Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: First Look Interplanetary Survey Droid Information
The GP/MM module requirements suck too, but workable.
Message Edited by Javac on 04-16-2004 08:24 AM
nefarious wrote:
I was thinking about the survey tool portion. What if they give Master Artisans the ability to craft a survey module that would go into the droids and the MA could specify 3 tools to be in the module. This way you can have the droid survey for Wind, Mineral, & Chemical. and if that is the only resources you need it will pick them up. this also give a little more for the MA to contribute as well as more funtionable to the droid.
I believe the survey droid requires 3 GP modules and 1 Memory module in its current schematic. So MA's got that aspect covered.
JodoKai wrote:
Chaz_uk wrote:
Ack - this is what I was afraid of... Using my spreadsheet it calculates the selling price to be4.5k each if my normal margins apply (and my stuff sells OK at the prices I charge)... TBH I can't see ppl wanting to spend that on a one use droid.
Thats a basic multiplyer as well - theres also an argument to charge even more due to the Vertex Gemstone (rare) and the EMM's/EGP's.
what kind of spreadsheet are you using? This is only 150 units of resources (plus the minimal resources needed for the electronis), even at 10 to 1 that's only 1500, and I usually charge 3 to 1, maybe more for the rare ones. I'll probably charge 500-1000 credits apiece for these
Message Edited by JodoKai on 04-15-2004 10:31 AM
From the image Jenden posted for the survey droid I get it to a total of 248 units of resources. Some of them are specific and rare. but the ones for the GP modules and the memory modules are basic stuff.
500 a pop for a GP module? 300 for a MM? Thats impressive
6600 for the droid itself with the amount of resources needed? Not bad at all.
Resource breakdown
40 Carbonite Steel (specific)
45 Chemical (Any)
30 Vertex Crystaline Gemstone (specific)
35 Known Radioactive (Semi specific)
3 GP Modules (Any) = 78 units of resources total. None is name specific
1 Memory module (Any) = 20 units of resources total. None is name specific.
Fail to see where this would have to cost anywhere near 6-8k to make a profit
Lonkley wrote:
I read it as you being part of the camp that think a waypoint to the highest concentration should be returned, which makes absolutely no sense.
This actually makes the most sense to me since the droid is using a survey tool. Survey tools tell you what resources are on the planet and the concentration of resources and downloads a WP to the highest concentration. Now I havent really formed an opinion of what these droids SHOULD do, but giving you a WP to highest concentration of a resource seems to be the most plausible based on the current functionality of the survey tool. I personally would like stats instead, because I dont mind surveying I just hate sampling every resource.
Also, in regards to the broader discussion, I think these droids will have a good market. There may be seven survey tools, but most crafters only use 1 or 2 of these unless they are selling all types of resoruces. I have never used a solar energy survey tool and havent used flora or water in many months. I mainly use my mineral and chem tools, and on occasion my wind when the radioactive runs out. And as said before many crafters like weaponsmiths and armorsmiths won't care about the cost if it is under 5k.
The big issue is time. Maybe it takes a half hour to come back with info, but that is a half hour I can do other things. It takes me a half hour to check my harvesters, half hour to explain droids or something else to someone, half hour to stock my vendors, half hour filling custom orders, and then add to that a half hour or hour to go survey multiple planets.....I will definitely use these things. Of course I will watch how testing goes to see how usefule they will be, but they are in testing, so I wont pass judgement yet.
Prin Eckbo
I'm being quiet about this until we find out what will be in the email but this is exactly how I was imagining it should be.
Except for the using up a survey tool. I think with all the electronics it already has it should be covered.
Kollos wrote:
That's the best part... we don't have to stock up on survey tools because they're not required to manufacture the droids. Our customers will certainly want to be able to buy (or make) tools for themselves, but it's not something we necessarily have to do for them.
I agree as well, I think having to use a survey tool with the droid you use is a bit of a stupid idea. Personally I think instead of a survey tool,they should just have a Droid Brain added to the schematic and on use allow the user to select the resource type to survey (aka the Harvesting Module)We have to churn out hundreds of Droid brainsfor the various modules and droids anyway - 1 more schematic needing a droid brain wont be a problem.
As for the waypoints to concentrations. WPs to random concentrations of resources would be nice, but I just can't see it happening. I'd be happy if we just got the stats. Concentration WPs are a pipedream, but a nice one 
Im not too happy about yet ANOTHER rare resource needed for crafting this droid either. It already contains subcomponents that arent makeable by a DE (GPEM & GPMM), and as this is going to be a fairly high turnover item Id prefer if it was just dropped for Gemstone. Im okay about rare resources in Modules (as these are for Droids which sell for 30-60k and never need replacing), but in a one use droid which will be practically the ONLY itemwhich a customer needs to replace reguarly - I think its a bit too much.
My wish list is the Survey droid to be 5 charge, using a droid brain instead of having to give it survey tools and WITHOUT A RARE Resource please! A slight increase in the total number of resources to craft would be acceptable to me (and I think everyone) if we could replace the Vertex Gemstone with just Gem stone.
My rant is over 
Drece
Master Droid Engineer, Master Artisan
Duty Free Shop, Mercator, Talus, Corbantis.
Malitevv wrote:
Kollos wrote:
That's the best part... we don't have to stock up on survey tools because they're not required to manufacture the droids. Our customers will certainly want to be able to buy (or make) tools for themselves, but it's not something we necessarily have to do for them.
I see that as the worst part. It just makes the droid harder for our customers to use, because it makes using the droid tedious and for many players, confusing. This will dramatically reduce the customer base.
But it also makes the Droid far more convenient and easier to use. This way they won't have to buy 7 different kinds of droids in order to cover all of the types of resources, and they will be reminded as they launch the droid (because they have to choose the tool to use) which type of resource it is being sent to find.
Just about everything in the game is confusing to someone. If you educate your customers you won't have any problem, and being helpful up front dramatically increases your return business and referrals.