Smuggler Archive
Thread: Spice: Smuggle or Craft?
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WesBelden
Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:10 am
#1
These are replies to Malcolm's Smuggler Hook Ups thread.
Nicolas_Frost wrote:
Okay, here's an idea that's a mix of aquiring spices, and crafting spices.
Dun-dun-DUHN!
Have us go out and aquire temporary use schematics(lets say, five at the most). Then we can craft and experiment with them, and even make factory runs, but- Factory runs on these schematics are limited to a max of 300-400 doses each.
Fernas wrote:
great ideas, but i have a question.
why should we have to pay for the spice we "pick up". they should be paying us. is this some form of collateral? if so, do we get it back along with our payment? we're doing them a service and taking almost all of the risk. why should we pay them?
maybe the collateral is higher at lower levels and moves to none at master where you have supposedly become a notorious and "trusted" smuggler?
These two posts got me thinking (a most painful process indeed); The Smuggler community has expressed its united desire to Smuggle in game, to move away from the petty criminal and drug dealer aspects in the profession as it currently stands.
However, opinions and ideas start to differ when it comes to spices and crafting. We are assuming that a contraband system and other worth while, high risk high reward, very illegal items will be introduced into the game for us to Smuggle; for now though, put these asside and assume that Spice is what we Smuggle.
Nicolas' post shows a desire to keep crafting spice, yet this, to me at least, seems to move away from being a Smuggler and more towards that of drug maker and dealer; it also raises the question of what to do once the spices are crafted, do they remain contraband? can they simply be sold on a vendor, or would the Smuggler, after crafting the spice, be required to then Smuggle it elsewhere?
Fernas' post made me think that, despite the "hot or not" dealing system is a good idea and I'd be happy if it were implemented, it still makes us, when you come down to it, dealers and not Smugglers; the difference being, as dealers we purchase a supply instead of make it.
For me, my ideal view of Smuggling spice for players would see the player themselves aproach an NPC and order the spice through them. This would then put a up a Spice Smuggling mission on the mission terminals (or wherever we get our missions from); The level of spice that was ordered and your standing with the faction the player went to for it would determin the required skill level and faction standing for the Smuggler to see and take the mission. This is however, my view.
What do you think? if you were to choose either, would you keep crafting in the loop? would you prefer just Smuggling? and why?
Kells
Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:18 am
#2
I'd prefer to smuggle than to craft. My reasons? Well, I play a smuggler andnot a drug dealer.
Frolykk
Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:19 am
#3
Well i didn't become a smuggler to be a chemist.
So i'd rather loose my ability to craft spices and gain the ability to actually smuggle, the leave things as is.
Kelko
Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:25 am
#4
Kells wrote:
I'd prefer to smuggle than to craft. My reasons? Well, I play a smuggler andnot a drug dealer.
Ditto!
Nicolas_Frost
Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:30 am
#6
Heh, you kinda took what I said outta context. I was trying to find a happy medium for the people that wanted to craft and wanted to aquire.
Personally, I don't like crafting in MMOs. However, I will admit, SWG has the best crafting system I've seen, I still don't like all that crafting.
I'm the type that would rather aquire, I just wanted to bridge the gap between aquisition and crafting.
Personally, I don't like crafting in MMOs. However, I will admit, SWG has the best crafting system I've seen, I still don't like all that crafting.
I'm the type that would rather aquire, I just wanted to bridge the gap between aquisition and crafting.
DRWolfe
Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:48 am
#7
Myself, I'd like to smuggle it. There have been many suggestions on how to go about this. This is a bit rough, and needs tons more thought and detail, but here's an idea...
Spice would be actually sold through various dealers (NPCs) scattered throughout the galaxy (in cantina back-rooms and other such likely places). A method of making these PC dealers and making PC cities more useful would be to make PC cantina owners able to place these dealers in their cantinas.
Each dealer is linked to a particular criminal group (Jabba, Valerian, etc). Missions are generated by an NPC at the criminal group's base of operations for Smugglers to deliver spice to their dealers (or a cantina owner uses an option on his dealer to place an order for spice to be delivered). If it is only PC cantina dealers, missions should also be generated for NPC deliveries so there are always missions available.
The Smuggler takes the mission and the spice is placed in his inventory via a special container item that cannot be opened (like the supply crate for Whip's Vehicular Control missions). All law enforcement officers in cities (including Imperials) and Imperials in the wilds would do random scans (like the Imperials currently do) and this item would be considered contraband. If this item is discovered in a scan and the scanning trooper is not killed within a certain time, the shipment is lost, the Smuggler's faction for that criminal group is reduced, and possibly the Smuggler generates a little "notoriety" to be placed on the Bounty Hunter teminals. If the shipment is delivered successfully, the Smuggler is paid the mission reward, his faction for that criminal group goes up, and possibly his "notoriety" goes down. The crate is then broken up automatically into however many units of spice were ordered and made available to be purchased from the dealer.
Spice would be actually sold through various dealers (NPCs) scattered throughout the galaxy (in cantina back-rooms and other such likely places). A method of making these PC dealers and making PC cities more useful would be to make PC cantina owners able to place these dealers in their cantinas.
Each dealer is linked to a particular criminal group (Jabba, Valerian, etc). Missions are generated by an NPC at the criminal group's base of operations for Smugglers to deliver spice to their dealers (or a cantina owner uses an option on his dealer to place an order for spice to be delivered). If it is only PC cantina dealers, missions should also be generated for NPC deliveries so there are always missions available.
The Smuggler takes the mission and the spice is placed in his inventory via a special container item that cannot be opened (like the supply crate for Whip's Vehicular Control missions). All law enforcement officers in cities (including Imperials) and Imperials in the wilds would do random scans (like the Imperials currently do) and this item would be considered contraband. If this item is discovered in a scan and the scanning trooper is not killed within a certain time, the shipment is lost, the Smuggler's faction for that criminal group is reduced, and possibly the Smuggler generates a little "notoriety" to be placed on the Bounty Hunter teminals. If the shipment is delivered successfully, the Smuggler is paid the mission reward, his faction for that criminal group goes up, and possibly his "notoriety" goes down. The crate is then broken up automatically into however many units of spice were ordered and made available to be purchased from the dealer.
Message Edited by DRWolfe on 01-11-2005 09:49 AM
rogue_eight
Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:49 am
#8
I'm with the acquire through mission thing.
Personally I don't think that spice should be craftable at all, by anyone.
As has been mentioned before, spice in the SW universe means Glitterstim. It's rare (only comes from one place) and highly powerful and illegal.
Of course we'd have to have more than one type of spice in the game for variety and content's sake, but if we limited the way it enters the game to only receiving small amounts as the 'payout' as it were of an NPC given Smuggler only mission, that would mean that the power of the spice could be upped without ruining game balance as well as providing us with something that would give us quite a profit.
Also, if it's something that you can't put on a vendor or a bazaar, then it would require a player to find you to purchase it/deliver it, and also would need a Smuggler's skills to transport it in any quantity.
Just my tuppence.
Personally I don't think that spice should be craftable at all, by anyone.
As has been mentioned before, spice in the SW universe means Glitterstim. It's rare (only comes from one place) and highly powerful and illegal.
Of course we'd have to have more than one type of spice in the game for variety and content's sake, but if we limited the way it enters the game to only receiving small amounts as the 'payout' as it were of an NPC given Smuggler only mission, that would mean that the power of the spice could be upped without ruining game balance as well as providing us with something that would give us quite a profit.
Also, if it's something that you can't put on a vendor or a bazaar, then it would require a player to find you to purchase it/deliver it, and also would need a Smuggler's skills to transport it in any quantity.
Just my tuppence.
Thochkored
Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:53 am
#9
/smuggle
I'm a Smuggler, not a drug dealer. Therecan also beothers things to smuggle besides spice.
Jaguarrr
Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:58 am
#10
Smuggle, I want to Smuggle my spice. The "Hot or Not" thing has my vote too.
mskroch
Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:04 am
#11
I'll gladly take smuggle over craft. Let the chefs or doctors craft it!
Malcolm_CaKre
Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:06 am
#12
Well, I'd have to vote no for crafting, and yes for running around making deliveries. (NPC to NPC, NPC to PC, or from NPC to PC by request, it's all good. Just let me get out of the house and get shot at under the sunshine.)
*However* if various "hot or not" qualities are applied to spices, we could allow our aspiring underground chemists to tweak their spices. It would wind up a bit like slicing, but it would be either "cutting" it to get more hits, or "spiking" it to tweak the effects or downer. So, the savvy Smuggler could go after the qualities of spices he wanted, both by chasing down NPC contacts to follow shifts of hotter spice, and/or he could take what he gets and tweak it up through a crafting process. A true Spice Lord in the making would probably do both.
(In the spirit of reusing existing functionality, this could be a little bit like the now-obsolete lightsaber crafting process, where the original spice is an ingredient in the cut or spiked 2nd gen spice.)
Mal
Nicolas_Frost
Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:12 am
#13
In fact, the devs could combine the Spice branch into the Underworld branch, but instead of needing those levels to craft the spice, we'd need each level to aquire the spice.
The empty branch could now be used for unarmed specials.
The empty branch could now be used for unarmed specials.
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