Droid Engineer Archive

Thread: High demand for DZ70 droids or just other players trying to be helpful

IceTigger
Fri Apr 16, 2004 6:50 pm
#1

I have a bit of a mystery on my hands and I thought I would see if anybody else has noticed the same thing. I am a fairly low-level Droid Engineer (0,1,1,1) and casual player. Ever since Publish 7 I have been selling a lot of very low end DZ70 droids. Statistics are usually with HAM between 550 and 610, no combat module, either a medical module 1 or a storage module 1. Sale price of 600cr and getting 3 to 6 sales a night. I use a droid like this for ‘bate’ to avoid being killed while looking for resources. Useful, yes but hardly justifies this kind of sales.


I have a couple of ideas, but I wanted to hear some other theories. Maybe other people have found such droids useful in other ways that I am not aware of. Unfortunately, tells and emails to the buyers have not gotten me any responses. Personally, I consider them lemons and I am not going to run the price up just because I am getting good sales.

So, are there any theories on why such droids would sell so well?

Oh, and please, nobody open up their flame thrower about me undercutting ever other DE out there or hurting the profession.
Sunfire1
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:00 pm
#2

Hmm. I advertise mine as having the same stats as Probots, but they steal less exp. In fact the ones i sell with just 1 combat module + 1 medic 6 or item 6 module sell very well.


They are nice in the fact that they can hold agro and take a good beating while you kill the target. With a few heal packs, you can get alot of exp in a little time with a DZ70 at your side.


Waren_Xim
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:02 pm
#3

I sell many DZ70s most DEs underestimate the value and popularity of a low-cost but usefull droid like the DZ70. DZ70s with a Level-2 medical module andDZ70s with a Level-4 storage module sell good.


They are a good starter droid for new players who don't have the credits for other droids since to often DEs grind to master then only produce high-end/high-cost droids.


DZ70s are faster then R Droids, they can fight, and they can carry modules that are usefull.


Waren Xim


Master Droid Engineer



Gribnitz
Fri Apr 16, 2004 7:06 pm
#4

Initiailly I thought the DZ70's would be selling really well since they are close to a probot in stats, but a whole lot cheaper. Fact of the matter is that neither the probot or the DZ70 are flying off the shelves. The only combat droid that really sells well is the R3, and I really hate making those into combat droids, but I have to eat.







-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Iygow
Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:16 pm
#5

IceTigger:


DZ70s like the ones you describe can be used for what I call an "xp tank." Since they don't have a combat module, but can still attack, they only do 1 point of damage per hit. This way, especially if you have some droid repair kits handy, a player can have it attack a mob and absorb damage, while the player gets to do virtually all the damage to the mob and get virtually all the xp without taking any damage themselves. They can level faster with a "weaponless" combat capable droid than with any other type of tank that I'm aware of. While the higer HAM of an R5 might make it a better choice for this use, the DZ70 delivers a lot more value than most give it credit for.





IceTigger
Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:28 pm
#6

XP tank huh. I figured that as soon as the player attacked, the beastie wound go after them instead of the droid. After all, the player is doing more damage then the droid. That almost sounds like, dare I say it, an exploit? It does explain the sales. At the price I selling at, it is cheaper to just buy a new one then get it repaired.
Iygow
Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:59 pm
#7

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention...If you have your droid group with you, you get the group xp bonus too.





gametruth
Fri Apr 16, 2004 9:44 pm
#8

yeah, i sell bunches once i explained to people they could group with it - give it the stay command - and get tons of extra xp per kill. and no - it is not an exploit the added xp is intentional for anyone grouped, it is supposed to encourage grouping and socializing in game - the devs have no plans to fix it. I usually put an item storage module in my dz70's so people can boost their inventory too.



Khadim Midahk

*sig edited by admin*
IceTigger
Sat Apr 17, 2004 6:51 am
#9

I have heard about the xp bonus when grouped with droids. That has been in the game for a very long time. At this point, I keep wondering about tactic Iygow describes as ‘XP Tank’. Since I have not actually seen it in practice, I may be making guesses at how it actually works. If a droid is sent in and starts pegging something for 1 point of damage, then the player starts firing and does 100 or more point of damage, I would expect the target to ignore the droid and come after the player.


Tell I am clear about the validity of the use of this tactic; I am not selling any more DZ70 droids without a combat module. I do not want to be banned nor do I want indirectly get other banned. I am going to do some more digging and see what can be found.

Thanks for the feed back.
Iygow
Sat Apr 17, 2004 7:37 am
#10

IceTigger:


I really wouldn't worry aout it. I seriously doubt anyone will get banned for it, since that wouldmean you couldn'tselli any DZ70, LE Repair, Probot, or R series droid without a combat module. If the devs don't want people to use a droid configured for utility to tank, they'll remove the attack command from droids unless a combat module is installed. Until that time, it's just another selling point / game strategy. There are many DEs that refuse to sell an R series droid with a combat module simply because they don't like the idea of astromechs being combatants. If you really feel uncomfortable with the idea, just don't mention it to your customers.


Sunfire1
Wed Apr 21, 2004 6:31 pm
#11


Ever since i noticed the 33%, yes thats right 33%, increase in exp when grouped with a droid, I have always hunted with a droid out.


Just recently I was hunting Torturs on Talus. As usual I called pet, then killed 1st Tortur. I only got1800 weapons exp. D'oh I forgot to group with pet. I group with pet, kill next Totur, 3300 exp. Thats much better. And pet is an LE repair with 1 combat, 1 Med 110%, 1 Storage 10. When I send him out to fight, he only does 20-30 damage, but he takes a beating. And he makes my stim Bs work better, and he holds my spare powerups/Stims/Droid repair packs in him. All while giving me 33% more weapons exp


Message Edited by Sunfire1 on 04-21-2004 06:33 PM

LordBrat
Wed Apr 21, 2004 6:54 pm
#12

I used the 'XP Tank' prior to obtaining DE while I was mastering Marksman. I dislike Carbines and Rifles, and when I heard about the xp group bonus, I wandered over to the bazaar and bought the cheapest droid I could find. It ended up being an R5 with a storage compartment (not sure of the level) and no combat abilities whatsoever.

I took it out in the field, grouped with it and told it to stay. I got extra XP and the droid did nothing... at least until another mob decided to attack my poor little Trashcan. I never realized that R5's could run so fast...

To gain xp from the group aspect, you don't even need to send your droid into combat, let alone make sure that it has at least 1 combat module.

As far as it being an exploit, I'm inclined to think it isn't. You're not creating something out of nothing (credit duping), or intentionally violating the rules of the universe (double slicing), it sounds like a good tactic to me.

Course, I have been known to be wrong before *shrug*



Av'e Bratt
Minister of Military Operations for Bellicose Imperious
Leader of Shadow Squadron


Maliciously obedient, yet positively deviant.
Iygow
Wed Apr 21, 2004 8:51 pm
#13

While it's true you don't have to actually send the droid into combat, I prefer that the droid take as much of the damage as possible instead of me, since repair kits are cheaper (because I can make them) and can be applied faster than using stim Bs on myself and use a lot less mind. My favorite to use for this is an Advanced R4 since it is realatively cheap, has higher HAM than a DZ70 or Probot, and can hold 2 level 4 armor modules.



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