Droid Engineer Archive

Thread: What does Repeat Business mean?

TheRealTK421
Sat Feb 19, 2005 9:25 am
#27




YodaMac wrote:







TheRealTK421 wrote:



No one's losing anything here, Yoda Mac. It would just need to be replaced occassionally, just as people have to often replace armor, weapons, food/spice or any number of other things.

A 'durable good', which droidsshould rightly fall into, doesn't equate to 'lasts (literally) forever'.






I really don't think DE's (out of all players) should be trying so hard to lower the importance of droids to mere consumables like food/armor/weapons. There are big differences between them, and those are some of the most important "plusses" of the DE profession.




I think you're mischaracterizing my viewpoint.

You'll note that I stated droids are "durable goods"....that's not the same as "permanently indestructible".


A car is a durable good. Does it break down, require maintenance and need to be replaced occassionally?


Would you lump a car into the same category as food, batteries or some other 'consumable'?

I didn't think so.


I think you are coming at this like we want to make you replace all 5 of your droids on a weekly basis. I am telling you....



That is NOT the case, man......so work with us to get a system that's fair for both sides. Right now, it isn't balanced and I personally intend to see that it does get balanced.


You may not agree with this but, with all due respect, you're in the minority in terms of the DEs / MDEs that have posted on this issue over time.


/bow

Respectfully,





TheRealTK421 a.k.a. "Doughbacca"
SWG DE Correspondent
Co-Founding member of Ahazi DENet & SWG DEA (Droid Engineer Association)
"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. ...I'm certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am."


YodaMac
Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:36 am
#28







TheRealTK421 wrote:


You may not agree with this but, with all due respect, you're in the minority in terms of the DEs / MDEs that have posted on this issue over time.


/bow

Respectfully,






That may be true. The "majority" of DE's also pushed for "We need combat droids or the profession is over!" way back when. Many of them have holo-grinded their way to other professions thankfully. The reason I am taking the time now to point out my views (rather than playing the game which is what I am usually doing) is because I need to make sure our "minority" voice is heard at this time. (and I am not the only one posting these feelings)


I knownobody istrying to ruin thefun of the profession, but I am just here to point out that if you go to far with "decay", it could ruin many of the best elements of DE, turning it into a clone of all the other crafting professions...none of which I want to play.


I want DE to stay unique as a crafting profession. I think Droids ARE special (and so do players) and don't want to seethem trivialized into a consumable of any kind. I am NOT role-playing about it, I am just playing the game with Droids as my primary focus, not credits. (not my credits,and not being jealous about other players credits) I don't think the profession is "broken" anymore. In fact, it's never been better with all the new functionality we can provide to other players.


I don't intend to jump on any "bandwagons" unless I believe it is a proposal that adds to Droid Engineering, without threatening any of the best elements of what is the most fun crafting profession to play. That's why I am posting my concerns, and listing my alternatives (as the DE correspondant suggested I do).


Message Edited by YodaMac on 02-19-2005 10:38 AM




Yod Amac - Head DE, Serenity, Naboo, Radiant Galaxy
Reaperss
Sat Feb 19, 2005 12:20 pm
#29




TheRealTK421 wrote:




Reaperss wrote:


I have not read everypost in this thread, so maybe this has been mentioned. Droid Decay could destroy DE. Lets remember that that none of our products, exept BH droids, are necesary.



Go tell that to the Docs that are buffing in the CNet starport currently.

Or to the crafters that don't like to be tied to the private crafting station in their house.


/bow

Respectfully,







If you read my ENTIRE 2 line post I stated that medic and scout droids would still sell......



Ugo Deathbringer
-X Master Droid Engineer, X Master Merchant, X Master Artisan,
Don't hate da playa or da game, hate the Devs
Warn you we did, listen you did not, now screwed we all are
TheRealTK421
Sat Feb 19, 2005 12:32 pm
#30




Reaperss wrote:


If you read my ENTIRE 2 line post I stated that medic and scout droids would still sell......




Errr....reading comprehension is our friend (but not mine today, it seems).

I think crafting droids would still sell as well. Matter of fact, I think all droids would still sell. If the market was too adversely affected, that would be the time to try to get some of the benefits looked into so that they were more desirable.



/bow

Respectfully,





TheRealTK421 a.k.a. "Doughbacca"
SWG DE Correspondent
Co-Founding member of Ahazi DENet & SWG DEA (Droid Engineer Association)
"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. ...I'm certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am."


lindalu
Sat Feb 19, 2005 9:26 pm
#31
'repeat business' for DE reminds me of corporate 'buzz words' (words and phrases most ofen found in the dilbert cartoon that sound important but are nothing more than empty air and promises). i would like repeat business, hell i would like any form of business at all. i started SWG last month, mastered DE not too long ago, and want to stay a DE,but because as everyone has pointed out, the droid market is basicly saturated from the old timers, i dont get sales (except for the occasional guildmate). fortunately, i am a pure crafter ( all my classes and master classes are off the artisan tree) so i dont use weapons or armor, so i dont have those expenses, but i do have 2 med. houses (one my personal pad the other the mall i am running), 2 factories, 4 harvesters running and they all take money and power (which i wind up buying). i want to have enough sales to cover my expences at the minnimum. i love droids (i use my craftbot over my crafting station), i love making droids, but i also am realistic enoughto know that love is not enough. i want to be part of a dynamic market, which will only occur if there is some form/way for people to have to buy a droid more than once (other than change of profession). atm, the only viable way i see this happening is though some form of decay.
AudioOrgana
Sun Feb 20, 2005 6:29 am
#32

lindalu wrote:
'repeat business' for DE reminds me of corporate 'buzz words' (words and phrases most ofen found in the dilbert cartoon that sound important but are nothing more than empty air and promises). i would like repeat business, hell i would like any form of business at all. i started SWG last month, mastered DE not too long ago, and want to stay a DE, but because as everyone has pointed out, the droid market is basicly saturated from the old timers, i dont get sales (except for the occasional guildmate). fortunately, i am a pure crafter ( all my classes and master classes are off the artisan tree) so i dont use weapons or armor, so i dont have those expenses, but i do have 2 med. houses (one my personal pad the other the mall i am running), 2 factories, 4 harvesters running and they all take money and power (which i wind up buying). i want to have enough sales to cover my expences at the minnimum. i love droids (i use my craftbot over my crafting station), i love making droids, but i also am realistic enough to know that love is not enough. i want to be part of a dynamic market, which will only occur if there is some form/way for people to have to buy a droid more than once (other than change of profession). atm, the only viable way i see this happening is though some form of decay.





I absoultely hate the term - especially since people so over-use it on the forums recently, and by it's very nature any Q is done FE, but anyway...


QFE.


Decay or not, I'll still make millions a week. /shrug

Players like this cannot.

Yes, other crafting professions face similar problems, but that's not a reason to not go after a soloution.

This is why droids need to decay permanently - so players like lindalu aren't stuck with not even enough sales to pay maintanance on their homes, or making "kits" to fix the droids people like me make.

Stick with us, lindalu - there are some of us old foggies who really do understand and are working to help you, not preserve the status quo or sacrifice you to the role-playing Gods.

AO
Straker_Atrella
Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:21 pm
#33




YodaMac wrote:








TheRealTK421 wrote:


You may not agree with this but, with all due respect, you're in the minority in terms of the DEs / MDEs that have posted on this issue over time.


/bow

Respectfully,






That may be true. The "majority" of DE's also pushed for "We need combat droids or the profession is over!" way back when. Many of them have holo-grinded their way to other professions thankfully. The reason I am taking the time now to point out my views (rather than playing the game which is what I am usually doing) is because I need to make sure our "minority" voice is heard at this time. (and I am not the only one posting these feelings)


I knownobody istrying to ruin thefun of the profession, but I am just here to point out that if you go to far with "decay", it could ruin many of the best elements of DE, turning it into a clone of all the other crafting professions...none of which I want to play.


I want DE to stay unique as a crafting profession. I think Droids ARE special (and so do players) and don't want to seethem trivialized into a consumable of any kind. I am NOT role-playing about it, I am just playing the game with Droids as my primary focus, not credits. (not my credits,and not being jealous about other players credits) I don't think the profession is "broken" anymore. In fact, it's never been better with all the new functionality we can provide to other players.


I don't intend to jump on any "bandwagons" unless I believe it is a proposal that adds to Droid Engineering, without threatening any of the best elements of what is the most fun crafting profession to play. That's why I am posting my concerns, and listing my alternatives (as the DE correspondant suggested I do).



Message Edited by YodaMac on 02-19-2005 10:38 AM




You choosing to not make credits is "your" playstyle. You don't care about money, that's fine. However, does that mean that the fate of the profession should reflect your playstyle? I don't think that is fair.


Both playstyles should be valid, there is no reason, that if Droids were suddenlty a big money maker people couldn't still be casual about it.


With the current situation, "casual DE's" get what they want, a few "economic DE's" get what they want, but a large majority don't. This means that many many DE's cannot choose the playstyle that they want. This is a game, people should get to play how they want.


On the boards here, there are many different types of DE's, casual and economic, we have discussed and discussed ways to meet halfway. That way is with Droid Decay. Casual players can still be casual, and there will be more credits to go around for other.


No offense, but trying to keep the profession to suit just "your" playstyle is a little selfish.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Droid Vendor at Resurection near Theed on Naboo -5757 6222. Both carry a wide variety of maxed Droids, I also carry every type of Droid and Droid supply.

*Straker Atrella: Dark Jedi * Atrella's Wench: Master Droid Engineer / Artisan / Scout / Merchant * Dark Vortex: Ranger / Rifleman * Havana:Musician / Dancer / Image Design * Enigmatica : Doctor / Swordsman* CrazyEyes: Role playing BH.
lindalu
Mon Feb 21, 2005 1:45 am
#34
i plan on stayinga DE, this is the best community i had the opportunity to be in (my old EQ profession was mage, talk about your whiny arse players). instead of crying that you are a broken class (which we are), you are actively seeing ways to fix it. and in fixing it, you are trying to see ways everyone from the old timers (such as AO) to the nubs (such as me) can enjoy a thriving market instead of a stagnant one.
snoman321
Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:43 am
#35

I just want to toss in my .02 here quickly. I think that a little droid decay will not bring about the negatives that you think will happen Yoda (unless of course we got ridiculous with it). I am partly a hand-crafter, partly an industrialist. I became a DE for many of the same reasons that you did, andthey are the same reasons that I continue to enjoy playing a DE. I honestly do not forsee the profession being transformed into an "industrialists-only club" as you have professed will happen. The indutrialist in me will continue to grind out high end combat droids, bombs, and harvesters, while the tinkerer in mecontinues to create that specialized custom build for a Chef who wants an R3 with storage, a combat mod, crafting, and 3 harvest mods. I cannot see my role as a "droid marketer" and "new-droid-purchaser helper" changing with the advent of some decay. In fact, one of the things that DE SORELY lacks is the ability to build a consistent and loyal customer base.


The sad reality of DE currently is that all my best customer service efforts go to waste since most people never need to come back to my shop once they leave the door. I used to email every customer that bought a droid from me with a thank you. I would keep a list of customers and periodically mail them to let them know about products I was adding, etc. I've come to realize that keeping in touch with most customers in order to develop a lasting realtionship is largely pointless. While there are some who I see thatreturn for some extra droids or an upgrade or two, once their needs are met I never see them again. I can be the best example of customer service in my galaxy and 9 times out of 10 it is virtually meaningless because a customer doesn't need any more droids once they have all they need. The lack of decay in essenceDISCOURAGES the development ofrelationships, which in my mind is a crucial element of the popularity & enjoyment of any MMORPG.


On top of that, despite the fact that I've enjoyed DE more than any other profession, I still like to go out from time to time and shoot stuff. There's a whole other part of SWG that I like besides DE. I know, Yoda, you and some other DEs do not care to pursue other professions, and that's fine. But there are a lot of us that enjoy a broader play experience, and to fully enjoy that experience,weneedcredits. I don't need to break the bank or anything. If I was a "credit-hungry-capitalist-pricegouging-mongerer" as some others on these forums would have us believe, I wouldn't be a DE. I do, however, value the fact that DE provides me with a respectable income. But Ilament the fact that it could be considerably better without, in my honest opinion, damaging those essential features that make DE a fun and unique profession. Personally, I think that the crafting professions should differ in thenature of their creations, but be relativelybalanced in their ability to earn credits. It's a tall order to be sure, but I think decay in some form gets us a lot closer.


Just my .02.


Omab Espeonugik on Bloodfin

Message Edited by snoman321 on 02-21-2005 03:48 AM

YodaMac
Mon Feb 21, 2005 8:09 am
#36






snoman321 wrote:



I cannot see my role as a "droid marketer" and "new-droid-purchaser helper" changing with the advent of some decay.





"Some decay", yes. Which is why I am trying to make sure the whole decay issue isn't taken too far in the name of credits or strict gameplay mechanics. Your "casual" crafting enjoyment could vanish in a puff of vanishing droids who need to be replaced so often that customers really only want crates and crates of identical droids, not individual attention anymore.


Imagine how little players would care about your "customer service" if they only viewed droids the way players view a food buff, or a blaster, or any of the other combat consumables that nobody really gives a hoot about- other than to buy them inmass quantities to be used up.


Just trying to keep things from heading to far that way is all. Jenden and TK have put forth some interesting "decay" proposals that allows a player to decide whether or not their droid is worth keeping around.




Yod Amac - Head DE, Serenity, Naboo, Radiant Galaxy
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