Smuggler Archive
Thread: Poll: Contraband on Vendors
SmugglinZane
Sun Feb 27, 2005 9:37 am
#287
JTGAlpha wrote:
Yeah, but there SHOULD be an option C, Veela, but I've said that already. There's no need for this to be so black and white.
And Zane, it doesn't preclude me being a merchant. But it DOES make it the combination of Smuggler/Merchant useless. I might as well drop merchant because I have the profession so that I can better sell my goods as a smuggler.
Look, I don't like the Unarmed requirement. I think the whole triple-threat, ninja gunslinger smuggler idea is fricking STUPID, and about as non-smuggler like as you can get. We do NOT kick ass like Kwai Chang Kane. But here we are, all Kung Fu Masters. But you know what? I've never said that TKA should be USELESS when used in conjunction with smuggler. Or that Rifleman should be useless. Or Commando, or any other profession. And if I did, there'd be a crap storm. SO why is it okay for us to make crafting professions useless with smuggler? Why do we get so made at "WS" smugglers and "AS" smugglers? Combat smugglers can pick any template they want to their SUPREME advantage but a crafter can't? A socializer and RP'er like me can't? I don't try and invalidate your all's playstyle. Please. Leave mine alone. I hate playing that card, I really do, but you're talking about making two professions absolutely USELESS together that weren't before. If you make something, if you have something to sell, then Merchants and Vendors should be useful to you. Even combat monkies can sell loot with it. But I can't sell MY merchandise because you guys can't quite swallow the in-game explanation of "he's not a shopkeeper he's my drug dealer who uses my shop as a front?" It's not like I'm not willing to meet half way here either. But this black and white A or B is silly.
I agree with you. That's why I've posted my ideas about compromises between the two. This just happens to be the options being posed to us right now. I think there are much better options that work between the two professions involved, I would still choose A between the choices.
If A were to happen, my business would be hurt as well. My friends and I do RP exactly what you're talking about (a legit shop fronting for shady operations). I want the items to have an illegalappearance to them. Unfortunately, others don't feel the need to do this. If for no other reason, I want contraband off of normal vendors to help force the player base to realise that these things are illegal and they will continue to take on an increasing aspect of this.
I also look at it like this. If they decide to reimpliment the delivery option in upcoming changes, then there goes any chance of us smuggling.I feel likechoosing A is the best way to protect this professionuntil thebig picture isshown to us.
ana-mo-cara
Sun Feb 27, 2005 12:06 pm
#288
merchant is neutered in the global bizarre system anyway. So its only a question of surplus storage.
Poohba
Sun Feb 27, 2005 12:11 pm
#289
Option (A) isnt going to hurt anyones business that much, if you cant sell Sliced armor or weapons on your vendors then neither can anyone else it levels the crafters playing field to a degree (better armor and weapons made with better resources will still prevail over noob items). Everyone will still need armor, everyone will still need weapons, this option just takes the slicing pressure off of the crafters and brings it back to the smugglers where it belongs. If anything this could increase a crafters business because they are selling unsliced like everyone else so people may need 15 pieces of armor to get a full set of 9 peices of resist sliced armor. A WS may sell 3 Scout Blasters because the smuggler didnt get the person the slice they wanted until the third try. If they decide to make slicing selecable it still works for us as smugglers, it takes the stormy situations out of our lap and gives us a steady stream of clients that get what they want every time (to a degree of the slice).
Still think option (A) is a good idea, I am a crafter (my alt does the slicing). Let crafters craft and let smugglers do the slicing, lets seperate these two things again like it used to be a year ago or so. Everyone that sold sliced equipment got a huge advantage over the unsliced sellers, this forced crafters such as me to find slicers to compete. After 3 troubled relationships I gave up on finding a smuggler and made my alt a MS to do it all for me. Works good but doubles my armor crafting time having to slice what I make.
Option (A) puts slicing back in the Smugglers hands, it makes the profession worth more then it is now and adds alot to pc relations and interdependency.
Grama
Sun Feb 27, 2005 4:23 pm
#290
(A) spice is nice, it should be smuggled like this setting
Outside of Moenia, Naboo-
12:00 midnight
2 speeders meet
Person 1: You got the money
Person 2: You got the stuff
Secure trade happens over 100,000 thousand credits worth of spice is transferred.
Kingpins then go back and sell it to the dealers who sell it to everyone else for more money.
Just an Idea
JTGAlpha
Mon Feb 28, 2005 10:01 am
#292
But if all we have is these two options artificially pinned on us the devs will say, "Well, we COULD come up with a more complex and cool way to handle this. Or we could just lock out contraband from vendors like an overwhelming portion of the smuggler community seems to want, which would be easier and is obviously their desire." What do YOU think they'd do?
akd23
Mon Feb 28, 2005 12:43 pm
#294
I vote A. (despite having recently started selling spice on the bizaar)
I do understand that a lot of people would consider this a 'nerf' to the game, so you could consider a compromise.
As a compromise, you could try something like this- you could give master smugglers the ability to make a vendor an illegal contraband vendor (which could not be registered in the global sales they are introducing, illegal sales should ot be that public). The contraband vendor would be the only one able to hold spices or sliced goods.
This should not give smugglers the ability to place vendors (as this would be seen as taking away from the merchants). The skill would be kept at master smuggler, as it should require a high level of underworld contacts to operate a contraband vendor.
This would just give a master smuggler who has the ability to place a vendor by investing the skill points in artisan 0030 or merchant the ability to make one vendor a contraband vendor.
A master smuggler who has not invested the skill points to place a vendor will not be able to, and a smuggler who has invested the skillpoints is a merchant as well as a smuggler- we are not restricted to only belonging to one profession in this game.
This would then not be taking way from the merchant class, but be giving more options to people in their template and how they play the game- a similar situation would be a master pistoleer, who has the option of just being a master pistoleer, or investing more skill points to pick up BH pistols, novice commando, or smuggler pistols.
However, I think option A would be a better way to go- it's not perfect, but better than the way it works now. There needs to be real contraband in this game, and consequences to being caught with it. Right now, spices and slice's are no more contraband than a medium naboo house. I also think there should becriminal factions we can join. I guess this would have to wait for a future expansion, but this would be a first step in separating out the criminals from the rest of the population.
It's also worth considering that slices, weapons and armour are going to change in the CU. I don't know how these are changing, but we should consider that proper costs/penalties should be introduced to balance out the benefits of slicing, so it is not an automatic choice to get your weapon or armour sliced. This might be high fines/aggro for those caught with them, or a chance of a sliced weapon not working for a bit in combat (the slice causesyour blasterto overheat, and you have to wait for it to cool before powering it up again)
JTGAlpha
Tue Mar 01, 2005 1:10 am
#295
By the way, I'm glad that Caylins Crime Lord proposal is back up. If that was implemented that would be a fine and dandy way to circumvent this issue and make both sides happy.
Flucka
Tue Mar 01, 2005 5:34 am
#296
Think about it guys... Do you all really want to become travelling salesmen receiving dozens of tells a day? Can I meet you in X for some spice, can I meet you in Y for a slice? Will drive you all insane.
How many smugglers will then be standing in Coronet spamming "Get your spices here!!"?
Consider my position... I have a main and then an alt who is a Smuggler & a Merchant. Now I'm in the process of commisioning a large run of armour. I'm gonna slice at least 10 sets & hopefully get one that suits my needs. Now am I supposed to run around the galaxy trying to sell individual pieces of pre-sliced armour to make back a bit of money? Am I heck, if it cann't be sold I will probably just junk it.
There has to be a third way so I revise my earlier answer to C
How many smugglers will then be standing in Coronet spamming "Get your spices here!!"?
Consider my position... I have a main and then an alt who is a Smuggler & a Merchant. Now I'm in the process of commisioning a large run of armour. I'm gonna slice at least 10 sets & hopefully get one that suits my needs. Now am I supposed to run around the galaxy trying to sell individual pieces of pre-sliced armour to make back a bit of money? Am I heck, if it cann't be sold I will probably just junk it.
There has to be a third way so I revise my earlier answer to C
DragonSnack
Tue Mar 01, 2005 8:08 am
#298
(Other) Players may not have problems with buff lines but I do.
And I have significant problems with being forced to sit around a starport hawking my goods or services.
I want a vendor -either a merchant or smuggler vendor - either with or with out illegal goods,combined or seperate to sell my stuff
I prefer giving the merchants a contraband only vendor.
If you want to spam your wares in front of cnet starport GO AHEAD you can already do this.
Don't force me to imitate the doc and quildrecruiters -especilaly afte fixing it so entertainers cna work their trade in front fo the star port also.