Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: A theory about pure crafter DEs that will get me 1 starred and flamed :)
In so many of the threads about combat droids I see a lot of the same arguments from the pure crafter camp...
"It will attract dabblers"
"It will attract too many new DE's"
"They will dump their stuff on the market cheap"
I'm beginning to get the impression that the real issue (at least for some) is not whether we get combat or specifically DE only combat droids or not. It seems to me they fear attracting new players to the class. I have a simple theory for this....DEs are very rare currently. Since we are so rare we can basically charge anything we like.....
and we do...
If something were to attract new DEs then there would be more competition and we would have to come down a LOT in prices. I don't think there are any DEs who can honestly say droids are worth some of the prices we charge for them.
Yes, I said we in this thread, I'm guilty of these prices too, I can admit it, can you ?
Personally, I don't feel like I overcharge. We're rare but not so rare that I don't have competition out there. I price first based on resources, then I staple on a price for my time and effort.
The changes are bad, in my eyes, because besides drawing us away from a crafting class, they simply....aren't needed. Some of those things aren't necessary for us. Now, some people got into the DE profession expecting to run hunting missions and be combat-oriented. I do not speak for them. I speak only for those who went up the Engineering Line and chose Droid Engineer expecting to be a crafting class, making products and selling them to other players. Adding a few Combat Droids that only we can use is a good thing, as it keeps the "uber droids" away from the lay player's hands who spent no skill points to use them (IE, Droideka). However, having *all* the combat droids be DE only is a bit much.
I don't see us as an individualized combat class. In my humble opinion, that mold better suits Creature Handlers, and it would be bad for us to push too much into that area. Yes, we should make combat droids that other players can use. However, we aren't meant to make too many combat droids that are so powerful only we can use. One or two, sure, as profession perks. But not too many, to make it a large part of our repetoire.
Droid-Creator wrote:
In so many of the threads about combat droids I see a lot of the same arguments from the pure crafter camp...
"It will attract dabblers"
"It will attract too many new DE's"
"They will dump their stuff on the market cheap"
I'm beginning to get the impression that the real issue (at least for some) is not whether we get combat or specifically DE only combat droids or not. It seems to me they fear attracting new players to the class. I have a simple theory for this....DEs are very rare currently. Since we are so rare we can basically charge anything we like.....
and we do...
If something were to attract new DEs then there would be more competition and we would have to come down a LOT in prices. I don't think there are any DEs who can honestly say droids are worth some of the prices we charge for them.
Yes, I said we in this thread, I'm guilty of these prices too, I can admit it, can you ?
I've mentioned a couple of these arguments before myself, but I will tell you I was mentioning them in a larger context of the game economy in general (which is already insanely out of wack). I'm not worried about a lack of business, as I've got a couple hundred customers that are reliable and I have no doubt come to me even if I wasn't the only one with reasonable prices around. I make money money in bulk sales, not in single huge sales (I've gotten quite a few orders for over 50 droids, a couple for over 100, none of which are BH droids). As I've stated before though, the real issue is that of game balance (not going there again).
Jenden Morn - Master Droid Engineer - Mos Espa, Tarquinas
Owner, Operator, and Founder of DarkStar Inc.
I'm putting myself in the crafter camp, the argument that BlueMorgoth puts forward is basically the same reason. It's like Weaponsmiths making Weaponsmith-only guns, or Armorsmiths making Armorsmith-only armor. The idea of better combat droids appeals to me (although I'm probably the only one who doesn't want droideka, I would rather see IG-88 types), as long as those combat droids are useable by more than just DE's.
we have to charge more per resource because, basically, if I sell a medic droid to a medic, that's the last time I'll see him. If I sell a weapon crafting droid to a weaponsmith, that's the last time he'll come.
Also, it is not true that our droids are not worth what we charge for them. Hell, people pay double or triple the price of my most expensive droid to an image designer to change his hair.
We sell useful things, based on functionality, we provide probably the most usefulness per credit spent in all professions. Our droids don't degrade, some droids don't even need batteries, and the ability to craft and experiment any time any place is priceless to many people.
There's a huge difference between a gun, a piece of armor and a droid. Droids are an entity unto themselves. Those haters out there trying to equate weapons and armors to droids in terms of game usage are comparing apples and oranges.
Droids kill people. Guns don't kill people. I'd definitely like some droids to kill mobs for me.
-DD
Wolfing wrote:
we have to charge more per resource because, basically, if I sell a medic droid to a medic, that's the last time I'll see him. If I sell a weapon crafting droid to a weaponsmith, that's the last time he'll come.
Not true, quite a bit of my business is return business, as I don't advertise much anymore. If you develop good customer relations you find that not only do you get people comming back for 3, 4, 5, sometimes even more droids, but they also recommend you to others. I've been selling a ton of droids for the past month or so now, and I haven't seen my business slacken at all, if anything its picked up, even though I've cut back on trying to sell them.
Jenden Morn - Master Droid Engineer - Mos Espa, Tarquinas
Owner, Operator, and Founder of DarkStar Inc.
DarthDaver2 wrote:
There's a huge difference between a gun, a piece of armor and a droid. Droids are an entity unto themselves. Those haters out there trying to equate weapons and armors to droids in terms of game usage are comparing apples and oranges.
In reality (or at least, as close as you can get when talking about droids), yes, your right. But this has nothing to do whatsoever with reality. In this game droids are essentially tools, items, something to make your life easier. It is not a matter of how they do what they do, its what their function in the game servs. There is no difference in game terms between a weapon and a combat droid. Both make you more efficient at killing things.
Jenden Morn - Master Droid Engineer - Mos Espa, Tarquinas
Owner, Operator, and Founder of DarkStar Inc.
Despite all the wailing and grinding of teeth that happens on these forums, there's a dirty little secret - the services of a DE are highly sought after. Most players are dying to own a droid in some capacity, and are highly appreciative when a DE patiently answers their questions and explains all the possibilities, limitations, and yes, bugs, that are part of the current state of droids.
Changes to DE that make them a more effective part of the game will be good for everyone. The demand will go up while simultaneously creating a larger pool of DE's to meet that demand. And since this is a 'virtual' free-market economy, prices will adjust based on supply, demand, and worth. Further, customer service plays a huge part in the final value delivered.
Forget to mention that my point to the above is that an influx of DE's would not hurt the profession, instead it would help it to meet the new demands of all these great and wonderful upgrades to SWG droids. Issues relating to DE-only combat droids are questions of gameplay balance, as Jenden already stated above.