Smuggler Archive
Thread: Smuggler Revamp Community Vision Document (Template)
I apologize for getting a little off the format, I did at first try and stay with it but the more my ideas flowed onto the screen the harder it was to not throw in some explanation.
Smuggler Revamp
The essence of a smuggler is that of a dirty underhanded cut throat thief, a businessman who is only out for one thing, his own profit. The smuggler holds loyalty only to those he feels he can trust, and that trust is very difficult to earn.
Skill Trees
Underworld:
The underworld skill tree to me is one of making contacts, getting in with other organizations who can help in furthering the career of the smuggler, finding both suppliers and buyers for wares that only a smuggler would dare to handle.
*To accomplish this a smuggler should be able to search out missions, but not from a standard mission terminal, from NPCs in dark allies and in cantinas, where the primary goal of the mission is to gain a ranking (or positive faction of some sort) with a particular criminal organization. This in essence would give the smuggler some allies who when the time is right can help him, be it with a certain type of cargo to fill an order to a customer, perhaps allowing him safe haven if and when a time arises that the law (or some other organization) might be searching for him.
*I see the addition of areas that only smugglers with the right contacts can enter, a building that is controlled by a certain crime syndicate or a hidden back room in a cantina where criminal deals are made.
*I also see this giving the smuggler the ability to mask his identity, perhaps to even have an alternate identity (in nearly ever book or story I have ever read that includes a smuggler, the smuggler is never known by his own name, especially when he is the leader of a band of smugglers, the boss is often never seen, only known of by name, and is also often known to the others on the team in person by another name). To me this would give the player the ability to choose an alternate identity, one that represents him as a smuggler.
*Under this I also see the smuggler being able to do a temporary shift of faction (similar to masking scent) where if the smuggler is of the opposite faction (Reb/Imp) he can mask his faction to be able to get into a controlled facility of the opposite faction to make contacts who would otherwise be out of reach.
*When the time arises when a smuggler needs to be able to hide from the law or some other organization I see him as being able to go to a contact that he has good reputation with and for a price gain protection, either in the form of hiding (e.g., have this NPC contact temporarily mask the smuggler as a simple commoner, make him show as just another NPC wandering the street for a short time, but long enough to make an escape)
Slicing
Slicing is what at this point in time defines the smuggler as a useful part of the SWG economy (in my opinion) however this is a very limited function for a smuggler, with in the matter of a few seconds and the roll of the dice (figure of speech) we find out if we got a good slice or just an ok slice. At the moment if s smuggler has Molecular clamps to use he can slice anything with 100% chance of success, this is good because it is counteracted by having such a limited range of what can be sliced for (on both weapons and terminals). To me this is the one area that could use the most new content, new items to slice, new slicing abilities, a choice in how and what are being sliced for.
*Perhaps adding a new tool or two for the smuggler to use in different methods of slicing, for example, locked containers, give the smuggler the ability to craft a lock pick set of sorts for slicing locked containers, this makes locked containers a little different from other forms of slicing simply because they are, on a container we are bypassing a lock, on a weapon we are upgrading a function of the weapon. On weapons and armor, have the ability to do a standard random slice like it is now, but make it so there is a slight chance for a really really good slice, perhaps around 50% (but to control this from getting out of hand, make it somewhat rare that a really good slice happens and give a certain chance of failure in the slice). Next, make a more specialized form of slicing, where the smuggler can choose what he is slicing for (damage range, speed, durability… you get the idea) but make it so that the max for the slice is less than that of the random slice (therefore you give up making your weapon super just because you want some control over what is being sliced for with a certain amount of experimentation added in. And it gives the ability to slice more that just the two base abilities, with less of a chance of failure) this gives both the slicer and the customer two roads that can be taken, a safe one where you get a fair slice on what attribute you want sliced or you take a higher chance and go for the super slice.
*Slicing vehicles for durability, can’t say I am a big fan, that’s why there are so many garages around, so players can stop and have it repaired. However I do like the idea of having a smuggler be able to slice a vehicle, but not for durability, maybe speed (like tweaking the engine to make it go faster, but at the cost of durability making the vehicle degenerate faster and need repair more often)
*I also see the smuggler being able to slice his own vehicle to add storage capacity, after all smugglers are known for upgrading their vehicles to carry more items (and make those items less detectable, for example Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon, the grounds for which I think most people base their ideas on smugglers).
*Slicing terminals, I have a lot to say about this, unfortunately I know a lot is just wishful thinking on my part, however I will put them here anyway. For one, making the amount of the reward increase with the ability of the slicer, as far as I can tell the reward increase maxes out once a smuggler reaches slicing 1. Make more terminals sliceable, I like the idea of making banking terminals sliceable, however for this to work there would almost need to be a galaxy economy based on stocks and shares, with percentage rates (giving consequence to slicing and robbing a bank) where when the slicer slices the banking terminal can slice for a better interest rate on his savings, can rob the bank causing the interest rates of others to decrease and cause a certain amount of havoc within the galactic economy, or to slice and make an anonymous numbered account to be used for transactions that require a certain amount of discretion. Slicing travel terminals for better rates, and having that rate apply for the group that the smuggler may be grouped with (this I know is more wishful thinking). Bazaar terminals, this one is tough, I think allowing the smuggler to slice to get a better price on an item would be cool, however then you get into other PCs who are being robbed by the smuggler, I think that making it so a PC who puts something for sale on a bazaar can purchase insurance on the item as a precaution incase a smuggler does slice and get the item cheaper, the insurance makes sure the PC who put the item up gets what they were asking (and have this tie into the who galactic economy where the more money paid on insurance the lower the more interest is charged to PCs and the less interest is paid on banking).
*Housing terminals, again another tough one, I think slicing a house would be cool, but for what, I can see a smuggler being able to slip into a public building that has an access fee on it by slicing the terminal, or perhaps being able to slice for a lower maintenance rate on the house, but beyond that I cant think of much (I do think it would be cool to be able to slice a house to hold more items, but I think they should fall to the architect to build an add-on kit for a home for more storage, sorry just thinking out loud)
*Ballot box terminals, this could get tricky, making it profitable for a smuggler to be hired to help sway a vote in one way or another, the problem is where to draw the line, cant make it so a smuggler can come in and in a matter of seconds make it a landslide for one side, perhaps make it so the smuggler can go in and chance some of the existing votes (maybe a cap of 2% of the votes can be changed after they have been logged into the ballot box).
*Droids, hmmm, I like the idea of slicing a droid for a little kick to battle usefulness, or perhaps a boost to storage capacity, but for the most part I think that a smuggler should be able to slice a droid for the purpose of smuggling goods from planet to planet or to be able to get goods past a checkpoint by having a droid carry the items and circumvent the checkpoint by going around or taking a route that a PC is incapable of. My thought is this, for a smuggler to be able to purchase a droid like a Probot with storage and armor capabilities, to be able to slice it (upgrade to a degree) to allow it to travel from planet to planet without the use of a shuttle, the smuggler then places the items that he needs to get to the other planet into the droid and then sends the droid into space, when the smuggler gets to his destination he calls the droid to him (similar to how BHs use their tracking droids to track bounties) when the droid comes down the smuggler unloads it and has successfully transported items from one planet to another (a great way to get items that are illegal to carry off a certain planet like resources or crafted items that can only be purchased on one planet but cant be carried off that planet).
I have other ideas on the other two skill trees, however I am going to wait for now to post those, so I can rethink them a little. I do like that the Dev’s are taking more time now to make sure the revamp is a good one. I want to thank both Thunderheart and Caylin for all that they are doing here, with all this work I think the smuggler profession might become one of the best.
Azrael_Teir
Intrepid Galaxy
The Dev's already said that they won't let vehicles go any faster but how about a smuggler could slice a vehicle and lower the effect of terrain on your vehicle. This way your swoop wouldn't slow down as much going up hill. I think people would actually pay for that.
Azrael_Teir wrote:However I do like the idea of having a smuggler be able to slice a vehicle, but not for durability, maybe speed (like tweaking the engine to make it go faster, but at the cost of durability making the vehicle degenerate faster and need repair more often).
Azrael_Teir
Intrepid Galaxy
Message Edited by PillowTech on 05-09-2004 03:24 AM
PillowTech wrote:
The Dev's already said that they won't let vehicles go any faster but how about a smuggler could slice a vehicle and lower the effect of terrain on your vehicle. This way your swoop wouldn't slow down as much going up hill. I think people would actually pay for that.
Azrael_Teir wrote:
However I do like the idea of having a smuggler be able to slice a vehicle, but not for durability, maybe speed (like tweaking the engine to make it go faster, but at the cost of durability making the vehicle degenerate faster and need repair more often).
Azrael_Teir
Intrepid Galaxy
Message Edited by PillowTech on 05-09-2004 03:24 AM
Still this is pointless. How does this make us feel more like a smuggler? This really isnt a "revamp" item this was an "enhancement" item. The devs pitched us this when they werent planing on revamping us, just adding a few more things to slice.
Message Edited by HimFan on 05-09-2004 02:45 PM
a lot of very good ideas from everyone ... can we get more feedback on ideas that are here?
It seems a lot of people are posting what they would like ... but I am trying to get an agreed upon statement.
Should we start a thread for each skill tree? Would that help out?
Vampirerobot wrote:
Yeah Geevo, we should have focus threads for each part. See if Caylin can start them and sticky them maybe?
One of the Four Horsemen of the Smuggler Apocalypse! 
HimFan wrote:
PillowTech wrote:
The Dev's already said that they won't let vehicles go any faster but how about a smuggler could slice a vehicle and lower the effect of terrain on your vehicle. This way your swoop wouldn't slow down as much going up hill. I think people would actually pay for that.
Still this is pointless. How does this make us feel more like a smuggler? This really isnt a "revamp" item this was an "enhancement" item. The devs pitched us this when they werent planing on revamping us, just adding a few more things to slice.
You could get away from the "Authority" Types quicker if your bike was sliced. Since the "Authority" Types wouldn't have their bikes sliced since it's illegal.
Message Edited by PillowTech on 05-09-2004 01:24 PM
Here is what I have been thinking about for Dirty Fighting
Dirty fighting:
It is called dirty fightingfor a reason. This is the kind of groin kicking, dirt throwing, sucker punching stuff that you hate in fighting.While Smugglers are mostly pistol users, wehave the unarmed brawler tree.We shouldbe using our melee skills while having a pistol equipped. Pistoleer have pistol whip, why not take melee pistol use to the next level for us
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New skill: Groin kick: When you're holding a pistol and the enemy gets too close, what’s to stop you from kicking them where it counts? It could KD someone, or make them unable to move (but still can shoot and use specials) for a short period.
new skill: Dirt Throw: While you're running around, dodging blaster fire, it is always useful to scoop up a fistful of dirt and chuck it at your opponents eyes when they are close enough, blinding them temporarily.
New skill: Sucker Punch: Could only be used to initiate battle, because after that, they are expecting it. Stuns temporarily and damage modifier.
New skill: Flurry Shot: A lot of poorly aimed but incredibly quickly fired shots all around the smuggler. This could confuse and intimidate all the enemies in the area around the smuggler as the air is filled with blaster fire. Not very strong, but the state effect is what we're going for.’
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Throw in some +melee defense, ranged defense, pistol speed, accuracy (while moving and standing) at the different levels. We aren’t pistoleers. Just make it enough to help us out a little. Bounty hunter pistol line gets +’s, so should the smuggler "pistol" line.
HimFan wrote:
Im not sure if any of you have been to the talior forum, but they have been talking about what type of clothing could be added to bring out the smuggler feel to the game. I think this is a great idea, it could really bring out the western feel of Star Wars (Holsters,Earrings, Different vests and boots).
Hehe yup! I sent them a few pictures in that thread... 
Smuggler_Caylin wrote:
HimFan wrote:
Im not sure if any of you have been to the talior forum, but they have been talking about what type of clothing could be added to bring out the smuggler feel to the game. I think this is a great idea, it could really bring out the western feel of Star Wars (Holsters,Earrings, Different vests and boots).
Hehe yup! I sent them a few pictures in that thread...
/woot