Droid Engineer Archive

Droid Decay System

Droid Decay is one of the most requested features on the Droid Engineer forums. It is a big ticket item that is needed to help create a re-occurring market for all Droid types. What decay we currently have is limited to Combat Droids. We need a system that will affect all droids, but isn't too invasive in nature and is relatively simple to understand. This thread is one possible solution to a workable Droid Decay system, modeled loosely after Weapon, Vehicle, and Ship Decay. In order to make this system work a few changes would need to be made in how we currently make droids, and ties together the different aspects of the Project: Droid Engineer focus series.

As I have stated before, these are my views and do not represent the views of the Community or any type of DEV sponsored system. This thread is geared towards looking at a Droid Decay system from a different point of view and is meant to be discussed.

Experimentation Changes

In order to frame a Droid Decay system correctly, a few changes should be made to how droids and droid parts are constructed. The changes that I am going to suggest also include the frame work the future addition of higher end combat droids. The changes would go a little like this..

Subcomponents

All Droid Subcomponents, such as Brains, Arms, Sensors, etc., would have two lines of experimentation, like the currently do. The difference would be that experimentation on the two lines would have a marked difference in the overall crafting process, with minor impact on the crafting system.

Durability Experimentation would have a direct influence on the Integrity rating of each Subcomponent. The Integrity rating would determine how long a droid can last before it needs to be repaired or risk destruction. The Integrity rating on each subcomponent would be added together during droid construction and would experimentable through the entire droid crafting process.

Effectiveness Experimentation would have a direct influence on the Mechanism Quality rating on all subcomponents, as it does now. The major difference is that the rating would have more weight in the crafting process. High rated parts would produce a very low chance of a Crit Fail. I believe this is how the crafting system was supposed to work from the beginning; however I'm not sure if it was completely fleshed out and is working properly now. Increasing the weight of the Mechanism Quality rating, during the crafting process, would only affect the crafting success rate and not the actual stats of a droid.

Droid Chassis'

Droid Chassis' would have 3 lines of experimentation, like they do now. Like Subcomponent experimentation, Chassis experimentation would not have an impact on current droid functionality, but would produce noticeable affects during the crafting process.
Durability Experimentation would function the same for Droid Chassis' as it would for Droid Subcomponents. Experimentation on this line would increase the overall Integrity Rating of the droid.

Effectiveness Experimentation would function the same for Droid Chassis' as it would for Droid Subcomponents. . The Mechanism Quality rating would be a total of all subcomponent rating and could be increased with experimentation to this line.

Quality Experimentation would have a direct effect on the Command Rating. The Command Rating would be a dormant feature that utilized when high end combat droids are introduced. The Combat Rating would represent the number of higher-end Command functions that a Droid could store, such as Tactical Assault, Sentry, and Change Damage Output. These functions will be fleshed out during the Droid Commander thread, in the Project DE series.

Droid Modules

In order to follow the same flow of experimentation as Subcomponents and Chassis' all Droid modules would need to have a Durability and an Effectiveness Experimentation line. For modules that utilize Effectiveness Experimentation as their primary means of increase, as in the case of Level based Modules, a third line of experimentation would need to be added. This third line would be the Quality Experimentation line and would affect the module rating, such as Item and Data Storage, or Medical Rating. This change would be entirely necessary but would help to clarify the differences between what each line of experimentation is used primarily for.

Droid Deeds

Droid Deeds would have the same three lines of experimentation; Durability, Effectiveness, and Quality.

Durability Experimentation would again affect the Integrity rating of a Droid. This would be the last chance to experiment on the Integrity rating and would be combined total of all Subcomponents, Chassis', and Modules used in droid production. This number would represent the length of time that a droid could go without repairs, before it starts to become permanently damaged.

Effectiveness Experimentation would do the same as it does now, effect the HAM of a Droid. Nothing would change about this experimentation.

Quality Experimentation would produce the same results as it would for the Droid Chassis. The higher the end Command rating, the greater the number of Command programs can be installed.

Droid Decay

I think that one of the better systems we could model our Droid Decay system after would be a combination of Weapon, Vehicle, and Ship Decay.

Each and every Droid would have an Integrity Rating. This rating would completely replace the Vitality rating that all droids currently have. The Integrity Rating would be made up of 2 numbers. The first number would represent the current Integrity rating. The second number would represent the total undamaged Integrity rating. Each time a Droid is called, the droid's current Integrity rating would take a hit. This would be similar in function to what we see with Vehicle usage. Every X minutes that pass by, while the droid is active, it would take an additional Integrity rating hit. This 'hit' would be X number of points to the current Integrity rating.

Once the current Integrity rating hits 0 each additional hit, or tick, would result in permanent loss of the overall Integrity Rating. Once the Overall Integrity Rating reaches 0, the droid is disabled. Disabled Droids no longer respond to commands have any functioning modules, with the exception of Item and Data Storage. Items and Data can only be removed from a disabled droid.

The current Integrity rating of a droid can be repaired at a Droid Repair terminal or through the use of an LE Repair Droid. For every X points of current Integrity points repaired by the Droid Repair Terminal or LE Repair Droid 1 point of the Overall Integrity Rating is lost. This would be similar in function to what we see with Ship repairs.

For every X times a Command Program is used, 1 point of the Overall Integrity Rating is lost. Command Programs would be similar to Combat Specials. This would be similar in function to what we see with weapon special usage.

Each time a Droid Power Up item is used on a droid, 1 point of the Overall Integrity Rating is lost. Command Programs would be similar to Combat Specials. This would be similar in function to what we see with weapon powerups. (Droid Power Ups will be described in detail in the Droid Commander thread.)

Any time a Droid is incapped in combat, the droid loses X number of points of the current Integrity Rating. If the Droid is incapped while the current Integrity rating is at 0, x number of Overall Integrity points are lost.

*Any time a ship is destroyed in space, the Astromech (or Flight Computer) associated with the ship loses X Overall Integrity points.*

This may look complex when you look at it on 'paper' so I will try to create an outline to make it appear less complex.

• Current Integrity point loss




• Calling the Droid


• Incapped in Combat


• Droid is active for X minutes


• Permanent Integrity point loss




• Droid is at 0 Current Integrity and one of the above happens


• Every time X points of Current Integrity is repaired


• Every X times a Command Program is used


• Each time a Droid Power up is applied


• *Each time an Astormech (Flight Computer) is blown up in a ship*

*Integrity Maximum*

Each Droid would have a Maximum Integrity Rating possible. Droids such as MSE and R5 units would have a lower Integrity Rating maximum then a BLL. Higher End Combat Droids, which are not currently in game,would not be not have an Integrity Rating Cap. Here is my suggested ranking of all current Droids, starting with the highest Integrity Rating.

• Highest Integrity Rating




• Binary Load Lifter


• R3 Unit


• R2 Unit


• Power Droid


• Probot


• LE Repair Droid


• R4 Unit


• DZ70


• Protocol Droid


• Surgical Droid


• Treadwell


• R5 Unit


• MSE


• Lowest Integrity Rating

*Legacy Droids and Components*

All Legacy Droids, made before this change, would have 1/2 to 3/4 of the maximum Integrity Rating for that Droid Type. This would help in the transition between the current non-Decaying droids and the new Decay system.

All Legacy Components would have an Integrity Ratingeqaul to 30% ofthe Durability Experimentation. This would be on a component by component basis, so that all Legacycomponents would still be viable components under the new system, but would encourage Droid Engineers to build new components under the new system.

IE 30% Durability Experimentation would yeild an Integrity Rating of 50 on X part.

In Conclusion

I think that this system of Droid Decay would offer a better solution then some of the other Decay Systems discussed in the past. By itself, the decay system wouldn't add any bonuses to droid usage. If it was to be added with other features such as improved droid function, or with the implementation of higher end combat droids, I think that this system, or another Decay system, would be generally accepted.

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

* Indicates an addition made to the original proposal on 11/30 @ 10:55 PM PST

Message Edited by Drashk on 11-30-2004 10:55 PM

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AudioOrgana wrote:
This is a good start. I think it's a bit more ambitious than we really need - but better to ask for the stars when you are aiming for the moon.

AO

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Thanks AO. I'm glad to see one of the more vocal DE advocates offer words of support.

If you get the chance, would you mind offering suggestions on what you have in mind to streamline the overall design?

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Straker_Atrella wrote:

I could go for this. Why didn't you just post this first, and forget all those other posts? Could have saved us all some reading.

This originally what I had in mind, but I also wanted to gauge the waters on additional experimentation options. The feedback provided in that thread will be of great benefit if the subject is brought up by the DEVs at some point.

Honestly, I'm cool with this, pretty much as is, however, if for coding purposes to make it simpler, you could drop the extra sub-componant experimentation. I don't have a problem with them really, but it would be less coding.

I added the experimentation changes to subcomponents since something really needs to be done with the two experimentation lines that we currently have. Either the code could be changed to fall in line with a system such as this, or experimentation values need to be removed completely. I think the Mechanism Qualtiy rating listed here is what the original design was supposed to be, but isn't working exactly as intended. The Durability Experimention would allow for a greater overall dynamic for the end Integrity rating, so that no single component would have a major impact on the end Integrity rating.

The only small problem I have is that there is no customer benefit. I still feel that a nerf without giving something to the customers isn't a good idea. People may use droids less. Add more to battery time, or remove them totally? Just a thought.

By itself, Droid Decay will be seen as a nerf, no matter what small feature is added. If added at the same time as higher end Droids, or increased function in current products, I think the change would be a lot more accepted. With the non-Combat Upgrade publishes, wewill be able to get enough development time to hit upon more then one feature, I hope.

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Message Edited by RasalTheWise on 11-29-2004 12:02 PM

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Straker_Atrella wrote:

Actually Drashk, I did realize something while I was driving.

Maybe make things even simpler. Have Droid Recon kits just fix integrity, let them be useable by anybody. They already exist, and are pretty pointless, sono reason to code in other ways, when they could be used.

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I thought about this is a well; however it would take way from a possible credit sink provided by a Repair Terminal and I already had plans on suggesting that the Recon Kits be made usable by anyone, to help promote their use. When higher end combat droids are introduced, this change will need to occur anyway, to allow for greater use. Either a Terminal or a City Structure could be introduced, to add a little more flavor to Player Cities and the Politican profession, which would make Pappi happy.

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GrandPotato wrote:
I like it, but would like to make one suggestion: Perhaps instead of a station or an LE, make any droid with a Droid Repair Module able to repair, but have the LE get a bonus to the quality loss.... such as with an R3, you lose 1 point for every X, and with an LE you lose 1 point for every x+bonus. I would like that system better, since it would allow the variation we have now.

I think to keep the modulability of the droids, inherent functions should be included, but I'd also like to see bonuses, such as an additional +10% on the surgical droid to medical or allowing them to use Med-B in the stim modules (or both). This is much like the MSE gets a bonus to detonation power.

Other than that, I like the idea.

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Repair modules already have a function by themselves. The more that I think about it, I already have a number of ideas geared towards increasing the LE functions. This feature might be best suited for one of the lesser used droids, that also is known for providing repairs; The Treadwell.

A lot of the suggestions I will be making in the next Project: DE thread are based upon Model/Module bonuses.

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Mitargan wrote:

Let me take the devil's advocate position...

How is this supposed to make the DE profession, and droids in general, more appealing to the average player? I understand that droid decay is viewed as a significant method of affecting droid sales but I don't believe that will necessarily happen if there isn't some driving force that will cause other players to "need" DE's.

I started another thread of few minutes ago whereI suggested that maybe what we need is a chaotic factor in droids that would cause them to fail (this could be either a partial failure or a complete failure) for either an apparent or no apparent reason. See, I think we need different paths for droids, not just in the crafting process but also in the playing process. My suggestion, in combination with yours, might provide some realistic interaction with the rest of the game.

Poo Jaci

Master Droid Engineer

Master Pikeman

Vendor: -3492 1555

Kor Vella, Corellia

Eclipse

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I'm with you "sorta" on this. I have always stressed that the NEED for a Droid is something that should be adressed. I have also said that if a Decay system such as this (I like this one,) was added there would need to be some benefit to the customers.

HOWEVER, as Drashk already adressed my concern earlier, this wouldn't be a stand alone thing. Meaning other changes would be done at the same time. For example, Droid Commander or his other recent proposal concerning module limits and chasis design. Both of those would be good for Droid customers, more then countering the fact that Droids would now Decay.

Kind of covering up the bad with the good.