Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: On a Test Center near you...
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Drashk
Thu Nov 18, 2004 6:37 pm
#1
Hey folks. I just wanted to touch base with everyone give an update on a change currently on Test Center. Its still on the buggy side; however there is a new Flight Computer / Astromech Droid Interface. Where before, you would transfer a program toyour datapad and then drag the program over to a Droid's Datapad or Flight Computer Storage, you now have the ability to transfer the program from the chip directly to the Astromech or Flight Computer.
All Droids and Flight Computers havea Program Droid option, listed in the datapad. All Droids having this option appears to be a possible bug, at the moment, since the option is given to even non-Astromech Droids. I've already reported this issue on TC and the TC Bug thread.
This is the newDroid Command Programming window. The interface lists available Commands on the left and currently loaded commands on the left. When you attempt to add a program, a confirmation popsup.When you delete a program, provided my a different faction, a confirmation pops up. This makes loading and unloading programs much easier. You no longer have the option to load a program to your personal datapad. The UDCM goes from being unprogrammed, to the Ready state, to the storage of a Droid or Flight Computer.
The following are issues that I am going to try and straigthen out...
- Programs that you have learned as a Pilot do not require a UDCM to transfer the program to the droid. This is a major convinence, but will cut into the UDCM market. (Possible Bug)
- UDCMs are currently showing up in the Droid Command Programming interface. You can add a UDCM to the droid, and it shows up in the Droids/FCsdatapad as Null chipname. A UDCM isn't used in the process. (Bug for sure)
- Null chipname, Stablization, Mute, and Normalization programs aren't reporting the correct Data storage weight. It would appear that any program of weight less then 5 is reporting as 5. I'm working on finding out futher information on this one. The examine window still reports the correct Program Size, its only the amount of space that is taken up in the datapad that has changed.
- The Currently Used Memory entry, in the examination window is borked. I have a Droid with a -51 rating, due to deleting programs from the droid, through the droid's datapad.
- The Program Droid option is listed on all droids, for all accounts. (JtL and non-JtL)
I'll try to keep everyone updated as I gain more info, but so far the Droid Command Programming interface looks pretty darn good and should simplify the process much more. Even though we could lose the sale value of the UDCMs to someone who doesn't currently use other factions programs, this change will make it easier for everyone and may even increase program swapping. (which could boost sales even further)
Drashk
Thu Nov 18, 2004 6:59 pm
#2
Forgot to and another issue the above list...
6 ) When you use the option on one droid and try to use the Program Command option on a second droid, the interface will show the programs of the previous droid. In order to get the correct program list on the droid /flight computer you are examing, you must use the Program Command again.
Jjiaah
Sat Nov 20, 2004 3:44 am
#3
This has the potential to even itself out with the pro's and con's. Fewer sales for personal use, but increased sales for program swapping. Lets hope so at least. UDCM's were a good bulk of my sales.
I personally like the change. It makes things less confuzling, and that's always good for us. I've already run into several people that don't use droids / FC's because the process is too complicated to bother with. This should help remedy that.
Now if only they could add a window similar to this forplain droid verbal-command programming.......
SmallpoxA
Sat Nov 27, 2004 5:29 am
#4
I hate to be critical of the devs, but why do they insist on fixing things that aren't broken. I guess I'm just a little ticked off by this change, as I have been selling about 1/2 million credits worth of unprogrammed droid command modules a week (and I only charge 500 credits for them--my factories are always busy).
AudioOrgana
Sat Nov 27, 2004 7:09 am
#5
Here are the patch notes for droids :
New Droid User Interface
Here's how to use the droid programming UI (flight commands UI)
1. Get a droid, either an astromech or a flight computer.
2. Get programmed chips (optional). If you have un-programmed chips, you can use the radial menu program the chip with any command your character "knows". You can also buy chips with commands you don't know.
3. Select the "Program Droid" command from the radial on the droid.
4. Once the UI appears. All commands you know (from skills) and chips you have (crafted or purchased) are on the left side of the window. All commands IN (active) the droid are on the right side. You can move commands back and forth to program the droid. The volume bar on the right shows how much room you have left. Putting chips in a droid (as opposed to commands you know) destroys the chip when the command is entered. This is so you can get "one-shot" programming of commands you don't know. Each faction gets different commands, so they can trade back and forth.
5. Press "Commit" to make the change to the droid.
6. When you are ready to load your droid or flight computer onto your ship, all you have to do is access a starship terminal and go to the "Manage Components" screen. On the left hand side, select the "Droid/Flight Computer" option and "load" it into your ship. You can now access your droid or flight computer in space by pressing CTRL-A while in space.
Although I'm sad at the loss of some of the "base" market, I do see a bright side because this will raise the visibility/legitimacy of burnt chips. Many people weren't even aware it was possible, and of those that did a good percentage thought it was an exploit. If you read the patch notes, you'll see that burnt chips will be one-time use now. I'm pleased as punch that burnt chips will be used up - you put it on the droid and it goes poof, only to be used in that droid. The command will still "live" forever, from what I gather, inside the droid as long as it's not destroyed. That means when people upgrade computers they will need more chips. It's not the decay I was looking for, but it's better than what we had. Ideally, I'd like the chips to "burn out" after so many uses, but at least they won't all last forever now.
I don't see the reason for eliminating us from programming "known" commands (if it's an issue of noob's having to buy them, give them one or two free to start out with from the trainer when they learn their first droid skill). I hope they reconsider, but I definately think it's too early to declare chip sales dead; if anything, I think they are going to go way up, at least for this publish.
AO
New Droid User Interface
Here's how to use the droid programming UI (flight commands UI)
1. Get a droid, either an astromech or a flight computer.
2. Get programmed chips (optional). If you have un-programmed chips, you can use the radial menu program the chip with any command your character "knows". You can also buy chips with commands you don't know.
3. Select the "Program Droid" command from the radial on the droid.
4. Once the UI appears. All commands you know (from skills) and chips you have (crafted or purchased) are on the left side of the window. All commands IN (active) the droid are on the right side. You can move commands back and forth to program the droid. The volume bar on the right shows how much room you have left. Putting chips in a droid (as opposed to commands you know) destroys the chip when the command is entered. This is so you can get "one-shot" programming of commands you don't know. Each faction gets different commands, so they can trade back and forth.
5. Press "Commit" to make the change to the droid.
6. When you are ready to load your droid or flight computer onto your ship, all you have to do is access a starship terminal and go to the "Manage Components" screen. On the left hand side, select the "Droid/Flight Computer" option and "load" it into your ship. You can now access your droid or flight computer in space by pressing CTRL-A while in space.
Although I'm sad at the loss of some of the "base" market, I do see a bright side because this will raise the visibility/legitimacy of burnt chips. Many people weren't even aware it was possible, and of those that did a good percentage thought it was an exploit. If you read the patch notes, you'll see that burnt chips will be one-time use now. I'm pleased as punch that burnt chips will be used up - you put it on the droid and it goes poof, only to be used in that droid. The command will still "live" forever, from what I gather, inside the droid as long as it's not destroyed. That means when people upgrade computers they will need more chips. It's not the decay I was looking for, but it's better than what we had. Ideally, I'd like the chips to "burn out" after so many uses, but at least they won't all last forever now.
I don't see the reason for eliminating us from programming "known" commands (if it's an issue of noob's having to buy them, give them one or two free to start out with from the trainer when they learn their first droid skill). I hope they reconsider, but I definately think it's too early to declare chip sales dead; if anything, I think they are going to go way up, at least for this publish.
AO
Straker_Atrella
Sat Nov 27, 2004 7:26 am
#6
Honestly, this really bugs me.
Chips were our only real moneymaker for JTL, because they were a renewable source.
This is a nerf, plain and simple. Sure it's nice to have a better interface, something that should have been in all along, so it is nice they are adding it now. So add the better interface, but why Nerf chips? There is no logical reason for nerfing chips.
YodaMac
Sun Nov 28, 2004 9:24 am
#7
Perhaps I'm mis-reading it AudioOrgana, but it sounds to me like these are ONE-USE chips. Not that you can only put them in a droid once, but that you can only USE them once. Then you would have to install another programmed chip next time you land in order to use that program again. Am I reading that right?
"...destroys the chip when the command is entered..."
Message Edited by YodaMac on 11-28-2004 08:25 AM
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