Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Preparing for the next issue.
Although I would imagine it will be awhile before I am asked for the next issue of concern I thought I would start this thread to try and beat them to the punch. Argue and post amongst yourselves.
I believe the next issue is Experimentation being broken, as well as only getting 5 experimentation points at Master. Thoughts? Ideas? Concerns?
Take your time, I imagine we have a month or so 
Sintrosi, oh how i admire your persistance and devotion. I would love to throw in my thoughts, but i feel its like adding firewood to a fire without a flame. How can we list issues without the previous issues being addressed? Those stated previously should be stated again until something happens. Then i feel we can move on.
It would be nice to get experimentation fixed before they put combat droids in.
To play devil's advocate...
frankly, i dont see experimentation as much of an issue right now. Experimentation is meant to enhance the inherent functionality of the droid/module. However, as things stand now, experimentation might increase item storage, medical capability, data storage (pshhaw) and possibly hit points and damage (is it really worth it on the probot with broken armor?)
Ok, yeah...but there still isn't enough modules to fill up an R3.
Whats the point of fixing experimentation if there is nothing to experiment on.
IMO, the number one issue is droid functionality. THE PROTOCOL DOES NOTHING. THE BLL DOES NOTHING. THE SURGICAL DROID DOES NOTHING. THE REPAIR DROID DOES NEGATIVE NOTHING.
On the same lines, and i dont understand how this is not a priority issue, EXISTING MODULES NEED TO BE FIXED, particularly armor, and multiple crafting stations.
So...i say, fix experimentation once droids/modules actually have characteristics that can be experimented on.
_ectopic_
moenia, naboo, naritus
MDE / MA / Architect / Merchant / Pistoleer
I agree, experimentation is a very big issue. We deserve full experimentation points at Master, but more than that, we deserve to have our experimentation actually make a difference in the finished product (more than the few point HAM difference on an ADV probot, and I see NO difference on any other droid model).
Panatlee Thillik'arzk
Master Droid Engineer/Sniper/Master Artisan
Lowca, Naboo -- South of Theed at -4283, 3379
Droid functionality is the main concern.
1) Being able to place multiple crafting stations in the same droid.
2) Data Module level 2 being fixed.
3) Armour issues being resolved
4) Creating a functional Protocol Droid (It actually translates language)
5) Creating a functional Surgical Droid (It actually heals people)
6) Creating a functional Repair Droid (It actually repairs iteemas and droids)
7) Creating more usable modules, for example a musicians module, to allow entertainers to ply their trade away from a cantina.
8) Creating a modified seeker that searches resources for potential customers.
9) Un-nerfing Data Modules
As soon as the functionality of droids has been resolved then you can move onto experimentation.
My customers told me that better crafting modules reduced their criticalfailiurs drasticly.
I used to not experiment on them and they were like -6 to -2 now i make +5 to +6 crafting modules and they realy seem to be better.
O-Boo-1, sorry if I pull apart what you posted, but these are my thoughts on the 'Wish List' that you borrowed them from.
1) I Don't think that multiple crafting stations in one droid was ever ment to work to begin with. Don't know about most of everyone elses ideas on this one, but wouldn't putting one of each crafting module in a Droid cut out the need to ever buy a personal crafting staiton from an Architect. Ya, sure the Architect can add Droid Storage compartments to the crafting station and give it hopper, but lets be realistic here. The DEVs tend to do things to balance out the crafting professions, and I'm not talking about making sure that each works correctly. We each depend on something from someone else. The only time that 2 of the Elite crafting professions begin to blend is in the case of crafting stations. Enough said there.
2) Valid point. This one seems to be an extremely easy fix compared to the rest of the fixes begin asked for.
3) This one I am not to sure about. Can we really allow Heavy Armor on a Probot, if they ever become un-nerfed or even partially un-nerfed. As it stands, I think the only non-CH pet in the entire game that can take the abuse and punishment that a Probot with Medium 40% Armor is a Rock Beetle with its Light 25% Armor and 2200 HAM. Until some kind of cert system is developed, I can hear the moans from that statement, giving any Droid Heavy 40% Armor is insane. That would make the Probot on Par with a CH pet that has 8000 HAM or more. This is just not a realisitic request on our part, at least not without including a balancing mechanism such as certs. Instead of Armor being boosted, why not boost HAM levels on the Probot on a temporary basis, much like the Nerfing was supposed to be, until Experimentation levels are fixed.
4) This is more than can be asked for at the moment, I believe. Bigger issues need to be addressed before this one can be worked on. In order for this one to have any real effect on the general Droid owning commumity, the rules on learning the different languages would have to be changed. Yes this one would be great for the RPers who chose not to learn a language, but that is about the only people who will see the most effect/benefit of such a fix. Not until the Language learning system is fixed, should this issue ever matter.
5) This one is a good suggestion, but is still only a smaller part of a larger issue. Giving the Surgical Droids the properties of a Medical center ( I.E. The extremely slow rate of regenerating wounds that the med center offers) would be a large set towards giving each droid a purpose and meaning. So far on this list, this one is of the greatest beneifit to our class and the player community as a whole. Maybe also adding a slight bonus to the medical module installed would be of benefit as well. Something along the lines of a 10 - 20 point bonus rating, making a Surgical droid with level 6 medical installed having an effective medical rating of 120 to 130. This fix alone would boost droid sales across the entire community, aibeit on a temporary basis since there are only so many that would want to get the upgraded ability, but I believe that it would be enough to stimulate the DE economy for reasonable period of time.
6) Here is another of those suggestions that is only a partial fix to a much larger problem. Unless Repair modules are removed entirely, the effectiveness of making the LE repair droids 'supposed inherent function' actually work, is only limited. Much like the issue with Protocol Droids, a very limited amount of interest or business is created here. I personally don't see many sales of this droid at all. I've had a few on my vendor for weeks now, all equiped with very functional packages that sell great on other droid Frames, but not in the LEs case. If, and only if, repair modules were removed entirely from our schematic list would fixing the LE repair droid's ability be of any major benefit, but this would still limit its sales to those that are either droid enthusist, or those that tend to go out of their way to help a fellow player. More than likely, this droid would mostly be found in the possession of DEs and not the 'general public'.
7) A great idea, but would still be months in the making, and not to mention testing time and is still a bit short sighted. A module that would allow musicians to be effective out in the field, and not just in a tent would be a great addition to the playablitiy of the Entertainer that is also a combatant. A module that functioned much like a medical module, allowing an Entertainer to gain a bonus with the droid in the area. The problem with this isn't that its not a great idea that would generate more business, but in that it only adds another notch to the bigger issue of giving a specific droid function. By adding a new module, without giving droids a more specialized role to fill, all we are doing is asking the DEVs to make a system that isn't working all that great to begin with worse. At some later point, a droid that would have this function hardwired would be a great addition, but not now as things stand.
8) All for this one here, but it would need lot of limitations on it. The first being that you would need a sample of what you are looking for to start out with. The second would be a Cert earned at Survey 4 on the Artisans tree. The fourth would be that isn't success rate be that of a Bounty Hunters seeker and have a limited number of charges. The last one would be that the Resource seekerreturn with 3 different locations, each of whichcan be no closer than2k from any city boundary and are at least 6k from each other and that one of these has acertain percentage chance of being incorrect, based on the quality of the droid. This wouldmake it so thatpeople would still need to use their survey skills and that if they wanted tofind a location that was'closer to home' they would stillhave to do it themselves. But, thisfix would still take more time than most DEs wish to stay, in order to see some changes. Many DEs are on the brink of just throwing in the towel, so even though thisis a great idea, its to far off to be implimented.
9) Its not the modulesthat are the problem. Its the data format structure that is being used now for Waypoints. Ralph has even stated as such in a post on the DEVTracker some time back, at least that is what I think is being refered to here. If its in reference tostoring more droids, orpets on them, nothing is broken about this one. Acctually, it was fixed, since storing more than the given number of pets in a Data Module is actually an exploit.
Okwith all of that said, hereare my suggestions. And please, if anyone can seea flaw here, do what I just did above.
1)A change to Probots and DZ70 HAM and damage rates. This oneseems to be a pretty easy and quick solution that can be applied until a more permant measure can bepublished. What I propose is an increase to the HAM of the Probot of 400 to give it a 1200 HAM total and an increase in damage of 30 making it 80. For the Advanced Probot, an increase of 580to give it 1400 HAM with an increase of damage of 50 making it 100. For the DZ70, which I can't remember its pathetic HAM or damage at the moment, I would suggest 400 HAM and35 damage and for the Advanced DZ70 HAM of 600 and damage of 55. Resting these HAM and damage values alone would bring in all new customers, and would also allow Novice DEs the chance to make a market with the 'younger' players (not as high in combat levels). These improvements would increase their effectiveness in combat, but wouldn't become another 'uber-ish' mistake created when Creature Pets were included. Its already been stated by Ralph, that he is not happy with the state that Creatues pets are in, meaning that he sees them as an over-powering advantage in combat, which would more than likely be why the recent buff to lairs and creatures was added. Giving the Probots and DZ70s a lot more extra HAM, but not as much damage woudl help to keep the situation from becoming worse than it is.
2) Fix Module Clusters and make them the way that they were intended to be. As it sits, an MSE can be installed with everything that a R3 should. I think that this one has been intentionally over looked by the DEVs, while they try to come up with a system that is more fuctionional, much like the way stacking of other modules is, but it is doing more harm than not.
3) Colorization. This one needs to be handled a certain way though. When this is published, it should only effect droids built after the publish date. The reasoning behind this is simple. Return business. Before anyone flames this down, let me continue. From a Developmental stand point, I would think that it would be easier to apply a fix to something that doesn't exisit, then to try to fix something retroactive. So, the way that I see it, fixing all future droid colorization would make it much easier for the DEVs to fix this one. By making it so Droid colorization only applies to droids built after the patch publish date, return business is sure to follow. Most the 'die hard people' that what to customize everythihg their way, will return to get a new droid. Yes, there will be the complaints from those that don't want to buy a new droid, but they are also most likely the same people who complained that the droid was to expensive and went to Joe-Shom who was selling them on the color and undercutting the rest of the DEs on that server. Yes this is a generalization, but I think that it helps to get the point across.
4) Listing of modules installed and ratings of all modules. This is one of those great things that could be included that would save time for any DEs that have vendors set up selling their product. The addition of information on the details screen for a deed that included all of the optional components included, such as armor, crafting station, medical, or storage modules. This isn't a big fix, in the eyes of most people, but it is one of those fixes that would seem, from my point of view, to be with in the bounds of being added in the next few days. But, lets not stop there. With this suggestion, also through in the same info onto the datapad, as well as returning, again, the list of commands for each droid. This would be one of those great numbers just to make DE/customer relations so much simplier.
5) THE BIGONE that would blow suggestion 1 out the water. Fixing Droid Experimentation. This one alone would make the class so much more effective and worth while to play. Let me explain what I think that this one entails, which has been stated before in many different places by other people. Let each and every component that goes into a droid determine is end result. This includes modules, armor, and even personality ships. Let Crafting stations be experimented on and have a noticible difference in effectiveness, as well as a rating system that is on par with private ones. This would also bring about the end of HAM caps, meaning that the better the materials and components used, the better you could get the HAM and attack damages. Unfortunately, for this one to work the experimentation and requirements placed on Combat Droids, both the Probot and the DZ70, would need to be changed. Effectively, they would need to become more like the requiements and experimentation choices similar to what an Armor or Weaponsmith has. Instead of the 3 (ok currently 2) experimentaion choices that currently exisis, more should be added. One each for combat rating, Speed, accuracy, damage,HAM levels, justto name a few suggestions. This one would also include10experimentation pointsfor a Master, instead of the current 5, and 100sin out catagories that lack them.Just the ability to come out with something different from time to time would bring new life into playing the class. Having a 2 Probots standing side by side, with one maxed on HAM experimentation and the other with Damage in mind would bring customers back time and again, when each new shift appeared, not to mention the Healers and crafters that suddenly realize that the better the resources used, the better the bonus thye can get out of there droid. If something like this was suggested, then suggestion number 1 is null and void.
At least those are my thoughts on the subjesct
my top three that would allow us to function as a class agian
1. Put customerzation in, let us color droids.
2. make it so we can make droidstimpacks, least we have something to sale on a regular bases.
3. put in a decent combat droid!
any of the above would help us as a class.