;
/createPrototype Practice noitem;
I had those two macros set up on two separate keyboard keys so that I hit one key to bring up the schematic, then I double-clicked on the resources, then I hit another key to finish the job. Much better, I found, than the pauses because I could do it at my own speed whenever and wherever. You can map your macros to specific keyboard keys. Look in ctrl-O/controls/keymap (I believe).
Also, get a Microsoft Intellimouse (the wheel/optical mouse). It has two extra keys that you can assign to it. If you download the right drivers, you can instruct your PC to do a "double-click" when you hit one of the extra buttons on the mouse ONLY when you are playing SWG. Thus, for Step #2 above, you can simply point your mouse and single-click. This cuts down on your clicking dramatically.
This worries me. I'm a casual player and it seems to me that all the elite professions are geared towards those players that have alot of time on their hands. It's somewhat discouraging that I cannot even see the first tier of my profession develop seriously without sitting at my computer and pushing buttons for 8 hours straight; just practicing and grinding to make the next skill box.
I value my "fun" time while playing and this post tells me that it'll take me many months to master this profession (which is fine, I'll enjoy my time). Unfortunatly, I don't have 8 spare hours to just grind.
I'm not down on SWG or it's systems or the way it works. I certainly understand that the elite professions are made the way they are to keep those interested and willing playing and improving. I'll be happy just plugging along
One item I'd like to add is that it went much smother for me when I used 10 tools. First grind macro used 5 then after the last tool, I added a /pause 3; then next line it called the macro for the next 5 tools. It allowed me to have a litle more control over the process and I did not have them loop into each other. I tried using a larger 10 tool single macro and every time I'd log back on, the macro would get corrupted(I assume it was because of the number of keystrokes). So basically what I had was W/D/G crafting tools in slots 12-21 and the first macro in slot00, second in slot01.
/ui action toolbarSlot12;
/selectDraftSchematic ##;
/pause 5;
/nextcraftingstage;
/nextcraftingstage;
/createPrototype practice no item;
/createPrototype practice no item;
/pause 2;
repeat thur tool5 then change the last /pause 2; to /pause 3; then add line /ui action toolbarSlot01; which would start the second part of the 10 tool grind.. sencond grind is a copy of the first with just changing the /ui action to the correct tool. this takes very little time really.. i was able to grind out my last two blocks quickly tonight. Others have told me it is possible to completely grind out MDE in 4 hours if you already have all your items avaible.. Also take note, the grind works only when far away from crafting station or droid w/ crafting module.
Just a couple of small things to add to the macro:
* /selectDraftSchematic XXX; can be shortened to /sel XXX;
* /nextCraftingStage; can be shortened to /nextC;
* If you add a third /nextC; command, it will allow your macro to work"seamlessly" even if you're standing next to a crafting station. It blows right by the Experimentation window that pops up. Does not affect macro operation if you're not near a station.
And one small observation that may or may not be correct...when I was looking for my newly acquired MSE droid schematic, it occurred to me that as I was randomly entering schematic numbers, the lower numbered ones seemed to be the first schematics Ireceived in the game. For instance, I picked up Novice Medic before I got Novice Artisan, and my first couple of schematics are the biological effect controller and the stimpack-A. My Master Artisan schematicsprogress farther up the line, and my DE schematics are the highest numbers of all - my most recently acquired ones.
Could the schematics possibly be numbered by "order of acquisition?" Just a thought, and I could be way off there. 
Sodan-droiddreamer wrote:
Also, get a Microsoft Intellimouse (the wheel/optical mouse). It has two extra keys that you can assign to it. If you download the right drivers, you can instruct your PC to do a "double-click" when you hit one of the extra buttons on the mouse ONLY when you are playing SWG. Thus, for Step #2 above, you can simply point your mouse and single-click. This cuts down on your clicking dramatically.
Here's the link to those drivers....
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/download.mspx
This Thread should just be called: "The Complete Guide To SWG Crafting Macro Programming Theory"
LOL!!!! 
Btw, that last post was geared towards anyone who has walked through the C++ section of a bookstore and bothered to look at the 200+ 1000 page books on miniscule differences in code.
Delphos
Azrael101 wrote:
now does the count for schematics start from 00 or 01? You know c programmers, we always start counting from zero.
/nudge /nudge
Drashk wrote:
/selectDraftSchematic XXX; Start in the top left corner and begin counting from left to right starting with the number 00.
Serk, don't worry about it. Take your time and have fun with the game. It took me 3 months to get master DE, I usually just grinded (ground?) while I waited for shuttles and such. If you want to be a DE, I would seriously suggest taking your time and learning the ins and outs of droids. The more knowledgable you are, the more repeat customers you'll get.
SerkLightstalker wrote:
This worries me. I'm a casual player and it seems to me that all the elite professions are geared towards those players that have alot of time on their hands. It's somewhat discouraging that I cannot even see the first tier of my profession develop seriously without sitting at my computer and pushing buttons for 8 hours straight; just practicing and grinding to make the next skill box.
I value my "fun" time while playing and this post tells me that it'll take me many months to master this profession (which is fine, I'll enjoy my time). Unfortunatly, I don't have 8 spare hours to just grind.
Aye. This thread is for the hologrinders to get in and out as fast as possible. It by no accounts represents how to actually play the Droid Engineer Profession. This isn't to say that you can't use the knowledge gleaned from this, but this is not what the profession is about, as I'm sure you well know already.