Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: If you are new to Droid Engineering or to this forum, please read.
- Rebel Pilot 4/4/4/3Straker,
You guys have been real helpful to me and I think you for that. But this post is unneccesary and misguided imho.I assume this was prompted by the fellow who asked about "astromech droids". Ok, the following is some constructive criticism, please take it in that light (not a rant):
Ok, as a new DE I too have been REAL confused by that myself. I did read droid engineering 101 (excellent document btw) and didn't find it to be helpful in this case (at all, not one bit). I eventually found the answer by asking some very experienced pilot friends of mine (some of them didn't even know) and a shipwright.
Apparently this question is not frequently asked (because it isn't in the "frequently asked questions"). And if you look at droid engineering 101, there really isn't a likely category to look such information up. Since this is a crafting question we must choose from the following:
the grind, resources, experimentation, adding it all up, stocking up, general information, and pricing suggestions.
It sure doesn't seem to fit any of those very easily does it? There's no category like "building JTL droids" or "types of droids" or "droid reference" or "type of modules" or any such thing.
So taking a wild guess, I looked in "adding it up". The only information at all in that section has to do with how many crates of astromechs we should keep in stock. Not helpful.
In "general information" there is this one little paragraph:
An Astromech is one of the R-Series Droids, such as an R2. Pilots have an Astromech Level rating, which is based upon what tier Pilot they are. In this case, Astromech is referring to an R-Series Droid with a Data Storage Module installed, or a Flight Computer. The Pilot's Astromech rating is equal to a Level 1 - 6 Data Module or Flight Computer.
Ok the information is buried in there, buteven once you find it, it'slargely undesipherable (especially for a noob). Here is what I'd suggest as an addendum to this document:
Q: What is an "astromech", "astromech droid", or "astro droid"?
A: There is actually no droid called an "astromech droid". This term describes any R-unit droid with a data storage unit installed.
Q: I've been asked to make a level 4 astromech droid by a pilot, how do I go about this?
A: Make an R-5 droid (or any R-unit but R-5 is cheapest to make) and install a single level 4 data storage module into it. The level of the data storage module determines the astromech cirtification level needed to use the droid, as well as the amount of storage it will have to store flight programs.
then insert a link back to the section on how to use/program an astromech droid.
I also suggest that if you want fewer questions on this forum, you re-organize the DE 101 document such that it is easier to find answers without having to read the entire document. More categories on the front page would be a very good start.
One thing though... this forum has so little traffic as it is. Are you SURE you wantfewer questions? lol
Message Edited by ArthurDentOnBria on 05-31-2005 04:57 PM
ArthurDentOnBria wrote:
I also suggest that if you want fewer questions on this forum, you re-organize the DE 101 document such that it is easier to find answers without having to read the entire document. More categories on the front page would be a very good start.
One thing though... this forum has so little traffic as it is. Are you SURE you wantfewer questions? lol
I'm not stalkinng you Arthur - honestly. BE just isn't for me any more and this profession looks like the sort of fun I want.
BE really went downhill when they let all the ex-buffpack docs respec into it 
To the original poster: Have a jelly baby and some dandelion and burdock then chill a bit...
I understand your point, but I think this is a GREAT thread.
If people are too lazy to read the stickies, and too lazy to work their way up the profession like all the rest of us did (even if they are a "master" by respec, they can still start at the bottom and learn how - no one says the first droid you have to make is an R3 Adv), then tough cookies.
It's simply offensive when someone comes into a forum and wants everyone to sit and explain to people how they can exploit our profession for their own ends by doing no work themselves. There is one thread like this going right now that I tried to gently help, but the poster simply refuses to do ANY leg work of their own. That doesn't make people want to help them.
As to the dearth of posts - I perfer quality over quantity. I joked yesterday that with the death of the forums on most crafting professions we should be greatful - but that was a joke. It's sad that the majority of the discussion right now is lazy people wanting all their answers now and not doing anything to help themselves.
I feel this about life in general, not just DE or SWG. There are two types of people - those who know how to research and find the answers to their own problems, or at least TRY to, so when they DO ask a question they don't look like lazy doofs, and then there are the lazy people who want everything not only spoon-fed but digested and expelled for them as well.
This type of "Read Me" does indeed seem again to be necessary, just like they were when we were dealing with hologrinding.
I hope it gets stickied ASAP, and I'll be dropping the link in any future "I'm so lazy play the game for me" posts that come up.
AO
Arthur,
Actually no it wasn't the astro droid question, astros can be rather confusing.
Here is what it really was. Work kept me pretty much off the forums for a week, so I was glad to sit back down and read what the DE boards had to say. I was surprised to see far more posts then usual, pages actually. Some posts were good questions, some were good new ideas, there was a lot of good stuff. Yet at the same time, probably 75% of it was the same stuff over and over. Easy questions that many times were already answered in the 101 or on the very same page.
It wasn't any particular post or person at all. It was just a trend I was noticing.
P.S.
I am very chilled, this wasn't a hostile thread.
- Read the DE 101 stickied at the top. Seriously, it answers 99% of any questions you can ask. It is the product of many peoples work over a long time.
- Check the bug threads. As a DE you should know our bugs anyways. If you are having a problem, others may have as well.
- Look for a similiar question on the first page(s). It's kind of annoying when you have exactly the same question, yet it is posted 3 times on the front page as well.
- Do a search. I hate this one myself, it doesn't always work well.
After you have done all of these, THEN ask the question. Don't get me wrong, I (and others,) are happy to sit down for an hour and write an explanation for you. However, doing it over and over again, wears on the patience.
I don't want to come off wrong, nobody is doing anything wrong, it's just hard to be motivated to help people who don't want to do any work at all. If that is how you are, it doesn't seem like DE is the job for you.
Sound arrogent? I'm sorry let me explain. Droid Engineers are different, it's hard to put a finger on how. If we only wanted money, we would be an AS or something else. Yet Droids appeal to us in some form. If you are new, you may not be aware of the work involved in making droids. You can spend hours and hours making droids, yet with little to show for it. Many throw up their hands and quit. Those who love Droids stick with it, they work through the troubles.
This leaves a certain type of player, I wont say we don't get bitter, angry, or upset; we do. Yet we persevere.
We love seeing new Droid Engineers come here, we really do, we want to help them, we hope they will make the profession proud. Yet at the same time, we may be forced to wonder if people who wont even read the stickies have the comittment tostay as Droid Engineers.
Again welcome, I don't want to see people afraid to post, posts are good. New ideas are great. The same thing over and over is silly.
Message Edited by Straker_Atrella on 06-06-2005 12:50 PM
Message Edited by Napard on 06-01-2005 09:35 AM
Napard wrote:
In addition to what Straker and Audio posted, the DE 101 guide is intended as a guide, not a comprehensive, all-encompassing DE for Dummies book.
LOL that just totally made me smile - and it pretty much sums it up.
AO
Napard wrote:
In addition to what Straker and Audio posted, the DE 101 guide is intended as a guide, not a comprehensive, all-encompassing DE for Dummies book.
That is especially true when you know who the dumb#^* is who wrote it. 
Its called the (Semi) Complete guide for a reason.
On the next edition of the guide, I'm going to try to make it not read so much like stero instructions and will try to include even more information all in one thread, if that is possible. 
We just got word at work that we may be on for another month, unlike earlier this week when the word was that we were being furloughed this Friday, so it may be some time still before I give the thread a fresh coat of the customization kit.