Merchant Archive
Thread: Merchants and the Galactic Civil War
Page 3 of 3
Fhtagn
Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:07 am
#27
not sure if this would apply to merchants or to everyone --
do we even want to consider the capibility of sabotaging the opposing faction's harvesters? not to the extent of destroying or damagingthem, but maybe just jamming the hopper so it stops collecting until someone with admin rights comes out and restarts it?
to go along with this, how about rigging harvesters to send a notification email to their owner when they stop running, whether it be for a "hopper jam", running out of power or maintenance or the resource being collected shifting out?
Ffej_Cra
Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:14 am
#28
I'm thinking that helping with the GCW would have more to it than the PvP element. Let's face it, the actual war is supposedly going on between armies of NPCs, led by NPCs.
So what would really make sense, would be for a merchant or crafter to be able to help somehow by donating money and/or equipment to their side (meaning, the actual NPC army on their side, not just some players.) That would be the normal way that a merchant or crafter in real life would help a cause for which they were sympathetic.
It would make sense to be able to gain faction status that way. (Should there be different - civilian - faction rankings?)
It would be neat if it was actually possible to affect the environment and progress of the war that way ... maybe if enough was donated by rebel players you would see more rebel troops and less imperials in the area or something ...
Haruspex77
Mon Jun 14, 2004 2:55 pm
#29
I must admit that when I wrote "Combat capable vendors, that would not only refuse service to an overt, but would fight back?" I was joking. However, it wouldn't be hard to make yet another roleplay/cosmetic feature that worked that way.
Vendors used to be attackable, and a friend had enjoyed incapping one that had ripped him off (the old resources bug) again and again. They never fought back, workedeven if incapped,and recovered from incap with a 1cr maint payment.
If the same rules were restored with minor variation, it could be amusing. Make vendors take your faction when created, and let an overt vendor be agressive. Give them some modest attack capability, perhapsminimum level for whatever weapon you put in their hands. With a faction detector in place things could be even more fun. It might be best if they didn't attack untile use was attempted, so Artisans with low health stats didn't get one-shotted before they saw the flamethrower.
They still wouldn't move, so the victim could easily run away, and would be pretty easy fodder, but might provide some entertainment. No exp or faction for incaping one, of course. Recovery and function while incap back the way it was when they could be attacked.
It could be a lot of fun. The only problem I have with it is that it is another cosmetic feature with no real impact on your success as a merchant. We need real skills like consignment sales and good advertising, and I hate to have development effort diverted away from those.
DocSavag
Mon Jun 14, 2004 3:30 pm
#30
The only upside is that it would be Jest3r's dev time and not ours we would be squandering. 
PrincessThea
Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:18 pm
#31
I have an idea. How about something similar to "frequent flyer miles" with a swg take on it. For every 10000c you spend on an Imp/Rebel delcared vendor you will receive Faction Points as a reward.
- The merchant will have to declarethe vendoras "Nuetral, Imperial or Rebel" (If its nuetral there are no perks to the customers, also if your Imperial and its a Rebel delclared vendor you get nothing) BUT there are no penalties for buying from opposing factions, just perks if its the same. This way you dont scare away customers.
- I realize the bonus would have to be a small amount, but if you shop alot it could build up. AND it may drive people away from shopping on the bazaar and seek a player vendor instead.
- Also maybe on the planetary map just a (I) or (R) or (N) listed before the vendor name.
I havent though it all out, but it could be a way for merchants to get involved in the GCW with little risk of losing customers.
Prinethea
GuyWithJedi
Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:03 pm
#32
Random, probably not programmable but...
My perfect view for a merchant in GCW is being part of a HQ (one of3 guilds that are the top rebel/imperial guilds, able to place actual HQ's like the big rebel themepark one) that are one of the proffesional advisors. There would be major roles for every proffesion in each of these but there would only be one or two at max.
First off, merchant(1)- Can reduce prices of faction goods and, with effiency, lower the amount of resousces in a faction good. (Outside a HQ this would also apply to normal goods, say your an artisan with master merchant. Instead of 10 wood per staff its 7)
Weaponsmith(2) - Can buy special faction blueprints that would allow them to build factional stuff like wall turrets, new weapons, possibly deployable gear, etc.Also would be able to craft the blueprints brought to them by spies(see next section). All blueprints wouldnt work if you left the position.
Ranger/Smuggler/??? (3) - These proffesions would be able to apply for spy job that would mean sneaking/blowing their way into opposing faction HQ's and steal other peoples blueprints. Stealing proccess would be similiar to base shutdown but would require less steps and would bestealh orientanted.
Architect (1) - Would build the HQ in the first place, able to build better turret towers with the help of weaponsmith and armorsmith. Gains more sorts of blueprints for defense and offensive buildings. Cant think of much for this proff...
Armorsmith (1) - Would gain the exclusive ability to make better types of faction armor, like the burly type ST armor and the black type, dont know any other rebel armors. Would help with building of turrets (armor) and would be able to have a room somewhere where people in the guild would be able to go up to a rack of made armor and radial click it all on at once... kind of like an armory so you wouldnt be carrying around all your armor.
Droid engineer (1) - Would help with construction of turrets and defence towers (obviously turrets and such would become a big role in base defense) Might be able to make some factional fighter droids? I cant think of much for this one either.
Chef (1) - Could have a mess hall that when you sit down and "eat" from radial menu you get buffed in a few stats after eating for awhile. Cant think of much else for this one.
Tailor (1) - Could make highly customizable uniforms that would offer increasing defences based on tailor level. Could help make certian types of armor(along with armorsmith)and underarmor wear.
Doctor (1) - Able to do full wound heals one at a time in his office,would haveability to craft buffing things such as dead-eye.
Squad leader (1) - This man would be able to many things that would require on leadership skill. able to give "speech" buffs at the main room HQ that would only last a short while to prevent abuse. These guys would be the main people of the HQ and how good they are would GREATLY vary how well the HQ would be.
Entertainers (?) - same thing as chef, mass buffing structure.
Scouts (?) - Gain the ability to go to the scout tower and get a much larger radar.
All of these jobs would have to be applied for and appointed by the squad leader/guild leader.
Then there would be proffesiosn that wouldhaveno amount restriction but would have to be in the base to have the effects.
BH - Could take assasinination missions killing Guarded opposing faction NPC's for FP.
Commandos - able to use the special turrets/new defenseive structures
Medics/combat medics - Would gain medic stuff, be able to heal people on the field much better.
General combat proffesions - Would just gain the average ranged defense, accuracy, etc.
ONLY guild members would be able to gain the buffs that would be supplied by entertainers, chefs, squad leaders. The turret and base defense would also have to be used in the base they are at.
I realize this was long but if you read this far id just like to say thank you for reading this and please respond.
GuyWithJedi
Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:23 pm
#33
UGH, just typed out a huge post about my ideas but it got deleted due to account signing in, so ill give it to you condesnced
* 3 guilds on each side would be able to put down rebel-theme-park sized HQ's which would serve as guild halls, Would cost massive amount of FP and would have to be crafted by an architect.
Each proffesion would benefit from being in a guild like this. Since this is the merchant board ill re-do merchant perks.
ONE merchant that iscurrently a member of the guild can apply to be the guild merchant. Would provide discounts on factional perks and would be able to craft faction blueprints for other crafting proffs that would have vary in quality. Using better resources, more FP, more money, better merchant skill would result in blueprints of better crafting quality, less resources needed to craft, larger amount of uses. Would be able to have exclusive vendors that could sell this type of factional gear. Merchant in this possition would gain a special title.
Other Proffesions that would benefit:
Architect(1), Droid engineer(1), Weaponsmith(1), Armorsmith(1), Chef(1), Tailor(1), Squad leader(1) , Entertainers(2) , and Ranger/Smuggler/BH(being spies) (3) and Doctor(1) and Scout (?)
Things such as new and better turrets (made by Archs+ WS + AS+ DE), factional weaponary, factional armor(made by AS+Tailor), Guild uniforms with stat bonuses, mass buffing structures(Chef- mess hall, Entertainer - Theatre, Squadleader- HQ room with a speech buff)
Spys would steal opposing faction blue prints and Doctors would be able to do a"pyhsical"(full wound heals) in his office. Scouts would be ablet o go into the HQ watchtower and go into a large radar view of the area(used to spot raids).
Then general combat proffesions would gain defenses while in the HQ, Medics would gain healing abilities, Commandos could use new turrets, BH's could take factional assasination missions. also is part of the spy missions.
Spy missions would be much like a base shut down but three things must be done. First a BH must assasinate the key holder(opposing guild merchant), then a Ranger and smuggler duo must enter the base with the smuggler slicing(turning off) security systems and opening certian doors while the ranger helps by using camo and can also use the key on the vault which can then be looted for one of the opposing factions current blueprints (which are held on file in the HQ base, where the blueprints have to be used).
Sorry I couldnt post the entire thing, it had some great ideas but this pretty much summed up the main part.
Thanks for reading it and I hope you could understand my rambling type post.
GuyWithJedi
Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:24 pm
#34
Lol sorry..didnt think that one posted. But the 2nd one does deepen the ideas a bit more.
nefarious
Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:34 am
#35
Fhtagn wrote:
not sure if this would apply to merchants or to everyone --
do we even want to consider the capibility of sabotaging the opposing faction's harvesters? not to the extent of destroying or damagingthem, but maybe just jamming the hopper so it stops collecting until someone with admin rights comes out and restarts it?
to go along with this, how about rigging harvesters to send a notification email to their owner when they stop running, whether it be for a "hopper jam", running out of power or maintenance or the resource being collected shifting out?
I wouldn't be too happy with this. I would say a better idea would be to reduce the amount it harvests. If I find a good resource I drop my harv and leave it and check it every couple of days. If it is a rare spawn then they sabatoge it and I get nothing, but if they are able to sabotage it so it doesn't mine as much, I'd be upset but atleast I still get something.
by doing this I think would require a specific tool that should cost a decent amount of faction points so it isn't used soley as a greif tactic.
nefarious
Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:40 am
#36
Another thing we were talking about with regards to the GCW and merchants is, If you are an Imp merchant and sell to a Rebel, you are basically a Sympathiser, and if you sell enough to the Opposing faction you will have your faction troops around your vendor area to help stop this from happening.
The other idea is contraband. If you have a vendor that deals in spices or sliced items and it becomes popular you risk having an Imperial patrol around your house/tent and if someone makes a purchase when they leave your house/tent then they get scanned by the troops. Also the person with the vendor will start to get fined, kind of like a sales tax, for selling illegal items off of their vendors.
Message Edited by nefarious on 06-16-2004 10:42 AM
Page 3 of 3