Pilot Archive
Thread: Changes I would like to see for all pilots and freelancers
Attacca wrote:
I'm dropping Freelance again just as soon as they fix the respec issues because I can't faction with it, and I wonder how many other pilots do the same.
And that right there is argument on why it should stay as is. I have done the EXACT same thing, for the EXACT same reasons. The point is, i was encouraged to pick a side. And honestly given the game changes lately on the ground, you are encouraged to choose sides.
Freelance, really has it easy in the "day to day life" department. Think about it, every factional ship is yellow to them. THey can pick and choose their targets and their fights. Their civillian ships, therefore not considered a threat by the empire or the rebellion until they engage in hostile activities.
Alliance pilots on the otherhand, their "day to day life" is a bit more of a PITA. Same with Imperial pilots. Their just fundamentally different. rebel/imperial is military. Factional Deep space stations are military stations. Or really, checkpoints. Put it in real world terms.
Say your in the army, and your standing guard at an outpost to a restricted area. Beyond is a battlefield. Military convoys roll through, you'll proably just wave them on. Now picture some fella named "Bubba" driving up in a beat up old chevy truck, and shouting out the window, "Hey man lemme through, im gonna go kill me some pinko commies!" If you were that gate guard what would you do? Probably turn him away and tell him to go home? Or maybe even go see the local recruiter to enlist?
Message Edited by Ducimus on 07-15-2005 02:03 AM
Sure, they'd find a use for him, but after he came back he wouldn't be up for a promotion (faction standing). He's outside the Chain of Command, can come and go as he pleases, he's militia. Regular armies use them, and then thank them at the end of the day, but they don't let them in to the fast track to becoming Colonel.
As for you examples of "other cases" in star wars, I'm still willing to bet those other folk using personal craft were the heroes of the story or central to the plot. That means they were special cases, and as players we're not.
The Rebellion started small, but was always well organized. They put up 30 ships at Yavin, and that was when they were still small. By the time of ESB, the Rebels on Hoth were one smaller contingent of the Rebel command structure, and Rogue group alone was at least 11 ships, and there were more than just one fighter group on Hoth.My point is, there was a large enough standard force to demonstrate that while every ship was crucial, the Rebels weren't as desperate for help as you portray them. Certainly not desperate enough to fast track a guy off the street into the Officer's Club.
Personally, I'd allow the Freelancers the flexibility to play both sides of the fence and allow their Freelance faction to work for either Rebel or Imperial Deep Space Stations. Rebel Freelancers ONLY through the Dantooine Station, and Imperial Freelancers ONLY at the Endor Station. Truly neutral pilots, with no ground faction could use either station. (What the hell could this possibly harm, really?)
Under some circumstances, both sides used mercs, and I'm not at all objectionable to Neutrals having the occassional advantage for their non-aligned position. I can understand some penalties from non-participation in the metagame, but damn, we faction fliers don't have to be completely selfish arseholes about it.
...
You get the chance as freelance to shoot at anything and have a lot of ships that are red aggro for Faction pilots appear yellow to you. This is the payoff for you is the choice of targets in normal space, the payoff for us is the chance at faction in DS.In the context of the game, there's no reason a faction would reward a Freelance pilot as much as it would reward a pilot that had signed up in their Navy. This would seriously undermine Pilot Morale. They are more than willing to let you help them, but they are going to reward their frontline pilots who are "assigned" to that duty, as opposed to a guy who just shows up for the heck of it (in the context of the game that's how it works, an Alliance or Imp pilot is on assignment, a Freelancer is someone who showed up).
Your argument is full of holes. You would be absolutely correct for every area of space except Deep Space.
I do have the freedom to pick targets normally, but not in deep space. When I go there, I AM committing to a side, and all ships of the other faction are red to me.
As far as your other reasoning, it's flat out wrong too. Pilots for a faction are there as duty, drawing pay, and committed to the cause. Typically, the reson for hiring freelance pilots is that you need more firepower than you have, either to defend or attack. This extra help does not come cheap, you're asking a pilot who is not committed to the cause to risk his or her life for that cause, and usually a lot of money is involved in this.
Edit:
In addition, why wouldn't we earn faction? Lets say your a reb admiral, and you need help desperatly, so you hire whoever can help. Lets also say that later on you need just one more pilot to assist with a mission. Who do you get, the new guy who just showed up, or that other guy that's worked for you before, and seems fairly reliable?
'Nother Edit:
And besids that, I'm a rebel on the ground, it's not like they don't know me, and I'm some merc who just shows up sometime, I AM a member, and do earn ranks for taking out stormmies, just not for my piloting.
Let's use Corran Horn from the EU as an exaple here, he did join the rebellion, but flew his own ship (I still want X-wings for neutral pilots... but I can let that go....
), which is basicly what I'm doing. If a am a rebel officer, but just fly my own ship on Rebel missions, why shouldn't I get faction for it?Message Edited by TomedNor on 07-15-2005 10:56 AM
Within the realm of SWG I may be Imperial, but I am not a military regular. We fall into the hero category. I've served the Empire well, I have the commendations from Vader and the Emperor to show for it. But I'm not in the command structure on the ground either, although they're plenty happy to give me faction for killing rebels.
Part of my frustration may be with the fact that as an Imperial we're at a slight disadvantage when it comes to factioning in space to begin with, and as a Freelance pilot even more so.
JanuHull wrote:
Personally, I'd allow the Freelancers the flexibility to play both sides of the fence and allow their Freelance faction to work for either Rebel or Imperial Deep Space Stations. Rebel Freelancers ONLY through the Dantooine Station, and Imperial Freelancers ONLY at the Endor Station. Truly neutral pilots, with no ground faction could use either station. (What the hell could this possibly harm, really?)
I like this idea.
I'm not sure factioned Freelance should ever be neutral in space anyway. C'mon, I've killed countless rebels, I think they know about me. The only Freelance pilots who should have true neutrality in space are those who are neutral on the ground - but now we're back to the need to bring the GCW into space.
Maybe the question should be what would be the harm/affect of letting Freelancers gain faction in DS. On the upside it would mean more ships out there, with more variaty. I'm not sure of a downside, other than a technical military argument.
psikobunny wrote:Sure, they'd find a use for him, but after he came back he wouldn't be up for a promotion (faction standing). He's outside the Chain of Command, can come and go as he pleases, he's militia. Regular armies use them, and then thank them at the end of the day, but they don't let them in to the fast track to becoming Colonel.
Qfe. Thanks bunny.
Only further thing im gong to add is.
1.) I realize and understand that people will adamantly disagree with me. Thats cool, really, i dont blame you.
2.) My view is not out of favortism for any particular pilot profession over another. Heck Ive done privateer 4 times. Im only lookin at the game (JTL) as a whole, and how the professions relate to one another in the context of GCW mechanics.
3.) When faction aligned privateer PERMENATLY gives up its day to day neutrality, then i might change my mind. But then for many the neutrality (being yellow to everyone in space) is part of the perk, and would kinda defeat the puprpose of being a privateer woudlnt it?
Many factions except rebel and imperial. Kessel is a great example of how much of a "farce" im talking about. lol.
Ducimus wrote:
>>Personaly I chose Freelance for the ship choices, the safety of flying with stuff all yellow is a farce. Freelancers are agro to many diffrent faction in space
Many factions except rebel and imperial. Kessel is a great example of how much of a "farce" im talking about. lol.
O_o
elaborate? 
Krendor wrote:I would like to see the devs address the issue of us not getting faction for our corrosponding ground faction reb/imp while in Deepspace theres realy no reason for it to be this way as we have all the risk but no reward the same as the imperial and rebel pilot types in DS. Also I would like to see pilot prestige exp beable to be converted to force sensitive exp at the village to help out on the grinding a bit. It doesn't have to be anything special heck make it 60 -1 or more ratio but atleast give those of us that get bored killing stuff on land over and over ad naseum another alternative.
Adressing the first thing, yes ofcourse we freelance pilots (I have many pilot alts, one of them freelance) should be able to overt in space, the devs should make it to where you auto-overt to whatever faction you belong to, and for freelance you overt to whichever side you have to (RSF for example would have to be imp, smuggle alliance Rebel, and corsec get to choose). I mean I can overt on the way to DS, but it would be easier if we spawned overt, its a pvp zone already save us the trip devs.
Adressing the second thing, sure you should be allowed to xfer prestige for FS, when and only when pilot cost skills points (and I mean the full sp of either a novice or elite profession). If it ever does then you should be allowed to, untill then NO!.
I mean I grind in deep space becuase I just love piloting, its so fun, I do death star runs, farm for FP, or just have fun seeing how many ties I can take on at once.
psikobunny wrote:
...The Rebellion started small, but was always well organized. They put up 30 ships at Yavin, and that was when they were still small. By the time of ESB, the Rebels on Hoth were one smaller contingent of the Rebel command structure, and Rogue group alone was at least 11 ships, and there were more than just one fighter group on Hoth.My point is, there was a large enough standard force to demonstrate that while every ship was crucial, the Rebels weren't as desperate for help as you portray them. Certainly not desperate enough to fast track a guy off the street into the Officer's Club.
I know that "this thread sucks" 
.
But I did want to mention something about this. I think that the argument above is absolutely excellent in how it describes the rebellion, and in most cases it would be true. Of course, Lando got promoted to General just for going to get Han after he sold him up the river anyway...
But, of course, those were exceptional circumstances. I personally find it to be annoying that I can't gain faction as a Privateer, but who cares? I have enough to join either side, but choose not to, because I'd rather stay out of it.
As to targets appearing yellow in space, this is true, until I go into DS as one or the other. After that, ALL members of the opposite side are red to me, even after leaving DS...