Droid Engineer Archive

Thread: TK, please get this display model idea clarified and explained

Vampiric_Hoshi
Sat Mar 20, 2004 9:58 am
#1


TK, could you please get a Dev to make a post on what these "display models" actually are and what we can do with them because right now, its clearly got everyone confused .. including me.


My first assumption is that a "display model" droid was what the deed of any created droid will look like. Instead of the deed, like in beta, you'll have a full droid model which can be "dropped" in houses for display as well.


Then you mention DE's actually being able to "call" these display models in one my posts... this then means they are beyound a deed and some kind of non-functioning droid?


If both of the above cases are true, then are we to assume that all "display models" have to use default colours since customisation has now been removed? Isn't half of the selling point of a droid IN the actual colour? Since beta we have lost one of our abilities to sell droids by not being able to set its initial colour and it now seems that function has become even MORE inate to the point we wouldn't even be able to paint our displays.


Should we not, as DE's, have the ability to stand outsidesomeone's house and have several of our products lined up waiting to be sold so the buyer could see what he's buying ... just like how Creature Handlers sell THEIR pets. If I didn't only have 5 spaces in my datapad for droids I would only sell Deed form droids on my vendor ... every droid i sold in person I would sell as a fully functional called droid. If someone wants an R2 unit, I want the ability to display to the customermultiple called R2 units with varying colours, just like the Jawa droid line up in ANH ... I want the ability to "show" the customer what modules the droid has, what its HAM is, what its armour and resists are and what colour it is BEFORE any form transfer window (or command) is used.


Mostdroid order I get the customer asks for a colour.. I want the ability to colour the droid I sell BEFORE its sold to the customer.


Please, get this clarified for us



Abandon all hope
Vampiric_Hoshi
Sat Mar 20, 2004 2:37 pm
#2

Thanks for the reply TK but please keep pushing them for an answer. We all know how they like to work.. give us a few snippets, jabba some crap that they never do, implement a real mess and then blame it on us when we scream we don't like it.


On a side note, I don't think allowing average people to paint their own droids is a good idea. As it stands, customisation is one of the few "come backs" DE have. I mean once a droid is sold, you are never likely to see that customer again until they get annoid with it randomly changing colour so they come to you to paint it.


Also, how about sendingthe idea I had about the droid name issue to the droid dev? I think that could be very easily implemented and resolve the whole issue with people wanting droid names as well as resolving the issue with not being able to name "talky" droids



Abandon all hope
TheRealTK421
Sat Mar 20, 2004 2:43 pm
#3






Vampiric_Hoshi wrote:


Also, how about sendingthe idea I had about the droid name issue to the droid dev? I think that could be very easily implemented and resolve the whole issue with people wanting droid names as well as resolving the issue with not being able to name "talky" droids




Okay...I'll mention 'naming' (cause I think all droid naming is 'wonky').

I'd like to just see them use "Set Name" on the droid's radial menu. Problem solved.

...but that's just me.



I'll try to find out what I can...but (since you know them), I can't make promises on if/when I'll hear back on this.


Keep on keepin' the faith.

/tiphat



/bow

Respectfully,






TheRealTK421 a.k.a. "Doughbacca"
SWG DE Correspondent
Co-Founding member of Ahazi DENet & SWG DEA (Droid Engineer Association)
"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. ...I'm certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am."


Lonkley
Sat Mar 20, 2004 3:06 pm
#4

Id just like to take a moment to curse the devs for removing coloring of chassis in patch 7. Ive lost a LOT of business so far because of it. With the general interest in droid increased everyone is looking for new and old products, including chassis.


*rattle chicken bones*




----------------
There is a special place in hell for necro posters
Vampiric_Hoshi
Sat Mar 20, 2004 8:02 pm
#5

Just to add how I think droid names should be done:


1) When a droid is tamed, a random droid name is generated to fit the chasis (i.e. R2-XX). This droid name becomes the droid ID.


2) When/if the owner changes the name, the original droid ID remains but gets placed in brackets beside the new name i.e. Whistler [R2-D4] ... This way, droids still get their droid-specific name thats random rather than people picking it so as not to tread on continuity toes .. but also allows the owner to customise the name and give the droid a nick-name to add to their ID ... or they can just leave it as the ID.


Since "talking" droids can't currently be named, this new system removes the irritant of all talky droids having the same generic "An Protocol Droid" name and will give them a unique chasis specific ID i.e. Q-3PO


Most NPC randomly spawned droids already have a random droid name being generated so this system is obviously already in existence ... how hard would it be to match it to droid creation?


This simple solution completly resolves the naming droid issue for both un-nameable and nameable droids.





Abandon all hope
MasadoBanzai
Sat Mar 20, 2004 8:26 pm
#6






TheRealTK421 wrote:

Okay...I'll mention 'naming' (cause I think all droid naming is 'wonky').

I'd like to just see them use "Set Name" on the droid's radial menu. Problem solved.

...but that's just me.







No, it isn't just you. That is *exactly* what I would like to see as well.



-----------------------
Masado Banzai
Chief Designer
RanCorp Droidworks, Engineering and Shipyard
Mos Arcus, Tatooine, Kettemoor
AudioOrgana
Sat Mar 20, 2004 8:56 pm
#7








Vampiric_Hoshi wrote:

On a side note, I don't think allowing average people to paint their own droids is a good idea. As it stands, customisation is one of the few "come backs" DE have. I mean once a droid is sold, you are never likely to see that customer again until they get annoid with it randomly changing colour so they come to you to paint it.







I get a lot of repeat business personally, but in theory you are right. However, in practical gameplay, I think this is a GREAT change.


DE's who want to sell the kits can do so and make money, those of us don't want to be bothered don't feel obligated to stop whatever we are doing every time someone wants to color their droid and just do it because it's a nice thing to do.


I also think it's a great soloution to what is my biggest pet peeve in droid coloring is - that we can't show the customers their color options. "What colors do you have?" is like nails on a chalkboard to me, lol. Unless they redo the system, this is the next best soloution even if you would rather have DE's only allowed to use them.


You know, I know this wouldn't be popular with most DEs or even MA's, but to be honest I wish they'd just merge the droid and vehicle customization kits into one "metal spraypaint" kit, and dump it in Eng IV. It will be much more likely for people to use these kits regularly if they only had to buy one type instead of two, and putting it in Eng IV means that DE's and MA's can both make them (though DE's should get an experiment bonus on them, of course).


I know that as a regular player, I'd be very likely to keep a crate of "metal spraypaint" kits in my backpack; if I have to have both droid and vehicle customization kits on me, I'd be less likely to buy in bulk and less likely to use them in general.


AO
TheRealTK421
Sun Mar 21, 2004 1:53 am
#8






Vampiric_Hoshi wrote:


TK, could you please get a Dev to make a post on what these "display models" actually are and what we can do with them because right now, its clearly got everyone confused .. including me.


Yea...I feel like I hold a lot of responsibility there. I don't konw 100% how they will play out myself. I'm making a few educated guesses, based on the way I've seen them do changes in the past.

Right now, I'm not even sure that THEY have how it will work 'set' yet. I can assure you (since this is a market that I do sell a lot to) that I'll want to know just as soon as you do. I suspect I'll be hearing more real, valid info that I can pass on this in the future (and I'll make sure to request that they give me some 'quotables' on major coming changes in P8 ASAP).


My first assumption is that a "display model" droid was what the deed of any created droid will look like.


That's one way they might do it, yes. /shrug


Instead of the deed, like in beta, you'll have a full droid model which can be "dropped" in houses for display as well.


Yea, that sort of seems like it would make the most sense. But they often need to work around other code 'stuff' that affects how the actual system will go in. I just don't really know much on this, other than that it is coming (in some form).


Then you mention DE's actually being able to "call" these display models in one my posts... this then means they are beyound a deed and some kind of non-functioning droid?


I suppose "Call" was a bad word to use. You will 'drop', 'call', 'assign' the droid just as you would furniture. I don't know the exact method that will be used...they may well be talking about this now. As soon as I can, I'll get info out to you on this.


If both of the above cases are true, then are we to assume that all "display models" have to use default colours since customisation has now been removed?


I do not know anything one way or another but I suspect that that is how this will go down. You'd make a droid deed in a 'display' version (in some form / method), drop it in your house anduse a standard droid customization tool on it. I am only guessing that this is how it will go. It might well go differently, though the end result will be the same.

We'll be able to build display versions of all droid models, give them custom names andcustom colors (and the non-DEs may well be able tocolor their 'furniture' on their own, any time they please).



Isn't half of the selling point of a droid IN the actual colour?


Not if the non-DE buyer of the droid will be able to color the droid themselves using the tool. You'd just sell them the display deed (or whatever it is that's used) and some paint kits. Done.


Since beta we have lost one of our abilities to sell droids by not being able to set its initial colour and it now seems that function has become even MORE inate to the point we wouldn't even be able to paint our displays.


For now, yes. This is one of those things that got through that I never got a chance to get on top of, since it occurred at about the time that Drashk was stepping aside and before I even got 'turned blue'. I assure you, this is on my short-list.


Should we not, as DE's, have the ability to stand outsidesomeone's house and have several of our products lined up waiting to be sold so the buyer could see what he's buying ... just like how Creature Handlers sell THEIR pets.


I'll point to this as an example of how it should work. There might be some kind of reason or another that they won't want to go to this length, right now (but might down the road). I'd have to think that the worst case scenario is that you'd have to call/display one item at a time or have all of them setup in your shop as a 'showroom'. Remember, since I do not know anything on this, I'm just guessing here.


If I didn't only have 5 spaces in my datapad for droids I would only sell Deed form droids on my vendor ... every droid i sold in person I would sell as a fully functional called droid. If someone wants an R2 unit, I want the ability to display to the customermultiple called R2 units with varying colours, just like the Jawa droid line up in ANH ...


I set up a droid 'showroom' in my shop for this, which displays differently colored/named current chassis. This might be the only way that you'd be able to show off all your models. Like I said, I don't know...we'll have to wait and seewhat happens.


I want the ability to "show" the customer what modules the droid has, what its HAM is, what its armour and resists are and what colour it is BEFORE any form transfer window (or command) is used.


This is more of an issue of the info shown on the deed/model/item, whatever. This is already on the list of items I've taken to them as "DE issues" and said....'this is pretty important guys'. The example I gave is your PC. You can't buy a PC or a car or whatever without being able to get a list of the installed features. Same should go for our droids. That's what I've already put forth to them. The ball is in their court on this particular item and I'll have to wait to hear back.


Mostdroid order I get the customer asks for a colour.. I want the ability to colour the droid I sell BEFORE its sold to the customer.


Again, if I had to guess, I think you'll have to make the model and sell them paint kits that they will be able to use. You won't have to worry so much about picking the color the client wants (which is always a bit of a pain). They will be able to get what they want...by picking it themselves when they please.




/bow

Respectfully,






TheRealTK421 a.k.a. "Doughbacca"
SWG DE Correspondent
Co-Founding member of Ahazi DENet & SWG DEA (Droid Engineer Association)
"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. ...I'm certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am."


Vampiric_Hoshi
Sun Mar 21, 2004 12:56 pm
#9

Yeah AudioOrgana, I get that.. but the problem is, it will be used as a short fix to a problem instead of actualy fixing it ... the problem is not that average players can't paint their droids, the problem is that droid (and consequently vehicle) customisation doesn't last long enough.


Giving a monkey a pen does not mean the monkey will write a best seller ... if you take vehicles as an example here, as customising vehicles is the same as droids. Anyone can currently paint their vehicles right? But look around your server for a day and count the amount of painted vehicles you see and the ones with default paint. Is it because people arnt able to get the kits or is it because after the first week people realised they are wasting money and time painting an item that will lose its paint in a matter of days (or even hours).


20 calls is not enough for the average person. For a busy salesman who relies on his droid being called wherever he is to craft, 20 calls barely scratches the surfice. For me personaly, I spend my entire online time jumping between Tatooine and Naboo selling droids to people and between Tatooine, Naboo and Corellia purchasing good quality resources to MAKE the droids in the first place. In one day's play time (averaging say, 5 hours?) I planet hop atleast 15 times. In general, that means 15 calls of my droid just from traveling. Add on to that any extra calls where I accidently store my droid, or have to call another droid to show a customer a BLL or whatever .. I average around 19-25 calls on one droid a day on a busy day, and around 10-15 on a quiet day. That means, on average, I am repainting my R2 unit every 48 hours or less ... that, to me, suggests the customisation system currently isn't working



Abandon all hope
Deidre_DE
Sun Mar 21, 2004 8:59 pm
#10

I agree, Hoshi.


Architects (and everyone, please forgive me if I grind my teeth over these guys) just got candles. These last for 14+ day, and lamps last for 28+days. Why can't them put pain on the same schedule? If I had to paint my car as often as I change out candles in my house I would drive a reneck-Primer-mobile.


Why cant the Devs just put our paint on the exact same timer as these candles?


/rant on


I heard an architect in my PA complaining that he needed to get some good material so he could make some candles that would last... Our master doctor and I went off on him.


Why is it that it takes an architect to make a frikkin candle anyway? Don't these guys have enough checkers? /rant off


Deidre
Vampiric_Hoshi
Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:21 am
#11

In all realness, droids losing "customisation" is a stupid idea anyway. Using cars doesn't cause the paint to vanish after a certain period. Sure, the paint may get chipped and dirty but it doesnt revert to a default colour.


The idea behind droids losing customisation is supposed to show "usage" on the droid. But surely "usage" is already displayed by the power a droid eats up.


Originaly "power" was meant to be a droid's version of food when compared to a pet. But I think its time droids were taken OUT of that "pet comparability" slot.


Instead of losing customisation from being called, a droid should lose power. Using them should lose power. Just having them called should use power. When a droid hits 0 power it should then start taking damage every minute or so. If the damage gets so great that it takes the entire HAM of the droid, then it should "die" and lose vitality.


Having a droid lose customisation AND power is just too much IMHO



Abandon all hope
DarthIguana
Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:40 am
#12



Vampiric_Hoshi wrote:
In all realness, droids losing "customisation" is a stupid idea anyway. Using cars doesn't cause the paint to vanish after a certain period. Sure, the paint may get chipped and dirty but it doesnt revert to a default colour.
The idea behind droids losing customisation is supposed to show "usage" on the droid. But surely "usage" is already displayed by the power a droid eats up.
Originaly "power" was meant to be a droid's version of food when compared to a pet. But I think its time droids were taken OUT of that "pet comparability" slot.
Instead of losing customisation from being called, a droid should lose power. Using them should lose power. Just having them called should use power. When a droid hits 0 power it should then start taking damage every minute or so. If the damage gets so great that it takes the entire HAM of the droid, then it should "die" and lose vitality.
Having a droid lose customisation AND power is just too much IMHO





I agree with you about the customization thing. It's SOE' cheap way of generating repeat business for DEs and MAs (droids and vehicles respectively). Your battery idea makes sense and there is precedence in the game already. Make droid power work like housing maintenance and have them decay if you don't charge them every so often and make nearly everything they do suck power.

chris



~ Liavuss Mekka of Chilastra ~
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