Droid Engineer Archive

I will copy the pertinant points:

Droid Engineer:

Everything that says “applies to all pet types” in the creature handler section also applies to droids. (SEEblue section below)

A lot of fixes went in the last update for the DE’s, so we haven’t had too much chance to do more yet. The top things that we see us doing in the near future (but that may not be in time for this update) are:
· There is no mechanism in place to heal the white bar of a droid. We are going to add a repair kit for droids that artisans can make. This should take care of things for you.
· Huge increase in the number of combat droids available for players.
· Greatly increase the amount of droid customization.
We realize you guys still need a lot of lovin’ on the profession just in terms of bugs to look at, and we’re using Gorantoth’s list as something to march down. But the DE bugs are proving to be pesky critters that are hard to stomp.

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Pets will now regen in the datapad, even when stored from the radial menu - applies to all pet types
· Pets current wound/damage will be saved even when the pet is auto-stored - applies to all pet types
· Pet control devices will not be deleted unless the user selects the DESTROY option - applies to all pet types
· PCD's will say "this pet is dead" if the owner tries to use the PCD after a non-CH pet has been killed - applies to all pet types
· The “store” button is back on the radial menu again - applies to all pet types
· Pets will not randomly decide to run back to the place from which they were called - applies to all pet types
· The 'release' command is now the 'store' command - applies to all pet types
· Pet stats reduced due to vitality follow this formula: - applies to all pet types
o 75 to 100 = no stat reduction
o 50 to 75 = 25% stat reduction
o 25 to 50 = 50% stat reduction
o 1 - 25 = 75% stat reduction·

. Pet stats will never be reduced more than 75% due to vitality loss - applies to all pet types
· Pets will never permanently die due to stat reduction - applies to all pet types
· Creatures commanded to attack a target will actually attack it, instead of just running at it and stopping (happened with targets farther away that 50 meters) - applies to all pet types
· Pets will not switch targets in combat unless commanded to attack something else - applies to all pet types
· Pets will switch targets in combat when commanded to attack something else - applies to all pet types
· Pets commanded to "follow" or "stay" in combat will stop fighting, and either follow, or stay, until commanded to attack something - applies to all pet types
· Pets will not stop guarding when commanded to follow or stay in combat (i.e. they will resume guarding after combat) - applies to all pet types
· /tellpet will work the same as "/say " or "/shout ", but without the spam - applies to all pet types
· Pets will leave groups properly. If given the "group"-command while already grouped, the pet will disband. - applies to all pet types
· Added the "You cannot store for x-seconds" missing string (Replacing "Prose Cannot Store Yet" ) - applies to all pet types
· Added the cant-store-yet message to the "release" command, which is now the "store command" - applies to all pet types
· Pets will properly "store" when their master boards a shuttle - applies to all pet types
· Fixed a bug that allow pets to be stored in droid data-modules - applies to all pet types

Actually, my biggest criticism of this is why the droid repair kit (for white wounds) is craftable by an artisans instead of droid engineeers....

And, who are going to make droid vitality packs? ...bio engineers? *boggle*

Well, here are my thoughts.

1) Multiple uses for BH Droids is a good thing. I'm glad they listened and they implemented it.

2) More droid Customization, that's okay. Not my biggest worry, but it's something.

3) More Combat Droids. Now, this is a good thing IF they do it right. They need to do it when they do Certifications, otherwise it'll be the same thing as with the Probot. Furthermore, they need to do Certifications right as well, so they make it skill based and not profession based (IE, you get the certification at a certain level of any skill, not just a particular profession).

4) More Combat droids are good, but we also need the "service" ones to get a look at. I think that'll be later though, so I understand.

5) Droid Repair Kit. I thought there was allready an item like this? In any case, it's annoying that any ole Artisan can make it, but it isn't *that* big of a deal. If it's an Artisan repairing a droid, then the droid is likely their bodyguard and thus a big part of their defense, so I am not too horrified if they can craft a repair module for the white bars.

in most aspect, droids = animal pets = faction pets, to the server sees themas the same thing. unless there are special restriction on them like droids die on incap. otherwise they are the samestring of 0s and 1swith different skin (model). I read somewhere they are going to give back the HAM regeneration rate of animal pets, and if they didn't put a restriction on droids and faction pets, they will regen as fast as animal pets too. so for a 820 HAM probot you might not need to repair the white bar.

I don't really like the idea that droids are basically the same as creature handler pets. I mean--can't we have some variety here? A droids really pets?

It just bothers me that they are re-using code and making our professions nearly the same. The only difference is our pets are customizable---and can take modules.

Shouldn't it be a bit more than that?

-Starlan

I dont know if anyone on the DE forums have posted this but i didnt see it on the first page so ill post a link.

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=Development&message.id=394421&view=by_date_ascending&page=1

Is this a good update or are we just another step towards being CH's with metalic pets ?

I am happy with most of those changes.

However, I dislike them taking out pet storage on data droids. This has been discussed.

AND, I also feel that combat droids shouldn't neccesarily need certification. I can understand it with CH pets, that the higher level and more aggressive ones require higher taming skills, but a droid just seems different to me, and I think that should be one of the differences, that if you have the money, you can use it.

BTW, when is the perma death thing happening? Is that the next patch (Sunday, Aug. 24)?