Droid Engineer Archive

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Thunderheart wrote:

1. I need to know if you agree or disagree with Sintrosi's Plan

2. I need to know if you agree or disagree with the rough DE plan in general

Also, please post the changes you would make to the DE plan. Thanks

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The state of the profession written by Sintrosi is accurate. I agree with what she wrote.

The DE plan that was posted BY Sintrosi is "lacking" to say the least. It doesn't do much, doesn't really fix the profession (and in fact will make things worse).

I'm hung over otherwise I'd post more.

YAY!! I got a response from TH but it was from my quote....I dont think I said anything intelligent but i dont remember replying to this thread hehe oh well...

Actually I recently switched from Master Ranger/Master Creature Handler to Master CH and whatever BH skills i could get my hands on. I would like to see droids work for all the classes and here is what I mean for that...

Lets saya ranger gets a droid that can have a trap module or a skinner module or maybe even a camping droid. So the trap droid would auto throw traps in battle or the skinner would help you harvest more from youre kills or the camping droid would let you set up camps higher then youre current skill lvl...of course the high lvl rangers would still make those camps.

Bounty hunters should get some cool combat droids I think like a IG assasin droid or a droiddeka.

Chef should get some sort of droid they can store thier food in then people come up to and and converse and get chose from what to buy....kinda a robo bar tender of sorts but not reallya bazarr like the vendors are set up.

Those are just some creative ideas that popped into my head right off the bat but I think you guys see where I am going with this. Star wars is a world of droids not massive creatures and it would be nice to reflect this.

I have to premise that I'm not a DE either (started but dumped midway), but I really think that if the vision for DE is to be a mechanical CH, a ton of potential depth is being left on the table.

Without a doubt more combat driods, and there should be a class (maybe droidekas) that are usable only by DEs. Some will be general use. However, I think there's a parallel vision for DEs that actually add a lot more to the game, PvP and GCW: DEs as tactical specialists, and the tech version of a Medic.

If droids become more common, repairing them will become moer prevalent, and finding a way to do so during combat will be quite useful. Yes a droid repair kit is coming, but so I think should be a field repair ability for the DEs themselves or a DE-wielded only repair droid that can attempt repairs during battle. There should be some consequence to this (I don't know that vitality is right here), but I personally believe as a healer that I should see a DE on the field repairing inorganics same as I'm healing organics (citations of R2 repairing x-wings and the like during flight were quite common in the movies). There's every reason to believe that a DE should be able to do this during combat at the expense of Mind.

In terms of combat and different droids, I grant that people want straight combat droids (we should have them). However in my mind what defines the difference between CHs and DEs (as mechanical CHs) is the ability for the DE to craft/use tactical speciality droids. It's one of the reasons that I actually like homing MSEs. However, that doesn't go nearly far enough. Would not DEs, and the game as a whole, be better off with the following either in droids or modules:

1. Shield droids. DEs have a modified droid usable only by themselves that could provide a PSG around itself and its designated target: mechanical GUARD capability.


2. Sentinel droids. Immobile turrets. Say you place a camp in the wilderness or have a pitched battle in the city. DEs can drop a sentinel droid that is immobile but redeedable. The sentinel has good range, strong firepower and isa placeable defese to groups wanting better a defensive perimeter. (Note this would really enable larger scale tactical conflicts where healers/rezzers could be in a defensive camp)...and gives attackers some better means to siege faction bases. While there shoudl be some spots they cannot be placed in (indoors) they don't follow normal 'building not permitted here' rules.


3. Point defense droids. Immobile droids like sentinels that provide short-range suppression and deterrance fire at say <50m. They do so at the expense of their own health. These things quickly kill themselves with their cyclic rate but provide a last line of defense for an encampment.


4. Perimeter sensor droid. This module give a droid the ability to extend the radar range of the owner....thereby providing extra warning to a camp that is about ot come under attack (could only be placed a max distance from owner to prevent camping facilitation at multiple points). This would be best if it had a % chance not to be visible normally or on radar.


5. Triage Recovery droid. Highly armored droid that that will automaticallyclose to and drag any incapacitated/slain players within group and return them to a patrol/station point (to provide less risk to healers) or limit DB on a mind incap.


6. Self-destruct modules that would cause the droid to explode in a small radius AOE blast (stun/heat damage) when killed. This is fundamentally different than a homing MSE droid in that would add some risk to melee PCs eliminating droids. DE should be forced to make meaningful tradeoff to add this functionality.


7. Self-destruct modules that spread an aoe shockwave (% chance of KD/blindness or other state) that seeks to help a DE or his/her party successfully retreat.

I'm sure that's enough to get my point across. Droid engineers have the ability to craft units that can tactically shape a battlefield and help transform PvP from brawls to engagements that are much more fulfilling. I hope you will give this some thought.

Jacore

Thunderheart,

I am only a Novice DE on a second account, but here is my perception of why this plan seems to be less than enchanting. Combat Droids that only DE's can use is kinda nice but there is NO market from that. You can't profit from it really. Droid Engineers, like Weaponsmiths or anyone else from the Artisan tree wants to make MONEY! You can't make money off a self only item.

I know there is blanace to be factored in, and everyone with a 100k owning a droideks is not the definition of balance. But it seems to me there are a lot of solutions here if we think outside the box a little.

Protocol Droids:

Current State: Completely useless

Possible fix: Actually have them translate. A protocol droid could transalte sentinent species like Jawas or Ewoks and get quests or items for sale off them.

Astromechs:

Current state: Semi-useful as crafting station, medical or storage. Tjis hardly comjures up anything resembling what Artoo could do.

Possible fix: More verstility. A slicing module to help Smugglers slice. Pherhaps a "radar" module that gives a player the equivilant of the Scout terrain management 1 for moving over mountain as the astromech can pick the best path with it's radar. That kind of stuff.

Power Droids:

Current state: No one seems to be sure if they work

Fix: Let peower droids be non battery needeing as they have thir own generator. Can power other droids and maybe harvesters to a degree.

Hello I am fairly new to the whole Idea of droids...but here are so ideas that came...I am sorry if they have been discussed but thi thread is way too long for me to read...

1. Droids fix(heal) other droids...such as at-st in a shop..Have different modules and level for droids to fix. Even have some like faction perks...

2. Batlle chips are cool but it can be expanded to do more functions for all the different proffesions. Ie. Can be sent to planets to search and harvest mineral. Can be part of a band.etc.

Well thre are two ideas I got from reading...I could be way off base...so I wont go on with my other ideas...

My only gripe is that we are so closely dependent on items from the Master Artisan box and there is no added benefit.


Thats a good point. I'll bring it up.
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sounds kinda strange that the DE would complain about this when BH are COMPLETELY dependent on them to raise an entire skill tree... at least it is not that much of a stretch for a DE to master artisan, and DE are not dependent on those parts from master artisan to raise their skills the way that BH are dependent on DE to raise investigation.

DE are hardly gated in the fashion that DE gates BH.

Sounds like we need to draw up a paper in an outline form about we would like DE to be, noting points of viability to ourselves and the community. It is getting really difficult to read through all these various posts of different visions. I don't have the time at the moment to do this myself in a speedy manner, but I will attempt to do such a thing. These ideas are what I can see not in the near future, but something that can be developed over time; I am more interested in what we will be over the long haul instead of what can be fixed quickly now.

Key Points:

I.Non-DE classes able to use both combat and non-combat type of droids, but with some limited features and abilites. (This would further enhance our ability to enter the market and provide a useful service to the galaxy.)

Limit their use to only having one droid out at a time. (If we allow one non-combat and one combat, I fear that one would always be used as the punching bag.)

A. Certification: I have seen a lot of discussion about this and I agree that each non-DE player should have to aquire a certain level of certification (not skill points) towards obtaining the abilities to control certain types of droids. It should also be measured using their profession skills. I see it as a person trying to learn how to use their droid. (Example: BH and seeker droids, etc.)

B. Droid Engineers should be able to use everything that non-DE can but, depending on their skill tree, should have more specialized options opened to them.

II. Droids and professions that can be helped.

A. Artisans - Harvestors: Droids that can collect power from extractors or take from user and run power to harvestors.

(Should a remote status tool be designed, for the Artisan line,that willcheck hopper on/off, resources type, and pay the maintenance remotely, this droid would help maintain the harvestors' power supply.)

Hi! I'm not a droid engineer, but a droid consumer (one of the only classes that are currently), and I have a few ideas.

I think the Power droid idea is the right attitute to take towards adding new droids.

Droids are the manual labor in the SW universe. Almost every class should have a droid thay can use to benefit them. I'd like to see a "Entertainer" droid of some kind that increases the healing rate / buffs that entertainers can give. Perhaps a "Cosmetic" droid that would give Image Designers the ability to do more styles.

But in my mind the best thing for DEs (and the game in general) would be to have more combat droids, and more types of combat droids. I believe that a calling system similar to Creature Handlers should be created, with mods given to each of the various combat professions. The Droid level would be cumulitive with Creature level, so you could say have a Lvl 30 Droid and Lvl 30 Creature (assuming your Droid calland Creature skill>= 30). The max creature / droid level would have a hard cap at 70, so a MCH with 70 creature levels out would not be able to call any droids, and a class with 70 levels of droids out couldn't call any creatures. If creature handlers with 70 creature levelsrunning around are not "broken" then a combat class with 30-70 droids levels shouldn't be broken either.

Give said combat droids different damage types, resists, and make them decay at about the same rate weapons do. This encourages people to buy several combat droids, and use them. Make them repairable, but only by a DE. Make said repairs reduce the overall condition the way Pet Vita packs do.

We should be seeing IG-86 (or whatever they are), Federation soldier, Droidekas, and Hellfire droids all over the place.

Anyway, those are my ideas... take what you will from them.

I believe the things the TH needs are what EVERYONE seems to be saying in this thread. So I'm going to add my voice as another restatement in the hopes that it will further drive the point home.

1. FIX THE BUGS! There is nothing sadder than having a customer ask for data storage in a droid and having to tell them that it is useless.

2. Find ways to make our existing droids usefull. The fact that, at its base, I can put a LVL 6 Med module and a chem crafting station into an Adv MSE droid and it will satisfy all the requirements a medic would need, why would I spend the extra work and charge the extra money for a surgical droid, except for looks? This is one of the core issues of dissatisfacton. Their is no distinction between modules, even though in the movies and the EU each droid had a relatively specific purpose. Building a BLL is a collosal waste of time. And even the ones that have specific uses, like Power Droids, were not thought out clearly enough. I have no problem making a power droid to power up other droids, but I should be able to have other droids out to get power from it. currently it is an much easier just to crank out a battery. I'm sure the design was meant that a combat class or non-crafter class would have a droid and bring it back into town to get recharged by the happy DE who sold it, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't work that way.

3. Do not give non combat droids the ability to have combat modules.Each droid class (ieAstromech like the R2, R4 etc.. being general purpose, Surgical beingmedical, etc..)should have a specific purpose and if that purpose isn't met by a droid classthat we currently have, give us a variant that is. We will wait for it. I would rather have 2 droids that have a specific use and that sell and waiting for one that is coming out to fill a need, than 3 chassis that don't quite fit the bill and don't sell. R2s should not wield lasers, Probots should not be food crafting stations, BLLs should not be medical droids. Not all of my DE brothers may agree with this sentiment, but it's the way I see it. The general module idea is fine, but certain droid chassis should have an inherent advantage in certain operations that other chassis don't.

4. When all this is accomplished, then some different combat droids would be awesome!Most needs of other professions are addressed in current modules to some degree if theyactually worked. We just don't have a droid that can be sold to the combat classes, which make up the majority of players. If Probots and DZ70s are fixed and CH pets are nerfed, this may come into balance and become unneccesary. Again, I don't mind only having 2 droids to sell, if they work and they actually sell.

I'm sure this is just beating a dead horse, but I thought I'd get my opinion in to help move things along.

Thunderheart,

I'm posting this all over the place. It's MY vision of what a day in the life of a droid engineer could and should be:

So I was running my advanced insectoid protocol droid, loading his 25 item storage slots with droid batteries and Battle-droid deeds for sale. I programmed him to bark a simple ad, which included a list of the seven keywords I wanted him to respond to, and then programmed conversational responses for each. After accessing the merchant module to set prices (and indicate banned customers), I activated ten of the waypoints in his data storage module, and set him on patrol, and left for work

When I got home, I was pleased to see that three droids and eight battery crates had sold, and that I had several emails asking for custom orders. Unfortunately, I also had a panic-stricken email from my droid, indicating that Jawas had captured him.

I immediately pulled out a DZ70 fugitive tracker, and instructed it to find my merchant droid!

Eighteen minutes later, as I was putting the finishing touches on a new sabacc dealer for my friend who had just opened a new casino, I got an urgent missive from my DZ70, indicating the droid was on Tatooine, and including a waypoint.

I hopped a shuttle to Tat, pulled out a droideka, and had him follow me.

Those jawas never knew what hit them, my merchant droid had been only partially disassembled, and a quick repair job later, he was ready to come home with me.

"Oh, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Master. I was terrified!"

I think having an actual Droid SHop built by an Architect would be awesome. Once you have your Droid SHop, people could enter and pay a small fee to have their droids recharged ( lasting much longer than some little battery), or have their Droids HAM repaired by another machine, even purchase droids. I think THAT would make us even more desirable, plus it encourages people to actually explore what is in the wilderness and buildings around them. To That end, perhaps we could build items that do these things, like a USEFUL repair droids, Stationary Power droid. Etc. These items would not be in our inventory, but act much like the Robo-Bartender does.

Fearghal the B.F.W

The Fattest Wookiee in all of Bria

I am not a Droid Engineer... but what i would like is when you power your droid up its last longer than 1000 meters... its frustrating having you pets stuck on zone lines, let alone having no warning that your droid is about to power it self off. and make the charge last longer. as having to recharge the thing every (what feels likes minuets) so often can get quite annoying. Would i buy a Droid at the time NO WAY... I think the only real use for them must be for medics... but must be a real pain in the arse to get camp up all the time to call them out.. as i cant see them draging them around.

I think really what I want as a DE more than anything is to have droids that people want to use. If people wanted to use my droids, I could actually make some money selling them. What type of droids do people want to use?

Well, lets see... there is Combat droids, combat droids, combat droids, and combat droids.

You hear it all the time on these boards, but CH just keeps getting better and better. Many CH's look at the new changes to their class as a nerf. Nerf?? Where?? They are getting BETTER. More commands, more abilities, more power.

Maybe if there was an alternative to having a CH pet to tank for you, not everyone in the game would be CHs. Even the pre-nerf probots weren't as good as a relatively low level CH pet.

And the discussion about letting DE's call multiple droids and such... I'm a crafter. I never even take my droids out of my datapad. It doesn't really do me any good. Its like telling a weaponsmith he can now wield more than one weapon a time... It doesn't really make him any more effective at selling his weapons.