Smuggler Archive

Thread: playing the part of a smuggler

IndySWG
Fri Apr 23, 2004 2:23 pm
#1





I discovered last night that RP can be profitable. I had alot of fun last night doing very little in game. I decided to step up the RP meter on my smuggler just a little.


Now I'm a fairly new Master Smuggler, and I decided to hit Coronet and Theed and see what the market for slicing was like. Having never really sold my smuggler services before I wasn't sure what to charge when people would ask for a slice and I typically responded with "hmm..how about 2k per item". This seemed to go over well and people seemed to jump at the price.


I don't plan on making my living off of slicing and frankly, I got rather bored with slicing after a while and decided to visit my old stomping grounds on Tatooine. I eventually found myself sitting in a darkend corner of a rear side room of the Bestine Cantina when I got a tell. I'd pretty much decided that my slicing for the evening was over so I decided to have a bit of fun with this one.


"Can you slice a weapon?"
"I *CAN*, yes ... but it's illegal."
"I suppose ... I could be ... persuaded."

"Would 20k persuade you?"
"That'd do it. Meet me in back of the Cantina."

I walked out and:
/emote glances around for troopers
and made the trade.


I did feel a bit like a crook taking 20k (which...oddly..also felt like content ), but end the end I got a 32% Damage slice on an already uber weapon for her and I didnt feel too bad...that weapon would have sold for boat-loads on a WS vendor.


The shady transaction from the back room of the cantina had me interested in slicing again, so I went back to Theed. Naturally I got a tell rather quickly asking for slicing.


"Are you available for slicing?"
"Slicing is illegal ... I know how to do it, mind you ... but it's illegal."
"Absolutely. But if I were to hand you some items and a few credits...whats the harm. And if they were to somehow get sliced..."
"I see your point. I mean ... there's nothing saying *I* sliced them after all ... is there?"

"Nothing at all. Now theoretically, if I had 3 sets of ubese armor and 3 weapons - what do you suppose that might cost me?"
"Well...not that I have PRICES for illegal activities...or do them at all for that matter. But I would think that 2k credits per item would be reasonable."
"I wouldn't argue with that. In fact I'd be willing to pay - lets say - 3k per item, if those items were sorted into various containers based on results."
"I'm sure that could be arranged."


I jotted down the results of the slices in an email as I did each piece and sent it off to him as I traded it all back to him. In the end he'd paid me a nice round number that worked out to be more than 4k per item.


Like I said I don't plan on making my living off of slicing, but I think that just a lil' RP can make slicing both more enertaining and perhaps more profitable. (probably not as profitable as if I were to treat it like a full out up front business...but where's the fun in that? ) I also think that my business associates enjoied working with a smuggler who acted like a smuggler and not just some guy with a title and a pricing formula. And I certainly had more fun slicing than I would have hadotherwise.


I ended my night by heading back to my home town, Mos Eisley. It's too bad that the NPC cities are largely ghost towns now (other than Coronet and Theed)...I love Mos Eisley. Do any of you hang out at The Lucky Despot? I hadn't been there in ages and went back last night. I didn't know you could gamble there! It may be my new favorite hang out - very smuggler like ... to bad its so empty all the time.




Anyway ... thought I'd share my events last night as new Master Smuggler.





Korin Sterling - Master Smuggler / Master Musician - Ashla's Wing Part: [1][2]
Perfection City, Lok, Lowca [About Perfection] | [Vendor Directory] | [Forums]
Perfection ... it's not just a state of being ... it's a destination!

JeffIncredible
Fri Apr 23, 2004 2:30 pm
#2

thank you



I USED TO take Defense Stacker 2....do you?

Ex-Triple Threat |o|o|o|O
Smug-Druggler
Fri Apr 23, 2004 3:23 pm
#3

First of all, Indy, welcome to the Master ranks and congratulations.


Second, you've got afellow proponent in me as far as RP'ing goes!On this Forumand in my Galaxy I've decried the lack of RP.


I'm not out to chastise anyone. You play on your own buck, just like I play on mine and RP does takevaluable time to do well.But Ialso agree and can attest to the fact that good RP can make the difference between a short conversation and a big payday!


Most of the times that I do it, I get great compliments on it. This usually leaves metorn between thanking them for the compliment and wishing that they had not "brocken character".


I play my toon like a personablestreet guy. Approachable and to the point, but not too cold or standoffish.


My nickname "Tell-Phone", was given by buddies from the "early" days when I would conceive, pitch, and close deals "long distance", frequently using tellswhere hella RP made the diference!


One of the descriptions of Smugglers thatI readpre-launch was "the Master Smugglerhas contactsthroughout thegalaxy". Though many Smuggler concepts have not been realized, this is still one notion that I love andexpress wheneverI can.


On Cantinas


Arrgh! I hated the Hololympics for destroying my favorite place to be. To mebeing in a Cantina,was the epitome of mixing business with pleasure!


Good to hear that the old atmosphere may be returning with the changes coming in Jedi ! We'll see.


When I do long stints of business in Coronet City, I like to change from the wall booth on the north side to the "Office of the Diktat" in the northeast end. Inside there's a receptionist desk, a waiting room, and an office with a useable chair.Not to brag, but I RP the hell out of that office and my customers are wowed!


" **Customer's Name**, you're safe here,relax./comfort We're protected here. /grin Why do you think the Diktat's office is in the back of a Cantina?/chuckle /wicked grin. He's a pragmatic being who tries to meet all the desires of his people and Corellia's tourists. As he's away now on planetary business,feel free torely on me,sort of a "Special Contractor forHunting & Leisure." /beam


After an experience like that, they wouldn't forget youif they hadamnesia.


Role Play the GrandHustle, y'all ! And a toast to hopefully better times to come.



Keer Tregga the "Smug Druggler" -- Corrupting the Galaxy One Spice Run at a Time....
Jandel-Har
Fri Apr 23, 2004 3:26 pm
#4

Right arm dude! Thats a heck of an idea.Good form



Just Dak - Flurry
Auladan
Fri Apr 23, 2004 3:46 pm
#5

I'm definately a huge supporter of Roleplaying. I started, in games, back in Ultima Online, where as a GrandMaster Swordsman, I pretty much got whalloped by the mages, so I instead loitered around Moonglow and told boisterous stories of my fantastical exploits, many of which actually happened to my character, and were accented with colorful wording. Half the town hated me, the Force knows why, and the other half loved me. Even had a reporter from UOstratics.com come do a story on me, and posted it on their site a while back.

My point is, their's nothing as fun as roleplaying in a roleplaying game. Sadly, there are people who get angry when you roleplay, and try as hard as they can to belittle you. As an example: I was traveling through either Tyrena or Coronet, waiting at the Starport for the shuttle to land, when for one reason or another I was pulled in to a local conversation. However, they soon realized that I was in-character, and began to drill me about modern-day sports events, where Earth was located, and so forth. At first, they didn't know I was roleplaying, and were shocked that I didn't know what Earth was. It took a nearby player to say "He's roleplaying" (which, when everyone else numbering in the dozens were not rolepolaying, made the scene feel like a zoo and me the attraction) for them to understand my lack of knowledge in Earth-History.

Frankly, those kinds of people are missing out.

So, I think it's awesome that you're roleplaying so avidly, and although I've been lacking somewhat since I've joined a guild (which I plan to quit, as part of my characters distaste or organizations, instead sporting the go-it-alone mentality of most Scoundrels), I think you've inspired me to kick it up a notch.
Smug-Druggler
Fri Apr 23, 2004 3:51 pm
#6

Oh, and The Lucky Despot ? Every time I walk by it in Eisely, I "hang my head" low. The place is marvelous, and waaay back in the first week a buddy of mine had a party there! I remember thinking then, "Wait until people find this place. It'll be a character mecca."


LOL, yeah right. The mostcommon thing heard in The Lucky Despot is "chirp, chirp, chirp" and even those crickets have crickets.


I blame this not on us players, but on the game creators who really don't make it "game attractive" to hang out in the place. There's an identical "ship Cantina/Hotel" in Mos Entha, The Fallen Star. Same crickets.


I often think of SWG as the "Ancient Egypt" of MMORPG's. All these buildings, skills, faction gangs, and other indicators of original intentaround..... for a purpose not yet discovered or fulfilled.





Keer Tregga the "Smug Druggler" -- Corrupting the Galaxy One Spice Run at a Time....
Bossov
Sat Apr 24, 2004 1:25 am
#7

I have memories of Coronet and Mos Espa/Eisley like you guys. I started in Coronet, because of it's relation to Solo and Corsec and thought that it would have a decent population, but it wouldn't be crowded like Tatooine and Naboo obviously would(boy was I wrong). But now I can't stand Coro, only time I go there is to find a buff. It's been reduced to AFK merchants and pearl/crystal sellers or buyers shouting outside the starport and AFK "entertainers" in the cantina. Lag is a horrible thing...


I only went off planet once in my first month, a harmless trip(maybe two) to Naboo. I wanted to have some skills and such before setting out to adventure. A friend had a large Tatooine house he'd made for someone that had backed out, so I did crazed durni missions for two nights straight, bought the house and moved to a plateau outside of Espa with a good friend. I loved the place, Espa gets me very nostaglic about my noob days and Episode 1. Hehe, while we're at it, has anyone ever been to Watto's junk shop? I spent some quiet time in the Espa cantina late at night watching 2 beautiful dancer/musicians who were always there and always at the keyboard. Never said a word to them, just enjoyed the show, tipped what I could and went about my business. When player cities were coming out I went to Naboo.A very entertaining and enterprising friend was going to live in a city there and the mayor-to-be hosted events(even hosted an rp event once) and really wanted to have a lively community. I still live there, but something was calling me back, back to my roots, back to where I cut my teeth as a smuggler struggling to pay maintenance on my large house. "Back to the basics" is what I told a good friend the other day,I've laid down a house there now. Unfortunately the city is dead though. Only some Rebels here and there to farm FP or an Imp or two hoping to catch them in the act. Lag has also crept into Espa thanks to all of the ST corpses that rot there all day hehe. Seeing as how my alt is a master musician, maybe that's what the city needs... Or maybe it could just use a lone rogue, prowling the streets at night....





Bossov Sla've
The Blonde Bomber
Cinergy
Sat Apr 24, 2004 1:41 am
#8

Im sorry but roleplaying is outlawed here. Please cease and desist immediately, any further attempts at roleplaying will be met with flames and insults......



Oh wait, this isnt the Bloodfin board......please continue .





Corran H.- Master Smuggler

Ittsa Trap- Haven't Respec'ed Yet...


Havok3060
Sat Apr 24, 2004 4:52 am
#9

Ahh say no more ! I love role playing , I expecialy love Eisly and espas cantinas . Its a damn pity no one but nubs hang around their , and they arnt their long . They really need to improve NPC citys , and actually attract people to them . I suggest Sabbac , the infamouse card game that would make charaters famouse for their playing skills . I would love to be known as a famouse Sabbac player . To bad its really hard to get a good wrap in this game . Stuff such as that would increase the game by millions in my mind .



_________________________________________
Nerf Me-
Outer Rim Smuggling Supplies
Master Smuggler Master Merchant Servicing Bria Since 2003
Rekked_MDK
Sat Apr 24, 2004 5:07 am
#10

Very good post!


I love RP'ing every once in a while. I am 0434 smuggler, and not having a "fixer" title does not matter, 'cause i always fix deals.


I am surprised how nobody reads the spam in Coronet. I usually read the crystals and holo spam. Is happens more than once when you hear "Selling holo PST" and then, the guy next to him yells "LTB holo". I always fix that... for a price.


Last time I got a guy selling two single force crystals. He was asking for 300K for each of them. Five minutes later, Iheara guy asking for crystals. So, I hook them up, telling the second guy the first one is selling them for 400K each. I got a 100K discount on the other crystal (which, BTW, I ended up selling for 400K)





JANEK#SUNBER#JANEK#S
UNBER#JANEK#SUNBER#J
ANEK#SUNBER#JANEK#SU
NBER#JANEK#SUNBER#JA
NEK#SUNBER#JANEK#SUN
BER#JANEK#SUNBER#JAN
EK#SUNBER#JANEK#SUNB
ER#JANEK#SUNBER#JANE
K#SUNBER#JANEK#SUNBE
R#JANEK#SUNBER#JANEK
#SUNBER#JANEK#SUNBER
#JANEK#SUNBER#JANEK#



Jandel-Har
Sat Apr 24, 2004 7:21 am
#11

Role playing can be really fun, and it's the one thing the devs can't nerf , modify or in anyother way corrupt. But I'm sure they are working on that.



Just Dak - Flurry
RandoQuin
Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:51 pm
#12

i think its all the player cities fault...people are spread too thin. also perhapse there are too many Servers.


those are the only two things i can think of to cause such a disertion in like every city except for Coronet and Theed. they are like the center of the universes. and within those cities only like 3 main hangouts...the starport, med center and cantina. we got HUGE cities and those are the only places to hang out in. and further more, even in cantinas, entertainers are pushing to be the first noticed right when you walk in the door. GO BACK INTO BAR AREA!!!. use the space. and Docs with their bots buffing anywhere. GO BACK TO THE MED CENTER. or cantina. everyone wants the easiest way out. if its its too much trouble the whine. if you cant take it, give it up. its like all the whiners want the devs to hold our hand while playing. maybe lay a jacket over a puddle so you can cross.


/end rant
Isleh
Thu Sep 23, 2004 5:24 pm
#13






RandoQuin wrote:

i think its all the player cities fault...people are spread too thin. also perhapse there are too many Servers.


those are the only two things i can think of to cause such a disertion in like every city except for Coronet and Theed. they are like the center of the universes. and within those cities only like 3 main hangouts...the starport, med center and cantina. we got HUGE cities and those are the only places to hang out in. and further more, even in cantinas, entertainers are pushing to be the first noticed right when you walk in the door. GO BACK INTO BAR AREA!!!. use the space. and Docs with their bots buffing anywhere. GO BACK TO THE MED CENTER. or cantina. everyone wants the easiest way out. if its its too much trouble the whine. if you cant take it, give it up. its like all the whiners want the devs to hold our hand while playing. maybe lay a jacket over a puddle so you can cross.


/end rant





I'm torn between getting players back into the NPC cities and limiting player cities. There are jest certain RPthings you can do in a player city that you can't in a NPC city.... like own a cantina...


The current system forces players out of the city. Want to place a shop? got to place it 1000m away from the starport. The big cities must look the the epicenter of a neclear blast with the buildings left standing at ground zero and nothing else left standing in a 1000 meter radius.


Why not use those big huge buildings in the NPC cities? Let a player 'rent' an office/apartment/shop spacein a Corellian skyscraper, a Tatooien silo or Naboo villia. Use real world economics to spread out the vendors. The more players that rent a space in a city, the higher the rent goes.....


I'll stop here. Don't want to hijack the thread.


I'm a bit jaded when it comes to trying to RP in the big cities. I play my character as sort of aswg Madi Hari but I find it difficult to RP sometimes in some cities and especially when slicingand having to stop and explain that slicing is random... yadda yadda yadda....


I also kind of avoid RP while slicing because I want to avoid a possible misunderstanding. As I get more experienced, I'm sure I'll get regular customers and that will help things as well as making it easier to RP the interaction.

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