Smuggler Archive
Thread: Buying Ship certification
First of all, it'd require a decent skill point investment to pick up a single certification, and many people wouldn't want to give up thier templates to get just one more ship, while allowing dabblers to get an extra ship certification if they so desire.
Why group it as I said? Well, Dirty Fighting and Underworld both use Pistol experience, so they're a natural pairing. Slicing and Spices are both crafting based, so they're a natural pairing.
Message Edited by KaiRan on 10-26-2004 02:39 PM
KaiRan wrote:I'm not so sure we can argue that smugglers are "by definition" pilots. After all, there is quite a difference between "bootleggers" and "rumrunners" from the past century. I doubt many moonshiners knew the ins and outs of rocky coves, and few rumrunners had faster-than-the-cops sedans back at home, yet both can be clasified as "Smuggler". They both were additionally skilled at their prefered form of transportation, and that makes Pilot a fine compliment to smuggling in my book, not a neccissity.That being said, I do agree that the hybrid of Smuggler and Pilot should result in advantages to both profesions. Smugglers recieve the obvious advantage of space travel, and Pilots, currently, get nada. Ship certs in smuggler arent quite the answer... novice pilot plus whatever box in smuggler would make us far too FOTM for my tastes. If there is a way to code hybrid certs, ones that require 2 boxes (1 smuggler plus the appropriate box in the ships line of Pilot), I would be on board right away. Still, we would remain a kind of FOTM, along with the only other profession I can think of that could justify itself gaining certs: Bounty Hunter. (not that BH isnt already an add-on for Pistoleers and Carbineers)In the end, it would be nice to see a benefit gained to Pilots for also having some of another profession, in much the same way Pistoleers and Carbineers benefit from hybridization with Smugglers and Bounty Hunters. Dabbling of that nature (as opposed to what the Jedi have done with us and TKA) can only benefit both professions.Message Edited by KaiRan on 10-26-2004 02:39 PM
Alright, let me beat you about the head and neck...
Smugglers are about two things - concealing things and transportation. This is based upon one of my collegues who use to be a Rum runner back in the day (and they say education is uninteresting).
By default, all we've been to date has been Slicers and Politicians (personally, faction buying and selling is a political job).
I mean, what are you suggesting - we shove crates of contraband spice down our knickers and dare stormtroopers to frisk you, stating that it really is that big?
I'm tring to be funny, but I am rather serious too - one way or the other, smugglers are about moving things around that shouldn't be moved, and transportation is the key. So, naturally, piloting skilling should be part of the Master Smuggler's ability base.
Smuggler should have been Slicer (with more cool slicing thingies to do), and Freelance Pilot should be Smuggler. Artisan should craft spices, Smugglers deliver them. Simple, end of story.
Kal_Serrak wrote: I apology if I sound rough.. I had this argument in Q-3P0 in Beta. Smuggler should have been Slicer (with more cool slicing thingies to do), and Freelance Pilot should be Smuggler. Artisan should craft spices, Smugglers deliver them. Simple, end of story.
No worries- I fully realize my views are not often popular ones, and I certianly think the opposing viewpoints also have merit.
As far as not making spices, my view on this has always been that this game, unlike many other MMOs, contains and encourages Player Crafting. In the "reality" of the SWgenre, hundreds of individualWeaponsmiths dont make E-11s, Scout Blasters, T-21s and Vibro Knucklers, large corporations do, and would either sue the clothes off or kill (or both) any small time crafter that tried to steal their designs. In the same way, EU Smugglers dont make spice, it is refined in Spice labs and manufacturing facilities by chemists. But to support a player based economy, a global system of player-based crafting is in place. Spice belongs in the hands of our profession in the same way armor and weapons belong to armorsmiths and weaponsmiths.
Now, I do agree that "Smugglers" dont make this stuff, and shouldn't. And I agree that "Smugglers" should be pilots of some form or another (and since there are no "driving" professions, pilot is the only prof that is available).
The difference is my base view of our profession. We cover the vast variety of scum in the universe, from the ones who slip contraban past the cops to the guys making deals with corrupt officials in the back ally. Crime bosses, rogues, smugglers, fences, spice lords. In reality Smuggling isnt the point of the profession, its about 1/4 the point, plus the name. See the link in my sig formy whole spin on that.
As I said, unpopular, I know.
The glory of this system is templating. Want to specialize in smuggling? Underworld 4 or even Master for the scan evasion and Pilot for the ship. Dirty fighting will get you to the starportwith less injuries. I'll gladly pay people to restock my vendors for me, moving 80 to 160 crates of spice across 4 planets to 5 or 6 vendors is boring.
I mean, what are you suggesting - we shove crates of contraband spice down our knickers and dare stormtroopers to frisk you, stating that it really is that big?
Heh... this brings a humorous andinteresting image to mind of a direct comparison to how a "mule" moves product irl to my Smuggler moving 60 full crates in the same way. "Gettin it here was no trouble, but 'delivering' it is going to hurt..."
Message Edited by KaiRan on 10-27-2004 11:13 AM
FlyinDuke wrote:The main reason why I wouldn't want Master Smugglers to buy ship certs is because it would just cause I giant increase in the ammount of Smugglers in the system. A lot of us are smugglers becauase we WANT to be smugglers, like the whole concept and everything. If this happened, More people would be smuggler jsut to get more ship certs
Thats why we need s smuggler "grand scheme of things" view. Leveling and Being a Smuggler of any caliber should be illegal, obviously, but its not. Would players constantly risk getting items confiscated, dealing with PC Bounty Hunters and the occasional crime lord who wants to eliminate all who do not work for him just for ship certs - let alone the cost in Skill Points. It would have to shift from an Obvious Choice to a Calculated Risk.
Its why I did that Smuggler Revamp content suggestions post, to make sure everyone continues to think the "Big Picture" and not get sucked into the minor details like holsters or specially sliced no trade/drop guns.
(1) Smugglers Transport Illegal Goods
(2) Smugglers are Outlaws and Operated Outside of the Law
(3) The Risk Smugglers take just for being Smugglers is only equaled to the potential reward.
(4) Illegal Goods are Illegal to own, sell, make, or modify.
Imagine the fun we'd have it most military class droids, meds, weapons, resources, armors were illegal to carry, own, sell and transport. Guilds would have safehouses (that could potentially be raided) that smugglers would secure, transporting goods from the black market cities to guild HQ, and so forth.