Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Deidre's Droid Commander idea
This sounds like a sound idea, however I don't beleive that a two tree system would be a good idea. Simply because all other profession have four trees and Even though the last DC got shot down with 04 trees I beleive that itr was the content of the trees not thjeir number that was the contributing factor. I also don't feel that some Squad Leaders skill would be out of place but I'm not familiar with their precise skill set. my reason for this is that basicaly the DC is a Squad Leader for Droids.
I would support this and be interested in persuing this proffesion as it stands above. obbviously though we need to flesh out two more skill trees. I would suggest :
Skill tree # 3 Troop Movements- This should cover things like troops falling back for healing when needed or assisting other PC's.
Skill Tree # 4 Troop Tactics - This should cover things like ordering a ranged / melee attack, have units co-ordinate attack or attack any available target.
I know these may not be the most original ideas but I'm sure that two more trees can be fleshed out. The important thing would be to make sure that there are no bonuses to the perfomance of the droids.
Kyrien
Master Artisan
Architect (3/4/4/2)
DE (0/0/0/3)
Starsider - Tatooine - In and Around Anchorhead
I propose a simple approach to the Droid Commander on the grounds that I believe it would be more likely to be implemented. This is a 2 tree proposal.
NOTES: I am using certifications within this Profession based on the idea that the Devs have Nixed droid certifications outside this profession. Getting to master in this profession requires more xps per step than master creature handler. This seems fair because we get all of the commands up front with droids, with the exception of the "Embolden" skills, and in the end we get a CL40 pet, and 45 Combat Levels worth of Droids out at the same time.
Prerequisites for Novice: 620 Apprenticeship Points, just like Politician, and for the same reason, i.e. the Droid Commander should be for experienced leader types. Additionally 22,000 points of Combat Experience (The same amount required for Ranged Support 4). Note that this experience is earned by Melee combatants too. This requires a reasonable amount of dedicated combat time from the person seeking to be a Commander.
Novice Capabilities: (6 points) 620 AP, and 22,000 Combat XPs. Certification for Trade Federation class Droids (the "roger roger" droid) as a CL15 droid. +1 Droid in the Datapad
Tree 1: Troop Diversity
Troop Diversity 1: (5 points) Certification for Advanced Trade Federation Droids (CL20) 15,000 DC XPs
Troop Diversity 2: (4 points) Certification for IG-88 Style Assassin Droids (CL25) 45,000 DC XPs
Troop Diversity 3: (3 points) Certification for Super Battle Droid (CL30) 75,000 DC XPs
Troop Diversity 4: (2 points) Certification for Advanced Super Battle Droid (CL35) 120,000 DC Xps
Tree 2: Coordinate Troops
Coordinate Troops 1: (5 points) +1 Droid in the datapad. 25 CL of Droids in the Field*. 15,000 DC XPs
Coordinate Troops 2: (4 points) +1 Droid in the datapad. 45,000 DC XPs
Coordinate Troops 3: (3 points) +1 Droid in the datapad. 30 CL of Droids in the Field. 75,000 DC XPs
Coordinate Troops 4: (2 Points) +1 Droid in the datapad. 40 CL of Droids in the Field. 120,000 DC XPs
Master Capabilities: (2 points) 150,000 DC XPs Certification for Droideka (CL40). +1 Droid in the datapad. 45 CL of Droids in the Field
* This would get us 2 utility droids out at once, or 1 combat and 1 utility.
I left out "special moves" because we get all the commands at Novice, because they are built into droids from the beginning. I’m of the opinion that bolting "Squad Leader-Like" capabilities onto this profession breaks a cardinal rule and will get us shot down. If you want those skills then become a SL/DC, or make this a 4 tree Profession, anidea the Devs seem to be leaning away from.
Thanks for your time and consideration,
Deidre
My initial reaction to this is: Isn't the Troop Diversity Tree completely useless unless you're at the equivalent stage in the Coordinate Troops tree? If you gain Troop Diversity 1 before Coordinate Troops 1 you gain a certification for a droid, but you still can't use the droid because it is above the maximum level you can call. It seems to be double-certified.
It might be interesting to try re-jigging the numbers so that the profession is biased more to controlling multiple droids. I.e. Novice DC gives you upto droid level 20. Troop Diversity 1 gives you a CL15 droid and Coordinate Troops gives you +10 droid levels. So gaining Troop Diversity 1 first would give you access to a CL15 droid whereas getting Coordinate Troops 1 first would allow you to call two CL13 droids (although I hear the CL level of non-DC droids may be going to change). Gaining both Troop Diversity 1 and Coordinate Troops 1 allows you to call two of the CL15 droids.
I can't think of any other way of modifying your suggestion to alleviate my concerns at the moment, but hopefully somebody else will be able to provide a couple of suggestions. The more DC plans we have at this stage the better in my opinion.
EnigmaBSc
I just don't know.... you see IMHO I like the idea of droid commander but do not love it......
I just think because DE takes many XP to master that it should give more to the MDE.
MDE's chould be able to hold more then 5 droids in the data pad.....as we are DE so why can we only hold the same amount that someone who doesn't even know how to use a droid can old. I say make it maybe around 10 droidin the data pad for a MDE.
Also, why wouldn't a MDE be able to call more then one droid at a time... I say let us take out at leat 3 at a time......
But, now that I'm looking at what I have typed above, maybe another droid profession isn't such a bad idea.. another droid profession but a hybrid profession that you can only aquire through MDE and whatever.... that will have the skills above and some.....
Like a Master Droid Commander professioin...
ya ya I know none of this is new stuff but.....I just had to say it........
I 'm still happy though
Thanks,
Fromme
Kyrien wrote:
This sounds like a sound idea, however I don't beleive that a two tree system would be a good idea. Simply because all other profession have four trees and Even though the last DC got shot down with 04 trees I beleive that itr was the content of the trees not thjeir number that was the contributing factor. I also don't feel that some Squad Leaders skill would be out of place but I'm not familiar with their precise skill set. my reason for this is that basicaly the DC is a Squad Leader for Droids.
I would support this and be interested in persuing this proffesion as it stands above. obbviously though we need to flesh out two more skill trees. I would suggest :
Skill tree # 3 Troop Movements- This should cover things like troops falling back for healing when needed or assisting other PC's.
Skill Tree # 4 Troop Tactics - This should cover things like ordering a ranged / melee attack, have units co-ordinate attack or attack any available target.
I know these may not be the most original ideas but I'm sure that two more trees can be fleshed out. The important thing would be to make sure that there are no bonuses to the perfomance of the droids.
Kyrien
Master Artisan
Architect (3/4/4/2)
DE (0/0/0/3)
Starsider - Tatooine - In and Around Anchorhead
Thank you,for your response, Kyrien.
The Devs have said that they would examine ideas based on a 4 or 2 tree system. I believe a two tree system is more likely to get attention from them at this point becuase of it's simplicity. Additionally, it represents a smaller point investment to get to really nice droids. At this stage in the game with so many established characters I think this reduction in points requirement would be rather attractive to potential cust... er, I mean, my fellow players. 
Additionally when I came up with this scheme there were already 2 solid 4 tree ideas on the forum, and I thought my energies would be best spent on discussing something less covered. The forums are for discussion, afterall.
Thanks again for your well thought out, and well written response.
Deidre
EnigmaBSc wrote:
My initial reaction to this is: Isn't the Troop Diversity Tree completely useless unless you're at the equivalent stage in the Coordinate Troops tree? If you gain Troop Diversity 1 before Coordinate Troops 1 you gain a certification for a droid, but you still can't use the droid because it is above the maximum level you can call. It seems to be double-certified.
I can see why that would be the case. I should have been clearer. The certification allows a player to use 1 droid of the certified level. Thus, if all a person were intereted is was a single droid, of less that droideka strength, he or she could climb the Troop Diversity Tree.
By climbing the Droid Diversity tree one gains the ability to bring out more than one droid at a time. By climbing this tree a character could bring out multiple Non-Certified combat droids.
It might be interesting to try re-jigging the numbers so that the profession is biased more to controlling multiple droids. I.e. Novice DC gives you upto droid level 20. Troop Diversity 1 gives you a CL15 droid and Coordinate Troops gives you +10 droid levels. So gaining Troop Diversity 1 first would give you access to a CL15 droid whereas getting Coordinate Troops 1 first would allow you to call two CL13 droids (although I hear the CL level of non-DC droids may be going to change). Gaining both Troop Diversity 1 and Coordinate Troops 1 allows you to call two of the CL15 droids.
I approached the building of these trees while examing a number of existic profession's skill trees. I was especially attentive to the Creature Handler. I wanted to be careful to not provide the DC with more power than the CH at any particular level. In the enda MasterDC gets a pet with a little more than half the CL of a Master CH, but with 2 fewer trees of expending skill points. For this reason I increased the amount of experience per "box" by 50%.
I can't think of any other way of modifying your suggestion to alleviate my concerns at the moment, but hopefully somebody else will be able to provide a couple of suggestions. The more DC plans we have at this stage the better in my opinion.
EnigmaBSc
Thank you, very much, EnigmaBSc for adding your ideas to this thread. Like you, I belive that discussion of the problem from multiple angles is more likely to provide us with a final solution that will be acceptable to the Developers.
Deidre
Thank you, Fromme, I appreciate your considerate response to my ideas.
Fromme wrote:
I just don't know.... you see IMHO I like the idea of droid commander but do not love it......
I just think because DE takes many XP to master that it should give more to the MDE.
I agree that the XPs should be a factor, but the Devs seem to be looking at the situation based solely on Skill Points Invested balanced against Utility and Combat Effectiveness.
MDE's chould be able to hold more then 5 droids in the data pad.....as we are DE so why can we only hold the same amount that someone who doesn't even know how to use a droid can old. I say make it maybe around 10 droidin the data pad for a MDE.
Also, why wouldn't a MDE be able to call more then one droid at a time... I say let us take out at leat 3 at a time......
I agree wholeheartedly with you, as do so many of us here on these boards. Look at our "top five issues" threads and see how many people (including me)think we should get that as part of the DE tree RIGHT NOW. I would like to focus this thread on the Combat Effectiveness side of droids, because the Devs have, more or less, said that the degree of utility we already have cannot have combat effectiveness added to it as that would be unbalancing to SWG.
But, now that I'm looking at what I have typed above, maybe another droid profession isn't such a bad idea.. another droid profession but a hybrid profession that you can only aquire through MDE and whatever.... that will have the skills above and some.....
Like a Master Droid Commander professioin...
I disagree with you here based on Market Reasons. If every Droid Commander is already an MDE then to whom am I going to sell my wonderful droids?
ya ya I know none of this is new stuff but.....I just had to say it........
I 'm still happy though
Thanks,
Fromme
Nice plan! By the way, it's Difficulty Level, not Creature Level. 
I would like to see the introduction of Mountable droids as well. Kinda like a Droid Tank, which would allow a player to shoot from the droid. The droid can only shoot it's main cannon when it's not mounted, and behaves like any other droid. When mounted, the droid will "Slow down to attack speed" and can fire BOTH it's main cannon and a player operated mini-turret. Of course, the damage will have to be balanced, but the visuals will be awesome!
The droid tank will also share the damage a player takes, since this will be more realistic than the player taking all the beating.
The certs for controlling droids can be renamed to Droid controllers, or whatever those Jawas stuck onto R2 to control him in A New Hope.
I would also add another pre-requisite for Novice Droid Commander . . .Novice Droid Engineer. Or even requiring the mastery of one of the trees of droid engineering? The +1 could come from the mastery of that tree, giving MDEs the ability to hold 6 droids even without droid commander, hehe.