Droid Engineer Archive

Hey everyone... I was just speaking with a friend who is almost Master DE about ordering an astromech droid. I wanted to get a sarcastic personality module in mine, but he said they no longer take any personality modules... What's up with that?

I did a quick check over the issues lists you guys have, but didn't see this listed. Although this, and one other point I'll bring, aren't major problems - I know you guys are getting screwed over - I thought you might want to add this to the list.

First, Astromechs *should* have personality modules. The "logic" SOE uses, saying that they can't talk, so hence no personality, is BS. R2-D2 sure as heck was sarcastic, and he could talk through beeps and whistles. Luke didn't know his "language" at first, but he learned it over time. Which should be an option in-game... Astromech language. And if you don't want to/can't learn it, you pickupa Protocol droid and have him translate for you! (Of course, this would require them allowing you to have more than one droid out at the same time.)

It's not like this is asking for a lot, right? It's arguably one of the most popular points of the movies and books - Artoo and Threepio's constant bickering! I mean, anyone who's gone to the Rebel base on Corellia and started the mission knows what I mean. You would think that such a large part of the movies and novels would be one of the first, and most obvious, things to implement in the books.

I'd love to hear what you all think on this one.

- Kassad Gerrat, Valcyn

(Smuggler/Pistoleer)

Uh, yes they can talk. Just not in Basic - they talk through beeps and whistles. Otherwise, how do you think Luke and Threepio understood him?

Come on, man. Watch the movies, read the books - he could talk.

- Kassad

Astromechs don't talk, they whisle and beep, in theory (yeah right) if you have your protocol droid out, it'll translate but you can only have one out... so...

what that guy meant was, if you install a chip on them they will start speaking common (English) which they don't in the movies.

I think they took out the slots just to keep them from talking in English on occasion.

I still want them to put them back if they can find another way to implement personality traits... like maybe personality based emotes. Consider these:

You call the droid out for the first time:

Stupid: "An R4 unit runs over your foot as it turns around to see you for the first time."

Sarcastic: "As you switch on an R4 unit, itrotates itshead in seemingdisbelief upon first look at you."

Prissy: "An R4 unit extends a manipulator arm and wipes a smudge off its shell."

Geeky: "An R4 unit grabs hold of your datapad and adjusts it to run faster, then hands it back to you."

Get the idea? Could be fun.