Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Why the fixation on Combat Droids?
1) This is a combat-oriented game. It is an undeniable fact about this game is that it is combat-centric, regardless of it's emphasis in crafting and other non-combat professions. Since most people focus on combat, they want combat equipment and droids. This point is why we shouldn't ignore the expansion of combat droids.
2) People relate the SW experience with droids. They are an icon in the game. They want to see the droids they see in the movies, like the Droideka and SBD's. They want people to see their droid and say "wow, that's cool!". If we have more cool factor with our droids, we sell more droids.
I was a big proponent for non-combat droids with Publish 7/8, and I don't regret it. We need an expansion on all our droids though...combat and non-combat.
Well I guess you are correct about people wanting to control SBDs and Droidikas. It does not matter if they were or were not actually controlled by people in the movies. After all, there is plenty of stuff in this game that has absolutely nothing to do with Star Wars: Fencers, Swordsmasters, Creature Handlers (well I guess the Rancor Keeper was a CH, but you only saw him for like 15 sec.) The thing I do not understand is why these things are present and get love while an integral part of the Star Wars environment is ignored.
I also thought of an answer to my own question after I posted... Addition of Combat Droids would be an easy change that would placate a vast majority of the population as to the lack of droids while not actually requiring the developers to put any sort of serious thought into how to fix exisitng droid issues. It would be a band-aid fix...
I really do hope that they eventually fix this game so that it is fun in and of itself. Right now I have to make fun stuff happen by hanging out with my friends. If the game itself is not fixed on many levels I think we will see many people leave when D&D online, LOTR online, and Star Trek online all launch.Those are all big-name franchises that have cross-genre appeal to SWG fans.And regardless of whether the games are well-developed, any pasture looks better than a barren desert...
1. Astro Droids. Since when have astro droids been designed to fight? I don't recall any standard astromechs in the movies or Expanded Universe which fought other creatures/enemies. You'll bring up "Well Artoo could fight".
But, Artoo wasn't an ordinary astro droid like the others you've seen. Although most have been built by Industrial Automaton, R2-D2 (wikipedia.com) (>>>>) R2-D2 (starwars.com) was modified by his owners.
Other droids shouldn't have more abilities such as Artoo. All they have to do is help fly a ship. Other functions could be assistance in ground operations like construction or possibly being a waiter in cantinas. But I would think protocol droids would be better suited for things like that.
2. Combat Droids. Several induviduals in the Star Wars universe owned their own Battle Droids, SBDs, and droidekas. This was of course AFTER the Clone Wars. While most were most were likely to be cleaned up by the Empire, some people found these droids on battle fields and reprogrammed them to fit their needs.
I believe a few NPC in-game use them as personal bodyguards or small armies. Now, the way I see it is if people found a few models, they could rebuild them following a basic design in front of them. Master Droid Engineers could probably figure out the build of any droids and copy it so the question of combat droids building techniques post-Clone Wars isn't even there.
Plus, having a combat droids would help people go to variuos locations in the game. I'd like to go to Mos Eiesly cantina for a little bit just so I can say I've been. But, I'm an Imperial and the guards at the door can incap me in less than 5 seconds. You could say go on leave but it would be so much easier if I could walk and know my droids will protect me. And also, I once went to the escape pod used by C-3PO and R2-D2 and was killed by a herd of giant womp rats around the POI. Now, do you see were the problem non-combat characters face? How are we supposed to enjoy the POI given to us if we are killed on the way there or on location as I was?
And as said above, combat plays a very large role in this game. Combat droids would provide extra support for a group attempting to do very difficult quests. Combat droids could help guard key members of the group. And combat droids could help non-combat characters get certain reward items without asking for help from other people.
3. As for the other droids: yes, they need to do the stuff they were designed to do. I'd type more right now but I'm tired. Go back a few posts and you'll see the variuos ideas that have been put forth.
Yoda-5499 wrote:
Some points to, um, point out:
1. Astro Droids. Since when have astro droids been designed to fight? I don't recall any standard astromechs in the movies or Expanded Universe which fought other creatures/enemies. You'll bring up "Well Artoo could fight". I have never supported the idea that Astros should be able to fight on any level greater than thier current capability. It seems to be about right as it is, annoying,and nothing more.
But, Artoo wasn't an ordinary astro droid like the others you've seen. Although most have been built by Industrial Automaton, R2-D2 (wikipedia.com) (>>>>R2-D2 (starwars.com) was modified by his owners. Other droids shouldn't have more abilities such as Artoo. All they have to do is help fly a ship. Other functions could be assistance in ground operations like construction or possibly being a waiter in cantinas. But I would think protocol droids would be better suited for things like that. My DE is not a large corporation mass-maunfacturing 'standard' droids.I custom-build every driod I make. I'm sure R2 was not the onlydroid in the galaxy that had ever been modified beyond the intended capabilities of an Astromech.Why should other droids not have abilites like R2? Were Anikin and Luke the only people in the galaxy capable of maikng such additions/changes to a droid? I think not. As for the Astros' onlyability being to help fly a ship, I believe that they also have innate repair and computer interface capabilities. In thier current incarnation R-units don't really do much to help fly ships besides holding droid commands.
2. Combat Droids. Several induviduals in the Star Wars universe owned their own Battle Droids, SBDs, and droidekas. This was of course AFTER the Clone Wars. While most were most were likely to be cleaned up by the Empire, some people found these droids on battle fields and reprogrammed them to fit their needs.
I believe a few NPC in-game use them as personal bodyguards or small armies. Now, the way I see it is if people found a few models, they could rebuild them following a basic design in front of them. Master Droid Engineers could probably figure out the build of any droids and copy it so the question of combat droids building techniques post-Clone Wars isn't even there. While the inclusion of combat droids as common pets can be rationalized,do you really feel that it is the best way to expand/enhance the DE profession? Or could theeffort befocused elsewhere?
Plus, having a combat droids would help people go to variuos locations in the game. I'd like to go to Mos Eiesly cantina for a little bit just so I can say I've been. But, I'm an Imperial and the guards at the door can incap me in less than 5 seconds. You could say go on leave but it would be so much easier if I could walk and know my droids will protect me. And also, I once went to the escape pod used by C-3PO and R2-D2 and was killed by a herd of giant womp rats around the POI. Now, do you see were the problem non-combat characters face? How are we supposed to enjoy the POI given to us if we are killed on the way there or on location as I was? As I said before, the choice to have combat capabilities or notis up to the individual player. If not having combat abilities does not suit your perferred playstyle, change your template. Yes, you need to be able to fight if you want to be overt or if you want to wander the countryside. No one is forcing you to be non-combat classes.
And as said above, combat plays a very large role in this game. Combat droids would provide extra support for a group attempting to do very difficult quests. Combat droids could help guard key members of the group. And combat droids could help non-combat characters get certain reward items without asking for help from other people. However, the game is intended to be group-oriented. You are not supposed to be able to solo everything. If your full group can not complete a difficult mission/dungeon perhaps you need more practice, or better players. The key point here: Make some friends.
3. As for the other droids: yes, they need to do the stuff they were designed to do. I'd type more right now but I'm tired. Go back a few posts and you'll see the various ideas that have been put forth.
I have seen many good ideasnot concerning combat as tohow to make droids better or more integral to the game, I like many of the ideas presented. My boggle is why so many people think that droidsneed to be combat (damage) oriented, or why they believe that we need new combat-oriented chassis (SBD, Droidika). New chassis will only bring more bugs, believe me. Then there would be the issue of the PC controlled SBD is not as strong as the DWB version... The whining would be great.
What it comes down to is people want to be able to solo the game. A combat droid would help in that venture. And since this seems to be a feature that subscribers are clamoring for, I'm sure SOE will eventually include it, no matter the detriment to our profession as a whole. I just fear that when they do add combat droids, all other DE issues will magically disappear. We will have gotten our upgrade, and no further changes will be necessary in the eyes of the devs.
I made a post yesterday about combat droids so let me tellyou my non-DE point of view on this.
I don't like lots of combat droids. IF droids had nothing to do with combat I would be ok with that. However, as the game stands droids are combat capable. And I dislike the idea of combat oriented R2 units running melee throug thte streets. IF we are going to have droids be a part of combat why not have droid chassis that were actually used in the Starwars movies for that purpose? (Even the probot was not technically a combat droid, in the movies it was a recon droid) Just trying to add a bit of Starwars to Starwars Galaxies.
So if I understand the previous 2 posters, people want these droids because they want these droids...
Ok gotcha.
If they were to add the chassis for new droid types and leave the combat functionality where it is now, I'd be cool with that. Even if they were to somehow restrict the use of combat modules to certain droids, that too would be good. I just feel that there are so many better things that could be done with droids in the current state of affairs.Let's hope that Jenden's issues are considered. I suppose I had irrationally assumed that many of the people clamoring for the SBD/Droidika on the DE boards were, in fact, DEs... I was mistaken.
My curiosity has been satisfied. Thank you all for your responses.
Idahe wrote:
I suppose I had irrationally assumed that many of the people clamoring for the SBD/Droidika on the DE boards were, in fact, DEs... I was mistaken.
Actually, the overall percentage of Droid Engineers that have requested Battle Droids and Droideka, along with other combat specific chassis, is probably close to 75%. The difference between the non-DEs and the DEs is that majority of that 75%, at least 99%, have also requested other non-combat chassis as well.
Typically, it the non-DEs that are only interested in Combat Chassis.
The best argument I can think of is fun. This being a game, it is supposed to be fun. Droidikas and Battle Droids would be very fun to make and own, there's really not much dissention about that.
And my Probot lets me go to dangerous places quite nicely. At the most it fights and wins my battles for me. At least it buys me valuable escape time. Also, for a DE to use Droids to fight for her makes sense. A Jedi relies on his Lightsaber, a DE relies on her Droids.
Idahe wrote:
My boggle is...why they believe that we need new combat-oriented chassis (SBD, Droidika). New chassis will only bring more bugs, believe me.
Well of course it will bring more bugs. *Any* new droid code we add to the game brings potential bugs. Adding non-combat functionality will screw with the code just as much as adding a new chassis.
Idahe wrote:
Then there would be the issue of the PC controlled SBD is not as strong as the DWB version... The whining would be great.
We get that already with our existing combat droids. Why not at least make them look cooler?
Idahe wrote:What it comes down to is people want to be able to solo the game. A combat droid would help in that venture. And since this seems to be a feature that subscribers are clamoring for, I'm sure SOE will eventually include it, no matter the detriment to our profession as a whole.
No debating that point. SOE will do what the customer base wants.
Idahe wrote:
I just fear that when they do add combat droids, all other DE issues will magically disappear. We will have gotten our upgrade, and no further changes will be necessary in the eyes of the devs.
When we got our upgrade in Publish 7/8, we feared that possibility. Same thing with Publish 17 (or whatever publish had the new combat code). We've got out Top 5 with Jenden; we just have to be patient that our turn will come up every once in a while.
Something to chew on.....
Top requestedDE craftable, made by non-Droid Engineers - Droideka and Battle Droids.
Top requested DE craftable, make by Droid Engineers - any new Droid Chassis.
Ratio of non-DEs compared to DEs - at least 100 : 1.