Droid Engineer Archive

Thread: Debunking the Combat Droid Myth

Tycalibur
Wed Mar 17, 2004 10:32 am
#1

Okay, I had some time to actually field-test one of my Adv R3's this morning. 1649 HAM, 112-125 damage, .36 attack speed. If you are a DE and have a combat profession, I highly recommend you do this.


My character is also working on Pikeman, so I consider myself at alevel 1 combat profession. I took this little guy out with me to the fields of Dantooine and took on Lesser Plains Bol missions, a good grinding creature for the person working on Polearms IV.


I set the ranged attack function of my droid by saying the command and it toggled itself to ON. I told my droid to stay at about a range of 40m. I began attacking the first lp bol. I was using a cruddy lance. On purpose, mind you.


The droid began firing electricity from a distance, the animation looked like what comes out of an LLC. I watched the combat window, and this droid was firing rapidly while I acted as the tank. He hit that bol as hard as 200 at points. Then we went on to the next, and the next, and never once did I get incapped. Nor did the bols agro on my R3. He doesn't have a scratch.


I guess my POINT to this little diatribe is, folks, the combat droids are not as bad as they seem. They are designed for new people or people grinding out level1 professions, just like a CL10 creature. The MAIN differences between this droid and a CL 10 pet is the droid was fast and VERY accurate, he hardly EVER missed. That's for starters. He also has a heavy enough HAM to avoid getting completely incapped if the bols ever agroed on him.


Compare a standard R3 to a minor sludge panther, a non-CH pet in the wild, one of the best non-CH attack pets that non-CHs can use that CAN be tamed in the wild. The R3 has a better HAM, a better attack speed, and marginally better hit damage, and MUCH better armor.


The ranged attack function was very nice, nicer than I originally estimated it would be.


Everyone, these droids are just the beginning, and after talking with Doughbacca about this, I thought I would post my own personal experience with an Adv R3 here.


The way they function and perform in battle is also a good sign of things to come when the high-level droids DO come out.


So for those of you that doubt, you can keep doing it, it's your choice. NO, these are not droidekas nor arethey theequivalent of a Level 50 rancor (nor would I recommend you take them into a voritor or rancor lair), but they do their jobs, and in many ways, far more efficiently than a CL10 pet would. Accuracy was what amazed me the most when the ranged attack function was enabled.


Until the droidekas & co. are released, if you want a high level assistant in the battlefield against extremely difficult opponents, go MCH whileyou wait.


As I said, they are a good sign of great things to come when the devs have decided how best to implement the higher level droids, as well as a good tool for level 1 professions to use.


And if these combat droids are so 'horrible', why did I manufacture 20 of them yesterday, sell all of them in 2 hours, then manufacture 15 more today and sell them in an hour without even spamming my vendor?


Let's keep this positive with combat droids, everyone. They are a sign of greater things to come.


Attichi'tuk

MDE, Lake Solace, Dantooine

Ahazi Server



Tycalibur Bakado -- Master Rifleman/Master Creature Handler
Student of the Force - RotJ
Naritus Server
Tycalibur Haruhara -- MCH/MBH
High Council Member, Galactic CH Guild
Radiant Server
Tycalibur
Wed Mar 17, 2004 10:39 am
#2

P.S. In the time that I wrote the previous post, my R3 regenerated its own HAM just sitting there (it did get hit after I wrote the post, I wanted to see how it did on its own). Show me a creature that can do that while called.





Tycalibur Bakado -- Master Rifleman/Master Creature Handler
Student of the Force - RotJ
Naritus Server
Tycalibur Haruhara -- MCH/MBH
High Council Member, Galactic CH Guild
Radiant Server
TheWoody
Wed Mar 17, 2004 10:46 am
#3


Conversely, before the nerf the DZ-70 could have easily performed the work of tanking for new players and those grinding the novice L1 boxes, and only ran about 6k. Not many new players can afford a full-up R3 droid, and those that can could spend less money to get a BE pet that is double the stats of these droids.


Even given the probot (whichwas far easier to build and therefore was farcheaper than an R3) in the 820 HAM configuration was a better tanking droid than these of today because of the (now gone) armour rating.


Message Edited by TheWoody on 03-17-2004 09:47 AM



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"Never in the field of forum posting has so much bollocks been said to so many by so few"
marxo777
Wed Mar 17, 2004 10:54 am
#4






Tycalibur wrote:

P.S. In the time that I wrote the previous post, my R3 regenerated its own HAM just sitting there (it did get hit after I wrote the post, I wanted to see how it did on its own). Show me a creature that can do that while called.









My god listen to what yer saying, your bragging about a combat droid that heals itself. This is your sales pitch? Thats sad, really sad. I don't mean you're sadand I'm not making fun you but jeez dood a pet that heals itself over time isn't worth posting about.



Mars











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====mars====
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Tycalibur
Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:01 am
#5

Mars, you are completely missing my point. My point is, the combat droids are just as good as CL 10 pets, and in some ways better. They are NOT comparable to anything OTHER than CL10 pets. I am not really talking about high level combat droids. I was assessing and testing a level 13 Adv R3 droid based on what IT could do, not what an Alert Droideka in the Geonosian Lab dungeon could do. I am simply debunking the myth that the 1st Generation of combat droids are 'trash'. They are not 'trash'. They are simply not for players who expect something that can go up against a Krayt and keep it busy while they kill it.








Tycalibur Bakado -- Master Rifleman/Master Creature Handler
Student of the Force - RotJ
Naritus Server
Tycalibur Haruhara -- MCH/MBH
High Council Member, Galactic CH Guild
Radiant Server
Alacrity
Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:06 am
#6

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Tycalibur. We need as much positive outlook as we can get these days.



Amoon Darkflier, Elder Artisan, Elder Droid Engineer, Elder Merchant

"I find your lack of pants disturbing."
Cronuss
Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:07 am
#7

Sounds cool, Ty.



However, you seem to be SURE that the devs are going to be putting in higher level droids sometime in the future.



What makes you think this?






Cronuss Sincerer ~ Creature Handler ~ Smuggler~ "Blackened is the End..."

TheRealTK421
Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:07 am
#8






Tycalibur wrote:

Mars, you are completely missing my point. My point is, the combat droids are just as good as CL 10 pets, and in some ways better. They are NOT comparable to anything OTHER than CL10 pets. I am not really talking about high level combat droids. I was assessing and testing a level 13 Adv R3 droid based on what IT could do, not what an Alert Droideka in the Geonosian Lab dungeon could do. I am simply debunking the myth that the 1st Generation of combat droids are 'trash'. They are not 'trash'. They are simply not for players who expect something that can go up against a Krayt and keep it busy while they kill it.




187% correct. Thanks for posting this...I hope other DEs and non-DEs starting seeing this reality.

Yes, all...it's no fun to not (yet) have >CL10 droids.


If this is a concern of yours, I would emplore you to go to the following thread and make your vote count.

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=droid_engineer&message.id=69111



/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."


Tycalibur
Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:14 am
#9

Cronuss,


This is off-topic, let's try and keep the thread on the same topic, but I will answer your question. It's just a hunch, based on talking to other DEs more experienced (veteran players who have been in game for a LONG time), and the fact that the combat droids have programmable commands like Wedge Formation and Column Formation. These commands are only good right now for a Master Creature Handler who can pull out more than one pet at once.


I think, with enough time and keeping the devs aware that we would like higher level droids in the future, they might give them to us along with a new and interesting profession. But I've got this gut feeling the devs had it in the cards all along, it's just a matter of when.


And back to the topic at hand, don't knock the current combat droids until you try them!


Attichit'uk

Ahazi



Tycalibur Bakado -- Master Rifleman/Master Creature Handler
Student of the Force - RotJ
Naritus Server
Tycalibur Haruhara -- MCH/MBH
High Council Member, Galactic CH Guild
Radiant Server
marxo777
Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:41 am
#10






Tycalibur wrote:

Mars, you are completely missing my point. My point is, the combat droids are just as good as CL 10 pets, and in some ways better. They are NOT comparable to anything OTHER than CL10 pets. I am not really talking about high level combat droids. I was assessing and testing a level 13 Adv R3 droid based on what IT could do, not what an Alert Droideka in the Geonosian Lab dungeon could do. I am simply debunking the myth that the 1st Generation of combat droids are 'trash'. They are not 'trash'. They are simply not for players who expect something that can go up against a Krayt and keep it busy while they kill it.













LOL, I got 1 starred. WooHoo


I understand what you're saying dood but this is NOT what DE's are looking for. A lvl 10 anything is only going to help noob's and maybe the crafter only ppl. You poor guys have had to listen to the devs say they are giving you love in the next patch since launch, LAUNCH. I feel for you, you were promised so much and you got a nerf and not a single new model. Being positive in the past has got you what? THIS? This is what you have waited for? Pikemen are sending you guys pity, pikemen! If you're happy thats great it is just a game but I'll light a candle for all the exctinct DE's we will see over the next week.



Mars











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====mars====
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EricTheGreat
Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:41 am
#11

There are lvl 10 pets on my server that are selling for millions,

a CL 10 gurrek with 10k/6k/6k HAM, and theyre still able to be called. 120 damage, 56% kinetic, 36% to blast.



It's going to be a long while before these kinds of pets get nerfed, even though it seems they tried this patch and some people cant call out their pets now.



Kenner Aldric
~Deviancy At Its Best~
BH/Pistoleer Cowboy Extrodinaire, Recovering Old Timer MDE Spice Addict

Tycalibur
Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:54 am
#12


>I understand what you're saying dood but this is NOT what DE's are looking for.


Go to TK's thread it has what you're looking for about this, my point was only that the lvl 10 droids are good for lower professions. Everything you said beyond this point has nothing to do with that I'm talking about, Mars.



>A lvl 10 anything is only going to help noob's and maybe the crafter only ppl.


Yes, exactly. And they are very good help for new people. You disagree with me, then go on to confirm most of what I just said.



>You poor guys have had to listen to the devs say they are giving you love in the next patch since launch, LAUNCH. I feel for you, you were promised so much and you got a nerf and not a single new model.


I had absolutely no misconception about what the devs were bringing out in this patch, aside from a few other bugs that have nothing to do with combat droids. Most DEs that stayed on top of information coming from the test server knew and read the publish notes carefully knew what was coming well ahead of time.


>Being positive in the past has got you what? THIS? This is what you have waited for?


As far as the current COMBAT DROIDS go, which is what my thread is about, yes. The combat droids were exactly as I anticipated them to be.



Pikemen are sending you guys pity, pikemen! If you're happy thats great it is just a game but I'll light a candle for all the exctinct DE's we will see over the next week.


What does Pikeman have to do with this thread? I just used Pikeman as an example of testing my R3.


And as for becoming 'extinct', dream on. Have you ever even bothered with DE, Mars? Sure our jobs are tough, but they aren't fruitless. A good DE, like ANY other craftsman, knows how to advertise, manage harvesters and crank out products that people can buy. I have yet to go broke as a DE.


But I will also say this again.... if I sold 20 combat droids in less than 2 hours yesterday, and 15 in about an hour today, that is reassurance enough to me that not everyone shares your opinion about the combat droids, and what they are capable of.





Tycalibur Bakado -- Master Rifleman/Master Creature Handler
Student of the Force - RotJ
Naritus Server
Tycalibur Haruhara -- MCH/MBH
High Council Member, Galactic CH Guild
Radiant Server
Chickenbone
Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:55 am
#13

Is that Gurreck bugged then? I tried calling my Dewback mount yesterday and I couldn't. It's CL 10 with 2k HAM. I got the option of either raising the level and keep the stats or alter the stats and keep the level. I kept the level so the stats changed to 900 HAM and no more resistance. Now I'm having trouble getting my (CL 13) Probot out. Too high of a level for a non-CH but no option to alter the stats.



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Gorath: Aradjin
Intrepid:Thorus
Bria: Gorangutar
Starsider: Bien
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