Image Designer Archive

Hello to all you IDs... I've had an idea that's being fleshed out in the Galactic Civil War forum that has some relevance to your profession, thought I'd draw your attention to it.

I'll summarise, but the full thread is here.

Basically, the idea is that to increase the feeling of living under an oppressive Empire, 'Imperial Intelligence Agents' would be introduced. These would wander around Imperial areas (even nominally-held imperial areas) and 'spot' covert rebels... and give them a TEF. Basically, they'd be mobile covert scanners, could even be employed by player cities. There are suggestions that they could call in support when they spot a rebel (not sure about this myself though).

The chance that an agent would recognise one as a rebel would be linked to a 'recognition factor' that would be based on current faction rank, faction standing and perhaps even badges for faction-linked theme parks.

So where do IDs fit into this? My suggestion for you lot is a role in disguising higher-ranking rebels that need to get into Imperial cities (for whenever they need training, catch an inter-planetary shuttle, pick something up from a bazaar, go recruiting for a PA, etc). During the ID process, you would tick a 'disguise from opposing faction' box which would only be available on covert rebels (well, imps too, but don't think there'd be much call for this). When the client accepts the changes, their 'recognition rating' would be decreased by a ratio dependent on the skill of the ID.

I'm of the opinion that there should be some consequence for the ID here, but not sure how it should work. Should the ID's 'recognition rating' go up by the same amount as he/she reduces the client's rating? But then neutral IDs could get dragged into PvP against their will, a definite Bad Thing. Perhaps an ID could only apply this sort of disguise if they themselves were a covert (or even overt?) member of the faction being supported.

So what do you think? Does the idea have merit? Comments & suggestions encouraged!

Original: http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=GCW&message.id=81928

This is an interesting idea.

First off, I did not read the original thread. I'm only responding to what was posted here.

These 'Imperial Intelligence Agents'. Would they be npc's with faction? Droids? Players? Can you kill them on site? If you can fight them, do you have to be on the opposite faction to do so?


Assuming the 'recognition factor' were based on faction title, it could hinder someone by making them more visible as well as possibly cost more for an ID to disguise them. This is only a bad idea as long as there are no benefits to gaining a faction title. If there were some perks to being a higher rank in the rebel/imperial army than I would feel better about the 'recognition factor' being attached to them.

How long would the disguise last for? It would be silly to make it permanent.

I am against the ID's 'recognition rating' being adjusted in any way by performing this procedure. A TEF would not be smart either, considering that most of us do alot of business in crowded places. However, I think the idea of only applying to those of the same faction you belong to would be a good plan to go with. This would put neutrals out, but really they wouldn't have a solid reason to disguise someone to prevent detection from an enemy. It would mean more to be sought out by your own side for this purpose.

Image Designers are hard to come by. Many don't have suitable combat skills on the side to defend from a TEF. Keep that in mind.

I think a simpler scenario would be to give Image Designers the ability to craft disguises, and then for a player to go covert, they have to wear said disguise. It does notmake much sense that a player can have neg 5k faction, and just decide "ho-dee-hum, I think I'll put away the uniform so no one will recognize me!" Meanwhile, a bounty and pictures of the character are circulating the holonet...

Requiring acharacterto weara disguise to go covert would put a lot of extra credits in the coffer of many image designer designers, without the need for an extensive revamp.Just add a disguise toolkit, and when a player tries to go covert at a faction recruiter add an inventory check with the appropriate message below:

Without disguise. "Sorry. Your request cannot be processed. You are too well known to the enemy. There is no you can become covert without a disguise of some sort. Acquire one, and come back, and we will create a new identity for you."

With disguise: "Your request has been processed. It will take an hour for us to create a new identity and provide you with the appropriate credentials. Please do not remove your disguise, or you will be known to the enemy."

Of course, overt members should only require a disguise if their faction falls below a specific negative mark for opposing factions. In example neg 2k or neg 3k. At this point they have sufficient exposure that they are known to opposing factions, and can--unless disguised--be attacked on sight.

I'm replying as a player, not strictly as an Image Designer...

This strikes me as yet another attempt to force PvP on people that don't want to PvP. Covert status has always stuck in the craw of the PvP crowd. This is just another attempt to dilute it.

I don't like it.

I was with you all the way up until "consequences for the Image Designer."

First, mastering Image Design takes 90 skill points. Are you seriously thinking of pitting Image Designers against Bounty Hunters and calling this a fair exchange?Giving Image Designers a risk of being attacked by combat specialists or Imperial drones? I wouldn't call it fair at all. No matter what I do with my other 160 points, I wouldn't stand much ofa chance in combat against a combat-specialized character.

Second, ifyou gave ussome kind of consequence and death-risk for helping our clients, what's in it for us? We don't get secure trade for our ID skills, so in addition to getting stiffed for the fee, now we can also get 5% decay on everything we own when we get ganked by people we're too weak to fight off. Nice thinking. I can see that clients would simply love the idea of dodging the Bad Guys and making us bite their bullet for it, but, um, what do I get? I don't see any advantage in this for me except increased risk without reward. Come back when you have some actual benefit in mind for the ID doing the disguise work, m'kay?

Third, it would be silly to require IDs to become factioned simply so we could style hair. There are simply not enough IDs in the first place. We're the third-least popular profession in the game, and you want toforce specialized factioned clientele on us? If you divide us into Rebel IDs and Imperial IDs so we can fight your silly war, suddenly there's no business for neutral IDs, and the Rebs and Imps lose out on half of their business because they can no longer help the enemy. Once again, this doesn't seem like a net increase in business for an IDer, because even though we'd get increased sales to hide people, we'd give up massive amounts of potential clients if we became faction-only (and because we'd sell a service neutrals couldn't use). I can see how getting a cool disguise helps you but I don't see how it helps me -- at least not in this imagining of it. Also given that we're often highly visiblein crowded towns, getting TEF-killed for saving your scrawny butt would increase my downtime to increase your playtime.

Fourth, check out the sigs of the (non-holocron) IDers. You'll see a lot of ID-tailor, ID-dancer, ID-musician, ID-doctor, but not a lot of ID-commando and ID-rifleman. Out of curiosity, and without intended offense, what makes you think IDs want to participate in the front lines of theGCW, fighting off Imperial Agents and bounty hunters and stormtroopers?

That said:

I like the idea that there could be some kind of useful disguise pack which an ID can manufacture and sell over the bazaar. We need a crafted item that we can sell, because we have no secure trade for any service we offer. I would hesitate to suggest anything that gets rid of a TEF: I can't think of a good reason to allow people to evade responsibility for the war-time actions they take. Sure, there are people who play the GCW as a PVE-only thing, so you could argue that not everyone would want to eliminate their TEF is a griefer. However, anything the casual non-PvP people can do, the griefers can do too.

A diguise packthat can temporarily affect factioned NPCs? I'm for it. Something to disguise you against factioned PCs? I'd need to know more, but it ventures into grief territory, so color me cautious.

I'm already a doctor that shuns the GCW because there's nothing in it for me (I heal people and get killed for my trouble?). Now you want to force the GCW down the throat of my ID portion? No, thanks.

Escia

lol, FishWan...


Fourth, check out the sigs of the (non-holocron) IDers. You'll see a lot of ID-tailor, ID-dancer, ID-musician, ID-doctor, but not a lot of ID-commando and ID-rifleman.


...Before I start getting dark looks I want to point out that I'm not a holo chaser nor ever have been. I'm an ID/Commando because I always liked the silly idea of a hairstylist toting a really big gun.