Smuggler Archive
Thread: spice no more?
DarthKthuolhu
Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:03 pm
#14
Spices, is something which I have no desire to work on as a Skill... as a Smuggler.
My friends dont't seem to understand why I will not craft them Spices and I tell them, simply... "I am a Smuggler! Not a damned Drug Dealer!"
So I have been very much hoping that SOE would remove Spices from the Smuggler Tree when the Revamp eventually came out. Now it seems we will get that Revamp.
But I still want to know more about where Spices fit into the whole picture.
Ok; we get them from running smuggling missions. But again, is it confirmed that this is the only way to obtain them. If so, then what happens to our Spices skill boxes. What do we, as Smugglers, get in place of those skill boxes?
Thats what I really want to know. Will we be given some new Skill which they haven't revealed to us yet?
My friends dont't seem to understand why I will not craft them Spices and I tell them, simply... "I am a Smuggler! Not a damned Drug Dealer!"
So I have been very much hoping that SOE would remove Spices from the Smuggler Tree when the Revamp eventually came out. Now it seems we will get that Revamp.
But I still want to know more about where Spices fit into the whole picture.
Ok; we get them from running smuggling missions. But again, is it confirmed that this is the only way to obtain them. If so, then what happens to our Spices skill boxes. What do we, as Smugglers, get in place of those skill boxes?
Thats what I really want to know. Will we be given some new Skill which they haven't revealed to us yet?
Yojim
Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:23 am
#15
KaiRan wrote:... Is there some kind of long-term memory problem in this community? Or have so many left since the chef rebalance that none are left to tell how it was? Before they revamped the chef foods and unbalanced the system completely for us, a smuggler could spend at maximum 2500-3000cr on supplies per crate (incl maint and pwr), and sell that same crate for 8000-15000 cr, the lower number vendors often selling out completely every day! Don’t you think the CU's nerf of doctor enhancements will bring spices just a little back in vogue? And let me ask you, how long does it take to make 3k cr? Versus the time spent on what will likely be 30 min to 1 hr missions for spice? How much spice do you think we'll get? Does the sale of that spice allow us to re-invest in more spice?
Though I dont like this "fools" shouting, the points you are talking about are not that false. When its about profit, youre right, but many people here want some "non-crafting-fun" with their smuggler. I am selling spice for over a year now and I miss the times when Muon and Pixie were worth 8K and I maybe I will drop my merchant skills when it comes to that new system. But on the other hand: I hope that the new spices will be ten times better then they now are, - if not, it would not be worth the effort of doing missions for one or two crates of them (I don't think we can keep the whole shipment when we drop the delivery mission... that would be a first grade exploit). Make this drugs some kickass-buff and perhaps I'll sell them
I know that many people here would give up the other smuggler skills for "real smuggling", but I think it would get worse on the long term if this would happen (of course it won't happen since there will be a new slicing system for example)... I want to be useful for other people (FS-trading, Slicing, spices) and don't like the Idea of smugglers doing their own missions all alone, without the need to interact with other players... Smuggling missions? Good Idea, but not for the cost of all other skills that are useful
PS: I am a "Drug Czar", slicer AND a smuggler and I am proud of it... like a good pirate I make my own rum...
Message Edited by Yojim on 03-15-2005 10:40 AM
BluebloodUK
Tue Mar 15, 2005 6:01 am
#16
Probably sounds like a really stupid question, and so I apologise in advance, ... but if they do change the Spice-crafting branch as suggested, what happens to the XP we accumulated? Will we go from "Spice IV" to "New Skill Branch I" or will all those with IV boxes get to keep the same level in the change-over?
As a casual gamer, it took me ages to get to where I am now.. so I am a bit hesitant to cheer (not that I liked crafting).
Cheers
Siid
SpinningCloud
Tue Mar 15, 2005 6:15 am
#17
They don't take skill boxes from players, never have and I doubt ever will.
There IS a penalty for 'farming' spice by taking contracts and stealing the cargo. You get 'deadbeat' points and as you accumulate them you get a rougher and rougher time with harder NPC BHs coming after you. Not sure I'd shrug that off because this will be after the CU and those tough NPC BHs might not be that much of a push over if they catch you alone. Many of us are suggesting at 'deadbeat' level 5 we end up on the player BH terms as well. Don't think we'd be 'farming' anything while being chased by a BH.
Additionally I believe Tiggs said that as you accumulated 'deadbeat' points you would have to take low level missions with smaller rewards to redeem yourself.
My bet would be they understand the farming issue and will put in mechanisms to make it tough to do so, but not impossible so that those that want to take the risk can realize the reward.
You can still be a 'drug czar' because, either by stealing your cargo or accumulating the spice reward for completing your contract, you can sell spice like you always did. Maybe it won't be as prevelant as it was but that just makes good sense...if it's worthwhile it will be worth more credits and command a much higher price.
The only thing this changes is HOW you get the spice you sell to other players. The means is now through SMUGGLING and NOT crafting.
ApollyonTB
Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:27 am
#18
I sure hope the spice given to us from missions is worth the 14 skill points. In all honesty, I would rather them enable experimentation on spices and add a Master smuggler spice than to take a chance at letting the devs create a spice that we as smugglers have to do missions for.
We all have seen what the devs can do...and once again, Im afraid.
DigiDante
Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:55 am
#19
ApollyonTB wrote:I sure hope the spice given to us from missions is worth the 14 skill points. In all honesty, I would rather them enable experimentation on spices and add a Master smuggler spice than to take a chance at letting the devs create a spice that we as smugglers have to do missions for.We all have seen what the devs can do...and once again, Im afraid.
THEY WILL REPLACE THE SPICES TREE WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT!
They are not just removing spice crafting and leaving the spices tree in our profession!! The tree will be removed in order for us to get missions to acquire spice!
neinnunb
Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:02 pm
#20
WesBelden wrote:Spice will be obtained by accepting spice smuggling missions and either completing the mission and receiving a payment of credits and say a crate of Spice, or by purposefully not delivering the spice and keeping it for yourself. Spice is also being balanced along with everything else in the CU, so will be desirable and worth something
Now the question is how will they handle the possibility to not make the missions an easy spice farm? A scenerio could be that you take the mission and emediately keep all the spice. You rince and repeat all the time you want to get the more spice without much effort. Who cares for the credits as a reward if you can make money selling the spice and who cares if an NPC BH comes to get you, you just die (which does not have any penalties to you) and repeat the process. I dont want spice to become as common or cheap as tick tacks.
An easy solution that I can think of is you will not be able to start a new mission in X amount of days if you have decided to keep the spice from your previous mission. The contact would consider you unreliable.
Im pretty sure the above scenario to farm the spice would be forseen by the devs and not be possible, but in any case I like to play with the ideas on how to make things work without possible exploits.
DigiDante
Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:36 pm
#21
I am not a Drug Czar, I am not a Chemist, I am not a Crafter, I am a Smuggler.
DigiDante
Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:19 pm
#22
Thats your opinion.
The skill points we invest will determine difficulty in a mission, but that will not affect the spices. We're given a shipment of 100 spices, we may choose not to deliver it. Then in return we'll be able to sell the spice and have a bounty mark against us.
So forth, we may make more money that way then from the mission itself.
I could care less about mission payout as a smuggler. I want some pay for my trouble, and I want a reward for it. I do not need 100k for an hours work. If I wanted that, I could do it doing what I always do. This is a change in scenary and a change in events.
It wil be your choice to do the mission and it will be your choice if you complete them.
The skill points we invest will determine difficulty in a mission, but that will not affect the spices. We're given a shipment of 100 spices, we may choose not to deliver it. Then in return we'll be able to sell the spice and have a bounty mark against us.
So forth, we may make more money that way then from the mission itself.
I could care less about mission payout as a smuggler. I want some pay for my trouble, and I want a reward for it. I do not need 100k for an hours work. If I wanted that, I could do it doing what I always do. This is a change in scenary and a change in events.
It wil be your choice to do the mission and it will be your choice if you complete them.
SpinningCloud
Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:24 pm
#23
Apollyon,
It isn't worth it to make and sell spices NOW...I can get buffed and go to dantoonie and make way more per hour than gathering resources, make and selling spice.
In fact if I get buffed and sit in the DWB I can make way WAY more.
I don't see the point?
If the only thing that's important is how many credits you make then why in the world would you choose Smuggler?
I want to smuggle not craft. If I wanted to craft and make money I'd be a weapon or armor smith.
CommanderFarley
Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:36 pm
#24
The economical impact of the changes to spice ARE an issue... but think of it this way.
Our spice sales will change from "volume" to "margin" based businesses. In the old system, you'd sell 10 crates of spice for, say 50k. all this from 10 minutes of work (gathering resources, making schem, loading factory, and finally filling vendor)
With the new system, let's say it takes 10 minutes to complete a mission for one crate of spice. Are you STILL going to sell it for 5k? If so, then you truly are a fool. Supply and demand, my friends. The spice supply will become smaller, and the demand will increase with the CURB. Spice will become more expensive, offsetting the lack of mass production.
synopsis:
current system, 10 crates at 5k = 50k
proposed system, 1 crate at 50k
tell me again how you're losing money?
JWing
Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:47 pm
#25
CommanderFarley wrote:The economical impact of the changes to spice ARE an issue... but think of it this way.Our spice sales will change from "volume" to "margin" based businesses. In the old system, you'd sell 10 crates of spice for, say 50k. all this from 10 minutes of work (gathering resources, making schem, loading factory, and finally filling vendor)With the new system, let's say it takes 10 minutes to complete a mission for one crate of spice. Are you STILL going to sell it for 5k? If so, then you truly are a fool. Supply and demand, my friends. The spice supply will become smaller, and the demand will increase with the CURB. Spice will become more expensive, offsetting the lack of mass production.synopsis:current system, 10 crates at 5k = 50kproposed system, 1 crate at 50ktell me again how you're losing money?
/agreed
I also feel that once were closer to this "revamp", current supplies of spice (muron and pixie) will be flying off the shelves. People will understand that soon it will be a hard item to come by. So I plan on crafting a crap load, and riding this wave to the mother load of riches!!!
Mahahahahahaha
/SlapsSelfBackIntoReality
DarthKthuolhu
Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:26 pm
#26
JWing wrote:
CommanderFarley wrote:The economical impact of the changes to spice ARE an issue... but think of it this way.Our spice sales will change from "volume" to "margin" based businesses. In the old system, you'd sell 10 crates of spice for, say 50k. all this from 10 minutes of work (gathering resources, making schem, loading factory, and finally filling vendor)With the new system, let's say it takes 10 minutes to complete a mission for one crate of spice. Are you STILL going to sell it for 5k? If so, then you truly are a fool. Supply and demand, my friends. The spice supply will become smaller, and the demand will increase with the CURB. Spice will become more expensive, offsetting the lack of mass production.synopsis:current system, 10 crates at 5k = 50kproposed system, 1 crate at 50ktell me again how you're losing money?
/agreed
I also feel that once were closer to this "revamp", current supplies of spice (muron and pixie) will be flying off the shelves. People will understand that soon it will be a hard item to come by. So I plan on crafting a crap load, and riding this wave to the mother load of riches!!!
Mahahahahahaha
/SlapsSelfBackIntoReality
Great idea.
But then what if those Spices are rendered obsolete... and useless? What if what they give us is so much better.. these old spices will be worthless?
Who is going to want to buy them and how will you get rich?