Ranger Archive
Thread: About droid harvesting
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Calculus_Entropy
Wed Apr 28, 2004 10:44 am
#1
People are posting lots of numbers on the droid harvesting, and people are posting many 'woe is me' responses 
. Let's get some moredata in before we start getting worked up 
. There are many variables when testing harvesting (or anything for that matter) and not all of them may be considered. Also, while any data is good, you need to get many data points (the mostI have seen is 15) before you can start coming to educated conclusions.
. Let's get some moredata in before we start getting worked up . There are many variables when testing harvesting (or anything for that matter) and not all of them may be considered. Also, while any data is good, you need to get many data points (the mostI have seen is 15) before you can start coming to educated conclusions.
Veldcath
Wed Apr 28, 2004 1:09 pm
#2
True, I've only done sampling so far on Gurks, though I've done quite a lot. Two different people at different skill levels, I have trackers and whelps all the way down with no help, +16 droid, +31 droid, +105 droid, +27 veghash, +27 veg and +31 droid, +27 veg and +105 droid. Which makes for a four by three grid (column 1 is +45 skill, column 2 is +45 skill with hash, column 3 is +90 skill, column 4 is +90 skill with hash, rows of no droid, +31 droid and +105 droid.) Most of my data-points have been checked several times to verify the reproducibility of the data.
It's not that intensive, but it's more than anyone else has posted to date. I really do want to find someone who is JUST a novice scout and run tests with them as well. And try on smaller creatures and larger creatures both.
-V
MaddoDoggiy
Wed Apr 28, 2004 2:46 pm
#3
So tell us what you've found so far.
Veldcath wrote:True, I've only done sampling so far on Gurks, though I've done quite a lot. Two different people at different skill levels, I have trackers and whelps all the way down with no help, +16 droid, +31 droid, +105 droid, +27 veghash, +27 veg and +31 droid, +27 veg and +105 droid. Which makes for a four by three grid (column 1 is +45 skill, column 2 is +45 skill with hash, column 3 is +90 skill, column 4 is +90 skill with hash, rows of no droid, +31 droid and +105 droid.) Most of my data-points have been checked several times to verify the reproducibility of the data.It's not that intensive, but it's more than anyone else has posted to date. I really do want to find someone who is JUST a novice scout and run tests with them as well. And try on smaller creatures and larger creatures both.-V
JBMat
Wed Apr 28, 2004 2:51 pm
#4
Never being one to let facts override emotions - OK, so sometimes I have been wrong - maybe, I think I was, once anyhow -
I still don't see how this droid can help me specifically. I can waste my money on something else, like ... new weapons.
Maybe alla you nancy boys too chicken to close with and destroy creatures can use the tin cans. Me, I am sticking with a fighting droid and harvesting the old fashioned way. Wow, how much more you getting?? woohooo. My macro is faster, cheaper and loots too.
See ya
JB
AgonThalia
Wed Apr 28, 2004 3:29 pm
#5
Like JB said....
the fastest, best way to harvest is still the old-fashioned way. I may lose a small percentage of harvests by not using the droid, I can live with it.
A quick example of the only plus on the droid:
I have been hunting on Rori for the wooly hide, Im not yet a master fencer...(and im not having a great time with it either....)
I was in a fight with 3 ravenous tortons, 1 went down and the other two were being difficult and refused to die... I didnt want to lose the 150+ hides from corpse decay, so I sent my droid in to let it harvest the corpse, the hides went directly into my inventory and I proceeded to whomp on the other tortons.
When the other two went down, I took my trusty virtual knife, and skillfully skinned their virtual hides.
With veghash, the droid harvested only a couple more units than I did (im assuming everyone knows that it stacks with veghash)
The droid will never actually replace my virtual skinning knife, but this is one time where it was benefitial to have a harvesting droid.
As far as I can tell, the benefits and +to harvesting dont really make it essential...its merely a tool.
the fastest, best way to harvest is still the old-fashioned way. I may lose a small percentage of harvests by not using the droid, I can live with it.
A quick example of the only plus on the droid:
I have been hunting on Rori for the wooly hide, Im not yet a master fencer...(and im not having a great time with it either....)
I was in a fight with 3 ravenous tortons, 1 went down and the other two were being difficult and refused to die... I didnt want to lose the 150+ hides from corpse decay, so I sent my droid in to let it harvest the corpse, the hides went directly into my inventory and I proceeded to whomp on the other tortons.
When the other two went down, I took my trusty virtual knife, and skillfully skinned their virtual hides.
With veghash, the droid harvested only a couple more units than I did (im assuming everyone knows that it stacks with veghash)
The droid will never actually replace my virtual skinning knife, but this is one time where it was benefitial to have a harvesting droid.
As far as I can tell, the benefits and +to harvesting dont really make it essential...its merely a tool.
Veldcath
Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:15 pm
#6
MaddoDoggiy wrote: So tell us what you've found so far.
I already have. If you'll kindly direct your eyes over to the following Ranger board topic so that I don't repeat my post through any given forums - I already feel bad cross-posting it in Scout, CH and DE...
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=ranger&message.id=46921
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=ranger&message.id=46921
I do plan to do further testing, at some point, with other creatures and people at different levels, as I can find the appropriate mix. I would like to get a good reference grid going. Coincidentally, if anyone wants my exact numbers to help them carry on their own research, I'd be more than happy to PM them to people if you just PM me a request for them.
-V
Nemo0
Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:56 pm
#7
AgonThalia wrote:
Like JB said....
the fastest, best way to harvest is still the old-fashioned way. I may lose a small percentage of harvests by not using the droid, I can live with it.
A quick example of the only plus on the droid:
I have been hunting on Rori for the wooly hide, Im not yet a master fencer...(and im not having a great time with it either....)
I was in a fight with 3 ravenous tortons, 1 went down and the other two were being difficult and refused to die... I didnt want to lose the 150+ hides from corpse decay, so I sent my droid in to let it harvest the corpse, the hides went directly into my inventory and I proceeded to whomp on the other tortons.
When the other two went down, I took my trusty virtual knife, and skillfully skinned their virtual hides.
With veghash, the droid harvested only a couple more units than I did (im assuming everyone knows that it stacks with veghash)
The droid will never actually replace my virtual skinning knife, but this is one time where it was benefitial to have a harvesting droid.
As far as I can tell, the benefits and +to harvesting dont really make it essential...its merely a tool.
Just to make sure you know, corpses hang around for many minutes as long as no one harvests or loots them. So I'm guessing that the corpse would have been fine until you killed the other two tortons (at least I hope it didn't take THAT long to kill them). I'd say this is more of a problem when you are fighting in a group and someone decides to harvest in the middle of combat. I very much doubt I will bother with a harvesting droid. But the trap droid or a combat droid might be worth looking into (if the traps didn't freeze me in place then I might actually use them and the combat droids actually are rumored to be useful now). As it is, I'm beginning not to care. I've only harvest for friends and I don't usually bother charging them so it's not much of a loss to me. It's just annoying.
Lythender Nirou
Master Ranger/Master Rifleman
Eclipse Server
AgonThalia
Thu Apr 29, 2004 12:56 am
#8
True..true..
I just picked up a harvesting droid today (didnt buy it...it was given to me by a MDE who wanted to experiment with it)
While the initial results werent amazing, it's not a bad tool.... plus, if we get our harvesting boost that we asked for, the droid can truly be a decent addition.
I just picked up a harvesting droid today (didnt buy it...it was given to me by a MDE who wanted to experiment with it)
While the initial results werent amazing, it's not a bad tool.... plus, if we get our harvesting boost that we asked for, the droid can truly be a decent addition.
DND_Cas
Thu Apr 29, 2004 4:53 am
#9
JBMat wrote:
Never being one to let facts override emotions - OK, so sometimes I have been wrong - maybe, I think I was, once anyhow -
I still don't see how this droid can help me specifically. I can waste my money on something else, like ... new weapons.
Maybe alla you nancy boys too chicken to close with and destroy creatures can use the tin cans. Me, I am sticking with a fighting droid and harvesting the old fashioned way. Wow, how much more you getting?? woohooo. My macro is faster, cheaper and loots too.
See ya
JB
And to me thats where the cruncher comes in. The fact thatmany will not use this driod because like most of our stuff its, well, fluff that has an extremely limited use or the costs outweigh the usefulness in comparison with our other skills. This driod module does not address any of the concerns we put forward -if anything it completely misses the point we have been making.
So one last time in the hope that a developer somewhere is reading:
Its our harvesting ability vs skill points that is the problemnotour harvesting ability per se. This driod does not address that fundamental problem.
JB's hit the nail on the head. A combat driod is a more useful driod for a ranger than a harvesting driod because it allows the ranger to kill the MOB more quickly and therefore harvest better. If you don't see the fundamental problem with a combat driod being more useful than a harvesting driod for harvesting then we're fighting a losing battle.
AgonThalia
Thu Apr 29, 2004 6:16 am
#10
Nemo0 wrote:Just to make sure you know, corpses hang around for many minutes as long as no one harvests or loots them. So I'm guessing that the corpse would have been fine until you killed the other two tortons (at least I hope it didn't take THAT long to kill them). I'd say this is more of a problem when you are fighting in a group and someone decides to harvest in the middle of combat. I very much doubt I will bother with a harvesting droid. But the trap droid or a combat droid might be worth looking into (if the traps didn't freeze me in place then I might actually use them and the combat droids actually are rumored to be useful now). As it is, I'm beginning not to care. I've only harvest for friends and I don't usually bother charging them so it's not much of a loss to me. It's just annoying.Lythender Nirou
Master Ranger/Master Rifleman
Eclipse Server
Yeah...I know...
I think my point that I wanted to put out was that, that was the only use I found for it. So, while I got the little droid for free...I used it to see if it was really worth it.
Personally, I really dont see my harvesting droid being an essential or even occasional hunting companion.... Its not worth the extra work.
El_Molestadore
Thu Apr 29, 2004 7:45 am
#11
AgonThalia wrote:
Like JB said....
the fastest, best way to harvest is still the old-fashioned way. I may lose a small percentage of harvests by not using the droid, I can live with it.
A quick example of the only plus on the droid:
I have been hunting on Rori for the wooly hide, Im not yet a master fencer...(and im not having a great time with it either....)
I was in a fight with 3 ravenous tortons, 1 went down and the other two were being difficult and refused to die... I didnt want to lose the 150+ hides from corpse decay, so I sent my droid in to let it harvest the corpse, the hides went directly into my inventory and I proceeded to whomp on the other tortons.
When the other two went down, I took my trusty virtual knife, and skillfully skinned their virtual hides.
With veghash, the droid harvested only a couple more units than I did (im assuming everyone knows that it stacks with veghash)
The droid will never actually replace my virtual skinning knife, but this is one time where it was benefitial to have a harvesting droid.
As far as I can tell, the benefits and +to harvesting dont really make it essential...its merely a tool.
Hey, is there a new good shift of wooly on Rori? 
Veldcath
Thu Apr 29, 2004 8:34 am
#12
Not on Eclipse. It's only 'okay' right now. I checked it last night.
So, I'm a "nancy boy" for not being an elite uber combatant type? Look. I'm a Novice Pistoleer with two extra boxes. I'm a Master CH. I stand back, let the pets do the work. If I have the droid harvesting while things fall, I don't have to run around and do it. I can keep spamming the health shot (got that fun Action-boosting drink going) while my pets keep focus, which helps drop targets faster. When the last critter in a wave falls, I can tap the lair and keep them coming. No pause for me to run around harvesting, no having to peace to take care of a corpse and miss out on doing damage from sapshot spamming.
Granted, this does nothing for loot, but when I'm on a resource-gathering binge, the last thing I'm doing is trying to loot. I mean, c'mon... What good does looting Leviasqualls do when you're after Rori Herbivore? Or gurks? Most of the things I fight when I'm harvesting don't HAVE loot drops, so I'm not missing anything there.
Nope, for me, the droid IS a convenience. It's NOT that for everyone, but don't go calling me a 'nancy boy' just because I'm not following an FoTM template.
-V
Calculus_Entropy
Thu Apr 29, 2004 9:24 am
#13
As far as looting is concerned, many of us have macros set up that harvest and loot at the touch of a button.
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