Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Poll Do you want to be a crafter or a combat class?
RearAd wrote:
UMM, but won't this certy system just make high level combat professions that have them even higher, while us who can' t PVP effectively because we used our skill points for the last 4 months on one of the most useless professions but held them just hoping that one day it will be fixed did it for nothing, making not very much moneybecause droids don't really sell that well cause they aren't that usefull, half are broken.
This professionis only as useless as you make it. My business is great, about 90% of the people I sell droids to come back a bit later thanking me, telling me they love it or its just what they needed, and often times buying another one, and I love the profession even in its current state. Do we have bugs, yes, are we broken, no. If you want to be able to PVP effectively then take up more combat skills. someone who has used all (or almost all) their skill points in combat related professions should be able to kick the ass of someone who also has crafting skills, but that person with crafting skills can craft, whereas the combat person can't.
Also DE's have to be master artisans because of the dependancy, I don't know about you DE's but I'd like to see some profficiency in droid usage, don't make a master commando even more powerful cause only that profession can use this really bada$$ droid. That will only widen the gap.
You in no way shape or form have to be master artisan to be master DE. I've never had master artisan and haven't had any troubles. The few times my stockpile is running low and one the master artisans I normally work with isn't around I go into bestine or AH and offer 5k to a master artisan to make me a blueprint, takes about 2 minutes to find one to do it for me. Being a master artisan is a choice, not a requirement.
Droids were made to do somthing that it's owner couldn't do himself, wanted the luxury of having somthing else to a remedial task for him, or help in doing somthing better.
you can look at this two ways, first of all sure, a droid can shoot for you, but if you don't know how to properly direct it in combat tactics its not going to be effective. Droids are meant to support you, not do everything for you. I could go along with this argument if and only if that meant there were no droids certs, and everyone could use the very best combat droid. I think this is probably the best way of doing it, but I doubt it will happen as you will never see any high end combat droids with that system and too many people want them.
Also a little upset that DE's were not included into taking over a factional base, but a BioEngineer is??? I don't quite understand.
I'll agree with you on this one, though I don't see how it relates to the discussion of combat/crafter.
Just saying, I've been playing this game since the second week it came out, got a good guild, got a good city, but I am sorely disapointed in the core game itself, this could have been the best game ever, but it isn't because it wasn't thought out thuroughly. Proof is in the pudding, but hey, they got there 400,000 users x $50 a game so I guess they made thier money. Reminds me of american cars of the 80s, flood the market now take care of the problems later, or in the next model year as SWG2, LOL
Each person has their own expectations and ideas of success. I personally love this game, I know others who thought it was terrible, its all a matter of your taste in game play.
For those of you that say CRAFT, then craft, don't do combat, but I cannot take the frustration of making a usless product, I like to go out and support the guild in a raid or in some PVP, it breaks the monotony, but don't kill the dreams of us DE's that like to do other things. All I am saying is if you want to craft and not kill then craft, it is your option, do not take the option away from others.
Like I said after the first one, its only as useless as you thing it is. If you want to go raiding or do pvp thats fine, but I don't see what it has to do with DE's. you can do other things as a DE, you have plenty of skill poins left (even if you do master artisan as well). No one is taking options away from you, you can still pick up any combat profession you want (with the exception of master commando/master bounty hunter, but those are powerful enough that you have to make sacrifices to get them).
Anyway, I think the idea of more combat droid is a good one, turning us into a Droid Handler class, even if only partially will be a bad thing.
Whatever combat droids we make we should be able to use. However, I don't want to see a pure MDE anywhere near the power of a pure MCH in combat. People shouldn't be picking up DE for the combat power, we are at heart a crafting class.
I need a few questions answered before I cast a vote:
- Where, in either the DE profession skill boxes or the engineering Artisan tree, are the skills and/or abilities which are designated to enhance the holder's combat capabilities?
- Where, in any of the artisan professions, are the skills and/or abilities which are designated to enhance the holder's combat capabilities?
- In all of the artisan professions, name one skill or ability that is not related to crafting. (Note: The merchant profession is about obtaining skills and abilities designated to facilitate the selling of both crafted and non-crafted goods).
If all of the above are answered "there are none", then I will vote pure crafter. If just one of these questions has an answer other than "there are none", then I will vote hybrid.
Daker-Naritus wrote:
Niding01 wrote:
It should be optional. Those that want to craft.. craft. Those that want to learn how to control tougher droids must learn how they work first.. thus have to achive some skill in droidengineering.
You don't get it dude... The current dev plan doesn't allow that to happen.
Droids don't decay, and without significant combat improvements they are worthless for everything but their crafting stations (ex: if you are in the field and want to heal someone's wounds you have to call a camp to call your droid...you can heal wounds in your camp without the droid). They are a novelty.
A while back DEs asked for more droid functionality, devs are turning us into CHs instead.
The problem is, unless several, substantially more combat powerful droids are available to EVERYONE, the people who want to craft will have nothing to sell. You will note that since the changes to non-CH pets (limiting them to ~900 HAM), no one is using them anymore. No one is going to buy a 45 HAM permadeath 3P0 with a gun... No one is going to buy a 500 HAM permadeath 3P0 with a gun... No one is going to buy a 900 HAM permadeath 3PO with a gun...
So you see...unless the devs change the current plan, crafters will have little to craft. See the whole picture? DE will become a combat-only profession...that is unacceptable.
Hmm. Well i think i get it fairly good. Ask your localmedic to have a droid out with medical module all time. That way you dont have to pull camp.. and doc can heal your wounds on spot. And storage and data modules have served me well. So i would not count them as usless.
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I will like to clarify my post. I will compare the classes and how i look at it.
Droidengineer: Since we build them we know how they work and handle since its a machine. Thus we should be able to use them. Im not saying that it should notbe indiffrent levels. But in my oppinion it should stay in DE tree to use them.
Weaponsmith: Well.. saw a few pointer here. Should a weaponsmith be able to use all weapons they build... Well basicly they can. They just hit poor with it. Each weaponskill is realy how good you become with a weapon. Know special attacks etc... the more you use a type of weapon. The more you get familiar with it and hit better.
Creature Handler: As stated above. This is living creatures with a mind of thier own. The larger and more dangerus they get..the more skill is required and commands to train creatures to hit more effectivly.
Bio-engineer: they know DNA and how to make perfect creatures. But how their mind work. No... wich make them unable to controle the creatures... but they sure can make them.
Droids have be sold in all times. And i dont think we will sell less of others. But the improved droids should lay under droidengineer tree since a person must understand how they work to be of use. Sure they can make a droid usage tree. Im not agains it. But that should be with special attacks etc. My point is that if we can build and train them.. we should be able to use them. And if they create a droid usage tree they should move over the ability to program and name it there.... since a DE should not be able to to that either.. just assemble the parts as a mechanic.
As for combatdroids i think they should be avalible in the DE tree in various placesso its balanced. I dont see how a person should be albe to only call a lv 10 pet .. but alv20 droid. There should be balanced.
So to make it brief.We should be a hybrid class since its mechanical things we work with.. not living creatures with mind. BUT we shall not get as powefullcreatures as a CH gets.
I vote to be a crafter.
There are a few problems as I see it though for a cert-system unless it is universal:
1) We want to sell these droids to everyone.
2) Cert system limits the players who get droids.
3) Everyone wants these droids including us.
4) We dont want people coming to our profession to make it another CH profession.
So in my opinion we do need a cert system but one where everyone can eventually obtain good combat droids. So it has to be a good droid cert system.
Here is my suggestion trying to make a compromise for everyone:
How about a Certification system where you have to earn a license from a Droid Licensee? It could be like doing missions for faction xp. Instead of getting faction xp with each complete mission, you a certain amount of Droid Cert xp. Of course you have to be grouped withyour combatdroid to get the droidxp credit.
By completing X amount of missions, you can purchase adroid certification license from the Licensee to use to a bigger badder combat droid. Here is where I propose we could get a lot of business:
Make combat modules that are 1-6. Each has a better damage rating. If you use Droid xp to buy a Droideka license, you are able to control an entry level droideka with a combat module 1 installed. Doing subsequent missions for more xp will allow you to get better and better combat modules. Also with better combat modules, you could gain more xp towards the next level, making people want to purchase a better combat module. Here is a proposed example (numbers are arbitrary for discussion):
Droideka Combat Module 1: 600 Droid xp
Droideka Combat Module 2:1200 Droid xp
Droideka Combat Module 3:1800 Droid xp
Droideka Combat Module 4:2400 Droid xp
Droideka Combat Module 5:3000 Droid xp
Droideka Combat Module 6:3600 Droid xp
So for eachCert they get for the Droideka, they have to buy anothercombat droid to replace it if they want a better module.That means more business for us (it might be cool if the combat modules were hot swapable).
A more specific type of mission would be great too to distiguish Droid Cert missions from other missions. For example, the type of missions should be you, your grouped droid , anyone friends etc vs NPCs and Droids. Low level combat droid missions could be completed on starting planets like Corellia. Droideka missions could be located on Lok at Nym's. You could be sent out with your droideka to stop rogue droidekas, etc...
You could also get badges for each type of droid (Probots and Dz70s could be non-cert starter droids):
Droid Certification: IG-88
Droid Certifcation: Droideka
Droid Certifcation: Battle Droid
Droid Certification: Super Battle Droid
Of course to work up to each level, the levels will be harder to easily do so this could prevent noobs from being able to get the best stuff right away. Plus it makes a system where you earn your droid level, DEs have business, noobs dont get them right away, there are more typesof exciting missions to do,and the devs get another grinding time sink.
Perhaps we could use this as a starting point for possible droid cert systems? Let me know what you think.
I want to be a crafter that produces products that are useful to all classes, not just one of those robodogs that goes where every you tell it to and follows you and makes noises.
Someone mentioned it takes more skill points to be CH than DE, that is not really true, yes 20 points if, but currently to be an MDE, you basically need MA, 80% of all products you make will require MA parts, Vast quantities of MA parts. I'd say 70% of all MDE's are MA also. Its one more tree and one more 6pt box to be CH vs DE.The original 15 pts for scout is required for both classes to call your droid anywhere outside of town or home.
Points at Sodan's post, thats pretty much what I think. Let the pure crafters craft, no one is forcing them to use ANYTHING they make, don't try to take away the options for the rest of us. This isn't the Sims online, its Star WARS. A cert system of some type will have to be used, they won't repeat the original Probot fiasco that many of the new ppl know nothing about.
Money can't be the only gate to prevent newbies from running around with powerful droids/pets. Currently existing probots are way too weak for the hassle of using them, requires 15pts of Scout to call a camp to use, requires a battery every 20 min, and can't be healed or revived as soon as it's knocked down. With vehicles ppl use them less now then before because your probot can't keep up and not everyone has scout to call them out once they get to their destination.
Combat: Its retarded to think you can design and build a droid and notknow how to use it.
I will stick to the first thread and give my vote and some explanation :
Hybrid
I wantto continue craft and sell of utilities droid and have combat droids like anubody i think,
But i wantto have real combat droid and unless they use a certification system we will not have onemore powerfull than the actual probot (who is already CL10 the max level of a petas droid are treated like pets
.
But there is something that bother me where to put droid certifications the first and easychoice will be in the Droid tree. As we can program then we have the capacity to use them but the problem is that you do not need to know how to make a program to use it so this is unfair to other profession.
So i have said hybrid as this seems the easiest way but that remains an unsatisfactory way ...
But beforeall , DE changes are going to be onjanuary and february change (more likely april or june ... but we are not here for that ), so the DEV must have some ideas,
Let us know what you are thinking off DEVs ! for god sake we have to work together not everyone on his side.
Crafting Combat Class
With the pure DE Profession you shold be somethign like a CH... Adding a COmbat class makes yu a Hybrid between a CH and a Combat Char
The pure Crafter DE should be a Hybrid like a Master DE /Master Armor Smith or a Master DE / Master Weaponsmith to craft all parts necessary for his brand of Droids...
I would say a Hybrid. As I see it as it is now it is up to the player which way he takes DE, If he wants to be a pure crafter he can and train in DE and other crafter type proffesions.But if the DE wants some combat training he can do that as well. If the Devs where not to develop the combat side of DE and concentrate on the untility side of things I dont think the DE in general would make as much money, as I feel combat is one of the major past times in MMORGS (along with a few others of course).So giving us the ability to at least use combat droids and for the devs to continue developing them is good all round 
wether there is a cert system or not.
I chose DE to make droids. Over the time that I've been playing, I've changed my other paths a few times as the mood struck me, from having novice rifelman, to not having any marksman at all. I think, and this is just an opinion, that DE's should be crafters. We're based in Artisan, not Marksman or Brawler. I think the Combat droids should be useable by ANYONE, but with specific limitations base on skill levels. What I'd like to see happen probably won't, as it would require massive coding effort from the Dev's, but it'd be very effective. I'd like to see a Cert system that limited the droids HAM and Damage based on your combat skills. If you have Marksman, the droids damage, attack rate, and HAM are based on the best Marksman weapon you can use, be it pistol (faster but lower damage), Rifle, (slower, but better damage) carbineer, etc. I also would like to see the droids able to learn special combat options, trainable and USEABLE only by someone who can use those commands. So if I have Rifleman I can teach my droid to Mindshot or Headshot, but a TKA couldn't use those commands even if I programmed it for him. HAM ratings not sure exactly how they could do it, but that's not my department. I *would* like to see *some* benefits for having DE, but leave those more in the range of calling out a repair droid (and for the love of all things mechanical, let a repair droid heal DAMAGE as well as wounds!!) and a power droid in addition to my 1 combat droid. Maybe give us a slight bonus on Certs so we can use something better than a probot without combat skills, or as others have stated, if you want the BEST combat droids, take a profession with the left over skill points and earn those certs. I don't want to 'take away' the options for those of you who WANT to be "Hybrids" from having your possibilities of having the good combat droids, but at the same time, I don't want to have a ton of "flavor of the month" DE's coming in to get the "Uber" combat droids the way CH happened.
That's my 2 Credits worth, take it as you like.