Droid Engineer Archive

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TheRealTK421 wrote:

Okay...well, time was running short and I needed to get something to them.

So, I've just posted the following to the appropriate place (to make it official).

/bow

Respectfully,

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Official "19 Answers" Droid Engineer Question (05/04/04):

• "Droid Engineers are finding it much harder to effectively cope with the 5 PCD/droid limit in our Datapad as well as only having access to one "utility" droid called at a time. Many feel that an excellent (and needed) 'perk' for MDEs would be a "+1 droid in Datapad" and/or "+1 utility (non-combat only) called" addition.
  
  
  
  
  
  • We realize that item storage is part of the issue here. Therefore, I would highly recommend that change have a 'check' in place when an MDE attempts to "Ready" a new deed for a droid. If there are 5 PCDs in the Datapad that already have Item Storage installed, the "Ready" request is denied. Only when there are less than 5 PCDs in the Datapad with Item Storage would the new readied droid (#6 total, in this case) be added and available.
  
  
  
  
  • AudioOrgana correctly pointed out, when the "+1" change was made to the pet system many weeks/months back, that MDEs controlling (or having access to) more than one utility droid was mentioned specifically as a possible exception to this situation.
  
  
  
  
  • If either of these changes were put in place, they might well be an excellent 'baby-step' / precursor to the eventual addition of the DC/DH profession (or whatever system is employed for adding high-end combat droids). This means a bit of the work that's known to be needed can be coded/tweaked now...and ready to have available for use when a high-end combat droid solution is coded.
  
  
  
  

  To summarize: Will MDEs be able to have more than 5 droids in their datapad and/or an extra Utility droid activated at the same time?"

/bow

Respectfully,

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TheRealTK421 wrote:

Okay...well, time was running short and I needed to get something to them.

So, I've just posted the following to the appropriate place (to make it official).

/bow

Respectfully,

---

Official "19 Answers" Droid Engineer Question (05/04/04):

• "Droid Engineers are finding it much harder to effectively cope with the 5 PCD/droid limit in our Datapad as well as only having access to one "utility" droid called at a time. Many feel that an excellent (and needed) 'perk' for MDEs would be a "+1 droid in Datapad" and/or "+1 utility (non-combat only) called" addition.
  
  
  
  
  
  • We realize that item storage is part of the issue here. Therefore, I would highly recommend that change have a 'check' in place when an MDE attempts to "Ready" a new deed for a droid. If there are 5 PCDs in the Datapad that already have Item Storage installed, the "Ready" request is denied. Only when there are less than 5 PCDs in the Datapad with Item Storage would the new readied droid (#6 total, in this case) be added and available.
  
  
  
  
  • AudioOrgana correctly pointed out, when the "+1" change was made to the pet system many weeks/months back, that MDEs controlling (or having access to) more than one utility droid was mentioned specifically as a possible exception to this situation.
  
  
  
  
  • If either of these changes were put in place, they might well be an excellent 'baby-step' / precursor to the eventual addition of the DC/DH profession (or whatever system is employed for adding high-end combat droids). This means a bit of the work that's known to be needed can be coded/tweaked now...and ready to have available for use when a high-end combat droid solution is coded.
  
  
  
  

  To summarize: Will MDEs be able to have more than 5 droids in their datapad and/or an extra Utility droid activated at the same time?"

/bow

Respectfully,

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Nicely worded .

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psikobunny wrote:

1) an MDE no longer needs Droid Batteries, just 2 Power Droids of his own.

And I don't think this is too much to ask. Big deal. As a perk for being a master we can use one of our droid slots for a power droid and not have to make our own batteries. Power droids need batteries as well, and personally I can tell you it would just reduce the frequency of my battery use, not eliminate them completely. The other whole point of this is to get more datapad space, and I wouldn't waste new space on two power droids.

2) my understanding was that we were given Reconstruction Kits as a DE only use item because we could not have our own Repair Module droid out to fix another of our droids. Am I wrong in thinking that they are DE only? Am I wrong in thinking that they would become useless if we were given 2 droid activation?

Temporarily, yes. When they implemented this they said this was in regards to complaints from DE's about not being able to repair their own droids, and to be honest this killed the idea for awhile. However, this was not their reason for implementation - just a side effect. These are a precursor to Droid Handler. Do you really think they implemented Reconstruction Kit D's with those super-rare resources just for DE's to get to repair our own droids? This, like the whole combat module concept, was part of the larger Droid Handler profession that was scrapped at our request.

While the concerns TH may bring up may be rather predictable right now - I hope this lets them know that we are serious about addressing the concerns, and that it's an important issue and not just a wishlist item with no basis.

To be honest, TK was right earlier when he said it's not likely to get +1 utility - but it was part of the grand plan not that long ago, and I'd like to know what happened to it because it obviously is something that a lot of DE's would like/were looking foward to. The +storage issue, on the other hand, has never been brought up - besides the concerns over item storage, I don't know what the response will be.

I'm sure an architect will say, "Hey, we want more lots if they get more droids!" - and they woudl be right. This is an issue that needs to be addressed, where appropriate. While "+1 weapon" for a weaponsmith wouldn't work, perhaps WS *SHOULD* get a certification or two somewhere - or at least get less of a reduction when using non-certted weapons. Maybe AS get -5% to the encumberance when they wear armor. The possibilities are endless - crafting professions need "perks" too (making money is our function, not our perk).

AO

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Jenden wrote:

sounds good to me.

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For God's sake, Jenden....we have to stop agreeingon hot-topic issues orpeople are going to start thinking one of us is unwell.

AO

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GrafvonSoden wrote:
Although I vote for the "Interdependancy" question, I think it was "Sort of" answered awhile back. They said they were going toincrease other professions interdependancy, rather than reduce ours.

thanks

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Actually, they said they would either increase others OR reduce ours.

I haven't seen much of an increase - chefs have bio-products but they are optional, not mandatory as it is with us.

It's still too much, no matter which way you cut it. You simply cannot construct any of our products past Blueprints II without tons and tons of parts made by another profession.

This is my second concern once the current one is addressed. I'm just getting really tired of juggling myself around something that has been acknowledged as an issue. The Death Watch Bunker really isn't the same - that's rare loot that they need to make as hard to make as possible to obtain, not a common product meant to be produced regularly by a crafter. It is also a way to include crafters in dungeons - not really increased interdependence.

When up to 30+ parts in a single droid need to be made by another profession, there is a huge problem.

The soloution to me is to make EMM's and EGP's Droid Parts, or at least drop them into Eng IV. Leave control units and MSS in MA.

It's just getting to the point of absurdity when it takes 8 factory-identical Master Artisan parts to make a single Advanced Droid Brain.

AO

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Jenden wrote:

Would it help if I bring up prices?

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Hehe, you can talk about undercut...er, maintaining a modest profit margin all you want as long as you keep your DE on your server - and away from mine.

AO

Message Edited by AudioOrgana on 05-06-2004 12:25 AM

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AudioOrgana wrote:

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Jenden wrote:

sounds good to me.

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For God's sake, Jenden....we have to stop agreeingon hot-topic issues orpeople are going to start thinking one of us is unwell.

AO

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I am in favor of the "combination" question. Perhaps worded thusly:

Will Droid Engineers be able to have more than 5 droids in their datapad and/or an extra Utility droid activated at the same time?

If the 50 item limit can be handled in the software, there is only two other issues that I can think of that apply.

1) an MDE no longer needs Droid Batteries, just 2 Power Droids of his own.

2) my understanding was that we were given Reconstruction Kits as a DE only use item because we could not have our own Repair Module droid out to fix another of our droids. Am I wrong in thinking that they are DE only? Am I wrong in thinking that they would become useless if we were given 2 droid activation?