Droid Engineer Archive

Many people talk about DE problems and suggestions from the point of view of a master DE. Well, don't like grinding, so I like improving my skills in a natural way. That is, by selling what you make.

I found the hard way this is just impossible in the DE profession. Why? Simply put, who would want a mouse droid with a medical module 1 when they can use a mouse droid with a medical module 6 for a very similar price? This happens to pretty much all the modules, and is in fact, forcing all DEs to grind their way up. In the last two days I haven't sold one mouse droid (data mouse droids sold ok, but they fixed the pet thing).

There are two things at least that have to change for the cert. idea to work:

- Relate module levels with droid levels. A mouse droid should only be able to hold level 1 modules. A medical droid should be able to hold a higher medic module, etc. This would help the novice DEs sell their wares to other novices in other professions.

- With introduction of certifications, certain professions get to use more advanced droids when they advance in their career... this includes usDEs, we automatically get certified as soon as we can make that type ofdroid.

Does anyone see any problem with this approach?

I've said it before, and I will say it again:

Droid Certifications will make me quit the profession. Maybe even the game since Droid Engineering is all I'm really interested in.

Droid certs are a bad idea, no matter how you put it. There are other solutions to our problems.

Nell, with some ideas for Certifications, being a Droid Engineer will grant the automatic use of almost any droid.

I'll repost what I posted in the SWG Discussion:

This was my idea posted in the "Execution..." thread on the Droid Engineer Forums a few days ago. While this idea is a bit rough.

Utility Droids have to be able to used by everyone without a Certification System. Unless they are specialized droids with specific benefits to certain Professions (Surgical Droids for example if they get implemented with some logic).

Much like the limitations Creature Handlers have with their Certification System, Combat Droids should follow, to a different extent. As Droids can't and shouldn't have a real Creature Level, and Droids can be programed I feel the use of Combat Droids should be limited to Skills. With arguments saying Programmed Droids should be for everyone, there has to be a limitation to Combat Droids in my honest opinion. They are in the end, Weapons. I feel one Combat Droid should be the limit to compliment any profession. To prevent the great depression that followed the Advanced Pro-Bot nerf, being able to use one Combat Droid should be certified when someone fills one Skill Tree. (Such as Rifles/Pistols/Carbines 4, etc. across all starting Professions.) Droid Engineers could offer 2-3 different types of Intermediate Combat Droids at this time to Novices.

Well, we could have at least 1 Combat Droid for starting players... A Mouse Droid with a toaster slot and a Pistol mounted in it.

Continuing on with Droid Engineers and extend the use of Combat Droids, a multi-leveled Certification system can be used. Once any person becomes a Master of any Novice Profession (Master Brawler, Marksman, etc.) or Novice of an Advanced Profession (Novice Pistoleer, Commando, etc.), this could unlock 2-3 more types of Combat Droids that are usable.

To further advance this idea we could allow Masters of an Advanced Profession (Master Pistoleer, Commando, Tailor, Chef, etc.) unlock 3-4 more types of Combat Droids.

Now for finally reaching Master Droid Engineer, after what would be a good implementation to allow all levels able to make a profit, thus lowering the necessity of 'The grind'. Master Droid Engineers should get a +1 Droid Entity, if other Advanced Master Professions dont get this. +2 Droid Entity if they do. Enabling a Master Droid Engineer the ability to have 1 more Droid out then others. They should be able to make some high endCombat Droidsfor themselves.These being one of many benefits of being a Master. (Which I feel should apply to other professions as well.)

Now for the argument of Pets vs. Droids: Something is and should happen to change the current working of the system.

The justification for a Combat Certification System:

"certs for droids areNOT the sollution"

"Oh and droid certs are a monumentally bad idea!!!!"

I'm sorry, maybe it's my fault but, I fail to see why this isn't part of a sollution. Maybe you can argue the statement with more detail.

We have Certifications for weapons in the game already. Why not for Combat Droids? They are really justRobot Weapons. Even if they are programmed, think of it as being able to own a license.

It can create a Market for Starting Droid Engineers(if they rework the trees)to be able to make a profit, other wise you have every single Master Droid Engineer making low tech Combat Droids for cheap. Reproducing the necessary 'Grind' no one likes.

I feel, why bother having more then 1Combat Droid (type)? If there is no Certification System, everyonewill just want 1 Droid... Thestrongest one.

I also thought adding this Certification System could add a little purpose or content while working up the ladder. =/

Please if you can refute why we should not have one, please say so.

Droid Certifications will make me quit the profession. Maybe even the game since Droid Engineering is all I'm really interested in.

Well why haven't you quit already? Today you make two droids which you cannot control - The seeker and the arakyd. How is the proposed changes any different to what you have now?

Certifications are a good idea. It means more people have specific uses for specific droids. Right now, any droid can be used by anyone, so all that ever gets sold are probots, R2s and the odd medical droid because why would you want to buy anything else? No other droid anywhere gets sold, which hamstrings all the rest of us DEs that haven't made it to Master DE yet. Oh, I forgot the one exception - the big thing I make all my income off - a droid which requires a certification to use: Bounty Hunter droids. Darn, please remove the certifications so that I can't earn any income until I hit 4,3,0,4. Good idea - not. Certs will only make the DE profession stronger because it will encourage, nay require, a far wider selection of droid usage by our customers. There is no down side to it at all from our professional viewpoint, only ups.