Droid Engineer Archive

First of all, regarding Elite-elite professions....I like how they are set up, and that they take from our regular skill point pool. Yes, it means we may have to drop other skills, but that's fine by me. It makes them more special. Some people will be Master DE's with rounded skills in other areas, and some people will be Master Elite-Elites who made the sacrifice to get there.

Secondly, regarding the idea of our role in Starship design....I don't think it entirely makes sense that we create Starships (designing droids and designing vehicles/starships....hmmm....the similarities being where?). I do, however, think it necessary that every Starship require droids to operate. Or some way to tie us in there.

--First of all, regarding Elite-elite professions....I like how they are set up, and that they take from our regular skill point pool. Yes, it means we may have to drop other skills, but that's fine by me. It makes them more special. Some people will be Master DE's with rounded skills in other areas, and some people will be Master Elite-Elites who made the sacrifice to get there.--

Actually, it creates a great deal more problems than it solves.

1. By preventing people from taking part in Elite-Elite's by restricting them, leaving only a very few in the top end, it creates a pseudo-monopoly, that can easily result in denial of crafted items to PA's/Factions.

2. Due to the very small numbers of EE's that will be present, it's extremely possible a big barrier to new EEs could be created. EEs will have to band together, and the person doing the Final Assemble will hold the power. He can direct those he purchases from not to sell to others, preventing others entry into the market.

3. By funnelling that many more credits to a small number of Players, the potential exists for just one or two Players "Retiring" to create a server wide shortage/removal of products from the economy.

4. Certain classes will be completely barred from Elite-Elite professions. Bounty-Hunters, and Smugglers will be guaranteed they cannot participate. There's nothing that those classes offer to make that choice compelling. Why does it matter? Spice and Slicing exists the economy as people surrender to take advantage of the more powerfull EEs.

5. By forcing players to surrender skills they currently have, in favor of EEs, specifically the combat players, it will seriously reduce the amount of resources entering the system. Nearly all of the combat professions will wave goodbye to Artisan first. Gathering sufficient resources will become increasingly difficult.

6. It completely removes freedom of choice. Either you're a combat character, or you're a crafter, but no one does both. Why? Because it makes no sense to not progress. No one's going to continue to play a game for years staying at the exact same level. Everyone's going to want to progress, and they're going to surrender skills to do so. Why's that bad? Because a Starship Engineer isn't going to have a whole lot of time/energy to devote to Droid Engineering while making/repairing ships. Then you get into the volume of resources for ships alone will be daunting, try collecting enough for droids on top of that. Why won't people move in to fill the gap? Because it effectively leaves them stuck half-way through the game with nothing else to do, while everyone including their friends continues onward without them. *no one* wants to hear "Sorry, you can't come, it's too tough for you there."

The design decision they need to make is to diversify, not reduce diversity. They need to seperate classes into Vehicle designers, Starship designers, Weaponsmiths, Capital Weaponsmiths, Armorsmiths, Capital Armorsmiths, etc. By adding multiple EEs on top of every profession, and giving people a second layer of skill points to spend on them. The path they're following now, will just create more problems than solutions.

Bah, I don't think it's as bad as all that, but I also don't think they should just tack on Starship Engineer as an EE to DEs. Vehicle engineer should get its own normal elite profession tree, and SE should be an EE off of that. DE should get its own droid EE, like "Combat Droid Engineer" or something like that, but only after they implement some much needed fixes to the existing DE tree. For existing DEs that want to build starships (myself included), you should have to start up the vehicle engr tree like everyone else.

"Artsian < Elite Architect < Elite Elite Urban Planner = 0 points left over.

I could never play a charactor like that. Its not worth it. Build your city, then what?" -relic-

Actually.. it's Engineering -> Master Architect -> Master Urban Planner = Enough points left over to nearly master another profession.

Architects do not have to be Master Artisans and neither do Urban Planners..

~Met

Actually, a semi-popular combination currently is Master Medic/Master Doctor/Master Combat Medic which leaves enough skill points left over for Novice Marksman + 4 boxes in 1 weapon, & 1 box in each of the other two.

Assumining Urban Planner takes as many skill points to master as a "regular" Elite profession, that leave you with:

• Engineering 4 (Artisan)


• Master Architect


• Master Urban Planner


• Master <other novice profession>


• 4 skill points left (1 box each on 2 other Artisan branches)

Also, SOE has said that they will be adding additional skill points as they add more professions. Apparantly they have a formula for how many skill points each character gets that's based on the total number of skill points required to master EVERYTHING at once. Unfortunately, 250 is a "bonus" above what the formual would grant at release, so it'll probably be Space Expansion before we see any extra points. (Urban Planner & Vehicle Engineer will probably just eat up the bonus.)

Tar'Ra