Droid Engineer Archive

I am going to start out by saying something very controversial. Droid Engineers should not be making battle droids to tank for people.

The reason is simple. The whole layout of SWG right now is out of whack. The Developers never intended for players to use tanks. The players adapted to using CH pets to tank for them and thus stay alive longer. This is bad game design and needs to be changed. Making Droids serve as the new tank, while it may be more Star Warsy than pets, is still bad game design.

What players need is more ability to absorb and withstand damage. Not to the point where pistoleer can stand toe to toe with a piket and come out on top, but while running and using various skills, he should be able to survive higher end encounters.



SO... What does this have to do with Droid Engineers?

Cybernetic Implants.


Not as far as adding cybernetic arms or legs to players, but I was thinking more along the lines of additions to armor.

For example, a Master Droid Engineer could make a module that could be installed in armor that would help it to absorb 20% more damage. The reason how is unimportant, say its some type of shock distributing module.

This gives armor a big boost but still keeps the armorsmith in the loop which is good for the economy.

Here is what I have in mind.

Permanent modules installed in armor:
Shock distributors (as mentioned above)
Encumbrence lighteners - the cybernetics help ther person to use less from his pools when using special attacks.


Temporary power up modules that players could buy and install on their armor like scopes and muzzles are used on weapons:
Temporary bonuses to the different defensive catagories. If you know youre fighting an acid using monsters, slip in an acid resistence module that gives a temporary boost. If youre fighting a heat using monster, use a heat resistence module.



Armor should come with sockets that allow for these modules to be put in.


I know alot of DE's want to compete with CH's for tank pets. I think DE's would be much better off making support droids (hopefully ones that actually work) and then for Master Droid Engineer, making Cybernetic Implants that would be a booming business for DE's.

Wanted to see what you DE's thought of this before posting it on the Discussions board.

I like your idea.. The problem is getting swg to think about that after everyone has complained about having High lvl droids (Droideka, etc)

I'm a DE, I want to make DROIDS. I'm not a Cybernetic Implant Engineer. In my opinion, we don't necessarily need new/better combat droids. Just make the droids we have useful (as many are not). Maybe add new things to make player life easier.

But, if CH and non-CH pets are going to be rampant in this game, why not give us better combat droids?

"Look sir, droids!"
"Where? All I see are Gurrecks and Rancors."


LMAO



I'm a DE, I want to make DROIDS


I completely understand this. And you would still primarily be making droids. You make droids all the way up to Master and then you take the next step... joining droid technology to people.

There are cyborgs all over Star Wars. Darth Vader, Lobot, Luke Skywalkers hand, etc.

Who better to use this technology than DEs? And it would provide a good profit for you as well.



I will always be against NPC combat tanks. Im sitting here in the desert of Tatooine surveying and just saw someone run by with a Greater Sludge Panther, 2 rebel guerillas and a probot. How rediculous is this?

It's not altogether a bad idea. It just seems that people want to give DE's new stuff, rather than fixing the stuff we already have, or making it useful. I would much rather see the current stuff fixed or updated, rather than seeing new stuff that (potentially) doesn't work.

Maybe give novice DE's something useful to make. Instead of making them armor plugins or powerups or whatever, make them actual implants, probably temporary, that Doctors have to implant in the user. *shrug*

But it depends on what your definition of "useful" is.

To some people, the only "useful" droid is one that tanks for them.

Droids should be support characters. Droids as they are now in SWG aren't really all that useful. The reason is that the purpose of droids in Star Wars is essentially to take over duties that other people would have to do.

Well if you make a droid that can heal you during battle, then you are replacing a doctor and don't need players. That sort of thing. It's kind of the same thing with having robots tank when you should be getting other players to tank for you.

That is sort of the problem with Droids in SWG. Everyone wants them, nobody really knows what to have them do though.

I could see them adding cybernetic parts to our profession that we sell to Doctors who implant them. They decay also, slowly, and the Devs can bring in a balancing factor, like a penalty to your secondaries after you get "enhanced"...or a penalty to your accuracy, special suseptibility to stun damage or electic damage, etc...