Droid Engineer Archive

In Development 2: Droid Invasion

Welcome to Star Wars Galaxies second In Development overview. During the first 3 months of 2004, there will be many upcoming game features up for addition and design changes. The second will be a set of changes made to the game world that will add combat functionality to Droids.

There are two parts to the "Droid Invasion". The first component is the adding of combat functionality to droids with "combat modules" that can be crafted by Droid Engineers. The second component will be a reiteration of the Droid Engineer profession. In Development ideas will be considered for the month of January and planned for implementation in Late February. Points of focus will be:

Droid Combat Functionality

New Combat Droid Models

Combat Module ideas and basic rules for combat modules for all droids

Things to Consider

The role of combat droids in MMO combat and

The repair of combat droids and the crafting of repair kits

Droid combat and owner's Faction modifiers

Droid Engineer Revamp

The Droid Engineer profession will be reiterated as much as possible with a focus on combat droids. Many of the existing profession issues are In Production and will be In Test In January.

Seems they want us to be a robotic CH with hopper costs. Nothing otherwise useful. No droid to help slicers, no cantina module, no door opening droid, no droid totranslate stuff. Looks to me like SOE is taking the easy way out again.I'll grant that they have an idea session open but when was the last time they listened to us? We have tons of ideas here that were totally ignored. I'm not against combat droids, but making us a CH clone is just about the stupidest thing possible for the Devs to manage.

I'm just hoping that through the vague wording what they really meant was that the additions would be to the combat droids we could make, not those we can use. I have no problems with them adding combat droids, so long as they're usable by everyone (or if they're certed to anyone, not DE's, my suggestion is squad leader).

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Hillslayer wrote:

Droid Engineer Revamp

The Droid Engineer profession will be reiterated as much as possible with a focus on combat droids. Many of the existing profession issues are In Production and will be In Test In January.

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When I first read this off the main SOE web site, I took it to mean two things.

1. The main emphasis of their current effort in new content iscombat droids.
   
   


2. "Existing profession issues" would be current bugs,which meansthey are already adressing those.
   

If both of these assumptions are true, then things are looking pretty good. Yes, it would be nice to have broader droid functionality. But at least with the emphasis on combat, there should hopefully be a nice proliferation of droids throughout the galaxies, putting an end once and for all to the intergalactic petting zoo we've been immersed in for months.

This all hinges on the parsing of a statement from SOE, the same people who brought us "Your droid's customizaton has completely faded away." So who really knows, only time and Test Center will tell.

I'm not too sure about that, the creature handlers will complain that they technically spend a whole extra line of skill credits and have us nerfed leaving CHs ahead of the game. The fact that DE practically requires master artisan won't matter to SOE, at least it hasn't so far.

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Jenden wrote:
I'm just hoping that through the vague wording what they really meant was that the additions would be to the combat droids we could make, not those we can use. I have no problems with them adding combat droids, so long as they're usable by everyone (or if they're certed to anyone, not DE's, my suggestion is squad leader).

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The impression I've gotten, in reading SOE's current and past statements, is that combat droids are going to be usable by everyone, if by varying degrees through whatever controls and certs they establish. It would be nice if SOE would stop with the vague wording for just once concerning this issue, and state clearly the objective of combat droid usability (and I sincerely hope they have an objective in mind today, if they are going to be releasing these changes in a few month's time).

I'm witholding comment and judgement until I see more over the next few weeks on the forums and more importantly on the test center.

"In Development" is supposed to mean the design doc is being written and they are asking us to help polish it to the final product.

I guess that means we'll probably be seeing friggin R2 with a blaster duct taped to his dome....

BAH! That AIN'T Star Wars!!!

Give use NEW combat droid chassis (PICK one, ANY one) and just shut up.
It would make their lives a whole lot easier, but that's not the point.

Posted this on another thread but its probably more relevant here...

The second component will be a reiteration of the Droid Engineer profession

Does this mean those who havent grinded to MDE need to think about doing so now?? i get this feeling and will makesure i can grind to MDE ASAP.

As for the balancing this is what i can see happening (based on what i know about CH).

Novice skill levels at level 1: basic chassis will expand to include more than just the MSE - youll probably be able to make half the existing droids with all basic modules (including the new combat modules) once you have 1-1-1-1.

Skill level 2: equalling the curent blueprint 4 level of droids and including almost all crafting modules.

Skill level 3: the ultimate in personal combat droids (im thinking Episode 1 shield generating battledroids).

Skill level 4 and master DE: Assualt Droids ( droid tanks ) and other stuff that is for mass battles.

Why do i think this will be good?

...for one it enables people tomake the basic droids that alot of people will use without needing to max out DE (casual crafters) and will enable those trying to master DE to make a substantal profit early on in their DE profession.

...second DEs attempting to master the profession should still have some roll in combat - make it so that only a DE can control and use the Assualt droids giving DEs a place on the battlefield if they so choose.

... lastly giving the new combat modules restrictions similar to CH creature levels would give the DE profession a more unique look - imagine if you would DE droids and Non-DE droids, suddenly pulling out that droid tank next to the CHs rancor would put some serious fear into an opponent Alternatively you could (if you didnt want to limit droids to specific professions) have DEs the ability to use droid control stations (such as the trade federations droid control ships) that enable DE to use lots of weak (battledroids) at once and control them in combat formations.

im hoping for good things from this.

so much for seeing anything in january....in oct/nov/dec it was wait till january, now it's: wait till end of february

Droid Engineers have no roll in combat. We're a crafting class, with plenty of skill points left over if we wish to pursue a combat class profession on the side. Combat droids should be treated exactly like the Adv probot is now, in that it's usable by anyone, any time. I really dislike hearing DE's discuss their role in combat because it makes about as much sense as hearing a weapon smith discuss his role in combat. A crafters role in combat is in providing the articles needed by the combatants. if you want a role in combat other than that, pick up a combat prof and knock your socks off.

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TrueBoom wrote:
Droid Engineers have no roll in combat. We're a crafting class, with plenty of skill points left over if we wish to pursue a combat class profession on the side. Combat droids should be treated exactly like the Adv probot is now, in that it's usable by anyone, any time. I really dislike hearing DE's discuss their role in combat because it makes about as much sense as hearing a weapon smith discuss his role in combat. A crafters role in combat is in providing the articles needed by the combatants. if you want a role in combat other than that, pick up a combat prof and knock your socks off.

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Exactly.. I have never understood that camp that wants a Droid Engenieer to be a Droid Handler in combat. That makes little conceptual sense, IE my step-fatheris an airforce aerospace engineer.. but he doesn't go to IRAQ to fight.. he BUILDS FREAKIN AIRPLANES forothers to fight with.

Sorry for my anger but I get so tired of the argument that DE should be a combat class.

As a devils advocate in the droid combat stuff, I'd like to add the compromise.

Droid engineers can either 'buff' droids (giving them a medic like usefullness in combat)

Droids receive bonuses to hit/rate of fire/damage when controlled by a droid engineer.

Droid engineers can heal a droid in combat.

Just a few ideas that would add some flavor and not make us a combat class, but would be fun.

I personally dont favor the idea of a DE only droid. If they have it made, make it for any 'master' profession.

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marsx wrote:

As a devils advocate in the droid combat stuff, I'd like to add the compromise.

Droid engineers can either 'buff' droids (giving them a medic like usefullness in combat)

Droids receive bonuses to hit/rate of fire/damage when controlled by a droid engineer.

Droid engineers can heal a droid in combat.

Just a few ideas that would add some flavor and not make us a combat class, but would be fun.

I personally dont favor the idea of a DE only droid. If they have it made, make it for any 'master' profession.

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This is the position I support. I HATE the idea ofa DE only droid. It turns us into a mechanical creature handler, the class we all hated even talking about before and now some want to turn us into that ??? However, I do support having combat droids available only to the Elite Master classesand maybe another less powerful combat droid available to the Base Master classes.

If the best combat droids are limited to a single group of people (ie MDE) the nerf bat is going to swing big down the road. If everyone canuse the best combat droid, again the nerf bat is going to swing at us. However, if the best combat droids are only allowed for those that take the time to master an elite profession, there will be no reason to nerf us into oblivion again because everyone will be on equal footing. You can become an Elite Master or you don't, thats your perogative just don't whine you can't have the best droid because your too lazy to master something.