Smuggler Archive
Thread: Community Tone
ner0sputnik wrote:
Screw this game and screw this company I just cancelled. (Hell, I haven't played in over a month anyway.)
While it is sad to see another player leave, this is about our smuggler community and not the game or the company. That is a completely different story
Keck_is_banned wrote:
DoMakk wrote:
Wonderful, calm, level-headed post, Wes.
Thank you.
Yea, it's almost as if he were a... JEDI!!!!
Wow, I want one of those yoda statues 
I think we Smugglers need to accept (or least tolerate other Smugglers' viewpoints)
Personally, I want Smuggling missions but I understand that some people get Smuggler for the slicing or the PvP crowd control niche that a Master Smuggler has. It's important for us Smugglers that want content to understand that these people have a right to play the game as they feel like it.
Conversely, the PvP-oriented Smugglers need to accept that what us content-seeking Smugglers desire is Smuggling missions. While from a purely combat perpective, Smuggler is balanced with the other professions (in my opinion), we are lacking the content that essentially makes us Smugglers. Pure PvPers who see our profession as balanced (which it probably is) need to understand that we aren't choosing our profession for pragmatic or practicalreasons but rather because we want to be dashing Han Solo types who arerisking our necks transferring illegal cargo for credits.
Ideally, we will soon have two kinds of "endgame" content for us Smugglers. One is what we already have, the PvP support role through our crowd control abilities (which personally I don't do because I don't PvP). The second would be interesting, fun, and challenging Smuggling missions. Hopefully, we can work together as a community to ensure that both of these option will be open in the near future.
danno13 wrote:
Keck_is_banned wrote:
DoMakk wrote:
Wonderful, calm, level-headed post, Wes.
Thank you.
Yea, it's almost as if he were a... JEDI!!!!
Wow, I want one of those yoda statues
I think we Smugglers need to accept (or least tolerate other Smugglers' viewpoints)
Personally, I want Smuggling missions but I understand that some people get Smuggler for the slicing or the PvP crowd control niche that a Master Smuggler has. It's important for us Smugglers that want content to understand that these people have a right to play the game as they feel like it.
Conversely, the PvP-oriented Smugglers need to accept that what us content-seeking Smugglers desire is Smuggling missions. While from a purely combat perpective, Smuggler is balanced with the other professions (in my opinion), we are lacking the content that essentially makes us Smugglers. Pure PvPers who see our profession as balanced (which it probably is) need to understand that we aren't choosing our profession for pragmatic or practicalreasons but rather because we want to be dashing Han Solo types who arerisking our necks transferring illegal cargo for credits.
Ideally, we will soon have two kinds of "endgame" content for us Smugglers. One is what we already have, the PvP support role through our crowd control abilities (which personally I don't do because I don't PvP). The second would be interesting, fun, and challenging Smuggling missions. Hopefully, we can work together as a community to ensure that both of these option will be open in the near future.
Warning: rambling post below...
Most of the real content in this game is player driven. The cool thing about this game is that most of the program itself consists of tools for players to make a world...I'm sure you all have noticed that there can be some major differences from server to server.
That said, where does the smuggler fit in? Back when faction points meant something, secret meetings were organized so that an overt smuggler could sell or give large amounts of faction to a player. That was kind of cool. But faction points and rank mean nothing now...on Scylla we're actually seeing a cooperative effort between imps and rebs to clear bases to get rid of the lag. So cross faction point selling off the list.
Then there's slicing...which even in the watered down cu system is still pretty cool and everyone still wants it. This creates a demand for a smuggler character and is a good way to make money. So yea...we can make armor and weapons better...that gets old after awhile if it's the only major content we have.
We get a pass from imperial checkpoints...ok. We can ride out to the jawa traders and understand what they say...only to find that they're the same as any junk dealers in the galaxy. We can freeze enemies in their tracks and we can slow their combat speed by 40. We can last ditch which can be cool maybe 1% of the time. And then there's FD...we all know about that lol.
But how can we do the smuggling part? That is, how can there be a viable way in this game for a player to be able to procure valuable material that no one else can get? Like spice...Jabba would probably want Han Solo to use his skills to get spice from shady secret spice makers. Solo wouldn't be expected to survey for minerals and chemicals, harvest them himself, and then manufacture a run of crates for Jabba. No, he'd be the one to talk or blast his way into the underworld of spice production and do the deal. He's a truck driver in space who is an outlaw and deals with outlaws that don't give their trust easily.
So how does this enter the world of SWG? Given the current system, how can a master smuggler walk up to an NPC or mission terminal and be able to get a mission that supplies the server with a certain amount of contraband...how can this system be economically sound and fair to all master smugglers? And how can a player driven system allow for one profession to do illegal "deals" with other players? I'm just putting the question out there...I honestly don't know the answer.
ner0sputnik wrote:
Hey Wes... I have a question. Do they have a timeframe for the smuggling changes? I think I'm going to cancel my account and go to guildwars.
Not that I know of, but as I said in another thread, I've been asked to bump our list of questions around a certain time, so hopefully that means something may be in the works.
BeigeKnight wrote:
I love what you're saying Wes, but you gotta admit that this community has been throwing ideas out left and right. Hell, I'll go looking for that one that really caught my eye and necro it later.We've tried waiting. We've tried whining. Anyone got a plan C?
Honestly, I don't know. Should what's in concept be transfered to live any time in the near future, the community's focus will likely change anyway, but I do know that regardless of what is done and what direction we take, it's always best to do it together.
HOTDOG wrote:
So...I stopped writing.
And I feel pretty good.
I do miss your posts though
.. but you're right, if things are hurting (because passion about this game can bring good and bad feelings) it's best to take a break. I've done taken small time outs (although I'm less intelligent and keep coming back for more 
) and have certainly been better for it.
Iawo wrote:See, the thing that really rubs me raw is that some of you insist that you are better than the rest of us just because you started before us. I have news for you, people come and go all the time in MMO's, so get used to older smugglers leaving. It happens, and it's going to continue happening. The sooner you embrace the newer smugglers, the sooner you will be able to relax a little. It's quite clear that whining and complaining, acting like two year olds isn't working. It's time to move on and try a different approach again IMO.
I certainly agree with you on this. While most may not think they're better than newer Smugglers (or at least think they don't think they're better
), there is sometimes hostility/resentment towards people who havn't been around as long, be it because they've not been through the fun and games we've played over the past two years, or whatever...The thing that jumps immediately to mind when thinking about this is my own assimilation into this community. I started off with big wonder filled eyes; heck, I can remember I didn't even used to think "Why can't Smuggler's Smuggle?" until I read in one of the stickies that it was the community's main goal, at which point my brain fizzled and said, "Hang on.. good god, they're right, why the *bleep-bleep-bleep* can't we Smuggle?"
Anyway, back to what comes to mind
; what really comes to mind is that I was brought into the fold so to speak, as were many around that time and after. Everyone was cynically jovial with one another and seemed to get on like a house on fire (there were exceptions obviously, but that seemed the rule of thumb)... I wonder at what things would have been like if I'd have joined the community at this time/in this state and how I'd have fitted in.
lurdanta wrote:
There is no reason we can't all just let the past be the past, forget all the history (even all the promises broken for dwelling on them really serves no purpose), and take a good, long objective look at where we are and go from there.
I don't think it's a bad thing that people know what's gone on and comment on it, as if we don't learn from what's gone before it's time wasted; I do agree however that the past should not prevent or cause people to hold back from doing or saying things in the present, which I sometimes get the feeling does go on.
lurdanta wrote:
One personal note to Wes. My friend, I know it may not have been in the job description, but you are the community leader. You aren't just some guy no more. If you want the community to be what I think you want it to be (since if you didn't you wouldn't have started this thread), you should start sticking your nose into our business when we get out of hand and be the unifying force I know you can be. I have a lot of respect for you and think you have just the heart and the tempermant needed to do it.
(and anytime you doubt yourself, imagine Rob Schneider poking his head out of the crowd yelling "YOU CAN DO IT!")
You're right, I've talked the talk and need start walking the walk (anyone feeling the urge to gag at the use of that metaphor, feel free to do so
) and I'm going to make a concerted effort in an attempt to do that.. just so long as Mr. Schneider doesn't stalk me all the way 
.
Aendracon wrote:
Wes, while I once again applaud your leadership skills, I doubt that playing nice will get us any more Dev love than a full scale forum assault.
You're right, we really can't make the developers do anything; but believe it or not, the community has some sway over them. Other factors may influence them more than the community (which seems to have been the case for quite some time), but our collective voice gets placed somewhere on the decision making scales.
Regardless though, I'm really talking about how we treat each other, rather than how we're collectively going to ensure Smuggling makes it in game.
HOTDOG wrote:
So...I stopped writing.
And I feel pretty good.
I have to apologise for these words, they were poorly chosen and easily misunderstood. All Im trying to say is that
JakeEyes wrote:
Wes, your words ring true in these ears (or in this case, eyes). However, a group is nothing without strong leadership. Besides yourself and the godfather(no disrespect if I forgot someone, I apologise), there are no vocal "day one" smugglers lurking around. Where are our Angus's, Veela's, Saarek's. They are gone. Their shoes can never be filled, and their absence has made bitterness all too easy. Gassygunslinger has put together this little gem, trying to eliminate some of the RAMPANT inter-profession conflict created by THIS forum. Check it out. It may be the first step to our salvation (WOW, that was dramatic )
Message Edited by JakeEyes on 10-07-2005 07:49 PM
We miss many of the very vocal old timers like Veela and all the other people that have already been mentioned here, and I think we all agree that we hope to see them again here soon. But just feeling sorry and missing them won't help much.
When people leave that had special meaning and fucntions for the community other people will have to jump in for them. If we don't have those great people doing good for the smuggler community it's now up on us to fulfill that role.
Those old-timers will always be here with us through all they did (and hopefully will do soon again) but now we have to form new community "leaders". Wes is doing a good job with this thread bringing many problems to our attention and he's doing a great job with the focus threads he made about the In Concept things like "Contraband on Vendors".
Now, as much as we all need his and other old timer's support, he needs ours now. We all have to start getting used to the new breed of smugglers that might have different ideas about how this should be. And while we should never give up our old time ideals we shouldn't only complain about the new people who are different but get them and their input here to improve us and our profession.
Based on the current developments and system we have to get used to being a split profession for a while, now we are in the "get-to-know-phase", the first date. If it's gonna become a love-marriage we don't know yet but we should at least explore that area.
I want beer and pie post to increase by 500% stat!
Beefs on Julio Torres to go up by 345.63253%!
I agree the replies I get when I post reasonable questions usually are negative or basically pointless. I have posted here in the past and had some bad replies and after that I don't even bother coming in this part of the forums anymore. Recently I posted about fakin death and first couple post seem to help me out and I tell ya I was surprised lol. But then someone comes in and questions if I am using fakin death ability to avoid BH's cause I have a Jedi Character in my Sig ??? My point is this kind of stuff is not needed and does not help anyone with anything they are asking about. Tell ya the truth I probably won't even post in here again for a while cause of people that do this and when I do post the next time if it happens again then I will NEVER post in here again. I have 3 Characters and atm my Smuggler one is not in my Sig because I have not gotten around to change it. Not like I should have to prove anything but I am sure if anyone does a Search for my character Breon on Flurry Server you will see the connection with my other Characters in my Sig. Sorry I only post on these forums to ask questions or try to help out another player with the same professions as me, but I will not even bother if I am going to get flamed about it just cause I have a Jedi or someone is mad because Smuggler is not getting attention. I have a Smuggler too and I am all for more content for Smugglers and I too and hopping for a revamp. Sad that all those negative posts can't be something to be more productive to this profession and I hope things change for the better wether those players stay or not. I know what some will think that oh well this profession has been ignored for far too long and ur sick of it yada yada yada....
Well being negative and posting pointless remarks will get you no where.
gassygunslinger wrote:
By the way, if you're seeing a lot of posting from me today, it's because I've had this game for exactly one year today. (I know, because this game was a birthday present to myself... I'm not one of those people who can tell you what color shirt you were wearing three years ago on this day)
Happy Birthday, gassy. 