Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Ok friends, talk me out of it.
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Straker_Atrella
Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:10 pm
#1
I mean friends seriously, over the past year, even though we don't play on the same servers together, I have come to call many of you friends. Even though we have been on the same sides and opposite sides of many arguements, I have come to respect many of you.
Well now I am disheartened. Not looking for pity or sympathy, just looking for good sage advice from friends.
I love Droids, I love the options,I love building them. Yet just as much as I love Droids, I also love having a Droid business. Building a clientel, stocking vendors, making money is a lot of fun. I seriously spend 40+ hours a week dealing with my business, building, stocking, harvesting. It's not really work, because I enjoy it.
Now don't get me wrong due to my work I have made a lot of money from Droids, honestly, probably 50+ Million. However, on Scylla, our best coppers, steels and gasses are old. You need to buy them for 30-75cpu. Meaning a lot of that money went back out to buying resources to keep my doors open. I just spent 10 million 2 days ago on 200k copper and 100k steel. I was running low.
I also spent money on other things, good equipment for my combatent (even though I hardly got to play him.) It's nice to have money to bid on that Ackley stun baton that you want.Yet quite often, I was outbid buy other crafters on good resources, or by combatents on weapons.
As good of a DE as I was for about 10 months, an Armorsmithin one month could make as much. One good loot drop from a combatent could make 50 million in a second.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want tobe rich, orwin every auction. I just want to feel at least a little equal. If a DE as succesfull as myself can't compete on auctions, what prayer doesa smaller one have?
I (and others) had such high hopes for JTL. The Devs KNEW that droids don't Decay, they KNEW that quality and exp didn't matter on most of our items. This was a known issue, there was no way the Devs would make the same mistakes again. No way.
Well they did. Every single mistake from the past was repeated, plus another crafting class was added that will actually make money. More competition for buying resources.
As I sit here at my computer prepping factories, while my friends hunt and pvp, I plan to be making droids all weekend, just to get ready. Droids that SHOULD sell for 20,30, 50k, yet instead will probably sell for under 10k. I begin to wonderwhy even bother, if they didn't learn already, why have faith they will learn now?
The sad truth is I could sell all my resources to Armorsmiths and Weaponsmiths, and make more money then if Isold droids for the next year. DE's wont be able to win the auction, the prices willbe tohigh.
I'm seriously considering quitting.
JavelinCatcher
Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:19 pm
#2
I have experienced your story. The best thing in the world is to take a break, and remember why you got into it in the first place. Sometimes all it takes is to become a n00b again.
Straker_Atrella
Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:22 pm
#3
Yea, but the thing is if I take a break, then I am going to sell my resources. If I sell my resources, there is no way to come back.
Drashk
Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:24 pm
#4
I agree with Javelin completely. This is yet one of the many reasons that I moved to the Test Center. Starting over from scratch created an all new game for me.
JavelinCatcher wrote:
I have experienced your story. The best thing in the world is to take a break, and remember why you got into it in the first place. Sometimes all it takes is to become a n00b again.
JavelinCatcher
Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:27 pm
#5
Drashk wrote:
I agree with Javelin completely. This is yet one of the many reasons that I moved to the Test Center. Starting over from scratch created an all new game for me.
JavelinCatcher wrote:
I have experienced your story. The best thing in the world is to take a break, and remember why you got into it in the first place. Sometimes all it takes is to become a n00b again.
Old DE's don't die, they just move to TestCenter
Gron_DM
Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:33 pm
#6
ouch i feel your pain i got into WS to try it and spent like 5 mil back then to get up to speed on most of the resoruces i was missing and was patient for the few oddballs...been a WS 6 months and almsot everything since server start has recycled in 6 months meaning same thing like you said a new smith would have to spend a easy 10 mil for top end resources (copper especially) for those top end components....for what its worth those flight comps have no qual and the data mods dont really need much in the way of qual either just the right amount....
btw i didnt make more credson wpns they actually sell for less cpu per then droids...if i put up just 3 wpns vendors and spam i could probably make more on my weapons but that isnt the playstyle i want....i made half my creds on 100% tools and repair kits other half is wpns/droids 
and i got about to the same point ive spent like 25mil and have like 30 mil...
and i got about to the same point ive spent like 25mil and have like 30 mil...Message Edited by Gron_DM on 10-21-2004 10:37 PM
GnomeAd
Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:34 pm
#7
Straker, I've been a DE for a long time. I wanted to be a DE even before I knew they were going to be a profession in SWG. I remember reading some of the early reviews for SWG. The way they described the crafting system was really something different and cool. Everything in the game was made by other players. I thought, "Wow, it would really be cool if you could make droids like C-3PO and R2-D2". When I saw that you really could be a DE, I bought the game right then.
I was a DE in the bad old days, and I'm still a DE now that things are better. I've quit DE several times. I've never surrendered the MDE skill, but I've closed my shop three or four times. The longest it ever lasted was two weeks.
Most of the old time DEs aren't in it for the money. Those that got into DE for the money dropped out during the REALLY bad days. It can still be hard to make a living at being a DE. DEs don't make money. Let's face it, money in this game is really not as important as people seem to think. As long as you can pay the maintenance on your shop and harvesters, what else do you need?
The DEs that hang around are in it for something besides money. We MAKE DROIDS. How COOL is that? From annoying MSEs to useless BLLs, we make 'em all. Unlike BEs, who just manipulate existing life forms, we make our own. We take silicon and metal and breathe life into it. Droids are Star Wars. We make droids. That's why I stay around.
Well, that and the chicks...chicks love droids.
Straker_Atrella
Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:56 pm
#8
Dont get me wrong, I love Droids, from a total nonfiniancial point of view.
The problem is that I also like PVP, I like doing combatent things as well. I have multiple loves I guess. I do spend about 90% of my time on Droids, my friends are actually kind of pissy about it.
My problem is I guess I am sort of obessive compulsive, I don't do things halfway. If I am going to run a Droid vendor, I am going to make it the best I can. If I am going to PVP, I am don't mind losing, but I like to win. I DO hate losing because the other person was able to buy better equipment then me.
It's frustrating to know that I could make more money running missions, could sell just resources and make more money. Maybe I need to do Droids 10% and fight 90%, but I don't think I could handle my vendors sucking.
I guess JTL is just bringing this all to a head. In Beta, I knew it had problems, I guess I just never imagined it would launch with the "new Droid Market," being equal to Batteries, and Custom Kits. Oops we lost the money making of Custom Kits as well.
Sorry if I smeem bitter, I am just really down today I guess.
Jenden
Thu Oct 21, 2004 8:25 pm
#9
Only a couple suggestions I can, make, as I've got a very different view of business than you. One thing thats helped me with my business was to develop a lot of business contacts, on a much deeper level than just simple vendor wp's and names. I know a number of resource dealers that will sell me whatever amazing resource they've got (stuff that will sell for 20cpu+) for 3cpu because I've helped them with droids in the past and have dealt well with them in the past and kept up a good relationship. Through a lot of those same contacts I can get weapons, armor, and other equipment for a good price... May just have something to do with server populations, but who knows.
My other piece of advice is to wait a little bit longer... I know, we've been waiting forever it seems, but now that JTLS is about out there will finally be some more dev time to share around. I know in the droid issues thread on the beta boards RThorton (or whatever the dev's name is, can never remember) said he was going to see what it would take to get us some kind of droid decay, even if it was just in space for now. Maybe I've just got the whole eternal optimism thing going on....
JavelinCatcher
Thu Oct 21, 2004 8:36 pm
#10
My take on PvP in this game. It's a lot of who's got the best equipment and the best skill mods. Then there is JTL where a lot more is based on skill with a skill point "free" profession. I can take my Droid Engineer and he'll stand a chanceagainst people and not behurt because he doesn't have that extra +5Dodge.Depending on how it worksout, I can see alot of PvP moving towardspace than the ground game.
Straker_Atrella
Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:02 pm
#11
Well I dealt with some special orders and customers tonight, and that put me in a better mood. I do like dealing with customers, I'm not a hands off DE.
I guess my problem is this. Patience is great. Yet while we are patient, others get bigger and bigger bank accounts. That money wont go away, it will still be there. That money is spent on better equipment, and will be spent on better ship parts. There will be awesome loot pieces that will be for auction. I may want them, and yet I can't afford them. I'm a "successfull" DE as well.
Sure to some people money doesn't matter, maybe some servers are different. On Scylla, credits have value, they are what things are traded with.
This isn't a new problem, it's an old problem. Which is exactly why it surprises me so much that it was repeated in JTL.
ShirkiRed
Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:30 pm
#12
I just started DE back in May on a fresh character, so I didn't have much in the way of good resources to work with. The thing I love about droids is they are so customizable. You can make a droid that can do many different things. I love making custom order droids far more than factory runs of them. I dont have a big list of droids on my vendor, I'd rather just build the droids specific for people. The thing that always suprises me though, is so few people know what all you can put on a droid. After I explain the options to people, they usually pass up my pre-made droids and have me custom make one anyway.
I'm not really in it for the money, and I don't do a lot of PvPing on the ground so I really don't have much to pay for in the game (as someone said earlier). As far as people out bidding you on items, there are some exceptional items in this game but I've never really been in a situationwhere I needed the absolute best rifle, pistol, sword or whatever. I can see where it might be needed in PvP, but PvP has problems anyway.
I'd say take a little break, if you sell your resources then come back I guess your customers will have to live with an R3 droid that only has 4455 HAM instead of 4500 HAM. I mean really, is that extra 45 HAM that important?
roXet
Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:57 pm
#13
Dude, you can't quit! (I dont know, it just came out, sorry)
I've been a DE for probably about 3 months now. I think I'm running a pretty good business, I'm bringing in the cash, again, not WS or AS money, but it's good money. But I have to say I don't really see what you are so down about. I'm not sure if the economy on Wanderhome is just screwed up or what, but it really doesn't fall in line with what you are saying about your server. I know all economies are different. Resources cost more on your server, so droids cost more on your server. That's how I picture the "different economies". The *best* OQ/CD metal that has *ever* been on Wanderhome (according to swgcraft.com) sells for 12cpu, I don't think I've ever seen an inorganice resource reach 30cpu. Even though, I can't see any way that the new droid market is as bad as you forsee. There is no way I will sell a JTL-outfitted droid for under 10k.
Before you get down on the new DE stuff, you have to think. They *need* us now. Nobody *needs* a combat droid, nobody *needs* a crafting droid. I guess doctors need medbots for their buffing business, but that explains why my highest priced droid sells the most. But now with JTL every single person who buys JTL will *need* something that you make. Am I right in thinking that if a pilot does not use a droid or flight computer, they won't have access to the "skils" they learn as they go up the tree? I don't see any way they can use these "programs" if they don't come to us first. Yes, they need us, so price your goods accordingly, but still take into account that they will never decay. Don't sell astromechs with a single data module in them, put something in there to raise the value. Give the pilots a reason *not* to just delete that level 1 data droid when they get their level 2 certification.
Wow, I really do ramble on don't I?
To sum it up, I'm very excited about the new stuff. =)
I've been a DE for probably about 3 months now. I think I'm running a pretty good business, I'm bringing in the cash, again, not WS or AS money, but it's good money. But I have to say I don't really see what you are so down about. I'm not sure if the economy on Wanderhome is just screwed up or what, but it really doesn't fall in line with what you are saying about your server. I know all economies are different. Resources cost more on your server, so droids cost more on your server. That's how I picture the "different economies". The *best* OQ/CD metal that has *ever* been on Wanderhome (according to swgcraft.com) sells for 12cpu, I don't think I've ever seen an inorganice resource reach 30cpu. Even though, I can't see any way that the new droid market is as bad as you forsee. There is no way I will sell a JTL-outfitted droid for under 10k.
Before you get down on the new DE stuff, you have to think. They *need* us now. Nobody *needs* a combat droid, nobody *needs* a crafting droid. I guess doctors need medbots for their buffing business, but that explains why my highest priced droid sells the most. But now with JTL every single person who buys JTL will *need* something that you make. Am I right in thinking that if a pilot does not use a droid or flight computer, they won't have access to the "skils" they learn as they go up the tree? I don't see any way they can use these "programs" if they don't come to us first. Yes, they need us, so price your goods accordingly, but still take into account that they will never decay. Don't sell astromechs with a single data module in them, put something in there to raise the value. Give the pilots a reason *not* to just delete that level 1 data droid when they get their level 2 certification.
Wow, I really do ramble on don't I?
To sum it up, I'm very excited about the new stuff. =)
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