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Thread: General suggestions for improving JTLS
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Lnaith
Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:20 am
#1
Let's begin by saying space... is boring.
Like many gamers, I highly anticipated the release of JTLS and the welcomed addition of a space oriented game to SWG. In a pre-release survey I even anticipated playing at least a 50-50 split between time spent in space and time spent on the ground. However, since it's release, JTLS seems to be a lot less provocative than I believed it would be resulting in more of a 5-95 split. It's space with no real objective other than mastering the pilot profession of your choice and gaining another profession and squadron badge. With each of the last 4 boxes in tier 4 equaling about the same amount of xp required as all the boxes of the first 3 tiers combined, I've found my enthusiasm for completing them greatly reduced. Since getting the xp required means mindlessly grinding killing the same foes for hours on end, I haven't bothered to fill more than one level 4 box. Why is it so boring?
There is no real content in the space game...
As yet, about the only minor/major plot for JTLS is the Corvette mission required to complete the master pilot profession. Once you have 'done the Corvette' you are finished in space. Oh sure, the trainers for each tier level send you off to do 'missions' where you 'escort the freighter' or 'investigate a sector'... but they are really just devices to get you grinding the xp needed to fill the tier boxes. JTLS claims gamers can PvP in space but few people do. Various problems have been identified in trying to find a way to have fair space-based PvP. Few people spend much time in space other to grind the pilot profession quickly because space... is boring.
But this can be changed...
Getting to the heart of the matter, I have a few suggestions for spicing up JTLS.
1. Introduce organic space mobs. Although there are restrictions in what JTLS developers can introduce into the highly copyrighted and closely controlled world of Star Wars(tm), precedents exist for at least 'some' organic mobs to become targets. For example, mynocks were introduced when Han Solo shot them off his ship while hiding from Imperials in an asteroid field. Maybe they could be huge flocks that need to be cleared from space lanes, and once killed, could be looted for various metals (since that's what they eat). For that matter, the 'large cavern' the Millenium Falcon landed in which was soon revealed to be the huge mouth of a gigantic space creature could make for a great mob. Making it a 'spawn' that occurs twice a day by having it emerge from it's lair, able to be defeated only by the combined effort of many ships would encourage people to group together and get into space. Of course a considerable reward for defeating the creature would also be nice, say a really great reactor or weapon with exceptionally low mass but high output... something like that. Of course the group would need to decide beforehand whom was going to get the loot... but that's getting ahead of myself.
2. More, better, and special loots. Everybody can kill a pirate ship and loot a crummy high-mass low-speed sorusuub engine level 3 etc, who cares? But looting a rare level 4 armor plate with low-mass high armor/shield rating? That's what makes space exciting... good loot. Sure, JTLS developers will have to make the best items rare, or make it so you have to find various components that have to be combined by a master shipwright. They will of course place these loots in diverse and less travelled parts of space just to force you to go there. But... I'd be willing to spend more time acquiring better parts for my ship if it were better than what we get now for loot or from being reverse engineered. As it is now, the only benefit most of the parts looted in space give us is that they can be sold for credits to the ship chassis engineer. THATS only after comparing and agonizingfor hours over whether we should trade off a booster to free up enough mass space to loada slightly better blasterthat suddenly weighs 6000 more than the previous one. Also, a shipwright with enough reverse engineered parts can acquire the components needed to make the special top end ships which nobody can afford at their prices anyway (to my knowledge, I'm not a shipwright).
3. Special events (spawns) that happen only at specific times. I have a vision of an Imperial or Rebel convoy appearing out of hyperdrive to make a course correction and which happen to be carrying some really nice loot. Players would be required to declare at a faction space station and then travel en-mass as a group to intercept and attack these convoys. What player wouldn't have fun trying to disable these transports, guarded by actual multiple individual turrets as targets, maybe a flight or two of factional fighter escort, and only appearing for a set amount of time before they re-entered hyperdrive? If one or more of these transports was disabled prior to being able to revert back into hyperdrive, and the fighter escort cleared, a nice bit of loot could be the spoils. PvP anyone? Players of the opposite faction could have fun denying their counterparts the chance to acquire the loot by launching a counterattack, coming in like the calvary to the rescue. Can you say 'squadrons of players?' I knew you could. 
4. Neutrals must be privateers. Each classification of pilot has to act like what they claim to be. Rebels attack Imperials, Imperials attack Rebels, and Neutral pilots need a chance to act as either freighter pilots or real privateers. As it is, a Neutral pilot, other than getting different types of ships, attacks the same targets as everyone else. How many truly Neutral pilots wouldconstantly be blithely attacking Rebel, Imperial. or ANY type of fighter? Yes there are 'Neutral' fighter squadrons... but I felt that the Neutral pilot was going to be more of the transport or privateer variety. Where are the transport ships? How about giving Neutrals missions 'transporting' freight along different routes with required jump-points for credits? (I haven't done any 'missions' for space stations yet... see 5-95 split). Allow Neutrals to be privateers by allowing them to attack regular freighter shipments for more interesting loot like components for making medical items, weapons, armour or structures. If this is too much to ask for, how about better than average resource loot? Maybe just 'cargo' with a new 'junk dealer' ready to buy these items, or perhaps more sales to Jawa's? So far all players can inspect freighters, attack and stop them, but I have yet to see any loot to be gained from doing this.
5. Asteroids are meant to be mined. Why can't they be? They're rocks... every space novel I've read hypothesizes that asteroids would contain valuable resources, so why don't the ones in JTLS? Maybe a new class of ship could be created to 'survey and mine' these asteroids. Perhaps the best minerals are so rare that only the best pilots of a new class can find them and extract the resources. No survey droids. A LOT of improvement in this area please!
6. Any fighter pilot worth his Raybans(tm) loves to brag about his squadron. Once you become a master pilot for one squadron, you could be from any squadron (faction wise). You get all the same stuff, an Alliance suit, an Imperial survival suit, a helmet. This is nice stuff for the display case but it doesn't distinguish you from any other master pilot. My suggestion: each squadron pilotearnsa squadron crest he can mount in his 'ready room' (or guildhall). Let'ssay a 4 by 6 ft crest specific to the squadron, or even better or in addition to the previous, a fighter jacket that has the squadron crest on the back, something that is specific and visible to each squadron. Seriously, this is something that is reflected in all the Star Wars(tm) novels, love of a squadron's reputation.
7. Most important, there has got to be plot content. Like the former monthly missions in SWG where factions were vying to prevent or acquire the Vaca? serum, space needs a plotline for each faction. Rebels attempting to take control of a sector by wiping out every Imperial ship or Neutrals assisting Jabba or valerian to rule a sector economically or via pirating, we need some PLOT! Hire Brian Daly, Michael Stackpole, L Neil Smith or James Kahn... SOMEBODY. It's not hard to think of how this could be done, so why hasn't it been? A LOT of improvement in this area please!
These are some suggestions I think would seriously up the gameplay of JTLS.
romuski
Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:42 am
#2
Great points, 5 stars.
Space would indeed be a lot more active with this stuff going on.
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