Droid Engineer Archive

Note: For the purpose of clarification, "DEnet" (DENet) refers to each server-specific mailing list and server 'association' and is slightly different than the game-wide DEA association. When you see "DEA", we're talking about the association of DEs across ALL servers. When you see the term "DEnet", just remember that we're talking about the mailing list that runs on EACH server (i.e. Ahazi DEnet, Intrepid DEnet, etc.).

The Droid Engineer Association, or DEA, is a loosefitting title we have given to ourselves to represent the pulling together of DEs across all of the game servers. It is THE 'union', the organization, the only association in existance which covers Droid Engineers not only from Ahazi, but from many other galaxies as well.

It was created out of need for the fellow downtrodden DEs to stand together to make the world a better place for themselves. Divided they fell, but united they are succeeding. The DEA is not a guild though. Indeed, the only requirements of being in the DEA is to be a Droid Engineer. People from multiple servers and multiple guilds within those servers all stand in the DEA. Instead, the DEA is merely a title to show a single front in the face of opposition. It holds its power in the unity of DEs, and yet maintains its obscurity by having no fixed leader or guildhall.

The backbone of the DEA is each server's "DEnet". This is the mailing list that is being put in place on almost all servers and is the main method of communication to/from members. Each server DEnet is run by an 'admin' (or set of admins, as needed) whose task is to compile and broadcast information that DEs need on a daily (or near daily) basis. Mineral waypoints, information, news, bug reports, and more. They are focal points for the information-flow of the DE profession on each server.

Despite all the work that goes into this, there is no requirement of any DE to sign up and be part of the DEA. A droid engineer is more than welcome to walk their own path independently. What's more, even if they do choose to participate in the DEA, everything is run voluntarily.There are no requirements on the player except to be a droid engineer. From the very beginning, we knew that this assocation had to be 100% voluntary and NO demands or requirements are ever placed on members.

The only things that are asked for is firstly, to try and make the meetings held once every month or so. And secondly, treat other Droid Engineers kindly, without engaging in undercutting their prices right next to them. However, those that are seen to simply take advantage of the hard work and good nature of long-time member DEs generally tend to fall by the wayside.

While some may find this second point (regarding price) horrifying, there is much more demand than there is supply of droids as it is. True, you'll get their business, but it's always the same amount of business you can handle if you weren't undercutting them, and this way you can make a lot more money. Keep in mind that, on average, DEs on each server are outnumbered by potential clients by a ratio of roughly 1000:1. That's right. There should be something like 1000 potential clients for each DE on a server, give or take. By working together with equal prices in your area, you can make far more profit than trying to undercut them.

This is not just pie-in-the-sky stuff folks, we've actually put this into practice on Ahazi and seen it be successful, so we know it can and does work. What's more, the vast majority of DEs who did practice lowballing droid prices are gone now, finding that in doing it they burned themselves out by making a lot more droids yet less money than those who acted more favourably to each other.

That,friends, is what the DEA is about. Never before has a game seen a single profession pull together such as we have. By joining the DEA (or your server's DEnet) you lose nothing and gain everything.


It really is a labour of love.


Co-Authored by:TheWoody (Ahazi: "Woodrow") & TheRealTK421 (Ahazi: "Doughbacca")

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** End Transmission - Part 1 **


/bow

Respectfully,

Imperial Captain Ackis Losackego - Über f335h

A lot of DEs are mad at the Dev actions lately. Expect a downflux of DEs before another influx.

(A good upshot of everything though is there are no more hologrinders and now all those that ground/grinded/grounded/whatever the DE profession simply to build combat droids are dissappearing en-masse. That means the the Real DEs are coming out again and at least with few of us in the profession the greater the glory.)

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"Never in the field of forum posting has so much bollocks been said to so many by so few"

Sodan invited me into the Intrepid DEnet (IDEA) the day I got novice.

I am here to stay. DE was the big attraction for me in getting into SWG.

I am taking my time getting to Master. I'm so poor I can't really afford grinding resources. Be patient, I'll soon be asking all the silly questions!

O-Jen

I'm interested in getting involved if such a thing exists on Kauri. I'm not master, I'm 3/3/1/4 and will soon be 4/3/1/4. But Irefuse to burn the skill pointsto go beyond thatuntil they fix the profession (that's my form of protest).

Nonetheless, I am on Kauri, and I play most every day. So I would like to be involved there.

Also: has any thought gone into incorporating the new inter-server /tell functionality into the way the DEA works???

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In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

T.S. Eliot

Hey, folks.

Novel idea... could be very helpful to a newbie DE such as myself and I'd be glad to participate to help out other DE's.

Does anyone know if a DEnet has been established on Eclipse? If not, I'd be happy to help get the ball rolling.

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Avalin Sabine
Master Pistoleer | Master Rifleman
Fort Krayt, Tatooine, Eclipse Galaxy

Scratch that. I didn't see the other Documents and just read Document 2.

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Avalin Sabine
Master Pistoleer | Master Rifleman
Fort Krayt, Tatooine, Eclipse Galaxy

This is a key point...and one we veterans can't deal with lightly. What will it be like when there are VERY few veteran DEs to help newbies learn all those special things we all know?

Do we want to allow unconsciously ignorant DE players feed the market with a mass of problematic droids or pass out misinformation?

I see their inclusion in DEnets and the DEA as a way to get back to making sure that ALL DEs in the game (regardless of rank or affiliation) are fully in the know. It's the best thing for all of us. And I've seen the positive aspects bear themselves out practically, in-game, on many MANY occassions on Ahazi.

The next DEA meeting will need to return to a Q & A format, as this was always one of the more popular areas. Beyond that, we will only need to call meetings to discuss larger game development timetables and new things coming our way (i.e. just hitting TC over the coming weeks).

By understanding that we're all about to face of a set of new fixes, yes....new bugs and other items, we'll always have things to talk about it.

I'd like to suggest (along with Woodrow/TheWoody's call for a unification of the DE profession 'voice') that a strong, healthy DEnet running on each and every live server is obtainable...and something that every person reading this should strive to help realize. It only takes a good sized list and meeting or two. From there, the membership pretty well builds itself higher.


/bow

Respectfully,

If any of you DO get the ball rolling on your server, please let me know the 'admin' that steps up ASAP.

Woodrow and I would like to get the list of each server's DEnet admin up and happening soon, so that we can start to coordinate larger events and DE initiatives.



/bow

Respectfully,

TRT, How do I get in on this? I am on Tempest, have you applied a foundation of Administrators here yet that I can speak to?

Thanks and /tiphat

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~Aspi, Tempest, Master Droid Engineer-Master Artisan-Master Merchant-Master Pistoleer Retiree~Vendors-JaxBay Tent Mall
~~~Wearer of Sword of Opinion (+20 to pucker factor attack)~~~
~~"Is that a cookie in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"~~

I applaud your effort TK421, but now that I see what is expected of a server representative, I see that I definitely don't want to be one. I'm certainly interested in setting up a network of DE's on my server so we all know each other's names can can pass around knowledge, but I'm not interested in collating collections of resource concentration waypoints and mailing them out to a mailing list ever day or even other day.

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In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

T.S. Eliot

Neoshon
Master Bounty Hunter

Cico Eines
Master Tailor / Artisian / Droid Engeener