Smuggler Archive
Thread: Combat Upgrade: Spices
Nerj wrote:
Hmmmm, seems that I mention that somewhere. Oh yes, I did say that Spices, Dirty fighting, and Slicing will be Combat Upgraded. Again removing the need for a Smuggler revamp down the road, as the profession will be "balanced".
Trust me, there will still be a need for a revamp and we will still have a revamp.
Even if they do (and I am not confirming anything in this and don't read too much into it) address in some form everything you mentioned ... there are levels of addressing. They could balance spices that are currently in the game and revamp spice in the revamp.
Think outside the box...
Yeah, what EN said.
electricnomad wrote:
Just to sharethe Dev's original theoryof spice in SWG (the documentation of which is lostsince much of it dates from pre-launch)...
Spice was supposed to provide high-powered but short-term buffs (of up to maybe 30 minutes).
Food was supposed to provide low-powered but long-term buffs (from one to twelve - yes, twelve! - hours).
Some people, myself included, have advocated more creative downers. Puking and stat lossfor each one is boring, and there are a number of other colorful options, from as elaborate as blurred on-screen vision and a lower to-hit ratio for Booster Blue to something as simple and benign as constant burping for Grey Gabaki. Lower-end spice shouldn't give massive downers, but the high-end stuff should make the downer tricky to manage.
Other people, and I also include myself, have asked that Smugglers harvest spice and then process it (ie, use resources to "craft" a spice using the base "spice unit"), which would end the phenomenon of Smugglers who sell 1000-unit schematics to crafters and destroy the spice market. Such a system - akin to the Deadeye formula - could revolutionize the spice market, driving up prices and making it more rare. At the very least, it would open the door for a "spice run minigame," which I believe should be separate from player-based smuggling. The Spice line of Smuggler could therefore offer the ability to process raw spice, while, say, the Underworld line could open up the "spice run minigame" and other missions for NPCs, with higher Underworld levels offering progressively more lucrative raw spice.
In any case, spice needs to have a strong risk/reward factor. Use of high-powered buffs should complicate a player's existence - they should endure tougher scans and face rough downers. Softer spice should trigger less visibility and have less serious downers. It isuninteresting to make spice generic, and unproductive to allow only the highest-end spices to have a role in SWG. Each spice must have its place, and if each one is not sought after by customers, then it is a sign of a poorly-designed spice. Smugglers need every spice to be marketable.
Anyway, that's my advice for spice. The rest, including contraband system proposals, is in my "compiled ideas" thread. Good luck, Smugglers.
Geevo wrote:
Nerj wrote:
Hmmmm, seems that I mention that somewhere. Oh yes, I did say that Spices, Dirty fighting, and Slicing will be Combat Upgraded. Again removing the need for a Smuggler revamp down the road, as the profession will be "balanced".
Trust me, there will still be a need for a revamp and we will still have a revamp.
Even if they do (and I am not confirming anything in this and don't read too much into it) address in some form everything you mentioned ... there are levels of addressing. They could balance spices that are currently in the game and revamp spice in the revamp.
Thought I'd jump in here and just clarify and reiterate, this is in fact a balance, not a revamp of spices; anything of a revamp nature ofnone-combat system specific is beyond the scope of the CU. That's not to say Spices won't be useful, just don't expect to be smuggling them into the game etc.
Some good ideas in this thread though, I'll be sure to keep it in my bookmarks for future reference 
I just have one thing to add/say:
I am a SMUGGLER. I Smuggle spice to suppliers who then sell it to people. I do not craft it or make it...otherwise I'd be a Master Spice Dealer.
And I'm strongly apposed to keeping our 4th line just "Spices" and upgrading them and adding new ones. I don't think we'll ever get rid of crafting them unless they make a "Crime Lord" profession but we should limit to what we have, make them better, and all the new ones should be better and Smuggled in.
NickHeel wrote:
I just have one thing to add/say:
I am a SMUGGLER. I Smuggle spice to suppliers who then sell it to people. I do not craft it or make it...otherwise I'd be a Master Spice Dealer.
And I'm strongly apposed to keeping our 4th line just "Spices" and upgrading them and adding new ones. I don't think we'll ever get rid of crafting them unless they make a "Crime Lord" profession but we should limit to what we have, make them better, and all the new ones should be better and Smuggled in.
hmm makes sense to meh...part of our revamp maybe??
Geevo wrote:
Think outside the box...
Nerj wrote:
Geevo wrote:Think outside the box...
Can't autopull doesn't work anymore ...
Now that's funny.
I always hated that "think outside the box" saying.
Message Edited by Zoastra on 11-11-2004 12:54 PM
electricnomad wrote:
Just to sharethe Dev's original theoryof spice in SWG (the documentation of which is lostsince much of it dates from pre-launch)...
Spice was supposed to provide high-powered but short-term buffs (of up to maybe 30 minutes).
Food was supposed to provide low-powered but long-term buffs (from one to twelve - yes, twelve! - hours).
Some people, myself included, have advocated more creative downers. Puking and stat lossfor each one is boring, and there are a number of other colorful options, from as elaborate as blurred on-screen vision and a lower to-hit ratio for Booster Blue to something as simple and benign as constant burping for Grey Gabaki. Lower-end spice shouldn't give massive downers, but the high-end stuff should make the downer tricky to manage.
Other people, and I also include myself, have asked that Smugglers harvest spice and then process it (ie, use resources to "craft" a spice using the base "spice unit"), which would end the phenomenon of Smugglers who sell 1000-unit schematics to crafters and destroy the spice market. Such a system - akin to the Deadeye formula - could revolutionize the spice market, driving up prices and making it more rare. At the very least, it would open the door for a "spice run minigame," which I believe should be separate from player-based smuggling. The Spice line of Smuggler could therefore offer the ability to process raw spice, while, say, the Underworld line could open up the "spice run minigame" and other missions for NPCs, with higher Underworld levels offering progressively more lucrative raw spice.
In any case, spice needs to have a strong risk/reward factor. Use of high-powered buffs should complicate a player's existence - they should endure tougher scans and face rough downers. Softer spice should trigger less visibility and have less serious downers. It isuninteresting to make spice generic, and unproductive to allow only the highest-end spices to have a role in SWG. Each spice must have its place, and if each one is not sought after by customers, then it is a sign of a poorly-designed spice. Smugglers need every spice to be marketable.
Anyway, that's my advice for spice. The rest, including contraband system proposals, is in my "compiled ideas" thread. Good luck, Smugglers.
I think i might love you!
but don't worry, it'sin a Shaggy and Scooby kinda way