Smuggler Archive
Thread: Smuggler delay
Masen
Sat Jun 05, 2004 11:50 am
#183
Who didn't see this coming? LOL. Well, I been suspecting it for weeks now, but you could take this chance, to look at this with a positive angle.
Smugglers would be one of the first classes done post-Space. And, as one of the few classes that's already suited to integrate fully with the space expansion...I mean..What use is a smuggler without a ship?
So, why not start thinking of ways to integrate the useless Underworld tree, combine it with the slicing tree's benefits, and free up that row of boxes for space-based skills maybe? Or a full-on revamp, redoing every single tree? I think that approach would be best, redesign them so they don't lose their current abilities, but they still get some new benefits, and balance the whole mess out. Perhaps, if it's doable, hybrid boxes. The dirty fighting tree could take a 50/50 balance of unarmed and pistol xp, and grant one pistol and one unarmed skill per box.
As for integrating them into the space expansion...
1- Feign death could carry into space. (in the hint book I got, it says that skill is a mastery at makign a blaster shot look fatal, or a light blow to the shields look like a critical hit). So, non-pvpers could actually become smugglers, and just play dead if attacked, or you could use it to run a blockade. First attack his, play dead. Everyone continues on patrol, thinking you dead, and then you continue on your way. Give the skill a 30-second timer after you move, where you can't fire. (your weapons are still powered down, from making it seem as if your ship was killed). There, no griefing by waiting till their back's turned. 30 seconds in a real time game is an eternity.
2- A small bonus to the number of items you can load into a ship (3 extra at smuggling 2, 3 more at smuggling 4, and 4 more at master smuggler).
3- A chance to conceal any faction markings on their ship, making it appear neutral. If they attack, they are immediately turned overt, EVEN IF THEY LAND, and have to go through the normal processes to become covert again (see a recruiter, get DBed). So, they CAN use it for a sneak attack (hey, they're smugglers..they ain't supposed to play nice) but it won't make things easy for them when they land..giving them a tough choice to make.
4- Ability to equip any faction item, regardless of side at master. Smugglers are masters at getting what they're not supposed to have... and Star Wars is full of examples. Han with the Stormtrooper Armor is just one. And flying the Imperial Shuttle. As a skill, a covert Smuggler could spend faction at an opposing recruiter, for faction gear. Perhaps something to get as Master Smuggler. Only the best can pull off a bluff this big.
You get the idea I think. Skills like these could put Smugglers into the GCW full-bore, as actual SMUGGLERS, and integrate them seamless into the skill-free Space Expansion. It's not too hard to do, I just hope the devs use some ideas like this, to make smugglers what they should have been from day one.
Thornstar
Sat Jun 05, 2004 12:00 pm
#184
dont want to add more flame to the fire but we aint gonna hang around forever. Im not a smuggler but the revamps you delay here effect others elsewhere. I havnt played the game hardly at all for about 3 weeks. Ive just hit a dead end. with the combat balance, JTL and various major profession revamps, I just dont see the point in investing all this time in perfecting my character when it will change in a few months.
The_Cabbage
Sat Jun 05, 2004 12:00 pm
#185
While I'm sympathize with and understand the problem, I do think that it would be a mistake to launch the space expansion without the smuggler features that we know and lovefrom the movie. A lot of new people are going to be joining SWG, I would think, and they would expect to see certain things.
TygerBlueEyes
Sat Jun 05, 2004 12:10 pm
#186
Well...I think doing the smuggler revamp after the combat andgcwrevamp is a good thing. Waiting until JTLS...maybe is a good idea. I hope you know makeing us wait this long we'll even expect a lot more now. New UI for slicing, new missions and quests, new equipment, more expanded combat role and ect...
I have no problem waiting, just make it worth our while. 
VooDooK
Sat Jun 05, 2004 12:10 pm
#187
How about this:
- Delay the Jedi revamp after the Space Expansion
- Fix the Smuggler profession like now
- Fix everything else that is unbalanced and needs fixing except the Jedi like now
- Continue with the holo-grind for people to unlock their FS slot and remove holocrons after the Space Expansion
- Remove the Image Designer timer in case some people have Image Designer as their silent or holo
There you go, everything is solved! As stated on swg.stratics.com ... the Jedi revamp affects about 1% of the SWG players, while ... well I don't know how many Smugglers there is out there, but I can tell you right now I quit playing my Master Smuggler just because the profession is hella boring, there's nothing to do other than slice this and slice that all the time and get rich and don't know what to do with all the money I made with slicing cause there IS nothing more to do.
Knapf
Sat Jun 05, 2004 1:14 pm
#188
I would say this would be fine. Three patches ago. But With the Carrot that has been waving in our faces for the last 6 months getting further and further away, The Smuggler Class needs more then a Taste of the revamp. At this point we have waited to long. We have been told and told and top 5'ed to death. If this is going to happen it needs to go all the way. I want a Smuggler Wallpaper and Stupid icon and a Truck load of LOVE from that Revamp. It's almost to the point that they will never give us as much as we feel we should get, You can get kicked in the teeth only so many times before you either fight back or run away, Since there is no way to fight back maybe it's time to run.
Masen wrote:
Just a thought..Why not a mini-patch, for the Smugglers, included int he GCW revamp? No new skill trees, any of that.
Instead, a couple benefits added. One, spend faction at an opposing recruiter. 4:1at Underworld 2, 3:1 at Underworld 4, and 2:1 at Master.
Able to equip faction gear of either side, Overt or not. But if they fail a scan while covert, they immediately turned Overt as normal.
All part of the GCW, All skills that Han used in the movies (there's your continuity folks), and nothing but a few bits of coding, should be doable as part of the gcw revamp without adding any more to speak of to anyone's already heavy workload. No new art, no new code to speak of, mebbe a few dozen lines tops, and no new class revamp. Just something to make Smugglers feel like they're part of the GCW again.
TheWok
Sat Jun 05, 2004 2:59 pm
#189
Now that I've had a couple of days to cool off, I'll make my remarks here.
I'm not angry about the delay in the revamp, really. As the saying goes, you gotta do what you gotta do. Hologrinding was killing the game for a lot of people, and removing it as soon as possible was a very good and needed idea.
What I'm really angry about is the lack of communication between the dev team and the players. Maybe TH and Q are overworked. It can't be an easy thing to manage a community for a game this size. And while Q's presence is diminished since I was in beta, I'm certain he does a lot of work behind the scenes. The problem is it seems like everything is behind the scenes with this game. The increase in communication that is promised seemingly every other week never appears. We never see it. The communication between developer and player is a one-way street, and it should be a freeway with traffic in both directions.
This lack of any real, worthy communication is the source of my disappointment.
I live in Fort Worth. That's roughly five to six hours from Austin. I'm offering my services to help the development team with this revamp from the player's perspective. I could drive down one day a month or so and take a look at what's planned. I could work with Caylin (at least until he's gone) to ensure that we get a great revamp. I could also work with RandonB, the pistoleer correspondent, to make sure their concerns are voiced. These are my two main professions--probably the weakest in the game, yet the professions with the most appeal to me.
What would I ask for in return? Nothing, save for a good revamp of an unfinished profession, and maybe a can of soda while I'm there.
This is a serious offer, and I make it with full knowledge that it will net me no compensation through wages or salary, nor will it grant me a position atSony Online Entertainment. Imerely want to play a game that's fun for me, and I want to do everything I can to ensure its success.
Arcan
Sat Jun 05, 2004 3:52 pm
#190
JustG wrote "We also strongly feel that some aspect of smuggling should be done in space, so it makes sense to do it after JTL."
Hang on, I am a Master Smuggler and I got there from from playing THIS game, not JTL.
So you are saying that if I do not buy JTL then my time and effort to gain Mastery will be wasted?
It makes more sense to have a fully functioning game with all profs working properly and no bugs before you decide to release an add on.
Only a pi$$ poor example of a company would do that as a purely ca$h gouging measure.
Oh, guess I just answered myself, nevermind.
Fritz13
Sat Jun 05, 2004 4:08 pm
#191
SOE is ripping us of our money. To completely play a profession that should have been good from the beginning we have to buy an expansion, after which we get fixed with a patch. That is completely unethical way to run this business. We have 3 treees that could be fixed now, and they could easily add in extra spices.
PizzaHead3
Sat Jun 05, 2004 6:14 pm
#192
I read through four pages of flames, and finally couldn't anymore and had to skip to the end...
Iunderstand how this evokes quite a lot of rage from the Smuggler community, but I also see that BECAUSE of all this flaming, the devs must stand back and just read, not correspond. I assume this is one of the reasons why they ask for lists instead of actual correspondance.
Yes, this indefinite delay will indeed be the catalyst for me dropping Smuggler completely - unfortunate but true, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
However, I think Masen has a good idea - the gravy will indeed come with the space expansion. It's sad that almost none has come before now (though I also understand the importance of putting a stop to holo-grinding), but I at least hope that once JtL comes, it will already be as integrated with the Smuggler profession as possible. *crosses fingers, hopes this is the case*
Though low blow and feign death are two very useful tricks, they are the only saving grace for me for a broken, currently-useless profession, and not enough to keep my interest in it. I guess I'll have to master Smuggler a third time once the space expansion comes around.
Herms
Sat Jun 05, 2004 6:35 pm
#193
The only reason I bought SWG was to be a smuggler, I'm sure many others were really looking forward to playing at Han Solo too. I've mastered smuggler on two servers and have truly done the whole smuggler thing to the best of my ability and tried to be a positive member of the SWG community, frankly I feel like I've been shat on by SOE.
I've been sitting here eagerly looking forward to a revamp and I gotta say I'm going on strike! Maybe we should get the smugglers together and hold a Spam protest in coronet. The wookiees did it on Bria when they wanted armour and they got it, positive action by the smuggler community is the way ahead.
I dont wanna incite trouble I just wanna urge my fellow smugglers to stand up for themself for once!
I've been sitting here eagerly looking forward to a revamp and I gotta say I'm going on strike! Maybe we should get the smugglers together and hold a Spam protest in coronet. The wookiees did it on Bria when they wanted armour and they got it, positive action by the smuggler community is the way ahead.
I dont wanna incite trouble I just wanna urge my fellow smugglers to stand up for themself for once!
Message Edited by Herms on 06-06-2004 02:37 AM
RogueSaber76
Sat Jun 05, 2004 7:12 pm
#194
Like most I am not surprised by this, I am waiting for the Jedi publishes to be delayed. Not to mention the Combat revamp as you have done nothing about this stuff yet. Not that you are still reading this thread anymore, know I wouldn't be, here is my thought. I dumped Smuggler as soon as I heard this for someting fun. Now that you have spent the last 8 weeks prolly working on something that 2000? out of 500,000 people will use makes great sence to me. You say that Jedi had to be changed, great, I agree...the way you become Jedi had to be changed not the Jedi themselves. Not yet. You have done stuff in the wrong order and you know it, besides the fact that youare now finding out that you have done the new Jedi wrong from your testers.
I just want the real dates for the publishes, thats all, if they are acceptable I will continue to pay for your services if not, well, its just the way of buisness.