Droid Engineer Archive

I've been playing a droid engineer on the Kettemore server since SWG first came out. Even though my playing time has been sporadic due to the demands of work, I have seen numerous issues and would like to add my two cents. I think the primary issue with droids revolves around versatility. It is my belief that droids should be versatile. In addition to versatility, droids are currently treated like pets. They are machines and should have reactions based on being a machine.

Verstility can be achieved by increasing the number and types of modules. For example, we have the armor modules, crafting stations, medical modules and two types of storage (data and item) modules. There is only so much variety that can be achieved with so few modules. I believe that surveying modules, combat modules, repair modules and power modules should be created and included in the game. Let me go over some of these modules.

Surveying modules would allow any of the builder classes to spend time more efficiently searching for resources. With one of these modules, a droid owner should be able to send the droid searching for a concentration level of a certain type of resource. Once the droid has found the concentration level, it will place a waypoint on the owner's data pad. In essence, a builder can search for two resources at the smae time. Of course, surveying this way will have its perils. It is a dangerous galaxy, and a droid is open to attack from aggressive creatures.

Battery modules would increase the mind pool of a droid. Instead of the thirty minutes per battery, a droid's energy should be relected in its mind pool. Active operation would slowly drain its mind, and a droid battery would heal this "damage". A droid should not be able to regenerate mind on its own. A single module would give a 10% to 60% increase depending on the level (1-6). However, any droid left active for too long without a recharge would still be an easy target in combat.

Processor modules would increase the action pool. The standard 10% to 60% increase would apply to these modules as it does for the other proposed modules. Unlike the mind pool, a droid's action pool can regenerate on its own as long as the droid possesses a positive health and mind pool.

Superstructure modules would (you guessed it) add to the health pool. As with the previous two modules, the increase would range from 10% to 60% depending on the module's level. And, like the mind pool, a droid should not be able to regenerate its health pool. Only a properly outfitted droid (one with a repair module) or an engineer witha droid repair kiet can repair its health pool.

Weapon modules would either add a weapon to a droid or upgrade an existing weapon on a droid. Level one modules would place a blaster that does 10-30 points of damage. A level two would do 30-60, and a level three would do 60-90 points and so on and so on. That would place a 180 point cap (the numbers can be adjusted to suit the developers) on droid weapons. Of course, some weapon module components would have to be obtained from weapon smiths.

A shield module would allow a DE to place a personal shield on a droid. There should only be three shield levels that coincide with what armor smiths have available. Like weapon modules, components for shields should have to be obtained from armor smiths.

Tactical computer modules should allow a droid to use speical maneuvers in combat. Creature pets have some special features like intimidation. Droid maneuvers should be limited to head, body, leg, mind, vital and action shots. The head, body and leg shot modules should be available at Intermediate Production. The bleeding shot modules should be available at Master DE. Like characters, these maneuvers should have an associated HAM cost. How steep of a cost would be determined by the developers.

Fabrication modules should allow for a droid to perform limited services as a factory. Given a group schematics and the required resources, the droid should be able to build items. Personally, I believe that it should not be allowed to build crates of items; however, it should be able to create and store up to ten items. Unlike real crafting, fabrication would not necessarily require for the droid's owner to possess engineering knowledge. It will give builders (without factories) the option of selling schmatics (like muzzles without spending resources) to combat characters. The combat character can then keep some the resources on hand (in the droid possibly) and have his or her trusty droid build that unit when it is needed. It would make the data modules much more useful.

In addition to modules, I think that DE should be able to build better batteries than the artisan class. With my proposal to change the mind pool into the energy counter for a droid, a droid battery should be able to repair 100 points of mind damage. There should be two additional batteries made available. One should heal 200 and the other 300 points of mind damage. With four charges on each that should be 800 to 1200 points a battery. That would be respectable for most combat droids.

I want to end this blurb little blurb with saying that I would love to see more droid platforms available to DEs. However, I don't beleive that more platforms will fix our profession. In order for DE's to have fun, droids have to have more options. The great thing about a droid in comparison to a pet is its versatility. You should be able to have a droid help you in everyday life. You would never expect Spot to help you find a deposit of high grade steel or help you build a droid brain. But you would expect R2 to at least try.

Okay. Let's rename the processor module to hydraulics or something and give the droid an increased base speed. In addition, let's expand the number of tactical computers. Spending a module slot on one of these is still costly if the new combat droids have a limited number of slots.

Itotaly understand what your getting at... and it is one of the core issues I have with droids. There is not much in the way of veriation regarding droids, the term that best describes them is "CUT AND DRY".

Resources dont change a droids HAM by much, nor the workings of the modules. I can use complete garbage for resources in a droid or its modules, and it will act the same as if I used top resources.Not that I use crap, I harvest the best resources that I can find (harvesting the best resoruces at one time costs the same as harvesting the worst resources, so why harvest garbage). My highest adv probot has 827 ham(+99% effectiveness), my lowest 819(crit fail on expermentation), a deviation of 8 points from the best to the worst,100% based on the chemical used.

Soon battle droids will come out, but that means droids will be able to fight, some better than others I hope. I doubt much will be changed about them regarding any type of veriation. I am sure that a mse droid will be able to let off the same attack as the best battle droid.

But who knows... perhaps devs already understand this and will change it in the coming months.

We can hope. I understand that the crafting process for droids is weak at best. I have experienced the same issues. However, I want to be able to build variety and that is the reason I posted this thread. I have been in and out of the country for the past six months and have not been consistently online for awhile. While the rest of the DE community seems to be jaded about the developer's proposal, I just haven't been around enough to share in the feeling. I am hoping for the best and will do everything to help the developer's put out a quality profession.

You are right though. Experimentation should have a greater effect on a droid's final make up. Even with experimentation, there should be greater variety in individual droids. Some players will want droids that can deal massive amounts of damage in support fire while they take on the bad guys. Others will want a droid that can take alot of punishment while they provide support fire. Some of us just want droids that will helpwith some of the tedious tasks (like looking for resources) so we can accomplish more in less time. After all, we do pay to have fun and looking for resources is not always the most enjoyable activity in the world.

There are alot of things in the profession that need to be fixed. Right now I am concentrating on module ideas since the developers seem to want our input. I know that some of my ideas are not completely polished and appreciate any input as to what will work and what won't work.

While we are at it (and after thinking about it some more), Let's change the proposed weapon module set up. A low level module will add a plasma torch to an unarmed droid. The mid level modules will add to damage, attack speed andwound chance (what does wound chance do anyway?). The high level modules will allow for special manuevers like head shot, leg shot or body shot. Just kinda recategorized the above modules.

I still like the idea of keeping the HAM's in seperate modules. I think the processor module should give a boost in the droid's base speed. Oh... Can we get some vehicles that carry passengers like our droids. First off, creature handlers can camp before making an assault. DEs don't always have this option. So when we are soloing because we are searching for resource or paying our harvestor's upkeep, we are sometimes placed in a situation that we have to clear the surrounding area of creatures. If we put our droid away because of our vehicle speed,it kinda sucks being a DE. At least give us the chance to make a remote controller similar to the ones used by the Trade Federation in the movies. This controller will allow for a DE to call his droids anywhere. Let's say (so it doesn't get out of hand) that one device can call one droid and counts against the droid cap.

Just another thought...

Have nice day.