Smuggler Archive
Thread: What can the Devs do to keep you happy until the Revamp? (Or...Throw Us A Frickin' Bone, Devs!)
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AudioOrgana wrote:
3. Implement any-planet to any-planet smuggler tickets. Crossing from, say,Lok to Dantooine is becoming a nightmare - flying from Lok to Naboo to Corellia to Dantooine - kill two birds with one stone here and satisfy those who hate starship transfers until they can fly themselves in JTL while giving smugglers something valuable to sell.
Hoo hoo hoo - if you thought smugglers were slice monkeys now, just wait what this would bring. You'd never see another smuggler title ever again. Galactic travel agent for people that would believe that they should get a ticket for less than what it would cost to planet-hop. Bad idea IMHO.
I've dropped Master Smuggler and everything except FD - however if the Dev Team would actually show up here for more than pithy comments and apologies I'd be a happier camper.
Publishing a document of what the Devs have in mind for Smuggler, Squad Leader, the GCW andthe Combat Revamp. Inviting input and then actually paying attention to that input. Finally publishing a document of what will be coded and can be expected and actually meeting that commitment.
That's what it will take to restore my confidence that this Dev team respects us and our opinions and expertise.
I disagree Audio...
If the devs want to keep us happy, here are some things they MUST do...
1) First they need to go back and answer that question of our from the latest 19 Answers. It is IMPERATIVE that we know HOW JTL is supposed to give us a greater role in the galaxy. For one thing, it's dishonest to make people BUY an expansion, just to discover whether or not they want to continue their profession. Secondly, we REALLY don't understand how three pilot professions are the magic bullet to solving our lack of role issues. Personally I'm having nightmares of, "Well they've got ships, they can smuggle now!" being the answer, when all that means we'll be able to fly back and forth when we're NOT smuggling, as there is no reason or incentive for Players to ask us to ship something for them. In short, "What specifically, about JTL is going to further define our role in the game as ACTUAL smugglers (as opposed to combatants/spice/slice monkies?). " That's number 1.
2) The Devs need to stop asking us for vision documents, design documents, and other busy work, promising communication that never comes. We know it's busy work, okay? And we're sick of doing those docs. Because it's the SAME DOC every time, with the same ideas. I haven't heard a new idea around here in like TWO months because NO idea around here ever gets heard or implemented. They just keep asking us for the same ideas in different formats. Their latest excuse is insulting...."It needs to be 1-2 pages long." That tells me that they have no reading comprehension skills. I don't do this crap for a living. They're supposed to be asking my volunteer assistance, not putting me to work. We give them the data, THEY interpret it. We're not writing anymore documents.
3) THEY NEED TO READ! They need to read all the documents they've sent. Someone on THEIR staff can condense it for them if they like, but they need to read the ideas they've put forth and start talking about them, amongst themselves, and, just as importantly TO US. They have questions? We can answer them. They have problems? We'll try to help them think of solutions. BUT THEY"VE GOT ENOUGH IDEAS TO BUILD A WHOLE NEW **edit**ING GAME. No more from us. Work with what we've given you.
4) Where's that communication? end of subject.
I don't want new bells and whistles. Bells and whistles are the PROBLEM, not the solution. I want communication. I want them to read and review our ideas. I want them to start working on them. I want to know where I fit in the new Expansion. I DON'T want to regurgitate the same ideas, "Yeah, can you do it in one paragraph, not using the words, 'a', 'the', or 'smuggle'?"
That's what they need to do?
I want to know what it says under smuggler in the dictionary used by the developers that leads them to believe that it can only be implemented with space ships. I want to know what skills they plan on granting us that are only possible with SE and how those skills will enable us to smuggle.
2 things...
Give me my force sensitive slot (so I can keep my Smuggler and entertain myself until the revamp)
and
Give me a 'modified' YT-1300 (as good as the falcon...fast, great armor, good offensive abilities) and make me certified to use it upon release of JtL
chown2 wrote:
None of those matter to me. The bone I'd like to see is information. I want to know what's so holy about SE that will make smuggling possible when it can't be implemented today. I've said over and over that smuggling is just transporting. If they can't implement comprehensive scans for contraband and/or tariffs today, I don't think they'll be able to do it in SE.
I want to know what it says under smuggler in the dictionary used by the developers that leads them to believe that it can only be implemented with space ships. I want to know what skills they plan on granting us that are only possible with SE and how those skills will enable us to smuggle.
I guess my point was lost...
Yes, guys, this sucks big monkey chunks and as usual the communications bottleneck is what is breaking peoples patience.
HOWEVER, no amount of yelling at this point is going to change this decision, I am afraid - we are on the eve of the Jedi publish, and it's far too late to cease work on that EVEN THOUGH SMUGGLERS SHOULD HAVE COME FIRST.
As to the comment above about tickets becoming like slicing, you are correct - however, it's something that the Dev team has said was part of the plan at one point (I am pretty sure they also said some coding had happened with the NPC smugglers), and was just an example.
I totally understand how upset everyone is - I am as well. However, from my previous experience in a VERY simmilar situation (Droid Engineering), I can tell you that they will not reply to the screams but if we tell them what they can give us to make us somewhat content we actually have a chance to get SOMETHING before the revamp.
Yes, it's totally disgusting that a year into the game the most Star-Warsy of the elite professions (non-Jedi) is still in such a shambles; shame on them for letting it go this long and for pushing hope so far into the future.
So, the question remains - what measures can they take to get us through until the revamp, now that we know the truth of what is going on? If you've already surrendered/quit/cancelled the answer is nothing, so please complain in the appropriate forum (JustG's thread).
Anyone have any constructive suggestions?
AO
I gave you mine. Again, I have no problem with the Revamp getting pushed BACK. That's fine. Take all the time needed. But it's what they're DOING with that time that's hacking us off so much.
What do they need to do? COMMUNICATE.
JTGAlpha wrote:
I gave you mine. Again, I have no problem with the Revamp getting pushed BACK. That's fine. Take all the time needed. But it's what they're DOING with that time that's hacking us off so much.
What do they need to do? COMMUNICATE.
OK, it's a given communications suck.
But what do you want communicated between now and then?
"We still aren't dealing with you until after space."
What else are they gonna say?
That's why I was asking for the practical, concrete "Give us a master spice", "Give us a melee special" that they can do until they get around to addressing us.
I am sure you know as well as I do that Space is gonna be a rough implementation - they aren't even gonna begin work on the smuggler revamp until JTL is live and working (as well as it can).
So, yes, they can continue to communicate "Not happening for months", but they could also give us SOMETHING to get us through until then IN-GAME. This isn't about the boards, but gameplay - yes their communication has gotten worse in many ways since the correspondent system and TH were hired just because we are now mired in so much micromanagment and red-tape due to more fingers in the pie.
That's a given. But besides promises, or heck, even real actual communication about what's coming in six months, again, I ask the question - what can they do for smugglers in the mean time? Those that don't work the boards, that just want to have fun in-game until they finally get around to finishing the profession.
I can't tell you the deja vu reading the complaints about this announcement - seriously, change "smuggler" to "droid engineer" and I can't tell the posts apart - and I know we all need to vent and yell at them for their continued lack of REAL communication - but the worst part of this situation (independent of these forums) is the Smuggler as a gameplay profession, which unless we give some constructive ways for them to improve the experience until the revamp will be left to languish.
The lifetime of an MMO isn't unlimited, and six months or more is a long time - if we don't get something NOW, it's going to be a long, cold wait.
AO
AO
What do I want communicated?
That's easy. How about some REAL feedback on all the countless proposals we've sent, instead of "It's too long."
Also, while I understand JtL is going to take up a LOT of time, that still doesn't preclude us getting at least a good, if general idea about how our role is going to solidify, and be defined BY JtL.
Those are the issues and questions we need to start talking about NOW. So we can get all that stuff ironed out before our revamp gets here, instead of them focusing SOLELY on JtL, then a month before the Revamp going, "What did you guys need again?"
And honestly I dont' think either of these are too much to ask for.
How about
- Documentation in the master box
- Narrower slice range at master 20 - 35 on weapons and 15 - 35 of armor effect and 20 - 45 on encumb
- A master level spice or two.
- Spice experimentation if theres time
- smuggler slice
some of this would be nice
well how about since the devs clearly only care about jedi right now i suggest this
give every person that has been a master smuggler for at least more than 3 months in a row at some point in the game history a FREE JEDI that way we have something to do while you stick your finger in your a$$ and smell it rather than revamp smuggler.