Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Pros and Cons for DE please. Whats a DEs life like?
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Lord-Jammer
Wed Sep 22, 2004 5:52 am
#1
Hey guys,
just finished my TKM grind and looking for a crafter profession now, i just can't decide which to take.
I'm stuck between WS and DE now.
please drop some information on what a DEs life is like.
(i won't harvest resources or have any vendors, all my stuff would be going directly to the customer or to the guild vendor)
How often do ppl need new droids? I don't wanna end up selling batteries at the bazaar...
Is there any eta for new combat droids?
Lord-Jammer
Wed Sep 22, 2004 5:55 am
#2
nearly forgot something, do yo really need master artisan to craft droids?!
Haven't got enough skill points left for that one :/
Message Edited by Lord-Jammer on 09-22-2004 05:56 AM
DarkRenown
Wed Sep 22, 2004 6:09 am
#3
Life as a DE
It's tough out there. Depending on your server you are competing with some of the most imaginitive crafters in the game.
Check out the vendors, scope out the competition, see what sells and at what prices.
Basically, I do most custom orders for Guild mates and friends, I sell a variety of Droid on 2 vendors, but keep a stock of Bounty Hunter droids as these are regular sellers.
You need Batteries, so keep a stock, offer them on the Bazaar, use them to advertise your Vendors.
As a bonus, Droid Storage Compartments, only DE's make them, and Architects need them all the time, so find an Architect and team up, you keep him stocked with those, he can help you with crafting stations and factories.
I spend on average one night a week (3 hours or so) crafting enough droids to stock my vendor, I spend an hour or so a night keeping my factories producing components and chassis, and moving my Harvesters to get named resources. As a DE the biggest problem I found was getting all the needed named resources of a decent quality at the beginning.
Do you need Master Artisan? Basically Yes, the EMM, EGP and Control Units are used in most droids and droid components. If you haven't got the SP to get Master Artisan, then find one, give him the resources, and ask them to make a schematic for you, you can then put this in your factories.
Personally I joined SWG to make Droids, I love them. Always have, so this craft suited me perfectly, the combinations you ccan make are amazing, so many colours as well. It's fun just trying out new droids and seeing hwo well they perform.
No news on new combat droids, but the ones in game are sufficient for most players at the moment.
Jjiaah
Wed Sep 22, 2004 8:04 am
#4
Life of a DE....
FACTS:
1) Factories are your friends - If you can't keep at least 2 going at all times, talk with your guild about getting admin on someone elses. Also check to see if friends or guildies can loan you lots. If you can get an extra 4 factories down and have admin, you're ahead of the game.
2) Harvesters are your friends - you use a LOT of resources for a relatively small number of droids comparatively (not as bad as Arch though). If you can't keep your own resources coming in, find someone that will do "exchange of services" for resources, and/or find someone (in guild or out) that will supply you for minimal cost. Also check to see if friends or guildies can loan you lots.
3) A DE is dependent on AS, Musician, Architect, and Master Artisan (this one is critical). If you don't have the points for any of these, find and hook up with them early on for schematics at the very least (don't forget to provide the resources to make the schematic with... it won't do you any good if it's made with resources you don't have)
4) Storage. Lots and lots of storage. If you don't have merchant skills to increase your "vendor storage", use factories or 1-lot small houses. You need as manylots for Harvs as you can, as per #2. If friends or guildies can loan you lots, put up a house and as many factories as you can.
5) RESOURCES are extremely important. Besides the need for large amounts of grind-quality resources, there are SEVERAL named resources a DE needs for the higher end droids and accessories. Some of them are fairly common (though high quality is rare) and some of them are extremely rare (you want as much as you can regardless of quality just to be able to make items.... low items are better than no items). Start keeping an eye out for the list of what you need immediatly and get Harvs on them asap.
UPSIDE:
- Great satisfaction
- DE's make the most versital companions in the game
- Repeat customers for repair kits and batteries are common if you treat your customers well
- You can make droids for mostprofessions in the game, so the demand is there.
- Smugglers, BH's use expendable Det Droids commonly. BH uses other (mostly) expendable droids as a routine part of their hunting.
- Resource Merchants use Survey Droids to make life a little easier on them.
DOWNSIDE:
- Lots of time doing factory runs
- Droids don't decay. If someone gets everything they need in 1 or 2 droids, they likely won't be back unless they switch profs (with the exception of accessories like batteries, repair and customization kits).
- Named resources can make it difficult, impossible, or extremely expensive to make some of the higher end items.
- Dependance on other classes, especially Master Artisan (if you don't have it) can make life more difficult.
With all that being said, there seem to be 2 types of DE's. Those of us that love it and likely won't be dropping it, and those of us that get into it and find out it's just not for them. I am the first type. I really enjoy making an item for somebody to the specifications they request, then watching it come to life as they call it and name it amid a stream of "thank you, this just what I was looking for".
If you get great satisfaction from making customers delighted, DE may be for you. If long waits for factories and resource hunting doesn't appeal, you may want to concider a different crafting prof.
I do hope this helps in your decision making 
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