Jedi Archive
Thread: An Open Letter on Being a Jedi
I was killed tonight by a Bounty Hunter. He fought honorably, was far more experienced, and, as I expected, he prevailed. I knew that day would come eventually, of course, but I remain somewhat puzzled by why it came. You see, I didn't /duel new players in Mos Eisley. I didn't show off my lightsaber in front of Theed Starport. I didn't attack a PvP GCW base.
I played the game with my friends.
I'm the leader of a small PA, and have been since launch. We were one of the first PA's on Kettemoor, and I hope to be one of the last as well. I believe, and my experience has shown, that our communities, especially our online ones, are made up of our shared experiences. To that end, I decided last week to stop spinning pikets with anonymous faces on Dantooine and return to what I should have been doing all along, leading my PA.
One of the quests which they had been asking to do for some time was the Corellian Corvette ground based mission. And so, together with my friends, we tackled the Corvette and prevailed. We had a wonderful time, and are planning a return sometime soon in order to do some of the missions we haven't yet done.
Because the Corvette is filled with Imperial troops, however, I ended up with a great deal of visibility, and, not surprisingly, on the bounty hunter terminals. Thus we came to tonight's visit by a BH.
I received that visit and the resulting experience loss (nearly half a million in Jedi xp) not because I had chosen to ruin the experience of others by showing off as a Jedi, but because I have chosen to lead my friends on the things they wish to do in order to keep our community active and participating in the SWG universe.
This isn't a whine because I died. I accepted that before the mission began. This isn't a "change XYZ or I quit!", because I generally enjoy the game.
This is a request for you to sit down and reconsider the Jedi/BH interaction as it presently exists. It seems to me that there are several significant disavantages to the present system:
1. It effectively removes Jedi from high end quests which contain NPC's, which is to say all of them, thus preventing them from leading or joining in such quests.
2. By removing them from those quests, you encourage groups to isolate them, or to simply not experience those quests.
3. Should they decide to do so anyways, you provide a punishment for the very community creating actions you should be trying to promote.
4. The present system encourages Jedi to simply grind in piket (or whatever) groups until such a time as they have finished their template. After that, they may act with impunity. This limits neither the visibility or visible actions of Jedi.
5. It compels players who play a Jedi, regardless of their reasons for doing so, to engage in PvP combat. Forced PvP is rarely a good system, especially when much of the PvE content is of such a level that it's only really explorable at a Jedi's power point.
6. Finally, it provides a system dedicated to a zero sum set of interactions with another player character. Either I win, in which case the bounty hunter must lose, or vice versa. There is no scenario in which both of us walk away pleased, and such negative interactions should concern you.
The only really compelling reasons I've heard for enforcing Bounty Hunter attacks and experience loss are that they reduce the number of Jedi, or in some way help slow their growth. They seem, in practice, to be accomplishing neither of the above. If I had simply stayed in my piket groups for another week or so I would have completed my template and the experience loss and the attack would have meant nothing to me. As it is, they mean little, but I walk away feeling as though I have been punished for leading my PA in the content they wish to experience, and I wish to experience with them.
Please reconsider this game dynamic. The cost of community building via quests is now far too high for leaders who choose to play as Jedi.
The cost of not doing so remains far, far higher.
Thank you for your time, and may the Force be with you.
-Charin Ianaro
i, myself, am like you and prettymuch mirrored in the same way....wish some changes could be made with personal sacrifices.
Whacked wrote:
I've find it odd that a NPC thats dead somehow managed to report to the authorities.
lmao yeah...
However, the core of this issue here is not how to act as a jedi. The armor break reduction to 75 percent has to go. That is what's killing all of the jedi population. A CM/BH with doc buffs, RIS armorsuit with 75 percent reduction armor break, and kick ass CM meds will kick any jedi ass or make them fight it out for 30 minutes leading to nowhere. The Heal timer has to be fixed on CM to 6 seconds or the jedi heal timer needs to go to 4 seconds.
As well, the debuffs by CM needs to be lowered since our speed buffs(force speed) has been lowered. That is my issues. I agree with the OP but I think the items that a CM/BH or even Rifle/BH with the right equipment and skills can kick any jedi ass or make them run.
I really want to flame you but I just don't have the heart. I was killed twice AFK. I was attacked by 9 BH on Sunday and 3 on Monday. 3 cases were 2 at a time.
Every weekend it the same. Go to kadaara and see how many BH are getting missions decked out in superior gear.
I don't do any quests. I only grind non NPCs in groups. There is no reason for visability. I just don't care anymore. Now I login my Jedi and sit him in a house as far from a shuttle as possible on tatooine just to waste their time.
Successful: 2
One-Wit_DaForce wrote:
I really want to flame you but I just don't have the heart. I was killed twice AFK. I was attacked by 9 BH on Sunday and 3 on Monday. 3 cases were 2 at a time.
Every weekend it the same. Go to kadaara and see how many BH are getting missions decked out in superior gear.
I don't do any quests. I only grind non NPCs in groups. There is no reason for visability. I just don't care anymore. Now I login my Jedi and sit him in a house as far from a shuttle as possible on tatooine just to waste their time.
the OP?
The system is broke, contradictive, and counter-productive. Not really much else to say about it. There's a lot of ways that the visibility system could be tweaked to not only make more sense, but be more fun for everyone involved, but trying to get the developers to listen to you long enough to explain it to them, well, that's nigh impossible.
Message Edited by Grunzer on 09-22-2005 01:40 AM
Tolbat wrote:
I do the same thing, its not because I get attacked or because I feel like I am going to be jumped its just that so many things are broken and we constantly get weakened so BHs can kill us. Its frustrating to have something we worked so hard for (especially pre CU jedi) get raped in the process. There are so many bugs, nerfs and exploits I just dont want to play anymore. The only time I even play the game is when a guildy needs a large group to help him/her get something. Other than that the game has lost its appeal and is fading fast. I havent been able to say goodbye but I think thatrs just because it would mean saying goodbye to alot of new friends. This all makes me sad.
I would argue that playing the game, just like many others, isn't "work". If it was work for you, then you're not playing jedi as it should be.
I see no difference in the player who spends 6 months playing jedi down a well advertised path, and the player who chooses MBH and spends his 6 months looting the best equipment, refining his template to account for prof changes, creating the best contacts to make the best armour/weapons, perfecting his technique.
Jedi isn't something to feel proud of in the sense that you have achieved a unique goal. It's actually a very easy goal to reach, considering how the journey is laid out "A to B" by the devs. I made my template in order to achieve certain goals within the game, just as the BH does. As yet, I have survived all 1v1 encounters against them, thanks to careful template choice, and good contacts for the best food and clothes. I have gone to the effort of helping out the top weaponsmiths, chefs and tailors on my server, in order to get the best crafted help I can. I have created an alt which can get high end loot for me, so I can sell it and buy the best enhancements from the trade forums. In fact, the only bit of "luck" I have had is having 4 decent pearls to take my saber to 700 damage.
I was prepared for what jedi would entail, and so far I have managed to stand firm against every negative thing that it involves. I'm not trying to belittle other players for not achieving what I have, but pointing out that when one comes across an obstacle in game, there are always ways around it. The BH who takes your life is working within similar rules and systems to yourself, he is no Superman....
Grunzer wrote:
The system is broke, contradictive, and counter-productive. Not really much else to say about it. There's a lot of ways that the visibility system could be tweaked to not only make more sense, but be more fun for everyone involved, but trying to get the developers to listen to you long enough to explain it to them, well, that's nigh impossible.
Message Edited by Grunzer on 09-22-2005 01:40 AM
That's what it comes down to for me, right there. I knew I'd have to deal with BH's eventually as a Jedi, but the system itself isn't doing what it's supposed to do, and the things it *IS* limiting Jedi from doing are precisely the kinds of things that the devs should be encouraging them to do. A re-evaluation is needed.
One Wit DaForce Wrote :
I really want to flame you but I just don't have the heart. I was killed twice AFK. I was attacked by 9 BH on Sunday and 3 on Monday. 3 cases were 2 at a time.
Every weekend it the same. Go to kadaara and see how many BH are getting missions decked out in superior gear.
I don't do any quests. I only grind non NPCs in groups. There is no reason for visability. I just don't care anymore. Now I login my Jedi and sit him in a house as far from a shuttle as possible on tatooine just to waste their time.
I do the same thing, its not because I get attacked or because I feel like I am going to be jumped its just that so many things are broken and we constantly get weakened so BHs can kill us. Its frustrating to have something we worked so hard for (especially pre CU jedi) get raped in the process. There are so many bugs, nerfs and exploits I just dont want to play anymore. The only time I even play the game is when a guildy needs a large group to help him/her get something. Other than that the game has lost its appeal and is fading fast. I havent been able to say goodbye but I think thatrs just because it would mean saying goodbye to alot of new friends. This all makes me sad.
Message Edited by Tolbat on 09-22-2005 03:43 AM
Message Edited by Tolbat on 09-22-2005 03:44 AM