Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Combat Market lessthan Utility Market
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Xader_Vartec
Wed Jan 21, 2004 8:32 am
#1
(Normal disclaimer if your not familiar with me: I am not a DE but my RL friend has been one since he started playing and we talk a lot about what he can and can't do. I have been reading the DE board the last couple of months because he doesn't. That's not to say my opinion is as good as one who is a DE but I'm no newb either)
I keep seeing people say that there is a larger market for Combat Droids. However, there is a LARGER market for Utility droids. Not only is the Utility droid market larger but DEs have the potential for making MORE money from utility droids than combat droids.
First, the combat droid market is limited by 2 factors. The first factor is high end combat droids will be limited by profession or cert. This limits your market to only those that choose the profession or cert. The second factor is those that don't choose can only have droids < Lvl 10. Those are NOT high end droids and will be expected to be cheaper than the high end droids.
Second, utility droids that work for different professions have a larger market. You have more professions that want droids therefore you market is larger. Not only that but utility droids that do useful stuff will be higher end droids than low end combat droids. You can charge more credits per unit to a larger market.
These two together mean that utility droids can make you more money than combat droids.
Yes. Many people are ASKING for combat droids. One reason is they want a replacement for their "uber" pets that were taken away. We know that isn't gonna happen. The result will be no more powerful than the CH pets. You may get more market because more people will like the idea of using droids rather than pets but it won't be much better.
They are also asking for combat droids because that is the only known other possibility. Imagine if players knew that droids could maintain their harvesters, gather resources from harvesters, survey, slice, etc. If most professions had a utility droid that helped their profession and the players knew it then they would ask for it. However, all the players know is that droids are good for 1) crafting stations, 2) Medics and 3) combat. So, most of the people ask for combat.
So, please consider this when you make the statement that "everyone is asking for combat droids". They are because that is all they know. If you make utility droids that are useful then everyone will ask for the useful utility droids.
Ophistes
Wed Jan 21, 2004 8:54 am
#2
Xader_Vartec wrote:
If you make utility droids that are useful then everyone will ask for the useful utility droids.
It all boils down to that *if*. IMHO the only really usefull droids we can make are medical droids. You never get a real rating for droid crafting stations (my theory is that they are crap from my own crafting experience), data modules are useless, 10 item storage is nice but not really a 'functionality', Repair modules are highly altruistic as you cannot repair your own droid, same for Power Droids. The Probot is beaten by almost every BE pet (I have seen better Durnis and bearded Jaxes than the 'top notch' Probots I can make at half the price).
I would be all for fixing the existing modules and adding some *usefull* utility modules - like the ones proposed for harvester servicing. Who demanded Combat Droids in the first place anyways? 
Jenden
Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:47 am
#3
Another thing to add, utility modules appeal primarily to the crafting profession. I'd say on average the crafting professions have a good deal more credits laying around than combat professions (there are some exceptions but I'm speaking in general).
Sketh
Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:56 am
#4
Jenden wrote:
Another thing to add, utility modules appeal primarily to the crafting profession. I'd say on average the crafting professions have a good deal more credits laying around than combat professions (there are some exceptions but I'm speaking in general).
Well, it seems to me that there have been hundreds of threads where we asked for modules to do the following sorts of things:
- Survey modules - enhance the abilities of peeps surveying (e.g., range, reduce stat drain)
- Mining modules - mobile hoppers (BLL only?)
- Delivery modules - take items to peeps houses, shops, etc. Maybe even take to a vendor and add to stock.
- Harvestor pickup - pick up the contents of a harvestor
- Redeeding - Allow BLL's to move buildings without the re-deed cost
- Jukebox droids - allows dancers to dance outside the cantina
- PA System Droids - allows musicians to play outside the cantina
- Grillmaster 9000 - Enhances chef abilities, allows them to make special foods
- Slicer modules - allows enhanced slicing ability
- Seeker modules - allows the droid to find certain types of spawns, NPC's, or even PC's
- Faction modules - mobile faction detectors
- Vehicle repair modules
- Armor / weapon repair modules
- Armor / weapon enhancement modules - allows the droid to put a "powerup" on a weapon / armor
These are just some of the ideas that come to mind right now - the problem is that the devs have never shown us any interest in these sorts of ideas to enhance the existing droids.
Jenden
Wed Jan 21, 2004 10:09 am
#5
Yes, I've seen most if not all of those suggestions, and they're pretty much all great. Was just pointing out another benefit of the utility market over the combat market.
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