Musician Archive
Thread: Loot System changes and In Concept concerns
Xyrdre
Fri Nov 05, 2004 2:04 pm
#27
Warryyr wrote:
Hmm, yeah. We we'll needa freakin' way to make a living! Good lord, can they finally increase mission payouts for us? haha.
Of course we still need a way to make a living. And, it's probably the best idea to change that to entertainer mission terminals in the meantime. There are still a fewplayers out there who tip us, and in my experience, a lot of the time it isn't for healing mechanics, but for our personalities and actual PtP (player to player) entertainment. That income isn't reliable though, as we all know, and the simplest patch to carry us through the changing times would indeed be to up the terminal payouts.
This thing can work... I know it's looked very bleak for a very long time, but if we unlearn what we have learned, and turn our collective gaze to what entertainers could one day be in SWG, we could take part in revolutionizing gaming for this subset of playstyles. Imagine getting the "exciting" into "exciting new professions in MMO gaming"...
Tarnak_Archvold
Sat Nov 06, 2004 1:06 am
#28
Removing all our healing and buffing? Yes, I am willing to consider it. I am willing to consider almost anything.
I do not think we had to worry that new players would not find out that we existed, as we would no longer be chained in the cantinas. We could put on coordinated performances under the open sky, in areas where players would run past us, and we would still be just as "effective" as we would in a cantina.
If this was the first step in rebuilding the professions, with in game functions being added later on then I would say put it in motion now (along with a better payout on our missions). As for what should replace the entertainment healing XP.... well I would love to se more pyrotechnic and holographic special effects
And I know that even if we have no game mechanical effects on the combat game play we would still be valued among one segment of the players. The role-players and the community builders. The ones who's idea of a party are something with dance and music and fireworks and the like, and not simply a PvP tournament.
I do not think we had to worry that new players would not find out that we existed, as we would no longer be chained in the cantinas. We could put on coordinated performances under the open sky, in areas where players would run past us, and we would still be just as "effective" as we would in a cantina.
If this was the first step in rebuilding the professions, with in game functions being added later on then I would say put it in motion now (along with a better payout on our missions). As for what should replace the entertainment healing XP.... well I would love to se more pyrotechnic and holographic special effects
And I know that even if we have no game mechanical effects on the combat game play we would still be valued among one segment of the players. The role-players and the community builders. The ones who's idea of a party are something with dance and music and fireworks and the like, and not simply a PvP tournament.
NewJedi
Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:17 pm
#30
LeBob started a separate thread on this, and his final post about it is pretty reassuring. Check it out.
LeBob
Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:23 pm
#31
Virrago wrote:
Here is what the designer had to say on that document:
"Basically that document just contains examples of ideas of the kinds of things we could do. Not things that we’re going to do. There are no plans to actually make a stimpack that heals mind wounds per say or for that matter even mind damage. It was just an example. That doc was initially written for other people to look at and go "This idea is good, this idea is bad" etc."
So what he is saying is that it would be a bad idea to put an item like that in the game.
I just got approved to post this.
DarkY0da
Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:48 pm
#32
Ohh see now this inspires ... Hmm nope that's not hope I'm feeling...
100k says this goes through as Mind Wound stim and we get ingored about it.
100k says this goes through as Mind Wound stim and we get ingored about it.
MusicalDina
Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:43 pm
#33
I like the prop idea. For dancers of course, and maybe make instruments loot dropped as well with mods on it? Like adding to musical enhancement.
Orrrrr, we could have a special instrument that is looted only. I dont really like that because we dont have enough songs/instruments as is, but it is an idea.
Perhaps an instrument/prop/clothes that gives a new special effect?
I like the stage idea, but i fear that would be too hard to code as any furniture is non collidable (would go through it not on top of it)
Maybe some new schematic for a different type of cantina, or theater.
Just a few thoughts as to loot that would be entertainer specific.
psikobunny
Wed Nov 17, 2004 6:11 am
#34
Couple ideas that got percolating in my head:
I won't comment on the Entertainer Healing and our "purpose" it's offtopic for this thread and too deep for me to plumb all my ideas without saying something that would get me in trouble.
NonCombatant Looting
Warryyr made a comment about noncombatants getting loot and it got me thinking. How could we do this? Then I realized there is already the beginnings of an ingame mechanic for this, and it would work well as a variation onwhat TH called the"slot machine" concept. We have all seen NPCs begin to clap their hands when we perform. That means the game makes some form of check already to see if there music/dancing going on in the vicinity of an NPC. Imagine layering the following onto that code:
Every NPC has a certain amount of "fatigue" (not battle fatigue, and we wouldn't get healing xps for it). If we performed near them, the game would make its normal check for them to hear/see us. Once they were listening, we would perform until their fatigue was gone, and the game would make a check on the loot table for them to tip us (small amounts of creds, or some items we could use (see below) e.g. "I don't have any cash to spare Peasleblossom, but please take this..."). The chance for better items could be improved by the number of NPC listeners we get at the same time (total fatigue * X) This couldalso be improved by the size of the performance troupe. The fatigue concept would work similarly to creature MOBs and Milk. They have a certain amount, and once its taken its gone, until the NPC despawns and a new one appears. Also a perfect opportunity to improve our mission terms, by sending us to locale X to entertain NPCs
ID variant: I didn't want our ID brethren left out, and I thought of a way to do the same for them. Each NPC could desire a random holoemote, and the ID gets 3 guesses at it. with vague clues thrown in possibly, but that would lead to too much predictability.
PROs:
-we would get a shot at the stuff! in fact some of the items we get might be desirable to combatants, and worthy of trade, in exchange for what we want. (leverage, parity, and not being at the mercy of the combatants)
-we could get out of the cantina!Travelling from town to town, all the obscure cities would see a Renaissance in street performance.
CONs
-not sure I can think of any yet. I'll add them as I do, and please feel free to give me any you think of (apart from "the Devs would NEVER do that for us", that's not a CON against the idea, its a CON for the game)
Loot Concepts
I really think that the Slot Machine and Reverse Engineering concepts TH listed could be very nice for us. We could find and collect small pieces of sheet music, intrument designs, or choreography notes, or tatoo artwork, then once we have the parts, we assemble them and gain a permanent or semipermanent schematic (this is a case when I would haveno qualms about paying a REASONABLE amount of xps, as long as other profs operated under those rules). What better way to introduce the missing flourishes (yeah I agree you deserve them Dancers, but wouldn't it be fun to have something to work for?). Heck I'd even be in favor of limited use songs (you can perform Reggae for 30 days Peasleblossom, then your license agreement expires and you have to renegotiate).
I know there are some potentially controversial concepts here, but I wanted to kick out a lot of ideas that flooded into my head all at once (kudos Warryyr)
MusicalDina
Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:36 am
#35
I really like that idea. I mean not only loot but some credits too! Just consider tips fom npcs. I really like it.
LyteFoot
Wed Nov 17, 2004 8:29 am
#36
Good ideas bunny and reasonable as well. It even can be difficult to farm because of the time involved to "heal" them unlike the meatlump spawn,shoot,loot cycle we have today. It would tie into the ent missions perfectly. Just think go entertain the ewoks and get a crystal in appreciation or the Imp troops and get a banner. Commoners could give small cash tips and the royalty jewelry or other items of larger monitary value. We might even get so SE's geared to our skills, what a concept not having to kill night sisters to get an entertainer SE!
fett3041
Wed Nov 17, 2004 9:26 am
#37
Excellent ideas Psikobunny. I highly recommend you post this in the Dev thread started on this topic.
DarkY0da
Wed Nov 17, 2004 10:50 am
#38
I've always thought that the gambling games should have jackpots that involved some really good loot... It would have to be stuff good enough for people to not mind the money sink of losing all that money in trying to get it.
Padtai
Wed Nov 17, 2004 8:33 pm
#39
DarkY0da wrote:
I've always thought that the gambling games should have jackpots that involved some really good loot... It would have to be stuff good enough for people to not mind the money sink of losing all that money in trying to get it.
Oh yeah! Now there's a way to get people into casinos, which though not cantinas, do exist and are far cooler venues for a bit of entertainment anyway. Just imagine if you could get some crystals or ship parts or whatever by betting the house on the wheel, as a rare drop prize? I bet people would do it from time to time, the same way some people fish or kill nighsister aftersister in search of some rare part or loot. I don't think it would take away from those who choose combat as the way to obtain the exact same loot, but give people a non-combat way that's not risk free to also have a chance at getting some rare prizes. I think they absolutely ought to add that in.