Image Designer Archive

A: Not overrule or make obsolete our current skills

B: Not interfere with the interests of other crafting professions

C: Not allow ID'ers to become a greifing tool, a combat-oriented profession, etc.

I think Darkagent has pretty much nailed my biggest concern - namely having crafting be a proxy for any of our current skills, rather than being implemented when we get new content. My view is that our current aesthetic abilities (with the exception of lipstick and eyeshadow, which can be done by any novice entertainer) should not be duplicable by even temporary craftables. On the other hand, the idea of disguise, and its functionality in avoiding imperial detection of contraband, would be an excellent use for crafting.

What we want: we still want contact with the customer to work with them to get the "look" they want. I don't think the customer is able to say "I think I want less cheekbone" and buy something to that effect, because it is our job, not the customer's, to figure out why his or her face looks funny. The customer says "I was hit by the ugly stick, fix me." This is where our skill of being a master image designer comes in, after a few months, and I don't think we want to give up the customer-ID consultation and general working together. (Exception: temporary lipstick and eyeshadow- although I honestly don't know what good it will serve, considering that novice entertainers, those who would want a "change" for a performance, already have lipstick and eyeshadow. Therefore lipstick and eyeshadow would be used for special events by people with no access to novice entertainers)

What we don't want: being hauled out to the middle of nowhere because some smuggler is afraid of having items confiscated when he trasfers flights in Theed. There is no such thing as a "fashion emergency" but there is such a thing as desperately needing a functional, not aesthetic, service. For this reason, because of our low numbers, and because of a general desire not to travel or be in tell hell any more than necessary, I think this functional aspect would be well-served by consumables.

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NJ62 wrote:

I think Darkagent has pretty much nailed my biggest concern - namely having crafting be a proxy for any of our current skills, rather than being implemented when we get new content. My view is that our current aesthetic abilities (with the exception of lipstick and eyeshadow, which can be done by any novice entertainer) should not be duplicable by even temporary craftables. On the other hand, the idea of disguise, and its functionality in avoiding imperial detection of contraband, would be an excellent use for crafting.

What we want: we still want contact with the customer to work with them to get the "look" they want. I don't think the customer is able to say "I think I want less cheekbone" and buy something to that effect, because it is our job, not the customer's, to figure out why his or her face looks funny. The customer says "I was hit by the ugly stick, fix me." This is where our skill of being a master image designer comes in, after a few months, and I don't think we want to give up the customer-ID consultation and general working together. (Exception: temporary lipstick and eyeshadow- although I honestly don't know what good it will serve, considering that novice entertainers, those who would want a "change" for a performance, already have lipstick and eyeshadow. Therefore lipstick and eyeshadow would be used for special events by people with no access to novice entertainers)

What we don't want: being hauled out to the middle of nowhere because some smuggler is afraid of having items confiscated when he trasfers flights in Theed. There is no such thing as a "fashion emergency" but there is such a thing as desperately needing a functional, not aesthetic, service. For this reason, because of our low numbers, and because of a general desire not to travel or be in tell hell any more than necessary, I think this functional aspect would be well-served by consumables.

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{emphasis added}

Maybe it's just the server I play on, and the people I generally spend time with, but there are an awful lot of special events. This is exactly what I had in mind when suggesting temporary ID craftables. I don't want to lose any of my one-on-one customer interaction for permanent changes, but for changes they're going to want changed back again in three hours…well, I might be out breaking enraged rancor jaws in three hours.

As I see it, the balance that needs to be struck is one of making temporary consumables last long enough to be worth using for those special events, but short enough that simply buying a crate of them won't be a valid alternative to seeing an image designer for a long-term change.

Okay... what seems to be a good time then?

You see what I'm getting at? I'm trying to adress specific questions that the DEV's will need to handle if they decide to implement this. If we tell them we want crafting, but not what to craft or how it should work, then we have little room to complain when they don't implement it satisfactorily.

I am usually on for anywhere from 5-7 hours a day, so a 1-hour time limit would be effective in making me want to seek permanent change for long-term use. However, someone who may play about 1 hour to thirty minutes a day (Yes. The Casual Gamers the Dev's speak of DO exist! GASP!) will need only to hit their makeup as soon as they log on.

But even FURTHER still, a 24Hr. Time limit (Like /grantzoningrights and the proposed Faction Insurance Pass) would be out-of-the-question, as it would allow players to crate-up on items for ID'ing and make ID's as we know them obsolete.

The more I think about it, the more I begin to question if Craftables are a good idea. I simply can't see a way they can be put in without seriously altering the current ID community. Let's get creative people! IT's what we do best!

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Kwee wrote:

Sure some people don't like crafting, but they wouldn't have to craft and noone would force them to.

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