Smuggler Archive

If you have common Q/A's to add or corrections, please do.

This is not an effort of one smuggler alone. It is a collective effort of the Smuggler community as we try to better understand our abilities. It is our hope that this FAQ will help newcomers and veterans alike. Special thanks to Kav, who made the terrific effort of getting this FAQ started, Caylin who wrote the previous version and helped vett this version, along with everyone in the Smuggler community that's contributed their help in one way or another.

The Smuggler FAQ

v1.5 03/26/05

HTML Version

General

What skills do I need to become a Novice Smuggler?

• Brawler Unarmed 4


• Marksman Pistol 4


• 50k Pistol XP

What are the Smuggler Titles?

• Novice...................Novice Smuggler
  


• Underworld 4........Fixer
  


• Slicing 4................Slicer
  


• Dirty Fighting 4.....Rogue
  


• Spices 4................Fence
  


• and of course Master Smuggler
  

What Weapon Certifications are granted in the Smuggler tree?

None.

How do I smuggle?

The extent of Smuggling currently is avoidance of contraband scans. You earn this ability at novice and it increases throughout the Underworld tree. Master Smugglers have the highest ability to avoid scans. (covered further in Underworld section)


However, plans on how a Smuggling (PvE only for the time being at least) system will be implemented have been posted in the In Concept forum.

Who is our Smuggler Correspondent?

Forum Name: WesBelden (You can call him Wes )

Toon: Giz Belden on Starsider, 'Wes' Belden on Test Center

Who is our Smuggler Blue Glowie?

Forum name: Smuggler_Caylin

Toon: Caylin Borealis, Bria server

Once I reach novice smuggler, can I get rid of Unarmed?

No. Unless you no longer want to be a smuggler.

Where are the smuggler trainers?

• Mos Eisley, Tatooine by the Cantina:......3400, -4880
  


• Keren, Naboo by the Starport:................1360, 2835
  


• Keren, Naboo by the Cloning Station:.....1845, 2770
  


• Daeric, Talus:..........................................165, -2890
  

Is it true that Bothans make better smugglers?

It depends on what you think makes a better Smuggler.

Bothans get an additional 10% discount off faction perks. Please be aware that the discount takes effect after the actual purchase. So you must still meet the cost to purchase a faction perk, but when you actually purchase it, you will notice that you don't spend the full amount.

This is the only bonus that Bothans get, over a smuggler of another race.

What's a 'Bubble Tank' and can I craft it?

A Bubble Tank is a decorative piece of furniture that resembles Jabba's frog bowl. The bowl's single use schematic can only be gained by looting one from Nyms' Droidekas on Lok, a Sif (part of Erran Sif's gang) on Talus.



Requirements to craft: Spice II, A Bubble Tank Single Use Schematic, 35 Crystalline Gemstone, 30 Polymer, 15 Crystalline Gemstone.

Tool: Generic crafting tool, or a Furniture crafting tool.

What's a 'Gaming Table' and can I craft it?

A Gaming table is a piece of furniture reselmbing the holo-chess table as seen used in ANH on the Falcon; however, despite what it resembles, it doesn't actually do anything other than sit there and look nice. The table's single use schematic can only be gained by looting one from an NPC; these are found on Corellia (Swooper Leader) and Tatooin (Jabba NPCs, Desert Demon NPCs, Dune Stalkers).



Requirements to craft: Underworld II, A Gambling Table Single Use Schematic, 50 Metal, 20 Mineral, 15 Polymer

Tool: Generic crafting tool, or a Furniture crafting tool.

What's a 'Shisa' and can I craft it?

A Shisa is a decorative piece of furniture. The single use schematic can be obtained by completing "Secrets of the Syren, Chapter two; More Than You Bargained For". To start the story arc (on chapter 1) go to the cantina in Tyrenna, Corellia and approach the Rebel officer, or the cantina in Bestine, Tatooine and approach the Imperial Officer there.



Requirements to craft: Spices IV, Shisa Single Use Schematic, 90 metal, 80 crystaline gem

Tool: Generic crafting tool, or a Furniture crafting tool.

---

Slicing

Does the quality of tools/weapons have any bearing on my slice%?

href="http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=smuggler&message.id=95435#M95435"
target=_blank>GreenMarine - June 14, 2004

This is a developer statement that tool quality does not matter on slicing equipment at this time.

---

GreenMarine wrote:

NikkiDial has it correct. The Master box improves slicing, but the tool quality and other things do not.

---

Can you pick the stat that increases on my weapon/armor?

No. It is completely random.

Does a Master Smuggler have bonuses to slicing above and beyond that of a Slicer 4?

Yes. The Devs have confirmed a bonus, but not elaborated on it. (see avg slice ranges below)

What can be Sliced?

• Novice Smuggler: Only locked containers.


• Slicing 1: Containers and Mission terminals.


• Slicing 2: All Above and Weapons.


• Slicing 3: All above and Armor.


• Slicing 4: Nothing new, but better returns on average.


• Master Smuggler: Nothing new, but the best returns possible.

How much xp do I get per slice?

• Mission Terminals are 100xp,


• Base Terminals are 1000xp,


• everything else is 250xp,


• 0xp for a failed slice.

How can I tell if a weapon/armor piece has been sliced?

There is a flag included with Publish 7 that will show a normal player if the items is sliced or not when you examine it.

"This weapon has been altered by a Smuggler and may bring unwanted attentions from the Empire."

Do I have to hand over my weapon/armor to get it sliced?

Yes... so be careful of potential scamming and look for trusted smugglers.

Also be sure to note the stats and even the serial number on your item if you're worried. Also, if you're unsure of the Smuggler (or customer if you're the one doing the slicing), making a log (typing /log will save the last 100 lines of conversation, or hitting printscreen will save an image ofwhat's on your screen in your SWG directory) of the conversation where you work out what's to be sliced and how much it will be is advised as you can use present this to CSRs.

Can you slice missions for others?

No. We can slice any term we can use, but only the Slicer, can get the higher rewards. Of course if he is in a group at the completion of the mission the group will have a cut of this increased payout.

Where do I find containers?

These are found when looting humanoid enemies. Basically anything that wears clothing. (Swoopers, Pirates, Meatlumps, Wookie Brawlers, etc.) They are also sometimes found on a "Treasure Map" quest.

What is inside a locked container?

95% of the time, junk. Ranging from low end weapons, melons, single bits of resources and maybe an article of clothing or two. Perhaps another locked containers as well. 4% of the time... NOTHING. So please don't feel a Slicer has scammed you if he hands you back an empty container, it happens. 1% of the time some folks have found skill tapes, saber crystals, and other oddities in containers, so ya never know.


Check out rodav's thread, 'Locked Containers [what's inside]' for the recorded contents of 166 containers.

How do I slice a mission term and what does it do for me?

• Click on a Mission Terminal and select Slice from the radial menu.
  


• A Standard Slicing interface will open, and you can use Molecular Clamps or FANs as normal.
  


• If you slice a Mission term successfully, then open the terminal mission window, the first page of missions will have about 25-50% higher payout than normal.
  


• If you refresh the screen it goes back to normal.
  


• This grants you 100slicing xp, and you cannot slice Any terminal again for 2min.
  


• Extremely high payout missions seem to slice for less of an increase.
  

Can you slice faction terminals?

Yes, you will get a bump on your payout like a normal mission term would. Also you get an increase to faction earned for the mission, but not the faction you earn by killing the targets, only mission completion reward.

What does Slicing do to my weapon?

• Sliced weapons get approx. a 5-35% permanent increase in damage(min AND max)OR a 5-35% faster weapon when successfully sliced.
  


• The more skilled the Slicer, the better return you'll see. (See the average results below) The weapon is still able to be used with power-ups and repairable as normal.
  


• A sliced weapon will decay faster, but not horribly faster.
  


• If you slice a weapon with a powerup attached, the powerup is automatically removed (and destroyed) before the slice is performed.
  


• If you slice an insured item, it will need re-insuring.

What does Slicing do to my armor?

• Slicing armor increases the effectiveness 5-35% OR it decreases the encumbrance by 5-45%. The more skilled the Slicer, the better return you'll see. (See the average results below)
  


• Each piece is sliced separately.
  


• Sliced armor is repairable as normal.
  


• A sliced weapon is less likely to be repaired successfully (Note: it's condition's rate of decay is not affected).


• If you slice an insured piece of armor, it will need re-insuring.

What happens if you slice a Shield Generator?

It's considered armor, it can lower the HAM cost or increase the effectiveness. This is of arguable value though since a shield generator can get to 0 condition in one fight alone. Also, you can get a HAM reduction slice on a shield generator that has 0 HAM cost to begin with.

Average Slicing Results:

I am listing the majority opinion on percent increases, there have been rare reports of Slices outside these ranges, but 99.9% of reported Slices fall within these ranges. No one has the facts but the Devs, and they ain't talkin...

Slicing 1:

• Weapon: N/A
  


• Armor: N/A
  

Slicing 2:

• Weapon: 10-25% Speed or Damage
  


• Armor: N/A
  

Slicing 3:

• Weapon: 10-25% Speed or Damage
  


• Armor: 5-20% Effectiveness
  


• Armor: 5-30% Encumbrance
  

Slicing 4

• Weapon: 10-30% Speed or Damage
  


• Armor: 5-30% Effectiveness
  


• Armor:15-40% Encumbrance
  

Master Smuggler:

• Weapon: 15-35% Damage or Speed
  


• Armor: 11-35% Effectiveness
  


• Armor: 20-45% Encumbrance
  

What tools are used in Slicing?

• To slice anything you need a laser knife(s). Two charges will be used.(one for each wire). Novice Smugglers and above can make laser knives. Knives come with 10 charges each.
  


• To slice a weapon you also require a Weapon Upgrade Kit, these can be made by Novice Weaponsmiths.
• To slice armor you require knives and an Armor Upgrade Kit, these can be made by Novice Armorsmiths.
  


• At Slicing 2 you can make Flow Analyzer Nodes (FANs). You can use a FAN prior to choosing a wire in the slicing dialog. The FAN will direct you as to which wire to cut with a 75% accuracy. The FAN will tell you which line has more power flowing through it - that's the one you cut.
  


• At Slicing 4 you can make Molecular Clamps (MolClamps or just Clamps.) A Molecular Clamp used prior to choosing a wire will direct you to the proper wire to cut 100% of the time. IF you read the window and follow instructions.
  


• All Tools are consumed in the process of Slicing.
  

Do I add a FAN and then the clamp when I am slicing?

No. If you have a clamp use it INSTEAD of the FAN. The clamp will do all the work as long as you know how to follow instructions (HINT: cut the wire it tells you to). It has been said that adding a FAN and a clamp messes with the 100% accuracy of the clamp.

Can I use Molecular Clamps/FANs as a Novice?

Yes, they have no certification and can be used by any Smuggler.

Can you slice something more than once?

No, only one attempt can be made. With the exception of mission terminals which can be sliced once every 2min.

What happens if you fail a slice?

On containers, the container locks forever. On weapons/armor, no damage is done, BUT no one can try to slice the weapon/armor again. On Mission Terminals, nothing.

Can weapons be sliced better than 35%?

There have been 2-3 reports (game wide) of weapons sliced as high as the low forties. It has not been done in anyway that is repeatable. Nor has it been reported since Slicing 4 has been "fixed". 9-03-03

How much should I charge for a slice?

The amount charged per slice is ultimately up to you and what you're comfortable with. Most masters that frequent this forum tend to charge between 5-10k per slices (I myself charge 10k), although some charge much more, while others do charge less.

I heard Slicing 4 was bugged?

It was. The abilities of Slicing 2 and Slicing 4 were swapped. As of 9-03-03 they have been swapped back to their intended settings.

I cannot put stuff into my unlocked container. It says I don't have permission to access it?
If you shift the container around it will let you use it again. Such as move it to your backpack then back to your root inventory. Or from your house floor, drop and pickup, or from the bank. This seems to reset it till you next want to put something in it.

Why am I getting the message "You are already slicing"?

This is caused by slicing on the run, if you happen to run across a server line (i.e., you get the messages "you have left Theed" / "you are entering an outpost" etc) while slicing. The one and only fix the CSRs know of at this point is this: you have to log out for 30 minutes. I know it stinks, but it's the only thing to do. Barring that, the morning server reboot seems to clear it as well.

Here are some screen shots but together by Dreven. Between this and the walkthrough everyone should be able to slice with no trouble.

Visual Image Guide to Slicing by Dreven

A walk-through on weapon slicing:(w/Clamps)

1. You will need:
   




• The weapon
  


• A laser knife with at least 2 charges
  


• A Weapon Upgrade Kit (WUK)
  


• A Molecular Clamp
  


• A lag and distraction free moment.
  




2. Open your inventory
   


3. Click and hold (or right click) the weapon to be sliced, to open the radial menu.
   


4. Hesitate for a moment, the slice option should appear at the bottom of the menu after 1-2 sec.
   


5. Click Slice, a slicing dialog will open.
   


6. Click on "Shunt the power with a molecular clamp." message, ensure it is highlighted and hit enter.
   


7. READ the dialog box in the slicing window. It will tell you what color the Molecular Clamp lights up.
   


8. Click on the selection to cut the color wire that the clamp has directed you too. Ensure it is highlighted and hit enter.
   


9. Click on the remaining wire, ensure it is highlighted and hit enter.
   


10. The slicing results will now scroll across your screen, and in your system message window.
    

Same for armor, just substitute a AUK for the WUK. Containers of course require no upgrade kit but are done the same as well.

How to Slice a Faction Base Terminal:

1. You must be Declared (with a faction) and set as a Combatant (PvE enabled) to Slice a terminal in a PvE base and set as Special Forces (PvP enabled) to slice a PvP base.


2. You must have Slicing 1 or greater.


3. After the Bounty Hunter jams the Uplink Terminal, and only if they are successful, then you slice the security terminal.


4. The Security Terminal is oval in shape and dark in color. Itwill have the label "Security Terminal" when you mouse over it.


5. The interface is normal, and works exactly as if you were slicing any mission terminal.


6. There is a known bug that it may report the color of the wire incorrectly, but the polarity seems more dependable. It's my recommendation that you pay more attention to negative and positive rather than red or blue. (Positive=Blue Negative=Red)


7. If you do screw up, you will have the option of repairing the Security Terminal, and in a unknown amount of time you will be able to retry the slice. (~2-4 min)

Other notes:

Don’t Rush, the only timer running is the Vulnerability window each Factional Base has. I have seen Bounty Hunters jam their terminal, and the Smuggler falls in combat, only to clone and make their way back to the base and still successfully slice the Security Terminal.

1000 Slicing XP is the reward for a successful slice.

The terminal will not appear when the base is not vulnerable. The bases are "safe" for 22 hours, and "vulnerable" for 2 hours. Within this 2 hour window is when the terminals can be sliced, and a base destroyed.

Thanks Seekealei of Bria!!

Autopull, what's that? Why can't I use it? What can I do instead?

Autopull was a feature that allowed every tool required for use in slicing to be pulled directly from their crates automatically by simply going through the slicing process. This was broken during publish 10 and has yet to be fixed. What can you do in the meantime? well, thanks to Thochkord's thread we have an easy solution.

I put all of my crates up on the tool bar, they only problem is they all look the same, so I would suggest grouping each kind of crate in with an open slot between them. When you hit the appropriate key, one item gets pulled out of the crate and lands in your main inventory window regardless of where the crate sits. ex. if a crate is in your backpack, the item pulled will still land in your main inventory. Do not pull any tools until after you trade, this will prevent the shifting from happening. This is how I work the process.


Trade

hit F1 for a clamp

hit F5 for a Knife

hit F7 for an AUK

hit F10 for an WUK

Slice an item

pull a set of tools for the next item

Slice

and so on until done




If you want to make things even easier for yourself, you can also follow DigiDante's methods:

Choose 4 empty spots on a toolbarpane. I used toolbar pane 6. Place your crates of Molecular clamps, AUK's WUK's and PLK's in the 4 empty slots. I used toolbarSlots f1, f2, f3, and f4.



I put MC's in F1, AUK's in F2, WUK's in F3, and PLK's in F4



Now you can set up an alias...

/alias auk /ui action toolbarPane05;/ui action toolbarSlot00;/ui action toolbarSlot01

/alias wuk /ui action toolbarPane05;/ui action toolbarSlot00;/ui action toolbarSlot02

/alias plk /ui action toolbarPane05;/ui action toolbarSlot03

This way, when you type /auk it will spit out one MC and one AUK instantly... you can even put the crates in your backpack and not have to worry about opening your backpack and manually clickin the crates.



I made a macro that will take out 5 AUK's and 5 MC's plus a PLK in one click.



The following macro is a macro I titled auk.

/ui action toolbarPane05;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot01;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot01;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot01;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot01;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot01;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot03;

With the macro above, I can type /macro auk or drag the macro icon to my toolbar and just click it or hit the appropriate fkey and it will activate the macro.



The following macro I titled wuk

/ui action toolbarPane05;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot02;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot02;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot02;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot02;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot00;

/ui action toolbarSlot02;

/pause .25;

/ui action toolbarSlot03;

With the macro above I can type /macro wuk or click the appropriate macro button and deliver 5 wuk's, mc's and one plk.



This is a GREAT aid for bulk slicing... every five items I can type /macro wuk or click the button and be set...

Thanks to Thockhard and DigiDante!!!

Need more info on Slicing?

For a great bit of data, especially if you're a customer, check out Dinian's guide to dealing with your Slicer:

The Do's and Don'ts of working with your Slicer



Tired of having customers moan at you for receiving speed slices? Check out this compelling post by Mor-Dan:

The Truth About Speed Slices

Message Edited by WesBelden on 03-27-2005 01:55 AM

About slicing and decay in the FAQ. In one Tuesday Tip (14th september) Thunderheart said this:

"For smugglers, slicing in no way effects the rate at which a weapon decays, but a sliced weapon will make the weapon repair even chancier than it already is."

---

WesBelden wrote:
Underworld Abilities

Also with the ability to /delegatefaction in the game you can sell faction points as a commodity to other players. The cost is ruinous, and if you are not at least a commander in rank you will lose a significant amount of faction in the trade as well, but some folks are willing to wait and pay you to delegate them faction. It is a slow process due to the 500fp cap.

---

I know you intended to change this, right?

Thanks for all the effort that went into the guide!

---

WesBelden wrote:
Requirements to craft: Spices IV, Shisa Single Use Schematic, 90 metal, 80 crystaline gem
Tool: Generic crafting tool

The Shisa requires a Furninture crafting tool.

Great FAQ!

Great FAQ Compilation Wes! Good Job.

Thanks for using my post from the Autopull thread

Message Edited by DigiDante on 03-26-2005 12:12 PM

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dlc3007 wrote:

---

WesBelden wrote:
Underworld Abilities

Also with the ability to /delegatefaction in the game you can sell faction points as a commodity to other players. The cost is ruinous, and if you are not at least a commander in rank you will lose a significant amount of faction in the trade as well, but some folks are willing to wait and pay you to delegate them faction. It is a slow process due to the 500fp cap.

---

I know you intended to change this, right?

Thanks for all the effort that went into the guide!

---

Ach, what you get from going over things while tired and bleary eyed. Again, someone pointed that out to me and when I went to check I looked at the question/answer above it and thought everything was fine . Thanks

And no need to give thanks DigiDante, thank you for helping the community! (oh, and well done spotting the 'other notes' mistake )

Message Edited by Zeon_Zaku on 03-26-2005 10:04 AM

Hehe... I try to aid the community all I can. My server has a Smuggler Alliance chat room for all the smugglers


But also... you forgot to add some enter strokes b4 the autopull now...the props line and the bold autopull line merge

---

Zeon_Zaku wrote:

Bubble Tank and Gambling Table require a Furniture Crafting Tool.

---

99% sure I've used a normal Generic crafting tool when I've made them.

Also, I've sliced a base Security Terminal before and after the BH has done the jamming.

---

cpz wrote:

---

Zeon_Zaku wrote:

Bubble Tank and Gambling Table require a Furniture Crafting Tool.

---

99% sure I've used a normal Generic crafting tool when I've made them.

Also, I've sliced a base Security Terminal before and after the BH has done the jamming.

---

Weird. Whenever I did it, I always had to use a Furniture Crafting Tool. The schematics didn't appear in a regular one for me.