Droid Engineer Archive

Thread: DE ideas, problems, focus, and info

Temil2005
Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:50 pm
#1

First i want to say that i'm posting in a new post becasue I couldnt figure out which one of the many top topics to post into for all the info I'm going to touch base on. So, lets begin **goes and gets a soda for the long haul**


Obviously DE has issues, or there wouldnt be these many posts based on the prof. Is the prof completly broken and useless? Nope! .. Has much of anything changed for DEs sence the first release of the game as all the other prof have? yet again, Nope! .. I can go on and on with questions, and answers based on NOPE as answer, but let me skip all that and get right to my info and all. We will start with problems with DE.


1)Many, if not all of the droids, modules, and components have all the same features as first release, and nothing has every really changed. I mean, a little materials changed, and such things here and there, but I dont think that counts when all other crafting prof get to have multi changes.


2)Usefullness of the droids are geting less and less over time,from new features coming out and puting all the old usefull mods on the shelf colecting dust (ex: survery droid, maintinece droid, etc). onto the other droids that broke recently, or have bug issuse (ex: armor for the battle droids doesnt show corectly, harvester droids gives less then without them, etc).


I know there are more issues, but I'll keep focus within those 2 listed to make this short. Now, lets touch on some ideas I came up with after talking to multi players within game, and also understanding we all cant be uber within the game, and we DO need some restrictions.


1)CombatDroids based on CL -- Basicly, make it so that the combatdroids can have a MAX lvl of 60 (same as CHs), but it's intirly based on the char lvl, being that they are owners CL minus 12% = lvl60 droid, at lvl80 owner CL. That would make it so that noone would be all powerfull, but they would have a friend to join with them and help them out as needed. I realize some people wont like this, being CHs, but they can always get there own pets, with special abiltys and even have more then one. Some crafters (even myself) wont intirly like this, due to the fact that crafters can use droids for clearing out harvester areas, which is handy. Remedy for this, is that if the owners CL is below lvl 20, the combat droid auto becomes CL20, till you get a higher lvl then that your self. Some people would also say this isnt how a droid is suposted to be, but is it not true that you do have to build up a reputation with your droid for you to truly get him to operate like you want him to? .. do you think hans just bought his off the shelf, and it did all it could? nope, you had to build up a rep with it to show it you are it's master and all. On top of this, the issue of armor, hp, stats, not going up with the CL sence droids dont really gain armor in real left, you have to bring them to a Droid enginer to have plates of armor put on. But make it so there is a starting armor rating, hp, etc.. that is controled acording to the CL of the owner of the droid that first called it (ex: lvl30 calls it, it starts with CL 28, 3000hp, 3000armor.. lvl40 calls it, it stats with CL37, 4000hp, 4000armor) .. that is just an example, and only able to get the lvl of the droid at calling at higher lvls, if it was a good craft. Hence the need for more experimenting point use, and special stats on materials for the chassis and final product, which would control the max CL and whatnot. If you call it out and it's CL28 .. have it so that evey 15 CLs, you can bring it to a DE, to have more plating added, and a new battery for longer life, upgraded chipboard for added combat, etc.. but only up to the max for the lvl. As you can see, this would make DEs very much needed within the game, as people will want to get upgrades and updates to there droid, only done by DEs, kind of like how Image designers do to other players.


2)Survey droids & maintinence droids --- Currently, The survey droids are pretty much useless. I mean back in the day when there was no speeders, and traveling to other planets just to survey was expensive, these were used widly, I have to admite to that. but then came the speeders, removing much need for the maintinence mods, but not intirly. Then came the withdraw from bank, and they might as well just delete the module intirly due to that feature. Then about the survey droids, once JTL came out and offered the free traveling and all, they are useless. I mean when i launch 1 survey droid, and it takes 35-55mins, and I just travel on ship to every planet, do a survey, and then move on before I even get the message back. That has to show someone that it's an issue. So one way to fix to to not remove the maintince modules, but make them do something different. Instead of them going to pay maintinence, have to go and checkup on 10-15 harvesters/factories and remove back if it's operating, how many power it has, how many funds it has, and what it's currently resorcing. I can see a high need for these, to send out 1-2 of these a day, for most anyone that does alot of havesting for there materials, and wants an easy way to make sure all there harvesters and factoies are runing, and if they arent, they know where to head off to. About the survey droids, I say dont remove them either, but instead change there results and functions a bit. first off, make them like the BH droids in a way. We have to go out and lauch a survey probe,they we tell what type of item (mineral, chem,etc) and what planet to check. We have to wait 60secs for the probe message to come back (lands like the probe for the BHs) ..we grab that, which is acualy an item. After so many mins (30-40) the item updates, and lists the data from that planet, same data we currently recieve in mail when using the survey droids. Now, depending on the survey skill, you have, when you access the item after updating, or in the probe lauch setup, you have options to have it report back a certain number of stats the items have on that planet. (ex: survery lvl 2 = 1 stat .. survey lvl 4 = 2 stats ) but when ytou pick more stats for it to find, it causes it to take longer to come back with the data you need, sence it has to do a more in dept search. Also make it so that the probes are acualy crafted with a survey mod of some kind, that is only used for the survey droid crafting, but make it so it doesnt take a survey tool to launch it. either way it's an item, just sounds more apropriote.


3)Droid specific bonus's -- I always wondered why there were LE repair droids, yet they dont have a build in repair feature. a Medical droid, but no medical mod build in. etc. I feel all the droids should have there own little bonus's, and drawbacks. This would make it a little more complicating to make custom orders, because it would give more options, but i feel it's something that DEs really need. here are some ideas on that issue..

Medical Droid = build in medcial bonus of ?? (not sure a good value) .. decreased combat effectivness

R2 = bonus to astromech controls, etc .. delayed reaction while doing ground tasks

R3 = bonus to entertaining xp and skills, battery life for entertainer effects.. 2x battery drain for most other mods, & slightly less armor for head area

Theadwell = bonus to crafting for any crafting mods added .. no combatable, and slow moving

Lift Loader = added storage build in, Slow moving, 2x storage for crates while it's called out,.. cant store it while it holds crates, cant attack

These are just a few of the ideas i came up with. I know there was more, just cant remember them right this sec =)


4)New Modules and items -- here are just some ideas of features I would like to see in game, to remove or at least help with the on going little tasks of stuff we do everyday.

Factory emptier module = Placed within a droid, will give the option to send a droid to a factory to pick up the crates from it, and return to you with them, or deliver them to a homebase (aka: your stop, or home). The location of the factories could be goten by either apointing the droid to them, or from the maintience features, as listed above, sence that new feature would tell you what factories are runing, and which ones have what in there hoppers and all.

Battlefront monitor = this one is really for IF or when the battlefronts come back into play, or anything even similar. It could be used currently, but not to the best results. Anyways, droids could make a handheld device (aka: palm pilot anyone..hehe) .. and when you activate it, it conects to satalites in space, takes 20-30secs to get all the currrent data, but when the data comes up, it would have details about different players citys, and which ones have PVP structures, and which are currently being attacked. There could also be an option for the mayors of the citys, to sent out a distress call, for a price (price to use and posable price for anyone that shows up and acualy assists) that puts a SOS marker for the city, that whoever holds the handheld device can read more into about what the SOS is, who is fighting, and how all they need help. The owner can then either show up, or they can also pick the "OFFER REINFORCMENTS" options.. which would then notify the mayor, that they are on there way, so they can let the current members in the fight so hold out, or fall back. Adding to the hole battle within the starwars enviroment and all. To top this off, there could be a required item that is 1time use, crafted by DEs, that shots into space, gets the data, and comes back to the device to get the data from the satalites.


5)The last think i really want to touch base on is the fact of DEs not being able to have more then one droid and the limit of 5 droids. I personaly feel that there should be more Droids, at least the amount of droids that we can craft, so we can show examplies. About being able to call out more then 1 droid, I feel DEs should be able to call out 2-3 droids at a time, so that we could use power droids on our other droids and healthem outself, and acualy puting power droids to use. Also, we should be the exception to the CL rule, to a degree.. being that we can have lvl 30 combat droid out if we are lvl 1-20 for ourselfs.. and that the droids are only 5% lower then our personal lvl. If we can have 3 droids out (as stated above) we shouldnt be able to have all them being lvl 30 though, but instead, all the droids added up should be equil to ..and no more then lvl 60for al lthem combined.. even if 2 are lvl 30, then last one being lvl 1 .. this one needs a litttle look over, becasue i know there are better ideas on this topic, but I feel something around this needs to be done. We are DEs, master of the droids..just as CHs are masters of the creatures, yet they get 3, we get 1. not trying to compair, just stating the facts behind it is all.


Please either conment, or shoot down these ideas.. I dont mind either way.. that's how we get better ideas, all i ask is please do something soon. I have played most all profesions, and I like the ideas and cocept about DEing, but everytime something new comes out for other profs, and it either breaks something for DEs, or just that nothing comes out new for DEs, it gets old. Not sure if i would want to play any more if i went with anything besides, DE.. so please dont make me change do to no updates, whre we are rightly due for them. thank you!
Engel616
Fri Jun 24, 2005 1:56 am
#2
I liked just about all of your ideas, and lots of them make sense. I do see how somethings could be hard to code/figure out how to do. Espically the idea of the droid picking up things from factories. But it's still a wonderful idea, you ought to be a dev.



Ieka Ris, servant and entertainer of Detachment Epsilon
Temil2005
Fri Jun 24, 2005 10:32 am
#3
granted, yes.. some things may be dificult to code, but are they imposable? nope! .. We are talking about SOE here, which has many games out, and *should* be able to code quite a bit of things pretty easly, but yet after reading over alot of other forum posts, it seems as though alot of people are turned down for idea, due to complexity. But yet, this game is based on ALOT of complexities and mathimatic proerties within the coding to make up the game, and al lthe on going featurers. If they really wanted to do this stuff, they could, it's just a matter of how many people complain about it and come up with ideas to counter mine, and come up with better ones, that SOE feel are a feasable solution. Either way, it mostly comes down to the fact that DEs havent been toughed (for the most part) sence first/final release of the game, and it's well due time for something to enhance the prof, to bring them up to par with all the other prof. Some people say "dont complain, DEs havent been nerfed, where all others have!" .. well, ask yourself, why havent they been nerfed?.. Answer: Because the prof already have a full set of useless items if can make, and the rest are only a option for other profs.. not a nececity, which all other profs are needed for other profs, in some way.. plus on top of that, if ya nerf the DE prof, there wont be muchleft of it, sence there are broken things, and not a direct DEMAND for the prof. No many what happens, I feel something does need to truly happen, as the prof is geting old, and not geting updated as it should be, to keep up to date with the new prof.
RasalTheWise
Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:32 am
#4
Temil2005 wrote:
1)CombatDroids based on CL -- Basicly, make it so that the combatdroids can have a MAX lvl of 60 (same as CHs), but it's intirly based on the char lvl, being that they are owners CL minus 12% = lvl60 droid, at lvl80 owner CL...
2)Survey droids & maintinence droids --- Currently, The survey droids are pretty much useless...
3)Droid specific bonus's -- I always wondered why there were LE repair droids, yet they dont have a build in repair feature. a Medical droid, but no medical mod build in. etc. I feel all the droids should have there own little bonus's, and drawbacks.
4)New Modules and items:
-- Factory emptier module = Placed within a droid, will give the option to send a droid to a factory to pick up the crates from it, and return to you with them, or deliver them to a homebase (aka: your stop, or home).
-- Battlefront monitor =
5)The last think i really want to touch base on is the fact of DEs not being able to have more then one droid and the limit of 5 droids.

...all i ask is please do something soon...


Sorry for doing a bit of trimming on your points.

1) If everyone had CL 70 "pets" (70 is the max CHs can have), what about the CHs? Kinda kills their class unless they in turn get a major revamp.
2) They are indeed useless. I agree these need to be revisited for usefulness or just have them removed...
3) We've been talking about chassis-specific bonuses for a while, and it is one of the suggestions we have up wth Jenden.
4) Factory Emptier: Yes, I like the idea. It would actually make BLL's useful. Battlefront Monitor: Pointless, since they are turning battlegrounds into "no build zones" in the next patch.
5) Another popular request. But again, it infringes on CH terriroty and they would scream bloody murder. Believe me, I know since I'm a CH.

Getting anything done soon has proven difficult at best. We have our top five requests and top five issues up with Jenden and that's what we're currently pushing for. I hope all this doesn't come off as being combatative; I'm just being frank.




Rasal's Ye Ol' Droid Shoppe

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00000_0000000 Purveyor of fine and sophisticated droids and other Artisan needs.
0000/0\000000 Come see my shop in beautiful South Coronet!
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Temil2005
Fri Jun 24, 2005 4:57 pm
#5

Sorry for doing some trimming? .. hehe.. that's the point of the forums, is it not, to go back and forth on ideas? ..anyways, here are a few things to consider about the fact of droids and all that you mentioned as being issues and all with what I said..


>1) If everyone had CL 70 "pets" (70 is the max CHs can have), what about the CHs? Kinda kills their class unless they in turn get a major revamp.


If you fully read over my top post again, I refer to CL60 droids, not lvl70, and that's ONLY if the owner of the droid is lvl80. Droid would always be 12% lower xp then the owner, except for crafters, which the crafting lvl would play into a role of determining the CL of the droid, sence they arent going ot be hunting, but they still get xp elsewere. as that would make it so that droids cant be higher lvl then the owner and all, which is posable as a CHer. On top of that, can you explain how droids being 12% of the lvl of the owners would kill the CHs class? I mean if ya really think about it, the fact that droids would always be same or lower lvl is 1 thing, and the fact that people still wouldnt be able to call more then 1 droid, and the hp/armor/etc wouldnt be the same, as a CHer pet of the same lvl. and the fact that pets are ridable, I dont see me riding on a R2-D2 anytime soon. cant forget about the fact that droids cant have specials, yet CHer pets can. Also, doCHers have to go and get there pets upgraded with more armor plating, and such? ..not really. They can from a BI, but it's not overly needed, sence CHer pets gain hp,etc over time, which droids would only get every 15 or so lvls ..and only by upgrades from a DE. As you can see, there are alot of differences in the fact that it would kill CH prof. Ontop of that, CH have had a revamp for there pets and all a few times, and orfered new pets, and whatnot. Yet DE hasnt, and yet you are stating that it would kill the CH prof, even though they are being more loved in the SWG at this time, and in the past?



>2) They are indeed useless. I agree these need to be revisited for usefulness or just have them removed...


About this, at least we agree on the fact of being useless..hehe, but remove them? I ask NAH! Everytime there is a new expantion, or update within the game, something that droids can offer, is pushed onto the shelf to collect dust, sence new features are released, that overway what we can offer. If we remove them, then they will not be remembered, and we will never have new mods, etc to replace the old, as they should have been replaced long ago when they updated the features in question.



3) We've been talking about chassis-specific bonuses for a while, and it is one of the suggestions we have up wth Jenden.


gotcha on this one, and I have read it fully before this, just included that in this post, as it was a consern, and i didnt want to multipost to multi areas..hehe


4) Factory Emptier: Yes, I like the idea. It would actually make BLL's useful. Battlefront Monitor: Pointless, since they are turning battlegrounds into "no build zones" in the next patch.


Battlefront monitors : ok, about this, I fully understand that the BattleFields are coming out of game very soon, but does that, or will that stop people from seting up bases with turrets, and having people attack them from other factions? ..no, people will still fight for there faction, and others will still be seting up turrets and whatnot outside there citys and all, and be doing pvp battles, over the lands in multispots, as some of us have seen more and more recently. The idea of the Battlefront Monitor was not to help with the battlegrounds, but more to offer an added feature for mayors, that have there citys/turrents/etc being attacked and need some assistance, and for players that would like to go and fight for there faction, and help out other guilds of the same faction. Just because it's not involving the battlegrounds, doesnt mean there wont be pvp in the non-battleround areas..there still will be turrent, and pvp building of all kinds for pvping near and at citys. which this tool would offer a way for the mayors to let others know they are in need of help is all.



5) Another popular request. But again, it infringes on CH terriroty and they would scream bloody murder. Believe me, I know since I'm a CH.


About this, let me ask ya a question. Do weaponsmiths get told they can only make 5 items in there inventory? do armorsmiths get told they can only make 5 suits of armor? Now..droids are limited to 5 droids in there datapad. they can make a total of 13 droid models. Most people dont know what these look like, so we have to show them. We can setup a shop, but would be so much easier and be able to show people while out near theed, or cnet, what droids we can make,. have lost abit of sales due to people not wanting to goto another planet, to see my droids. On top of that, if DEs craft alot of droids and are master of droids, why shouldnt they be able to have multi-droids out? ..I mean, what use is the power droid erally, unless you have multi-acct ..or is that a way for SOE to make people go and get multi-accts? DEs should be able to have a powerdroid out, and be able to have him power another droid you have out. You say that we are infringing on the CH territory, but has anyone ever said "everyone other prof is infringing on DEs sence they can all call up the SAME droids ,and same amount of them as us DEs can!" .. I'm not intirly suprised that you, as a CH, would be making these counters on my subjust, but just take on DE up to master, and stick with it for 2weeks, and you will see what I'm talking about. Every single other prof can have the same exact droids, and with same features that us DE can have. Do you think that's fair for us? .. and all everyone is saying whenever we ask for someing unique forDEs (ex: more then 1 droid out) ..everyone tells us we are trying to kill the CH prof. I can careless for any CHs that feel this way, because we arent asking for that at all. We are simply asking to be brought up to date with ALL the other profs, and stop leaving us behind, and causing us to shelf all our mods and whatnot, due to new features that come out.


We cant please everyone, as we all saw with the CU, as alot of people left the game, due to change, and feeling like they couldnt play anymore. If everyonehashappy with the game, we truly wouldnt be here talking about all these issues. Not everyone will be happy, and no mater what is done, someone, somewhere is going to say we are infringing on another prof (ex: multidroids = infringing on CH .. %boost for crafting mods = infringing on Architech .. etc) .. sorry I cant give more example, but we arent really asking a hole hell of a lot here. We arent asking to have a full army of 50 droids or anything. We are a crafting/support profestion..not a battle prof.. CH = battle prof, some people may say otherwise, but what do you do with your pets? you battle! it's really a no-brainer. What do DEs currently do with there droids? 1)moble crafting station .. 2)itemstorage .. 3)data storage.. 4)repair .. 5)battery recharge .. 6)combat for clearing harvesters,etc .. the list goes on.


You say we would be killing the CH prof? you give me 1 person that would take on full master DE for making there own droids, to simple use for what CHs use there pets for (battling), when there max lvl each would be 30 for DEs, with 2 of them being lvl60 combined, and they still wouldnt be able to take down anything lvl 40-50 or so. I can give you 10 people that would rather go up the CH tree and more a hell of alot more usefull for battling and all.. it's 2 different roles, and 2 different prof..and 2 different abilitys..whne you really look into it and see that there is no way that the DE would replace or kill off the CH proff.

>Getting anything done soon has proven difficult at best. We have our top five requests and top five issues up with Jenden and >that's what we're currently pushing for. I hope all this doesn't come off as being combatative; I'm just being frank.


I agree, with the fact that it's very difficult to get anything due, yet it's long past due. I looked over the 5 top requests, and issues, which some i touched base on, and with posable solutions, but also added a few extras. ..about being combatative.. LETS FIGHT!! ..hehe, just kiddin. I dont take it that it's combatative, I just take it that some ideas may be good, some bad. Things have to be worked out to make the bad, good, and the good, great. Only way to do that is to talk all this out and really go back and forth like this, just as you would a debate. As I have seen in many online games, and sence I used to work for DAOC on there developing team and all, i know first hand, that everyone complains about everything, then when it gets changed how they want it. then they complain that it's to easy or someting like that. it's really a loose loose situation, so I just want to add my 2cents to the mix, sence it's really been buging me that now, even the harvesters are broken, killing 20% of my income, sence i wont sell harveester droids while it's broken. Dont like bad bussiness like that. So I'm at a point of dissatisfation with everything over the past few years, and finaly have to say someting about it.
Temil2005
Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:02 pm
#6
RasalTheWise

I wanted to slightly apoligize, becasue i didnt see that you were a MDE as well as a MCH. The coment about "take out MDE for 2weeks, and you will see what i mean" .. I guess that doesnt aply to you.. LOL. eitherway, you should know first hand (hopfully) after reading my last post, what I was looking at as an option or idea, mostly about the multidroids and all. Hopefully I cleared up that I'm not saying kill the prof, or replace it, just bring it up to part to match toe to toe with the new options and all that has been offered to the other prof.
dcargol
Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:02 am
#7
Storage modules should be stackable too, nobody wants to buy a storage droid to put10 items in it! The only thing I ever put in mine are batteries. If you could stack them, and their capacity reflected experimentation then we could make some storage bins on wheels that people would really want to buy! Plus this would be one of the few changes bonuses that wouldn't negatively effect any other profession. Everyone would still buy a backpack :-)
Temil2005
Sat Jun 25, 2005 2:50 am
#8




dcargol wrote:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GOD would some Dev read this topic and listen!!!!


I think Huge Creatures should always be more powerful in combat that droids, droids are tough, but anyone who thinks a battle droid should be the same CL as a tamed Rancor is crazy. CH's should keep their edge for the combat junkies, the reciprocation with DEs is that we can make units that are usefull beyond just combat.


Why is there fear of makeing DE more complicated? I'm a MDE and I do it because I enjoy how complicated it is.




I'm not 100% sure if you are agreeing with my past posts, or disagreeing? .. I fully agree that the droids shouldnt be the same lvl as a fully tamed Rancor. Some of what I stated before might controdict that, but to clear anything up, as stated before, i feel that droids should be based around the CL of the owner somehow, making them more usefull as the players gain lvls and all. I do feel that having a lvl 60 droid if the owner is lvl80 is not intirly to much to ask. Not saying that they should have as much hp, or even attack for as much, just the fact of being able to be a higher CL, so they dont die from 1-2hits, and get auto agro right as they start there fight, as currently, after lvl 30-40, that's exactly what happens, and the droids are useless for all combat. They shouldnt get specials, shouldnt get regen, shouldnt get as much hp and armor, as a CH pet of the same lvl, .. if CH vs DE with same lvl pets, they CH should win with still having 50-70% hp at the end of the battle. That being just the pets battling, not the players. That might clear a bit up, sence CL isnt intirly controling the hp and armor and all, for all mobs, and some mods have more armor and all then others. So what would make it any different from a DE and CH. Btw, we are comparing 2 profs that are intirly different. one crafts, the other battles.. Just becasue a ranger and a pistoler both use a ranged weapon, do they compete at all? ..why are we competeing and comparing CH and DE, which are 2 different profs. DE isnt a battle profs, yet they provide battledroids, which should be a resonable use as the players lvl, to make them more usefull, but something that is only used at lower lvls, and making all uber players have no use for them.
dcargol
Sat Jun 25, 2005 12:15 pm
#9
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GOD would some Dev read this topic and listen!!!!


I think Huge Creatures should always be more powerful in combat that droids, droids are tough, but anyone who thinks a battle droid should be the same CL as a tamed Rancor is crazy. CH's should keep their edge for the combat junkies, the reciprocation with DEs is that we can make units that are usefull beyond just combat.


Having combat R units seems crazy to me too. sure R2D2 kicked butt in the movies, but its a rediculious arguement that obviously all R units should now be uber. How did he do it? Was it some huge lazer cannon that came out of his chest? no remember in ep III his first inclination was to HIDE! He deceated them because hewas anESPECIALLY clevar droid, who happened to be int he right situation at the right time. True he took out two battle droids with his burning oil trick, but they could have shot him from across the room at any time and killed him in one shot. They should add some combat chassis to the game to pick up the combat end and cap R units to lvl 20 or something. We'd get more buisness that way since people would want one droid for combat and one for storage or whatever else, instead of one ADV R3 that does everything and never wears out.



Why is there fear of makeing DE more complicated? I'm a MDE and I do it because I enjoy how complicated it is.
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