Droid Engineer Archive

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Hillslayer wrote:
As you can see NewJedi, we've had a long long long time to think on all this.

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Er, I see that. Hang in there, guys, your day is almost upon us.January, right?

Whoa, lots of ideas here. I'm going to have to re-read some of the posts in this thread carefully to make sure I understand everything that's been discussed. In the meantime, I'd like to echo the remarks of the poster who was so worried about the one-star ninja. I don't want to see cantinas completely undermined, either. One possible compromise might be a droid module that permits application of the Musician buff but not the removal of battle fatigue. Our buff is one of the two or three best buffs in the game, and yet it's vastly underutilized. I'm thinking you guys could help us bring it to the masses.

Anyway, keep those comments coming. I'm going to point my Musicians to this thread, so if you see someone wander into this thread holding a slitherhorn and wearing garish clothes, be nice to them.

Message Edited by NewJedi on 12-17-2003 05:55 PM

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Drashk wrote:

Here is another idea that was listed, that relates to this subject.Thisconcept idea can be found here.. http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=droid_engineer&message.id=40044

f) Holorecorder Module - The concept behind this module has a number of functions. First, it would give the player the ability to record holographic messages that could be stored on a droid, when a data storage module was installed, copied to a Data Storage Disk, or transmitted to another location, through the use of a Communications Module. This message would have a 1 time only playback, but could allow for the SWG community to create messages for each other to increase the overall Star Warsy feel. Holovids would open up new doors for RPers, as well as the average player, by allowing for a new form of messaging. With the Holorecorder Module one would be able to play and record Holovids that could be traded via disc, or transmitted through the use or a Communications Module, listed in item h).

The second function of this module would allow Novice Musicians and Dancers the ability to create Holovids of themselves performing. The concept here is that a Novice Musician or Dancer would gain a new droid command such as Record Performance, with a droid that was equipped with the Holorecorder Module. This droid would either be their own droid, or a droid that has been Befriended to them. The Entertainer would target the droid, issue the Record Performance command, and record a performance that could later be played back by anyone that has the appropriate droid, or Holosuite, listed in section 3).

This Holovid performance could offer healing, just like a live performance, but at 75% effectiveness to anyone that watches the holographic performance. This performance would be 1 time play and would open up a new market for the Elite Entertainers. Only a Novice Dancer, or Musician, would be able to create a functional Holovid by following the steps listed above. The Holorecorder would allow for up to 5 discs to be recorded at one time, but each disc would allow for multiple performances, depending on the quality of the disc. Holovids that are stored in the data storage module could only be accessed one time, to cut down on using the same performance over and over as a recording template. The Holo would be 1/3 of the actual player's size. This module would become accessible at Intermediate Droid Refinement.

g) Holoplayer Module - The Holoplayer Module would be the lite version of the Holorecorder. Available at Novice DE, the Holoplayer Module would allow a Novice DE the ability to make an inexpensive Holovid playing capable droid. It would allow all of the playback features of the Holorecorder, but would not be able to create Holovids. The Holoplayer Module could playback Holovids either stored in the Data Storage Module, if installed, or from a Data Storage Disc. The Holoplayer would allow for 1 Data Storage Disc to be inserted and stored, until the disc was ejected, via a radial command, or until all of the Holovids on the disc were used.

h) Communications module - This module would be used in conjunction with the Holorecorder/Holoplayer Modules and another module that is related to data. The Communications module would allow for Holovids to be sent via a 'live' stream, as in the case of a HoloNet communication, or a 'live' performance from an Entertainer. Data could be sent from the droid to another droid or a Data Terminal that has a communications module.

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I figured I'd reply here since NewJedi has been kind enough to start this up, mostly due to my whinging, I think. I have to admit to knowing very little about Droid Engineering -- only what I've picked up from hanging around Slythetove. When he first started on Droid Engineering, I annoyed him about finding out about modules for perfomers.

I just wanted to give a teeny bit of input to you, Drashk, from a performer's perspective, on the Entertainment and Holovid Module ideas:

• It's not healing of Mind Wounds outside the Cantina that most of us are interested in, but healing of Battle Fatigue. Preferably both, but if anything, Fatigue Healing. We can do Mind Wound healing and mind buffsin scouts' camps, but we're tied to the Cantina (and theoretically a Hotel or Theatre/Amphitheatrer, but no one ever goes there) to do Fatigue Healing. I'd like to be able to camp the Starport/Shuttleport/Mission Terminalswith the medics/docs and busk for change (and have it actually do something measureable for the patrons!) outside the Cantina. I have my doubts that the developers, in their infinite wisdom and Vision™, will ever let us get out from under being barefoot, fleshwrapped and in the cantina, but I can dream, right? (Yes, I'm a tad jaded and bitter.)


• The ability for a Musician or Dancer to create some kind of recording has been kicked around a lot on the Entertainer and Musician forums. (Probably Dancer, too, but that's never been my cup o' tea, so I don't know for sure.) There's a fair amount of resistance to the idea, as a contingent of the Performing Arts doesn't want to be 'reduced' to being a crafting profession. (I'm just the messenger here...I personally find that attitude rather offensive, as I'm also a Bio-Engineer, which is about as crafter as it gets.) At any rate, among those who wouldn't mind being able to offer a packaged consumer product, the consensus seems to be that it should scale somewhere in a Music/Dance tree like the mind buff, which you technically get at Novice, but it's pretty useless until you get up to at least the top of the Techniques line (where we get the buff effect ability). I personally think the ability to make recordings (of either Dance or Music) ought to go into one of the Healing lines, which currently confer only the ability to do the same thing, only faster, that we've had since Novice Entertainer. But then, I think the mind buffs should be in the Mind Wound Healing line, too. I'm just odd, though.

Ok, so that's more than a teensy bit. As an entertainer, I'm supposed to be loquacious, aren't I? I think 75% effectiveness of an Entertainment Module or Holovid performance might assuage some performers' fears. A Cantina/Hotel/Theater would still be a better venue for performing and getting entertainment healing, but there are a lot of us who want to be able to get out of the Cantina.

Actually in the original SW RPG theres an example of this kind of droid

Originally an Lin DemolitionMech (the green dome droid you see during the Jawa droid sale in Episode IV) it was reprogrammed as an entertainment droid (on a passenger cruiser IIRC) the droid cold play music and syncronise a light show as well as plug into specially modified Sabac tables and gamble against the customers

A Sabac table droid? Now that is a idea I really like. I think everybody would like such a droid. And I think somenody could find a way how only entertainer could use it to it's fullest extend.

Of course, all the othe ideas in this thread are also very nice.

great idea

Sort of like...Portable Karaoke machines. It' growing on me. Why not, right? Only makes sense, if med mods can be put into droids.. However, for variety's sake, I'd recommend a ENTIRE different Droid Chassis. Perhaps, make it shaped likea microphone, (for musicians) or an armoire (dancers).. kinda goofy I know but I'm at work now and humor keeps me from hanging myself with my telephone cord.

Sounds like a job for the power droid to power some of the equipment,..... cept for one small problem.

The power droid can't even keep it self charged!!! It need batteries just as fast if not faster then any other.