Image Designer Archive
Thread: ID Top Ten Concerns Runesabre Answers Inside :)
In practicality this is usually not the case. Many of us have several months of experience ID'ing people and we often have everything wrapped up to their satisfaction in under 2 mins, especially if the person is only seeking one change or has a good idea of what they want,which happens frequently.I found myself doing a LOT of waiting while testing on Test Center, and it was particularly annoying when I was working on myself. One of the greatest perks of being an Image Designer is changing your makeup, eye color, and hair color along with outfit changes and mood changes and we can do those very very fast.
SWG-Runesabre wrote:
2/ Cosmetic/Body Timers
Both Image Designers and customers feel that the current timers for cosmetic and body changes, 2 and 5 minutes, are unbearably long.
a) Why were such long timers chosen?
b) Are timer reductions being considered?
The timers exist to ensure advancing as an Image Designer is not considered a trivial accomplishment and couldn't easily be macroed in any way to gain a significant advancement advantage. Mastering any profession in SWG should be an accomplishment that should be make the player feel like they have put in some effort and been successful and those who master their respective professions should feel proud of their accomplishments.
Players really working towards accomplishing a cool, unique look shouldn't notice the timers since the timers start counting down as soon as the Image Design session begins and the changes should be able to be activated immediately when you are finally pleased with your results. We are considering timer reduction perks for Master Image Designers.
Message Edited by SWG-Runesabre on 05-12-2004 11:03 AM
SWG-Runesabre wrote:
Allowing Image Designers to migrate their own stats would immediately give all players seeking stat migration a means to perform the task themselves and avoid bothering with the services of those players playing the Image Designer profession. Considering you only need Novice Image Designer to migrate your stats, the demand for Image Designer services would have been greatly reduced from the get-go as many players would decide to augment their characters to migrate their own stats and the whole point of giving a game function such as stat migration to Image Designers would become largely moot.
Is it just me, or are there other non-ID's out there who think it would be absolutely insane to grind through 4 boxes of ID in the entertainer prof just to pick up Novice ID so they can stat migrate themselves? That sounds about 10 times worse than just finding an ID to do it for you. I would like to see a show of hand on who thinks that those 14 skill points (and that's if you already have entertainer) would be best allocated toward making stat migration convenient.
[I am operating under the assumption that "Novice Image Designer" means the first box of the ID profession. If I'm wrong on that just ignore me 
]
SWG-Runesabre wrote:
5/ ID’s Cannot Migrate Their Own Stats
Other than the three Entertainer professions, all other professions benefit from every single one of their abilities.
a) Why was the decision made to not allow Image Designers to migrate their own stats?
b) What is the difference between Image Designers, Dancers, and Musicians (who will now all have an ability they cannot use on themselves) and other professions who get the full benefit of all of the skills they worked hard for?
In order to preserve the market for Image Design services as well as create a valuable service that even Novice Image Designers could provide to all players and profit from while they are learning their profession, it was imperative that Image Designers could not stat migrate themselves. Allowing Image Designers to migrate their own stats would immediately give all players seeking stat migration a means to perform the task themselves and avoid bothering with the services of those players playing the Image Designer profession. Considering you only need Novice Image Designer to migrate your stats, the demand for Image Designer services would have been greatly reduced from the get-go as many players would decide to augment their characters to migrate their own stats and the whole point of giving a game function such as stat migration to Image Designers would become largely moot.
As Lead Designer, it is one of my most important goals to stimulate and encourage player interaction and set the stage for players to form lasting relationships and dependencies with each other. Player interaction is what MMOs are all about. Self-sufficiency is my greatest nemesis in striving for this goal and it is human nature to try to become as self-sufficient as possible. In my6 years as an MMO developer I've seen the extremes players will go to in trying to avoid interacting with other players. In many cases, it is these same self-sufficient players that later quit because they got bored with the game. If you ask any veteran gamer of an MMO as to why they still play their chosen game after many months (or even years!) invariably the answer is "because of the people I know in the game and play with". I made a design decision to disallow Image Designers from migrating their own stats to preserve the social environment of this game and ensure the Image Designer profession can't be reduced invalue and damage the appeal of the profession much like AFK macoring has done to Dancers and Musicians.
RS,
I think your rationale makes perfect sense, since it really doesn't take that many points to attain novice ID. One question though - is it possible in the future to add the ability to migrate your own stats to Master ID as a Master level perk? No one is going to take the time to master the entire profession just for that, and it would give them one added bonus, especially if they do have a combat or medic profession as a sideline.
SWG-Runesabre wrote:
If you ask any veteran gamer of an MMO as to why they still play their chosen game after many months (or even years!) invariably the answer is "because of the people I know in the game and play with".
I agree with your decision andwith your commentson all but the above statement.
That might be true of a fewfans of the old MUSH (social only, from days of text)games who migrated into the graphical MMO world, but certainly not true of mostMMO fans I've met. I've met literally 1000's of people in my 12 years of online gaming and while that statement is indeed true, it is not indicitive of the majority of veteran players.
Game content and it's quality is what will keep people. People who are close friends online will just migrate to a better game, likeI, and my bros, do. Even a heavy social game like The Sims Online won't keep people unless it has a rich enviroment of features to entertain the players. The number one reason people play MMO games is for the entertainment value. It beats watching re-runs. Social interactionmay besecond, but there are only two reasons to play a game anyway.
If social interaction in MMOs was so important, then single player games (PC or Console) would not be the #1 selling boxes in the software industry.
You will solve all your problems at once and they will all be happy. The social interaction is a non argument, you can't make that this selective, either this is possible for everyone or none, Docs can buff themselves for example(from the start even.)
BTW, please hotfix Combat Medic Wars away until the combat revamp arrives, PvP makes no sense right now (for months actually.)
The ID community is very concerned about the current rate of gaining exp. At the very bare bones minimum it would currently take someone roughly 60 hours to master, and that’s under ideal conditions (willing friend to click at perfect intervals for at least 60 hours). Those of us who are casual players and did not make use of mind-altering substances or buffs under the old system know from experience that the ID exp grind is a mind-numbingly-boring carpal-tunnel’s-inducing nightmare. We wanted our profession’s exp gain to be non-trivial, but not torturous. 60 hours or more might be reasonable if the process of getting the exp were fun, but sadly it is not.
a) What is considered a minimum amount of hours a profession should take a casual player to master?
b) How many hours a week is a casual player assumed to play?
c) Is the exp system under consideration for major tweaking?
SWG-Runesabre wrote:
In my6 years as an MMO developer I've seen the extremes players will go to in trying to avoid interacting with other players. In many cases, it is these same self-sufficient players that later quit because they got bored with the game. If you ask any veteran gamer of an MMO as to why they still play their chosen game after many months (or even years!) invariably the answer is "because of the people I know in the game and play with".
Player interaction is key the the MMO experience for sure. However there are two interaction types, forced interaction and enhanced interaction. Those that avoid interaction are of a personality type that makes 'dealing with people' a core for them. Placing a game mechanic that forces them into those situations makes them hit the cancel button that much quicker. A video game won't change someone's personality type but will does cause that personality type to react in a certain way. Forcing interaction justisn't the way to go and even makes those that normally are fine with interaction annoyed with it as they 'have to' do this.
That is where 'enhanced interaction' comes into play. You don't need to do this, but if you do your game experience will be enhanced. This is why the forced artifical down times are so unpopular, starport times anyone, why enhanced interactions are very popular, Guilds for example. The coregoal should always be, "How do I enhance the interaction between players that make them want to come together to do certain activities?" That should always be the question asked and that "How do I force more interaction between players?" should never hit the conferrence room table let alone the new design specs to be programed.
Here you have two cases, holoemote and stat migration. One is a forced interaction and you see a negative reaction to it for a good reason. The other is an enhanced interaction and you see much excitement over it. I am sure anyone can figure out the forced and enhanced interactions between those two.
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SWG-Runesabre wrote:
7/ Exp Gain Too Slow
The ID community is very concerned about the current rate of gaining exp. At the very bare bones minimum it would currently take someone roughly 60 hours to master, and that’s under ideal conditions (willing friend to click at perfect intervals for at least 60 hours). Those of us who are casual players and did not make use of mind-altering substances or buffs under the old system know from experience that the ID exp grind is a mind-numbingly-boring carpal-tunnel’s-inducing nightmare. We wanted our profession’s exp gain to be non-trivial, but not torturous. 60 hours or more might be reasonable if the process of getting the exp were fun, but sadly it is not.
a) What is considered a minimum amount of hours a profession should take a casual player to master?
b) How many hours a week is a casual player assumed to play?
c) Is the exp system under consideration for major tweaking?
I will be evaluating the xp gains over the next few days as the system settles and players have a chance to work with the changes on their own server.
- Reduction/removal of timers
- Placement of ID Tents (someday)
- "/register" at the tent, the way elite medics & performers can (or should this be a Novice ability?)
- The ability to look extra "sexah" in hawtpants!
biwan:
SWG-Runesabre wrote:
7/ Exp Gain Too Slow
The ID community is very concerned about the current rate of gaining exp. At the very bare bones minimum it would currently take someone roughly 60 hours to master, and that’s under ideal conditions (willing friend to click at perfect intervals for at least 60 hours). Those of us who are casual players and did not make use of mind-altering substances or buffs under the old system know from experience that the ID exp grind is a mind-numbingly-boring carpal-tunnel’s-inducing nightmare. We wanted our profession’s exp gain to be non-trivial, but not torturous. 60 hours or more might be reasonable if the process of getting the exp were fun, but sadly it is not.
a) What is considered a minimum amount of hours a profession should take a casual player to master?
b) How many hours a week is a casual player assumed to play?
c) Is the exp system under consideration for major tweaking?
I will be evaluating the xp gains over the next few days as the system settles and players have a chance to work with the changes on their own server.
You can wait until server issues are gone, then come back and give us real answers, we can wait until then.
Leana_Txorana wrote:
Personally? I will *never* visit an ID in the future if you *force* me to do it
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So you are a Novice Entertainer to heal your own BF and Mind Wounds
[ Idle in cantina. BF heals slowly. ]
You are a Novice Medic to heal your own wounds
[ Idle in medical. Wounds, including mind wounds, heal slowly. ]
You are a Doctor to self-buff
[ Not needed to play. ]
You are a Smuggler to slice your own weapons and armor
[ Not needed to play. ]
Yuo are a Weaponsmith and Armorsmith // or just purchase bone armor and CDEF weapons from bazaar
[ Not needed to play. ]
You are a chef to make your own food
[ Not needed to play. ]
You are a creature handler to train your own mount.
[ Walk. ]
Each of these areas you are FORCED to go to. If you are not an Entertainer YOU CANNOT GET YOUR BF HEALED unless you go to an entertainer. It is now the same for Stat Migration. If you have enough points after being all of the above professions you can now add Novice ID and not be forced to do anything.