Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Implications of JTLS design to DE changes
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Handsnake
Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:40 am
#1
Howdy.
I've been playing JTLS and enjoying the heck out of blasting rebels to bits. However, I've realized that many JTLS features can directly be applied to changes to the DE profession.
In no particular order:
1. Redeeding 'action' - In JTLS, a ship can be redeeded and resold. This redeed action is dependent on a set of conditions, notably if the chassis contains items or if the chassis is a starter model. Translated into droids, this would allow DE's to display a larger number of droids to customers, could allow customers to buy more droids for specific tasks and keep them for when they need them, and the condition could be set to disallow the redeed 'action' if the droid has taken too much decay (more on that later) or contains items (item storage with anything in it could disable the redeed until the unit is empty).
2. Reverse Engineering - Shipwrights can take several looted like components and RE them to gain one item with the best stats of all of the looted items. It takes a tool which is consumed in the process. This increases the communication between the shipwright and his customers (since they take specific lots of looted components in for RE) as well as allowing each person's ship to be unique. Dropped/looted DE components could run the gamut from combat modules with different damage types or AP to motive systems with high speed and/or terrain negotiation. (see #3 for further on modules). It would allow for DE usable loot drops and allow for unique droids to be created with the active participation of the consumer. It would increase the viability of combat droids as new types of damage for droids other than just energy or kinetic. This would also allow drops of chassis types.
3. Module Swapping - Ships in JTLS have 'hardpoints' for weapons as well as utility slots for things like engines and shields. A user can swap out modules to respond to decay (more on that below) or better modules acquired. For DE, this is a gold mine. One could have increased ground speed resulting from replacing a standard motive unit for a crafted and optimized advanced one, allowing a combat droid to keep up with a swoop. Just with this change, scouts would use harv droids more in groups as they wouldn't suffer through the "oh wait for 15 second oh no aggro run!!!!" which is very irritating. The droid could just keep up with the vehicles. Combat modules could be put in with different damage types. If a mix of types were installed, a droid could have a '/changedamagetype' command allowing it to switch from energy to heat, or whatever other different types were installed. Result is overall more people having their droids personally optimized for them, as well as having them expect decay from combat. Which leads to....
4. System-specific decay - In JTLS, the use of specific systems or damage taken can cause decay to the corresponding components. Each component has a hitpoint rating which will always decline due to damage or to the use of 'programmed specials' (see #5) like reactor overload hurting the reactor. Translated to DE, this type of decay would ensure that non-combat utility droids maintain their usefulness for customers while allowing for decay to be expected and tied directly to combat, as the rest of decay is set in the game. Chassis as well as components all have ratings indicating their condition (hitpoints). Chassis can wear out, and pilots expect to replace them as time goes on. Chassis for DEs would behave in the same manner. Furthermore, this introduces/supports the final point I'd like to make:
5. Programmed "Specials" - In JTLS, 'specials' can be programmed into a droid/flight computer by a pilot dependent on four things :
a) Pilot (owner) skill,
b) Pre-programmed droid chips containing specials from a different pilot,
c) Command/special data size;
d) Size of the data storage unit.
When a 'special' is used, it causes decay but increases the effectiveness of the ship. Translated to DE, this would be incredible. Let me explain.
For combat classes, the novice box would give the user 1 special to program into the droid (melee only for R series and LEs, ranged for Probot and Rs). Master boxes would give 2 specials to use. The use of droid chips would allow trading of these specials. Since the specials inserted via chip are separately identifiable (as is presently shown in JTLS) a decay system could be applied to these 'non-native' commands, allowing only 5 or 10 uses. Decay could also be greatlyincreased for non-native specials so that one person couldn't have an uber droid. 'Native' specials wouldn't wear out. Also, the required use of a data storage unit would lower the combat rating of droids so that they wouldn't be overpowering.
Non combat classes could have utility 'specials' that could at novice increase the effectiveness of experimentation and at master, increase the assembly rolls, along with a general command for increased ground speed or something similar. (say, if a crafting station is in a droid, a master weaponsmith can 'repack' identical serialed items into a crate)
With the above abilities/changes applied, imagine a Master BH with an ADV Probot he's had worked over. He's got stun damage, ap1, and cold and heat as well. He's got Eyeshot, underhand shot, and fast blast (for example). His droid is now a weapon he NEEDS to use, and he fully expects to see it decay as it is used in combat.
This would improve combat droids by leaps and bounds. ALL combat classes would want a droid, and would be interested in optimizing and replacing their droids like they do their weapons.
Comments would be appreciated.
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