Droid Engineer Archive

First let me put some thoughts together before you nuke this post. If the Probot was intended to be our only fighting droid, then the nerf should have never happened. There is no way we can compete with CHs and their pet's HAMs and damage dealing with Probots the way they are now. We got the major shaft if this is as good as it gets.

With that said, first go here and read this. http://www.starwars.com/databank/droid/imperialprobedroid/

The Pobe Droid was never intended, designed, nor made to be a main tank. It's a spy unit, an infiltrator. It has a blaster to defend itself and is not suppose to be the aggressor. When attacked, it should run or self destruct to avoid capture. What the devs did to the probot was in-line with the SW Universe canon. And I believe that when the devs change something (apparently by dumb luck) that meets canon law, they will not change back just to make us happy. So quit asking to have the probots back to the way they were at the beginning, I don't believe it is going to happen, nor should it.

What we do need are the main tanking droids that are also in the Star Wars Universe. If the devs would introduce these droids, we would all say probot who? There are tanking droids out there that would chew a herd of pets to pieces and the owner,then look for a Kyrat Dragon for dessert (well maybe not quite that bad, but you know the ones in which I am referring). So, let's concentrate on appealing, begging, petitioningto get these droids introduced into the SWG world and forget about fixing the probot.

My thoughts from a ranting loon.

Goss

Master Artisan and DE

Yes, they did.

It's just that they should only have been nerfed AFTER their proper replacements became available!

I agree. Whether or not they should have been nerfed after the replacements were in I'm not sure I agree. Yes, it would have made sense, but this is SOE we are talking about.

In line with the fact that probots were used as spies, infiltrators, scouts, they should be further altered to serve us those functions. Many people have stated they would like a survey droid, in particular to locate a decent resource concentration. The probot would function perfectly for this. It's defenses would ensure its safe return (or at least make it more likely) just as they are meant in SW canon. Of course, I don't think this should be limited to only finding resources. Seeing how they were used in ESB, using them to locate a base, or perhaps a particular player or NPC would be useful. In this respect I would imagine they can only scout within a certain range of the owner, otherwise you may end up with hundreds of probots scouring the countryside while all the players sit in the cantina awaiting their reports

Anyways, just my quick thoughts, better get back to work now, lol.

Another thing you have to consider is their production cost. With 1 level 6 armor moduel an advanced probot costs about 2500cr to make (thats how much it costs me, but I buy all my resources and master artisan parts). This is not exactly a huge cost for something that was as powerful as the pre-nerf probot. at the strength its at now (especially with good armor) it is just about right (in my opinion) especially when you factor in the idea that it can hold modules too. it is a good general purpose droid that can take care of itself if things get rough.

Jenden Morn - Master Droid Engineer - Mos Espa, Tarquinas

Owner, Operator, and Founder of DarkStar Inc.

You want to be very careful about quoting Star Wars canon. If we go strictly by Star Wars canon, combat droids are non-existent. Apparently, after the trade federation's huge droid armies, people became wary of attack droids. Think about it, how many combat droids to you see in Ep. 4 or Ep. 5? One, that I can think of, IG-88. So if you're wanting to go "by the book", so to speak, we probably won't see any pure attack droids.

Iagree that the probot was never designed for the combat role it's been forced to play for the past couple months. I also agree that the droidsshould not have been nerfed until we had some sort of combat droid to replace the probot with.

My skepticism, however, on the "give us combat droids since you nerfed our probot" argument is that when SOE finally hands us the schematics for combat droids, what will the probot do? That's right: nothing.

I don't know about you all, but I certainly don't need any more useless droids. It sounds like this is partially what Mabinogi was getting at as well. I yearn for the day when the l33t d00dz stop chanting "probot suxors", and actually blow their credits on our REAL combat droids. However, the probot should be given a use.. heck it should ALWAYS have had a use other than combat. It should have some kind of spy/recon/scouting abilities, rather than an armored husk, which isall it is right now.

Cheers,

The probe nerf made some small sense until the day the non ch pets were made. The second they introduced animal pets with just about the exact same or in cases better stats to our old probes they ceased to have a reason for the nerf. My cowardly gurrek has almost identicle stats to my prenerf bot and for bonus he can actually be HEALED which makes him a huge benefit as compared to the limited use slow healing probes.

This game has little to do with cannon. In the starwars movies you do not see every main character with deadly animal pet. You do however see them with droids. Even if combat droids should not be that common still droids are a far more common thing in starwars than trained animals.

Kaid

You're right Duncje, the canon issue is touch and go and one has to be careful. We all know SWG is as close to canon as our sun isto Galaxie Cluster Abel 1689.

(http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/2003/01/)

However, if I can speculate some RL logic in a fantasy world, I believe the battle droid canon issue can be rationalized.

The time span between Ep 1 and 4 is what, 40ish years? I am sure, even ifbattle droids are not being massively produced by the Trade Federation or its genisis form, the blueprints still exist. Because of the Clone Wars and the development of the Clonetroopers and Stormtroopers, there are no more Droid armies, but there are still individual combat droid units still being used. Even in a galaxy-wide genocidal-purge of all combat droids, there will always be some that escape the scrap heap. If nothing else, thay will be saved by collectors of war memorabilia.

As advanced as the combat droids were, that technology cannot be lost, unless there is a total destruction of the SW Universe. Even Lando resurrecteda form of combat droids to fight the Yuuzhan Vong.

Therefore, IMHO,all droids in all forms still exist, there are even some "uglies" out there. Some rogue DEs have paid good money to get a hold of the blueprintsfrom unsavory characters.As big a s the SW Universe is, there will always be a use for a good battle droid, if nothing else, as a home defense unit.

Goss

Another thing you have to consider is their production cost. With 1 level 6 armor moduel an advanced probot costs about 2500cr to make

And how much does a rancor/graul/rock beetle/<insert any beast here> cost to make?

I agree marsx,

I dont understand why he is saying it cost 2500cr to make. What if a ferrari cost $20,000 to make? Would they charge $20,000? lol...NO, you would pay $100,000 for the car. Thats how it is with the Pro-bot.

I don't mean toget of the subject.

You'll also notice under weapons it says "self destruct mechanism". Don't see that in our model either, but I believe it would make an excellent module in any droid. As if saying the best use for droids as they are now is blowing them up....

Ooklah of Sunrunner

Just a little info for everyone, combat droids are avalable during this time period. The Empire produces and uses a number of combat droids and several types of security, police, and low level combat capable droids are avalable. Listed below are a few:

SD-1 through SD-8

Dark Troopers

Tower Droids

E522 Assassin Droid

G-2RD Guard

501-Z Police Droid

Mark IV Sentry Droid

Source: The Essential Guide to Droids

Waren Xim

Novice Droid Engineer

Corellia, Radiant Galaxy

I wasn't debating what they should be sold for (not going to drag that issue up again) I was debating the strength versus cost of production. Would it make any sense it only cost an architect 5k credits worth of resources to make a heavy harvester?

Jenden Morn - Master Droid Engineer - Mos Espa, Tarquinas

Owner, Operator, and Founder of DarkStar Inc.