Droid Engineer Archive

Ok, fine, we are getting DH/DM no matter what we want. Lets talk about this new profession then.

What professions would it branch from?

Some say Ranged Support IV. But what does a marksman know about using automatons that other don't? Why wouldn't a brawler know enough about combat to warrant the use of droids? Or a scout. he know about movement in rough terrain? Why would any one combat base profession be better than the other? Will droids not include ranged, melee, and movement battle techniques?

What of Elite Profession requirements? Honestly wouldn't the designer (DE) have a leg up on controlling droids? And wouldn't a veteran commander (SL) know more about commanding others in combat? Or maybe a smuggler would know more about slicing a droid to take control of it and bend it programming to combat. But having an elite profession as a prereq would be totally new.

I ask for Dev and Player input on this subject.

What skill would the tree contain?

The Devs keep comparing the idea of CH and DH. But they can not follow the same line of skills gained. Currently a CH gains 4 main things as he progresses through the tree.

1) Ability to control more levels of pets.

2) Ability to control more pets at one time.

3) Ability to teach more commands.

4) Higher ability to succeed at taming wild creatures.

Now lets think about how these same abilities would look for droids. Remember, taking away any of these makes for a very empty skill tree.

1) Simple, more skills means more control levels. Easy to have the same.

2) Again, can be used for droids as well. Though one must ask why ANYONE couldn't have out 2 or 3 simple utility droids at the same time as well. This would be better as a universal 3 droid out for all, but the higher level cap means more to DH/DM since they are in combat.

3) Here is a big issue. Would the ability to teach a droid commands be limited to this new class? It would mean not only DEs can't program the systems they built, but EVERYONE would lose the ability to program their droids.

4) Again, an issue. If these "Handlers" of droids are skilled in Combat with droids, where did they pick up the ability to slice/hack into droid wandering loose? Wouldn't this be a very well educated in software skill rather than a combat tactics and control skill?

(This next one may seem odd, but please read before judging)

While I agree that the over use of creatures in SWG was a bad thing, I do see a place for them. If droids are not on par with creature pets will we see any DH/DM at all? If droids are of similar strength will there be any CH left? Wouldn't the difference between these two 'pet classes' only be the models of the pets they use? An important part of any MMORG is that every class/class be different in at least a few significant ways.