Droid Engineer Archive

[Disclaimer: I make no claims to being a games programmer, "Star Wars" universe
guru, or anything that might suggest that I'm some kind of know-it-all. I'm
just a gamer who likes SWG and tries to keep informed by reading the forums and is

trying to help out]

The logic behind this idea is that a Combat Droid is a manufactured thing. It was
made for some specific purpose and as such was designed to be used the second it is
completely assembled. Whereas a living creature needs to grow, possesses it's own
intelligence and it takes a certain amount of time to understand it and to train it.
Also, as part of this idea, it needed to use as much of any existing game code, rule
or game mechanic to minimize its' incorporation to the game proper.

With that in mind, I'm sure everyone, both Developers and Players, agree that it
should cost 'something' to be able to use Combat Droids: Whether via spending skill
points training in a profession or attaining some form of certificate from skilling
up existing professions. But coming to an agreement as to what the ideal process is
is falling a little short. I'd like to bring forth this idea, and I apologize if it
has been brought up already. While I try to keep informed of what's going on in the
forums I don't read all posts made.

But to the point: If it should cost "Skill Points", either by way of skilling up a
profession or skilling up a profession and getting certificates, then just 'Make It
Cost Skill Points'. Period. There's no need to create a new Profession, and there's
no need for 'certificates'. If you want a Combat Droid, then it's going to cost you
some of your valuable pool of Skill Points. And how many Skill Points is it going to
cost? Well, I would suggest the CH Skill Tree as a good starting point.

The Ch tree has already been modified to reflect what creatures are available after
getting a certain skill box. So, if a Combat Droid is comparable to a CL35 Creature,
see how many Skill Points are needed to be able to control a CL 35 Creature and make
that the cost of the players Skill Points to spend to be able to use the Combat Droid.
I'm sure this needs to be modified/tweaked to reflect that this is a an "Inorganic
Construct", whatever that means, and also to control any form of 'dabbling'.

As for controlling the Combat Droids, the code is already in place for commanding
pets. I really can't see any reason not to use these commands. As a matter of fact,
it's already in use when 'programming' droids.

The question now is - how you go about spending the Skill Points to be able to use a
Combat Droid? If I might suggest this background first: Combat Droids have been banned
by the Empire and decreed illegal. But the Empire also recognizes that Combat Droids
have their uses and will give out "legal permits" to high ranking military personnel
or other high ranking officials. 'Enterprising individuals' who work for some
appropriate government branch see this as a way to make some 'supplementary income'
and are willing to 'put their life in danger' by getting these permits to you, for a
nominal fee of course. The actual "Permit" itself is a box in your Skills Window
(ctrl-s) that gets highlighted (similar to when you train a skill) when you aquire
a Permit. As this is similar to a "Trained Skill" box you have the option of
surrendering the "Permit" so that you may get those Skill Points back. What happens
to the Combat Droid is the same thing that happens to a Creature Handler's pets when
they give up their CH skills: the pets stay in the pad and the CH is unable to call
them out.

So, to get a "Permit" you talk to an NPC, pay a monetary amount and requisite Skill
Points and the 'Permit' box in your skills window (ctrl-s) becomes highlighted. The
whole process could be made into a quest detailing a players visit to the seedier
side of the Empire. And I was thinking that to limit the access of this quest from
newbie characters that it should be of some difficulty. But that still won't prevent
people from grouping/helping low level characters to complete the quest. If I might
suggest a check from the starting NPC of this quest to see how many Skill Points a
player character has who is starting this quest. If the player's available Skill Points
are over a certain number then the player is refused by the starting NPC. What that
magic number is, I don't know but this will help in preventing a new character access
to the Combat Droids. Also, I guess a check to see if a player already has their
"Permit" box activated needs to be done to prevent them activating the quest for
someone else. Also, the end NPC need to do a check to see if it is the correct person
who will receive the permit activation, or make this end NPC a random location spawn
that only the quester has the location to.

The whole 'Permit' scenario can be added to the Imperial Crackdown in that if you are
found to have an illegal permit, then your Combat Droid is confiscated, you pay a stiff
fine and your 'Permit' box is deactivated, forcing you to get another Permit.

After reading this far you might think, "That's it? Talk to an NPC and you get to use
Combat Droids?". Well, yes and no. First of all, remember that the logic behind a
Combat Droid, or any Droid, is that it is a machine/tool created to be used. While
some machines need training to be used, like vehicles, Droids are controlled by voice
commands and/or programming. Also, in the case of vehicles, power tools, weapons and
so on, any and all training to be able to use it focuses on reflex training. So, everyone
can use a Combat Droid because they are easy to control, as compared to living creatures.
Butnow you need to control exactly who gets access to the Combat Droids. Hence the
'Difficult Quest' or the 'Max Number of Skill Points check'. If it's possible then the
Skill Points check is the way to go, and I would think the Max allowed would fall somewhere
between 100-150. At this level a person has already mastered a profession, maybe two,
and now the player has to decided if they want to pay the Skill Points cost to be able
to get a Combat Droid.

So, as far as costs/limiters go:
- You can't access Combat Droids until you are at the proper Skill Point level
- Skill Point cost requirements are steep for purchasing a permit. Compare this to training
in a skill which cost between 1 to 5 skill points. My guestimate is anywhere between
20 to 50 skill points.

- The Ch Skill Tree is a good starting point in determining how to guage the proper CL of a

Combat Droid and its' resulting cost.
- You need to pay a tidy sum to the NPC before you get a permit, similar to paying the
NPC on Dantooine for the RIS schematic, but probably for a higher price
- You risk the possiblity of getting caught in the Crackdown, losing your permit and your
Combat Droid and paying a substantial fine, then having to do the "Permit" quest all over
again.

And for Droid Engineers, I would think that the different Combat Droid schematics would be
would be spread out in the DE Skill Tree, with the most powerful Combat Droid Schematic
only available at Master level. And of course, a DE wouldn't question a customer who
is buying a Combat Droid. The permit is 'a tightly controlled document by the Empire' and
who is he/she to question how a customer got the permit, hehe.

So, everyone can get access to Combat Droids if they are willing to pay the price and DEs can

make Combat Droids for everyone.

Of course there are issues to consider:
- An MCH who can call multiple pets. This need to be looked at as you don't want a MCH to
be able to call two CL35 pets, and then a CL35 Combat Droid for example. Or maybe this

will be ok, as this player will probably have crippled themselves in terms of weapons firepower.
- As far as time sinks go, there might not be much in the case of acquiring a Permit but
because of this the Skill Point cost requirement for a 'permit' is steep. But this does
emphasize the fact that all droids are manufactured tools/machines. Heck, even little
Anakin put C3P0 together is his spare time!
- There might need to be different permit types because of different Combat Droid types.

There are probably more, but my brain is failing me at the moment. And although this looks

simple on paper it might not be in terms of coding but who knows. Anyways, I wanted to present

this to you as food for thought.

Respectfully,

Boos Babanoosh, Gorath galaxy

MDE, MA, MWS