Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: So data modules may finally have a use...
Red-Dwarf
Fri Sep 24, 2004 1:18 am
#14
TK, let me try and share some of that NDA weight with you *struggles to breathe under weight*
Now, some publically available info:
1) "Droid Invasion" was supposed to be about bringing combat droids back into SWG after the initial probot nerf.
2) In fact just one patch later the entire stocks universe wide were made obselete when "Droids Rebuilt" actually did it 
3) Shug's E3 report clearly states that Shipwright is an elite profession - with a suggested branch off from Engineering 4.
4) The ComicCon screenshots clearly show Shipwright as a novice profession with a second profession branching from it.
5) LordPall states "you need a droid with a datap...
*TK slaps duct tape on Sencom*
/mumble I wasn't going to say any more...
/mumble boy this nda is nice and heavy
/mumble sorry we CAN'T say more, this new NDA grade duct tape is strong stuff
/mumble remember the following: anything, and everything, can change under beta conditions, if anyone broke NDA what they said could be totally wrong by the time it hits live, even red-names 
/mumble Cheers
Sencom
Jenden
Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:08 am
#15
Jeryld wrote:
Hehe I think we get the picture. Just went through the House of commons log - I'm starting to really look forward to JTL now. I was before of course, but now I know a bit more about it, it's starting to sound pretty good. I particularly like the part about "programming" droids with commands to help fly ships:
I wonder if this means we're a step closer to being able to "program" droids on the ground to be more useful...
Cheers
From what I understand (and granted this is all just speculation since I'm still waiting on a beta invite) the commands are just skill commands you can add to the droid. So you can add the /rechargeShields skill to your droid or whatever (just making that up off the top of my head) and the droid will perform that action on command. Its not an actual scripting style command deal (where you give the droids normal commands that he can execute).... ok, that wasn't very clear. I think its something like modules within a module. You add the data module or whatever it ends up being and can then add commands to that to let it do things (similar to an entertainer droid having entertainer effects modules that let it do things). Anyway, thats just the feelings I get from what all's been said and what I saw when I had a chance to play some at GenCon.
And I'd be happy to share the burden of that NDA... Someone just needs to yell at the devs to send me an invite!
Message Edited by Jenden on 09-24-2004 05:08 AM
TzalRyShorn
Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:55 am
#16
Just to put in my two cent's "The Truth is Out There", ummm, stupid NDA. But Jenden I would relax if I were you bud, one Tarq DE to another, you want have too hard to run to catch up, if at all
DarkRenown
Fri Sep 24, 2004 6:42 am
#17
OK, I read the chat, I got all glowy with my droid feelings.
Looks like DE's could be a vital part of the JTLS. From what I understood, pilots can program droids(?) using the datapad.
OK, no Beta here, so pure speculation. But I guess that must mean Data Storage modules. They are the only droid module that functions like a datapad. The fact that they mentioned something about it current droids with datapads working pretty much reinforced this assumption for me.
OK, so we are talking droids that can go in/work with ships, and must have datapads. OK, hoping this means the Astromechs, although it would be very funny to plug a gonk droid into an X-Wing!! Not sure how the TIE's will work? Would they be able to take droids? Or just the modules? That may make more sense.
How are you going to load the 'programs'? That's what interests me. I always envisaged droids working in ships, and maybe having a new module to allow this, but using an existing module is cool as well, but nothing I know of in game allows loading of programs.
Speculation again, maybe they will allow the storage of macro's in the droid?? Could see this being a danger though. Or just allowing more options in the Droid Program structure, as you get more pilot programs available to you (assumign they unlock as you get a more experienced pilot having better programs??). Or, when you train, you get given a datapad item - like a schematic, which you then drag and drop into the droid - hence 'programming' it?? So many options, oooh!!
Can imagine lots of Pilots standing by the trainers with their droids saying things like "Whistler front shields", "Whistler overload" - damn, now I want to know what these things do!! LOL
Ok, so I am rambling, but the teaser got me all excited for us DE's again. Better start getting stuff ready for the data modules, just in case! Good job it's a few weeks away though, plenty of time to run all those Artisan components I'm gonna need to make them!!
Anyway enough speculation, back to the Vendor stocking! (No I don;t mean my vendor is wearing stockings either!!)
Jenden
Fri Sep 24, 2004 6:57 am
#18
TzalRyShorn wrote:
Just to put in my two cent's "The Truth is Out There", ummm, stupid NDA. But Jenden I would relax if I were you bud, one Tarq DE to another, you want have too hard to run to catch up, if at all
I could care less about the "catch up" factor... I just love debugging software (I'm a very sick man). They may not give me the actual code to debug (though I would most definately enjoy reading through it) but bug hunting and speculating as to what is causing it is almost as fun.
Message Edited by Jenden on 09-24-2004 07:01 AM
Jjiaah
Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:01 am
#19
I know a couple of people that are in Beta that have been extremely tightlipped about it, especially with all the pressure they're getting from they people around them *whistles innocently*. I've found the fastest way to put one in a tizzy is to speculate and "I heard xxxxxxx, so I'm preparing by doing xxxxxxxx". They almost... *almost* can't keep quite. Heck, they're having such an issue containing themselves I'm waiting for at least one of them to spontaneously combust.
My hats off to those of you keeping true to the NDA despite your natural desire to slap all of us speculators silly with the real facts.
We're sorry we put you through this... well, as sorry as we can be while still in the dark.
DarkRenown wrote:
Anyway enough speculation, back to the Vendor stocking! (No I don;t mean my vendor is wearing stockings either!!)
If they're not, they should be 
Message Edited by Jjiaah on 09-24-2004 07:04 AM
psikobunny
Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:49 am
#21
The path I am taking on Live is, don't make anything, yet. But be ready to make things. Get lots of the resources, and lots of the subcomponents, and be ready.
JavelinCatcher
Fri Sep 24, 2004 8:39 am
#22
Jenden wrote:
I could care less about the "catch up" factor... I just love debugging software (I'm a very sick man). They may not give me the actual code to debug (though I would most definately enjoy reading through it) but bug hunting and speculating as to what is causing it is almost as fun.
I'm exactly the same way. Although, I tend to accept "the numbers" for what they are more often than not before realizing something might be wrong with them.
It's a shame you havn't gotten your invite yet. There was a lot of stuff in publish 8 we couldn't have done without you.
Drashk
Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:04 am
#23
One thing that you have to remember, before rushing off an making tons of different data modules....
Back before Publish 7, TH made the suggestion to me, as the current Droid Engineer Correspondent, to 'leak out' information on the Probot. Basically, I was told that I should make the suggestion to have DEs stock up on Probots, due to some changes that were in store with combat droids.
The problem that poped up with this was that TH didn't specify if it was the basic Probot, Adv Probot, or Probot Chassis. As Publish 7 was fleshed out and became ready for Live, we found out that if you had set aside Probot droid deeds, you ended up with a fairly useless droid.
The moral of the story...
Don't always take what you hear for the DEVs at face value. We know that all Data Modules will have a use in JtL, however information on their use is still vauge.
Robbjedi
Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:35 am
#24
Ok guys what you really need to know is
2434679832ashjk32hjksfhjlkasjh32jklhsfjkalsjhfjkl32jhkjflhsj3k2lkjh
Now thats a 512 bit encryption......have fun
2434679832ashjk32hjksfhjlkasjh32jklhsfjkalsjhfjkl32jhkjflhsj3k2lkjh
Now thats a 512 bit encryption......have fun
Jenden
Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:45 am
#25
Drashk wrote:
One thing that you have to remember, before rushing off an making tons of different data modules....
Back before Publish 7, TH made the suggestion to me, as the current Droid Engineer Correspondent, to 'leak out' information on the Probot. Basically, I was told that I should make the suggestion to have DEs stock up on Probots, due to some changes that were in store with combat droids.
The problem that poped up with this was that TH didn't specify if it was the basic Probot, Adv Probot, or Probot Chassis. As Publish 7 was fleshed out and became ready for Live, we found out that if you had set aside Probot droid deeds, you ended up with a fairly useless droid.
The moral of the story...
Don't always take what you hear for the DEVs at face value. We know that all Data Modules will have a use in JtL, however information on their use is still vauge.
Yea, I've never been real big on making stuff ahead of time anyway (though I probably should have made a run of droid brains before publish 7)...
RasalTheWise
Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:45 am
#26
But heck, it won't hurt to make a run of data storage modules for JtL...