CUEmu - Thread Posts

Kaldeth

Thu Apr 01, 2004 4:16 am

Hi all.

I got this idea as I posted on another thread. Rather then adding it there and sort of hijacking the thread I figure I make a post of it.

This deals with the batteries issues. The other poster mentioned that droids should decay when being pulled from the datapad and thus removing the need for batteries.

I liked that idea but wasn't to sure about removing batteries all together.

So here is an idea to make batteries usable in more instances then they are now.

Batteries. What are the use for them today?

Well as far as I know they are only used to power droids.

Who can make batteries?

Anyone with Engineering I in the Artisan tree.

What can be done to make batteries more useful?

I would say. move them up to novice DE box. Tweak them so that rather then only seeing how many uses you can have per batterypack you see a number to reflects its power. Like a master DE can make a battery with 300-500 power. This battery can then be added to power harvesters. The batteries themself would be larger then they are now, and for them to work on harvesters an Architect will have to make a battery module (new module to harvesters) so that the battery can be fitted to the harvester.

Would this unbalance the game?

It depends on the implimentation I think. Sure if you can make a battery have 1000 power then that would be close to inbalance. but to cap it at 500 (Using the best resources to get 100%) would not. If a medium harv uses 50 power/hour. 1 battery at 500 power would last 10 hours. It would be a 'secondary' power source. But even as a secondary it would still work if there were no other power added (wind, solar, radioactive)

I am sure many know that selling power is a lucrative business and if done right it will still remain that. But there are times when the powersources are less then favorable. Having a backup system using batteries would enhance the game I think. Also it would make the DE's somewhat useful again.

Comments, suggestions, flames, additions, tweaks or other is welcome.

Message Edited by Kaldeth on 04-01-2004 03:16 AM

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Member of The Power Empire (TPE)

"Droid Invasion? More like Droid Evasion"

FlatLine13

Thu Apr 01, 2004 6:06 am

#2

That sounds good for the most part to me. The one fault I see is that they would want to add that you have to use a normal harvedted power resource to the production of the battery. Another alternitive to this is that a harvester grade battery be added that you use a droid battery and power resources of a lower amount. Then through experimentation you can increase the power effency of the battery, thus the power of the unit. say a droid battery and 500 units of power can be turned in to... 750-800 depending on the experimentation. Then that would be a harvester battery.
Mainly I cant see them alowing harvested power out of the equation totaly. It just needs to be in there some where. As for moving the droid battries to the DE line, I can see artisan engenereing 4 or master artisan. But, inreality battries are not that hard to make. I could make one with what I have hanging around my house. You dont need to have a electronics BS degree to make em. Still it takes a fair amount of knolage to make a good one.

Jenden

Thu Apr 01, 2004 8:37 am

#3

One way to make sure it stays balanced is only allow one battery attached to a harvester at a time. This way without normal harvested power you would need to check it much more often (making the batteries more of a secondary backup power source).

Jenden Morn - Master of Droids- Tarquinas
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Javac

Thu Apr 01, 2004 8:40 am

#4

Pretty good ideas. I would say create an entirely NEW battery (as I've suggested before) that goes somewhere in DE. Call it a "Micro Fusion Cell" or something like that.

Calis Exud - Droid Engineer Extrodianre - Retired

slaier0702

Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:22 pm

#5

I posted a thread during the TC Patch 7 times that talked about using batteries as a "Droid Buff" since we don't have a pet buff.

Not much interest with that idea at the time, focus was elsewhere. Or maybe the idea was a bad one.

Sunfire1

Thu Apr 01, 2004 10:05 pm

#6

The only problem with these ideas is, the only reason for Power harvesters is to create power to power the harvesters and factories.

By making the changes you propose, you would drastically alter the economies of power and power harvesters. And would be taking business away from architects.

In addition, would these batteriesproduce more energy than it took to harvest the resources to make them? If so not only would you wreak the power economy, but you would break the laws of physics. (or as Homer SImpson said, " Lisa, in this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics!"

Hopefully, there will be a plan in the future to allow our power droids to power to power factories or harvesters. I believe at one point the devs were talking about power droids that could power factories/harvesters, but would slowly degrade. I think we need to focus more on making our power droids functional than messing with batteries.

I think batteries are fine as they are right now. I never have a problem selling at least 1000 a week, and at 50 credits a charge, thats not bad cash. And if droids ever become really usefull, the a plentiful supply of batteries will make ourdroids a better buy.

babyblue_d

Fri Apr 02, 2004 3:57 am

#7

Ithink the problem is that power is a BIG money sink in the game ... think about it you pay money to a harvisterto get power, the power then goes in to a harvister to get ressorses.

Therefor then you run your harvister its not eating 50/cr hour its eating thepower tooso if theres less power havisters theres less of a money sink and if youmake it take power to build, unless you get a bonise to the power you put in to it ..well its sota pointless.(and itsbeen stated that more power out than in is just silly and emershion brakeing)It would bebackup power you say? wellpay for more power and forget the battery.

as much as i think this is a cool idea i think the deves are looking for bigger money sinks not ways to negate the ones in the game

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Arcid

Fri Apr 02, 2004 6:13 am

#8

Actually I was thinking more along the lines of batteryies being for droids, not harvesters (The idea of batteries for harvesters is nice, but this section isn't going to discuss it)

I would say that giving each module and chassis a power consumption rating (Something that could be effected by experimentation) then having power based batteries would make more sense

Also, had a thought about the possibility of changing Droid Vitality to be effected by the mechanism quality of the final build

Arcid

Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:47 pm

#9

Just a few thoughts on these new battery ideas

Since the Devs probably won't remove harvested power from the equation, why not make it a component for batteries

Also, in order to give DE a good market without making the batteries overcomplex have 2 types, Standard in Engineering 2, and high capacity one in novice DE

Say having the Standard one require 150 units of power and the high capacity one require 700, with the total output power being

Total Power = Amount of power input *Potental Energy/1000

Kaldeth

Sat Apr 03, 2004 6:07 am

#10

It was never my intention to make batteries being a powersource for harvs and completly remove the need for other powers to fuel them. My intention was to allow a secondary powersource for harvesters. And with the limitations there would still be a need for powerharvesters.

What I was trying to come up with was to find more options for batteries. The idea to use wind, solar and radioactive power to make these batteries is a good idea. There would still be a market for this powertypes.

I am not sure I understand the "take away business from architects" with these batteries. Would they sell less powerharvesters? Seeing as a powerharvester costs from 100k and up, while you can get a ore extractor for about 50% of that price and still extract radioactive power I fail to see the connection.

Would it take away business from people selling power? Maybe. But since the power being extracted from the ground varies in ql, a battery would be a viable choice for those times when there is no good power to extract. I am in a big guild and I constantly hear "Restocked my vendor with radioactive" or "Anyone got any power to sell" or "Anyone got a good spot for Radioactive" There is also the "Are there any good power on Naboo"

This means. Anyone restocking a vendor with power sells out fast, anyone looking for power but isn't fast enough to get to the vendor looses out, and in worst case scenario is forced to pack up their harvesters. Those that sell power are constantly looking for good spots and if there are none around they have to jump to another planet or wait for a better spawn. Maybe this will take away some sales from those selling power, but it will also mean that those that don't get to the vendor in time to buy power still have an option to keep their harvesters running with the use of batteries.

Message Edited by Kaldeth on 04-10-2004 10:48 AM

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"Droid Invasion? More like Droid Evasion"

Glantor

Sat Apr 10, 2004 10:03 am

#11

I support this idea!

1) Make Droid Batteries craftable by ONLY droid engineers

2) Make power fluctuate with time (higher experimentation, longer time before recharge)

3) Make wind/solar/radioactives a component of droid batteries, andlink time-before-rechargeto the PE of the power. (higher PE, longer lasting batteries)

Not related to batteries, but if this is implemented, allow power droids to repower harvesters! Then make them walk to the harvesters and recharge them automatically!

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