Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Revised Hybrid DE Proposal 2.0 -- PLS VOTE INSIDE; SOLUTION TO DROID INVASION!!!
/agree
Variant #4 preferably, #1 Second.
NOT Variant #3, as MA's have no other droid crafting abilities.
Please review this proposal:
1) indicate whether you agree or disagree with the proposal GENERALLY. Just write "agree" or "disagree"; and
2) list the variants that your prefer if you agree with the proposal.
NO DISCUSSION OR JOKES; STAY ON TOPIC. For comments, please post onthe original discussion thread:
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=droid_engineer&message.id=68465&page=1
Basic Hybrid DE Premise: This proposal presents a few possible configurations/variants of skill points, certs and pre-requisites for the use of combat droids by players in SWG. The basic premise of this proposal is to allow players to spend the same amount of skill points as they might in CH to get the same amount of "pet lvls" for combat droid use. The proposed maximum combat droid lvls obtainable range from 25-35 droid lvls. This proposal assumes that the devs will implement 1) bug fixes, 2) utility modules and 3) a variant of this proposal.
Goals: The goal of this proposal is to introduce player made and controlled combat droids into SWG in a balanced manner. The ultimate goal is 1) to allow pure crafter DEs to craft their way to MDE without ever having to fire a gun; 2) to allow combat-minded DEs to use combat droids with the expenditure of skill points; 3) to allow players to dabble in one tree of the DE profession to get combat droid certs for their use; 4) to present crafting DEs a high end market for combat droids via the combat droid dabblers; 5) to allow the devs to introduce the combat droids and combat droid module system that they have largely already developed.
Variant #1
In Variant #1 of this proposal, combat droid lvls are found in the 0040 branch of DE. Max droid lvls are 25 to 35 (see below for details and droid lvls) and +4 Stored Combat Droids. Obtaining 0040 in DE gives you the max droid lvls you can obtain for controlling combat droids. All players start with +0 Combat Droids, which prevents them from using lvl 10+ combat droids. Under this variant, the lvl 4 box of Ranged Support (Marksman 0004) would include +1 Combat Droids mod, allowing a player to call one combat droid but only if they also have sufficient combat droid lvls via 0040 DE.
Under this variant, droid stimpacks and other droid healing expendibles are removed from the 0040 DE skill tree and placed in another tree so as to create a market for droid stims by those dabbling in 0040 DE. Obtaining the lvl 4 box of 0040 DE would grant the title "Droid Tactician".
Rationale: It takes 77 skillpoints to be a 0044 CH. That gives you +36 max pet lvls and +4 stored pets among many other skills including taming etc. We will focus on the pet lvls only, but we note that those same skill points give extra skills. It costs 29 skill points to get Ranged Support 4. It costs 49 skillpoints to get to 0040 in DE. Thus, under Variant #1, a dabbling Hybrid DE would have to spend 78 points and in exchange for that skill point/time expenditure the Hybrid DE dabbler would get +25-35 droid lvls. The Ranged Support tree lends combat credibility to the Hybrid DE and is harder to obtain because it requires Combat Experience.
We express max droid lvls as somewhere between 25-35 to account for droid armor resists and other factors. The final number would be chosen by the devs since they have access to more balance info (HAM, resists, special attacks, etc). The point is to get a comparable pet as you might in CH for the same amount of skill points. The proposal is flexible depending on the numbers.
Variant #2
Variant #2 is identical to Variant #1, except that the +1 Combat Droid mod is found in all lvl 4 Marksman and Brawler skill trees. The Combat Droid mod is maxed out +1 so no matter how many lvl 4 boxes a player has in Brawler and Marksman, the player only gets +1 Combat Droids. Where Variant #1 requires players to get Ranged Support 4, Variant #2 is more flexible to increase the likelihood that people will dabble in DE 0040. The skill point cost is the same.
Variant #3
Under Variant #3, the +1 Combat Droid mod is placed in the Master Artisan box which requires 77 skill points to obtain. A lot of DEs have Master Artisan due to the heavy reliance on MA components. Some have suggested putting the +1 Combat Droid mod in MA or otherwise making MA a requirement for combat droid use. Since MA requires 77 skillpoints, the droid certs would be lowered from 0040 DE to Novice DE.
Variant #4
Variant #4 is identical to Variant #1 except that it grants a small (perhaps +5) combat droid lvl bonus to MDEs. Dabblers constructing effective combat templates would be discouraged from grinding to master for such a meager combat bonus, but MDEs would get a bonus as a recognition of their mastery of the profession.
Rationale For Hybrid DE Proposal
Under this proposal, DEs who care only for crafting may do so and progress as if combat droids did not exist. Hybrid-minded DEs would get some combat droids to play with if they spend the skill points, DE dabblers would get +25-35 in droid lvls and would also make up a substantial market in combat droids and droid stims that both crafter and hybrid DEs could sell to.
Some dabblers will want to sell and will no doubt impact our market. However, they will not have easy access to all the rare resources like lidum extrusive ore or any of the new required resources. Also, 0044 DEs might create a market for more components since they will have only certs and blueprints. And if they have more than 0044 they're starting to be real DEs and they should be welcomed to the club. However, we can assume that most dabblers will want to go 0040 DE and a combat class like Master Pistoleer or whatever. The point is they will want to spend points at being good in combat and with 0040 DE they will NOT be making their own droids.
Dabblers will need droid stims, wound packs and the best combat modules credits can buy. We will sell these to them.
Crafters can craft all they want and never have to pick up a gun. Hybrid DEs can enjoy crafting on occasion and hunting as well. And best of all, my proposal does not dish out more checkers than can be purchased by a CH who spends 77 skill points to become a 0044 CH and gain 36s pet lvls.
This proposal avoids giving DEs free checkers; prevents non-combatants from other crafting professions (or newbies) from getting pet lvls without skills; gives a combat droid and droid stim market; allows combat minded DEs who spend the points access to the droids they love; and allows others to dabble and enjoy droids.
The proposal uses existing game systems and does not add an pre-requisites to any existing professions. It is analogous to the CH system in both skill point expenditures and in the manner in which high lvl pets are governed. It is also analogous to the weapon cert system in that you cannot call and use the "item" effectively without having the right certs.
Before your respond I encourage you to review this excellent post by Woody on the future of DE and what we can do about it constructively: http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=droid_engineer&message.id=68276
Message Edited by Sodan-droiddreamer on 03-07-2004 11:24 AM
Message Edited by Sodan-droiddreamer on 03-16-2004 01:47 PM
Message Edited by TheWoody on 03-07-2004 11:36 AM