Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Droid Focus (Interplanetary Survey): Information, discussion and bug-reporting (04/23/04)
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TheRealTK421
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:13 am
#1
Fellow DEs,
I now present the work-up of a 'focus thread' on the new Interplanetary Survey droids.
The posted discussion/focus threads for other new droid modules can be found in the
href=http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=droid_engineer&message.id=80124 target=_blank>Publish 8
"Hot Topics!" thread.
href=http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=droid_engineer&message.id=80124 target=_blank>Publish 8
"Hot Topics!" thread.
There will be other such focus threads coming as I get them finished.
Note: The information in this thread will be updated as needed and represents
only our best information on the current state of these modules (as reported from
personal experience and TC DEs reporting in). Any aspect of the information can and may change up to its release to
Live and after.
only our best information on the current state of these modules (as reported from
personal experience and TC DEs reporting in). Any aspect of the information can and may change up to its release to
Live and after.
If you find information that's false or misleading, let me know so I can update the section below.
Enjoy!
/bow
Respectfully,
Interplanetary Survey Droid (available at Master DE):
Items of note:
- This droid is 'certed' (available) only to Novice Artisan or higher. If you do not have Artisan, you cannot use this
droid.
- It will generate (and send you) an emailed list of resources on a selected planet (no stats or concentration, just a
straight list).
- It is listed as "Item" in the crafting tool's Droid list (below BH droids).
- This is multiple-use 'charged' droid (similar to BH droids that come in packs of 5, for example).
- This droid is destroyed on use.
- It has a DZ70 style chassis (which cannot currently be customized).
- A survey tool (for the type of resource you want to survey for) will be taken and used by the droid. You will lose
this tool and it will not be returned. Note: It needs to be in your main inventory when you set the droid off to do its
thing. - Fixed Interplanetary Survey Droid crafting error (TC Notes: 04/19)
- Fixed errors with the email report from the Survey Droid. (TC notes: 04/21)
- The Survey Droid can no longer be used indoors. (TC notes: 04/21)
Schematic / Resources:
- 40 units of Carbonite Steel
- 20 units of Chemical
- 25 units of Chemical
- 30 units of Vertex Crystalline Gemstone
- 35 units of Known Radioactive
- 1 EMM (Electronic Memory Module)
- 3 EGPs
Description of functionality:
- After the droid is done crafting, it will show up in your main inventory as an item (note: It doesn't use up a 'pet'
slot in your datapad.)
- Double-click on the droid or use the radial menu to select the "Use" option. Make sure, when you do this, that
you have a survey tool (for the type of resource you want to survey) in your main Inventory window.
- You should then see a list of all planets (including the one you are on at the time). Select the planet for the
droid to survey and hit "OK".
- You will then get a window where you select a survey tool that will be 'eaten' by the droid to perform its function.
Currently, it doesn't appear that the quality of the tool will matter (but this might change).
- The droid will disappear from in front of you.
- At about 15 min. (or exactly 15 min.), you will receive an email (showing as being from your character) with the
emailed information report about what the droid found. Note: I tested the time needed on both the planet I was on and
another planet. In both cases, the time was 15 min.
Message Edited by TheRealTK421 on 04-23-2004 12:09 AM
Kaldeth
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:18 am
#2
1) Is experimentation available on this droid and if so, what type and does it make any difference?
2) Can they be factory made? How many per crate if possible?
3) It will only accept a tool from your main inventory for surveying purposes. Can this tool be in a crate in your main inventory or does it have to be removed from the crate and be in 'ready to use' form?
LordMaxx
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:20 am
#3
does it return Resource Names and type? like:
Blahdiblah Irolunn Reactive Gas
That should be pretty dang helpful to the folks at swgcraft.com if so...still have to do the legwork, but we'll know what planets the new resources are on pretty quick...
TheRealTK421
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:27 am
#4
Kaldeth wrote:
1) Is experimentation available on this droid and if so, what type and does it make any difference?
No, no experimentation takes place on this droid.
2) Can they be factory made? How many per crate if possible?
I haven't gotten to the point of crating these but I'll try that ASAP. I've been hoping to see the email that you're sent get fixed before I do this though.
There should be no reason why they couldn't be factory made. I suspect you'd get 25 per crate.
3) It will only accept a tool from your main inventory for surveying purposes. Can this tool be in a crate in your main inventory or does it have to be removed from the crate and be in 'ready to use' form?
I'd say the latter. It won't 'see' crates, only tools themselves. So, you'd just have to pop a tool from your crate to your inventory before you used the droid.
LordMaxx wrote:
does it return Resource Names and type? like:
Blahdiblah Irolunn Reactive Gas
Right now, the email is 'borked' and doesn't say anything other than "Interplanetary Survey Droid".
I believe (but am not certain) that all you will receive is a straight, 'named' list of the resources. No stats or concentrations would be included.
That should be pretty dang helpful to the folks at swgcraft.com if so...still have to do the legwork, but we'll know what planets the new resources are on pretty quick...
Keep in mind, it's one droid per planet per 'run'. So, if you wanted to look on all 10 planets, you'd need 10 droids each time.
/bow
Respectfully,
Message Edited by TheRealTK421 on 04-16-2004 07:27 AM
Jenden
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:30 am
#5
TheRealTK421 wrote:
Kaldeth wrote:
3) It will only accept a tool from your main inventory for surveying purposes. Can this tool be in a crate in your main inventory or does it have to be removed from the crate and be in 'ready to use' form?
I'd say the latter. It won't 'see' crates, only tools themselves. So, you'd just have to pop a tool from your crate to your inventory before you used the droid.
hmmm, given some of my experience with other similar items, unless you've actually tried it I'm betting it may allow you to get them from the crate. I know that the fireworks show packages and some of the smuggler items will.
TheRealTK421
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:32 am
#6
Well...that's why I wasn't absolute. I don't want to say this is absolutely off the table until I try it but I am suspecting they didn't include this for now (since they needed to just get these to run, period).
Jenden wrote:
hmmm, given some of my experience with other similar items, unless you've actually tried it I'm betting it may allow you to get them from the crate. I know that the fireworks show packages and some of the smuggler items will.
I'll crate up a few tools when I can but, like I said, I don't want to crate the droids themselves until the email problem is nailed down.
/bow
Respectfully,
Jenden
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:40 am
#7
TheRealTK421 wrote:
Well...that's why I wasn't absolute. I don't want to say this is absolutely off the table until I try it but I am suspecting they didn't include this for now (since they needed to just get these to run, period).
Jenden wrote:
hmmm, given some of my experience with other similar items, unless you've actually tried it I'm betting it may allow you to get them from the crate. I know that the fireworks show packages and some of the smuggler items will.
I'll crate up a few tools when I can but, like I said, I don't want to crate the droids themselves until the email problem is nailed down.
/bow
Respectfully,
yea, same here. only got about 1k or so of the vertex myself. I may be able to snag some more though, now that its used by armorsmiths. Got a friend thats an armorsmith, he may be able to hook me up.
Ragnaat
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:47 am
#8
LordMaxx wrote:does it return Resource Names and type? like:
Blahdiblah Irolunn Reactive Gas
That should be pretty dang helpful to the folks at swgcraft.com if so...still have to do the legwork, but we'll know what planets the new resources are on pretty quick...
Yeah, but a bit expensive if you're relying on these things regularly to keep the site up. As they stand right now, given cost, time, and information gathered I just don't see a scenario where I'm going to want to be sending 5 of these out to endor to avoid the cost or time of going there. Its not so bad if you're only concerned with one type of material (minerals for example will probably be spawing on another planet so its easy enough to get stats from them without going to endor or talus or wherever), but in terms of helping keep the site up to date across the board for all 5-7 tools (solor and wind are usually ignored) its asking a lot.
I think the only time I will use one of these, based on the info in this and the other thread started before this, is if I have some harvesters on a planet that I'm not usually on and I want to see if the resource I'm pulling up has shifted. But that 2 or 3 droids a month I might use there is a far cry from the "best case" scenario of sending 5 to 10 of these out a day.
Message Edited by Ragnaat on 04-16-2004 10:48 AM
Javac
Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:05 am
#9
Tk, please, please see if they can ditch the Vertex Gemstone requirement on these. It's an incredibly rare spawn and highly sought after by armorsmiths to boot. It would also be far more cost-efficient if these had multiple 'charges' as well like seekers and probes. (Perhaps 5 uses?)
ArdenStarmariner
Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:14 am
#10
Seems this Interplanetary Survey Droid is the survey equivalent of an Bounty Hunter Arakyd Droid. Maybe the door has been left open for an survey equivalent of the Bounty Hunter Seeker Droid that can get specific stats and find concentration spots.
TheRealTK421
Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:18 am
#11
/bow
Javac wrote:
Tk, please, please see if they can ditch the Vertex Gemstone requirement on these.
I can ask but, honestly, I don't see this happening. I'm about 90% sure you're gonna start seeing this spawn on most all servers over the next 2-3 weeks.
It's an incredibly rare spawn and highly sought after by armorsmiths to boot. It would also be far more cost-efficient if these had multiple 'charges' as well like seekers and probes. (Perhaps 5 uses?)
If they made it 'charged', they would probably alter the schematic requirements unfortunately. I'll check on the 'charged' thing but for right now, we just need it to work period. First things first.
Respectfully,
Javac
Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:24 am
#12
I sure hope you're right on the Vertex, considering it hasn't appeared on my server for almost 2 months. 
Agreed on the 'charges' for the survey droid. It's still something to keep in mind though considering the resources requirements on these puppies are a lot stiffer than the probe droids which are interplanetary and have 5 charges.
Agreed on the 'charges' for the survey droid. It's still something to keep in mind though considering the resources requirements on these puppies are a lot stiffer than the probe droids which are interplanetary and have 5 charges.
Handsnake
Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:30 am
#13
TK,
With the rarity and the cost of these, they are less attractive to my customers without at lease some info on the stats.
Please mention to the devs that the customers are expecting less cost, or some return value besides the list of names and type. I had one customer respond with , "Gee, can you guys ask to at least have the highest 3 stats returned?" Some info for the cost besides the listing would be considered worth the cost of the droid. So far, all my prospecitive buyers and pre-order customers have asked for the same.
On the same level, if the droid was a charged one, my customers said that then the single listing would indeed be sufficient, though they still want to be able to then send a different droid (like a seeker) to grab ONE item's stats.
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