Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: The Consensus On Combat Droids
1. I agree. I think it would be stupid to see R2's and Protical droids running around fighting
2. Absolutly,
there were two types of battle droids in starwars episode 2. Give us both for all players and the droideka for Master DE only
3. I agree on the need forbalanceing.
What about Generic Certification/Control Points similar to Lots. Players can have a combination of Pets and Droids out but they can't add up to more than a set number of points. Then of course Creature Handlers can use the better creatures. And of course the Master Droid Engineer would get his Master DE only Droid Muhahaha
I would catagorize them as the following
dz270(downright wimpy), probot (weakest), battledroid (weak), superbattle droid from episode 2 (tough), [Droideka (toughest) and Master DE Only]
4. I agree, If you cant use all the droids you make how the heck are you supposed to test them
5. Yes, by the time you get to MASTER DE you have to give up alot. Make the Droideka a Master DE only droid so you can actually join in with your friends in a fight and be usefull. It would also be a great reward for those that Go all the way to Master DE
6. I agree, Give us (Master DE) droideka. Of couse begger cant be choosers, I will take them with a smile any way you give them to me.
~Das-Ree
1. No one wants DE-only combat droids to be the ONLYnew droids we get. Likewise, few like the idea of combat modules for non-combat droids like Protocol Droids ("I'm programmed for etiquette, not combat" -- C3P0, Ep2.)
#1. Agree, and strongly agree with the feelings AGAINST adding combat mods to existing non-combat droids.
2. Majority want new combat droids that we can sell
#2. Agree strongly
3. Majority believe there should be some sort ofgame balancing limit on new and powerful droids with certs being the most common --but not the only --solution proposed. The recent CH/creature nerf suggests that the devs are leaning toward certs for game balance so we might as well warm up to the idea, or suggest a reasonable alternative. Some have suggested certs, others have suggested pet levels points spread out in the DE skilltree and a few have suggest a Droid Handler profession
#3 Disagree somewhat. If a cert system is used, that doesnt involve forcing people to become droid engineers, then I wouldn't mind so much. However, if they are lowering the level of non-CH pets, why should droids exceed this? Wouldn't the simplist solution be to keep combat droids roughly on par with non-creature handler pets? I think a good balance would be to think of non-ch pets as extra hp, and droids as extra damage... which wouldn't be too unbalancing considering the pass they are going to soon give to melee classes to make them superior tanks. Droids shouldn't just be non-ch pets with a different skin, I'd like to see them do something that the other pets cant... give them a specific role. It's important to look at this section "whole cloth" and not just focus on one aspect.
Also, Im strongly against a Droid Handler profession... just seems silly to me. (no offense intended.)
4. Majority believe we should be able to use all the droids that we can make
#4. Disagree. I'd like to see more specialized droids... droids that help survey and harvest. Droids that help repair weapons and slice. These can be handled by moduals of course, or by specialized droids. Either way, I feel no great urge to be able to use every droid, since I would like droids to offer specific bonuses to professions outside of my own. If you are refering to a general type of droid though (combat droid) then I will agree that we should be able to use what we build, if it is a general type of functionality (small healing, combat, repowering harvesters, ect)
5. In ADDITION to the droids in Point #4, many, but not all,want DE-only combat droids that are "cool" or "special" as a badge of our Droid Engineer-ness. Some believe these should be as powerful as the best CH pet, others believe they should just have a special look or chasis, others believe they should have slightly better stats. (My proposal is Droidekas that we can sell, and Droideka AvdancedMaster DE-onlymodels that are moderately better, perhaps with shield generators). Many don't like the idea of a separate chassis or a Super Uber Droid for fear of DE dabblers;others, in turn, question those who prefer to keep DEnumbersdown.Soem fear that a DE-only chassis will upset customers. And, finally,a few insist that Droid Engineers only have access to the droids everyone else can use.
#5. I disagree. I think a better solution would be to allow some form of highly tweaked modual that only droid engineers can safely use. I think it fits the class really well to have a favorite personal droid that they tinker with and improve upon, however I dont think it should be anything super secret. Make it some form of Master DE only modual or upgrade, options to overpower weapons, or add sheild generators (bought from armorsmiths to keep interdependancy alive) to trade out "stock" weapons for master weaponsmith crafted weapons, extensive customization. I would be SO much happier with this if as a master de I could display a tweaked out combat droid that isnt -too- different from a normal droid, but just looks unique because of changes that I made to it. And why stop at combat droids? Let DE's alter any 1 droid chassi they wish at master to make it more effective and unique, but not too far outside of its operational range. Let master DE's CHOOSE how they want their personal droid to perform, dont force the class into a percieved combat role. Why is a tweaked out combat droid more a badge of succsses then an ADV. Astromech that can help manage your harvesters, or a C-3PO that retrives stockroom merchandise? I think its more important to allow choice then force us into a role that some really aren't interested in.
6. Give us Droidekas somehow!!!
#6 <shrug> Dont really care. They would sell well, which would be nice, but other combat droid chassi would be just as acceptable to me. Maybe use droideka as the mid to lower end combat droid, and have a higher model that you can actually hand a weapon to?
1) Agree - DE makes droids for others, DE-only means an influx of players who take DE for the perk. They make their money on destroy missions, and willchange the economy by giving away droids and buyingresources at a premium, IMO.
2) Agree
3) Agree - I hated weapon certs in beta, but we needed them. Droid certs should be put back in to prevent twinking,and the probot un-nerfed. Cert based on commands, as chassis is irrelevant ATM.
4) Agree - Dangerous though, think of it from a WS or BE POV. If you allow it, you have to allow a WS to use all of thier weapons, and a BE to use all of their creatures. Personally, I think there needs to be levels of certs granted at different levels. 0= uncertified, 1 = proficient, 2 = trained, 3 = mastery. Crafters would get level 1 with their wares. 2 and 3 would be granted to the intended audience at certain skill levels.
5) Disagree - If it's combat oriented, same as above applies. If it's a tool, by all means. Special astromech with all crafting modules, human replicant which looks like a faction pet andhas similarcombat stats.
6) Agree
Hello Folks,
Here's my response.
#1 Agree.
#2 Agree.
#3 Disagree. Droids should be available to anyone who has enough money. Price should be the balancing factor the same way you don't see large houses everywhere. The current price of droids reflects their lack of use. When they are more useful the prices should naturally go up. Hopefully to 50-100k to reflect the experience and resource costs it takes to get to MDE. Not everyone can afforddroids of this price.The other balancing force is the best droid should not be able to match with the best creature pet. For this reason droids should lag creatures in power, giving people a reason to be CH and leaving a market for those who don't want to be CH.
Our market will be severely limited if our high-end droidsare availableonly tomasters or near masters of other elite professions through certifications. People will be screaming to lower certificate qualifications before long. Add that to the fact that you'd have to add certifications to every single combat tree, and you've got one big pain for the devs. Let's not insist on this feature.
If I lose on this point though, I won't complain. I just don't like the idea too much, and I think it comes from wanting combat droids that canrival CH pets, which I don't think is the point of droids.
#4 Agree.
#5 Disagree. If I wanta combat pet to tank, I'll be a CH not a DE. I build droids for utility and to sell. This suggestion would be fluff to me. My primary interest in DE is running an effective business, not having an uber tank with me. This requires effective droids that I can sell, including combat droids.
#6 No opinion. It could be droideka or anything else. Just as long as our best droids are reasonably effective.
Let's see how this poll goes.
Sodan-droiddreamer wrote:
1. No one wants DE-only combat droids to be the ONLYnew droids we get. Likewise, few like the idea of combat modules for non-combat droids like Protocol Droids ("I'm programmed for etiquette, not combat" -- C3P0, Ep2.)
Agreed. I really don't mind the idea of a DE being able to "customize" a utility droid with weapons... but thethought of R2D2 whipping out a T-21 and whuppin' up on some Stormtroopers is just not very "StarWarsy".
2. Majority want new combat droids that we can sell
Agreed.
3. Majority believe there should be some sort ofgame balancing limit on new and powerful droids with certs being the most common --but not the only --solution proposed. The recent CH/creature nerf suggests that the devs are leaning toward certs for game balance so we might as well warm up to the idea, or suggest a reasonable alternative. Some have suggested certs, others have suggested pet levels points spread out in the DE skilltree and a few have suggest a Droid Handler profession.
Agreed. General-sales combat droids should be balanced against low to mid-level faction pets. The faction pets should be much stronger, because of permadeath and the risk of being Overt to use them, but they'd be a good benchmark to use for balance. The 4-step (basic Novice/basic Master/elite Novice/elite Master) cert system is probably the simplest way to handle general-sales combat droids.
For DE-only droids, either cert 'em at Master or spread them through the tree in exactly the same fashion as the new CH tree.
4. Majority believe we should be able to use all the droids that we can make
Agreed. Engineerconnotes operation as well as design.
5. In ADDITION to the droids in Point #4, many, but not all,want DE-only combat droids that are "cool" or "special" as a badge of our Droid Engineer-ness. Some believe these should be as powerful as the best CH pet, others believe they should just have a special look or chasis, others believe they should have slightly better stats. (My proposal is Droidekas that we can sell, and Droideka AvdancedMaster DE-onlymodels that are moderately better, perhaps with shield generators). Many don't like the idea of a separate chassis or a Super Uber Droid for fear of DE dabblers;others, in turn, question those who prefer to keep DEnumbersdown.Soem fear that a DE-only chassis will upset customers. And, finally,a few insist that Droid Engineers only have access to the droids everyone else can use.
I'm in the "DE-only custom combat droid that is balanced against CH pets (but at a lower level due to ease of acquisition) but doesn't really desire a DE-only chassis" camp. (phew) If the DE-only modules are spread out through the tree in the new CH fashion, or restricted to MDE, there will be few dabblers.And I have no sympathy for the folks that just want to protect their little market at the expense of the profession and the game as a whole.
6. Give us Droidekas somehow!!!
And Trade Federation combat droid chassis.
1.) Agree
2.) Agree
3.) Not sure, mostly because of the way the question is worded. Droids will either be certified or not ceritifed, there is no in-between. But yes, I agree with the basic certification principle.
4.) Strongly disagree. If we can use all the droids we can make, that means we can be medics, bounty hunters, and all other professions with profession-specific modules or functions. Certifications for individual droid functionality should exist in the appriate profession/skill area.
5.) Disagree. DE-only droids will not stay DE-only for long, as I've argued in another thread. We already have a 'badge' of our DE-ness, it's the ability to create droids! No different than the weaponsmith's badge of being the provider of weapons to the SWG community. If you dont think "Droid Engineer" is a special badge already, then you're probably in the wrong profession!
6.) Disagree, mostly indifferent, as this is a matter of personal taste.
Guru
Cayleb on Shadowfire, Architect and DE
1. Agree. Combat and Non-Combat options, the more, the better. Possibly ADV frames for every possible Chassis? I would like to display EACH droid I can sell, not just the higher end ones.
2. Strongly agree. It saddens me every time someone asks "what the best combat droidyou can make?" And when I give them the stats for the probot, the typical answers are "Is that it?" or "That sucks" or simply silence.
3. Both agree and disagree. While, logically, we should be able to use every droid we can make, since we know all of the inner workings of the droids; and if it comes down to it, we can simply program it to obey us no matter what. Gameplay speaking, on the other hand, there needs to be some kind of balance. The BH seekers/Arakyd system works beautifully at the moment, there has to be some way to impliment this for other professions as well.
4. Same as #3. Maybe allow us to use them all, but functionality may be limited. I can see throwing out a Seeker to find an NPC, adding minor /areatrack capabilities like a Ranger, while not giving us too much of an advantage. Having a med droid out wouldn't give us wound healing abilities that we normally wouldn't have, but might add an area wound healing over time like being in a camp (this would be a feature of the droid, not a DE-only ability).
5. Agree. Something specific to the MDE would make us feel special. I guarantee that the CHers using a Rancor only get a couple /tells asking if a non-CH can use one. If it would be a unique model (such as a Droideka), then at least make a chassis available for people to place in their house, so they can feel semi-special too. It could also be a new module (a new function would be awesome, but I simply can't think of what it could be).
6. Agree. But not only droideka. I would like to see a multitude of new frames, combat or non-combat. Droideka, TradeFed battle droids, Pit Droids (the bouncy one in Watto's shop "push it's nose!"), Rikshaw droids (for a possible mode of transport)...the more the better, with frames for each to use as furnature (I konw, we hate being used for furnature, but lets face it...it sells).
7. From Droid_Engineer_Rho's post, It's nice to see that we all agree (for the most part) on almost everything we'd like to see change about our profession.
1. Agree
2. Agree
3. Agree if the solution is certs. I do not want to see a new Droid Handler profession.
4. Disagree. I'd rather be able to craft powerful combat droids that I am unable to use than weak (for balancing purposes) combat droids that won't sell. If I want to use my uber fighting droids, I'll go out and obtain the necessary certs from a combat profession.
5. Disagree. Again, if DEs can use everything they make, we'll end up with watered down droids.
6. Agree
1) Agree
2) Agree
3) Disagree - Certifications are too hard to implement. I think the simple solution is to let all non-DE's have one of any combat droid, let DE's have 2. Getting experience in using a flamethrower doesn't make you any better at telling a droid to "attack" than anything else. Let the devs keep their one pet per person limit, just make that one droid pet non-DEs can have a little better and give us an advantage throught multiple droids.
4) Agree
5) Disagree. Big time. There are a BUNCH (not a few) of us who think that we should be able to sell every droid we make. Droids are smart, and it doesn't make any sense that you need special skills to handle them (as well as there being no precedent for any droid needing a "handler" in the movies). We can ask for multiple combat droids, but ALL droids should be usuable by everyone.
6) Agree.
I have been holding off becoming a DE BECAUSE you can't really sell anything worth wild yet.... Now they want to make Combat Droids Basically now sellable too??? I agree on Certs.... but anything else would be plain dumb.
1). Agree
2). Agree
3). Agree
4). Agree
5). Agree
6). Agree
Nevad, Novice DE, Kettemoor