Smuggler Archive
Thread: Smuggler State of the profession
Overall a good listing of our problems and perks. Over all that sums it up except for the twothoughts I haveto addthough.
The first being about the weapons cert... a DL44a? Oh please, nono no! I personally feel the DL-44 should have been a smuggler cert weapon in the first place, leaving the metal DL-44 and the Power5 (poor mans knockoff of a DL-44) for the general public to havethat "movie" like feel. But to add another DL-44 type of weapon to the game would just be annoying to me, three of that basic look is enough, lets not add a forth. I amstill hoping for a cert weapon type, just not that one.
The only other problem that I can think of that wasn't listed is really one of those infighting profession ones. This revolves around smugglers being a hybrid class. There have been several posts in the passed on this with each one having opinions stayed for and against, and this being our business aspect. Heck I even posted one about this problem. That said, we all know the hardest thing for the Devs to do would be for them to change the whole prereqs around to reflect our hybrid design. That in mind though and the heavy push by smugglers to get experimentation in the game to add more depth to our crafting/business aspect we come to a wall. As the class is now and if this experimentation does comes into the game those who only use the crafting aspect of smugglers or use both that and the fighting will be forced to have artisan so they can survey to get the best materials of that shift for their use. Many already do this but if this does take place it will become forced choice. We would andagain inpart now are the only class that needs 3 base classes (45 skill points total) to make full use of our class. Solet us be given the ability to survey. This will get rid of that extra 15 points we are forced to use to get the full experience that our class has to offer. We don't need any mods for surveying other then the most basic, the ability to use. Just give us theblasted tool so we can do "our own" work. If the smuggler chooses to become better at surveying and the mods that go with itthen they can pick up artisan and the surveying line for those improvements. I think all of us can imagine what we could do with those extra 15 points, right? Finally for all those who say you should just hire a surveryor to do that work for you... why should we be forced to intrust in others when no otherbusiness aspected classesdepend more on anotherone to help them out then a smuggler who experiences all that the this class has to offer.
Oh btw, have any of you noticed since what the devs did to spice has pretty much dropped that line to worthlessness that many smugglers are turning to resource trading as a substitute income?
Good job. I agree with San's post. Excellent job summing up everything.
SanTsu wrote:
Slicing: This is one of our best skill trees most smugglers make good money off this one. The problems with slicing are:
1. it is a bit shallow there are only two kinds of terminals we can slice and both have to do with destroy and delivery missions. What we would like to see is the ability to slice more types of terminals like Travel terminals, Bank Terminals and all mission stype terminals meaning entertainer or scout.
2. The only way for players to know if a weapon or piece of armor has been sliced its to have a smuggler take the item and attempt to slice it. There should be some form of marker on the weapon so that all players can tell if an item has been sliced.
Slicing conclusions: Over all this is our best crafting skill it makes us good money and also makes us usefull to the general population. It would be nice to be able to slice more types of terminals.
Dont forget WUK and AUK quality effecting the outcome of slicing.
I'd also love to be able to "trade" cross faction as a skill somewhere. Nothing is more annoying that trying having to wait for a TEF to go away so you can slice someones items.
Here Here! Great post dude, keep that up and they'll have to promote you to super-duper master smuggler. Keep it up.
Bounty Hunter Blues MasterSmuggler needs an active defenseive skill... like /duck or /evade
MasterSmuggler need a single, spice that buffs all lines
Please do not add experamantion to spices... I would hate that.
Weapon Cert is a good idea, but smuggler isn't really a weapon cert kind of class, that's like DE's wanting a combat droid that only a DE can control. **edit**?
Expermantation on slicing, really liked the think about using the expermention to try and pick the stat sliced... that would be alsome.
One quick thing I have seen on the DE board. They are talking about slicing mods for droids that would improve slicing... any ideas on this?
One main problem i see with smuggler is the fact thatyou get basically the best specials for pvp in the same line - dirty fighting. I really think that these should be spread out or something, because last ditch, panic shot, and low blow can be achieved in addition to the bh pistol line and flamethrower line. Call me a dabbler hater if you want, but i find it sad that someone with 1 line from smuggler is as good in a fight as a master smuggler.
I was a 0-4-4-4 BH a week ago, now im a 0-0-4-0 BH with DF 4 and yes, as a BH there was a lot of anger in the BH forums about dabblers. Pistoleers that grabbed the BH pistol line, used it to grief ppl with Torso Shot and Eye Shot while wearing the Expert Bounty Hunter title so everyone yelled NERF BH when its Pistoleer dabblers causing the problems. Well, if youread through the manual it actually ENCOURAGES dabbling, it says that you don't have to achieve Master in a profession to get fame and fortune. When you think about it, dabbling is what makes this game great, people can mold their chars however they want, everyone pays the same for the game so everyone has an equal chance to be just as powerful as the next person. A big complaint among Bounty Hunters is the fact that a 0-4-4-4 BH is just as strong as a Master Bounty Hunter. Smuggler has the same problem, and BOTH professions seem to be seriously neglected. I have only been a part Smuggler for about a week, but it seems like your profession was working at release for the most part only a few minor bugs have been fixed. Just remember that you guys are not alone, Underworld is actually more usefull than the BH Investigation line, since BHs get NOTHING from it (the mission payouts are HORRIBLE for the time and money invested in just ONE mission). 2 of the skills at MBH are useless (Lightning Cone 2 and Fast Blast is either crap or broken) and Spray Shot isnt worth 400 hours of Investigation. And I know I'm going on about BH, but don't get mad at dabblers, they are what add variety to the game and if you get beat by one, well then we keep you on your toes :-). Just remember that the manual encourages dabbling and the game structure itself allows practically requires you to dabble (how many combat professions dontpickupAT LEAST Novice Medic to heal themselves?) It was actually a tough choice to choose whether to go BH Pistol 4/DF4 or go Master Smuggler/Master Pistoleer with a little TKA. I am a big participater in the GCW so Master Smuggler looked very appealing to me for the 25% discount on faction perks. But I just picked up Underworld 1 and I'm happy for now with just 10% off :-). And one last note about dabblers, it all depends on the personality of the person. I'm someone that doesn't always use my full power in a fight when it's not neccissary. I also don't call myself a Smuggler OR a BH anymore, since I do not slice, make spice, or do Investigation missions anymore. I am just a member of the Rebellion on the Tarquinas server thats doing my best to stop the oppression of alien species by the Empire :-)
I couldnt agree more with most everything San posted, I also believe that a master smuggler should be able to choose what type he slices.
It sounds like most smugglers are on the same page.
Most like slice/DF the way they are (personally, if we start being able to choose the stat that gets sliced, they should put in all levels of weapon/armor slicing.Otherwise, we'll duplicate the problems that non-master WS's are having).
UW/spice are pointless.
Right now I'm 3/4/4/0. Only building up the UW line to get master, and I only do that for the title, I have little incentive from a game mechanics standpoint.
Great job San and everyone, now we just wait for some kind of response.
/holdbreath
Like I've said in the past, a couple skills in the UW tree (10% off faction perks, 1/2 off penalty in PVP death) are useful...the rest of the tree is about useless.
But another question: if they do change things, if we are already a Master Smuggler, do we have to start all over? 