Smuggler Archive
Thread: Not a Poll: Contraband on vendors
WesBelden wrote:
There has been a resurgence in debate recently concerning merchants and their vendors. Along with this there has also been some discussion over contraband being sold on vendors. So, please choose one of the following options (and if possible, don't add in other options, such as Smuggler Vendors®):
A.Contraband should not be sold on vendors; it’s illegal and as such should not be so easily available, nor as easily identifiable by the authorities.
B.Contraband should be able to be sold on vendors; this is a game and I want to be able to sell/buy stuff easily!
In my mind removing contraband from vendors would be a step towards actual Smuggling; Smugglers would be required to take spice to their customers and customers would be required to take their weapons/armour to Smugglers. This would create a greater sense of illegality and general Star Wars immersion in my opinion.
There would of course be draw backs to such a change; I guess it’s up to every individual to decide whether those drawbacks would be worth the extra immersion.
Get voting!
to make dealing in contraband a profitable business for the smugglerwhileADDING value to the merchant treewas to let the smuggler operate an effective "turf".
If the Merchant had a Smuggler Associate listed, then the merchant would be able to stock sliced goods / contraband -- and the smuggler would get a kick back.
Some Details to the idea:
- Merchants only be allowed to place contraband on a vendor if that vendor had an associated underworld contact ... a smuggler associate.
- Smugglers should be able to set their kick back level (say 1-5% of sale price) so that smugglers can compete in turf wars.
- There should be a modifier in the Smuggler tree that increases the number of vendors they can control in their turf at any given time.
- The ability to have a smuggler associate should be granted somewhere in the Merchant skill tree (not be a universal option on vendors ... artisan business 3 would not be skilled enough merchant to successfully deal on the black market)
- Dealing in the underworld now pays.
- It gives the smuggler a needed / valuable role in the economy ... without causing balance issues or scanning lag issues...etc
- This lets the Merchants sell what they want ... but adds a feel of illegality to certain items. They need the expertise / connections of a smuggler associate to sell effectively on the black market.
- as a bonus it adds some value to a merchant box
"Oh you want...a modified weapon ... /whisper that's on the vendor in the back room."
Giamai wrote:
the option aboveis a decent one, the idea of contraband vendors that require smuggler participation creates value in the profession, adds for interplay with other professions and if youadd in anelement of risk (say from vendor scanning for example) it could allow for some cool things to happen.
(edited for type-o)
Message Edited by IndySWG on 02-18-2005 03:25 PM
AiingTing wrote:
I like the turf war Idea but it proably wont happen, I have been smuggler from the start for the RP and not being able to have contraband on vendors would cause people to make more real smuggler contacts in game and provide I lot more fun role playing content
i'm not so sure thats going to be the overall affect...given smuggler the way the profession works now consider this...
at the moment the majority of smugglers use mainly slicing as a money maker by working with crafters. so when the crafters can no longer sell sliced items on vendors, they basically no longer need to employ smugglers. this is where for some reason people think you can now slice items for customers directly and do a little roleplaying.
for some smugglers, that will be true. there are smugglers who would kill to roleplay this way. and that is fabulous.
but for customers it won't be so cut and dried. as it stands now crafters hire smugglers for mass slicing because it helps the customer by making them not have to hunt down a smuggler. for the customer, this is most often viewed as a chore...they won't roleplay, they will hit up smugglers within their guilds. and guild smugglers are going to be saddled with the same level of slicing they do now but instead of bulk slicing for contract, it will be nonstop demands from guildies and friends. thats not roleplaying, thats not even gaming...thats work.
those customers who aren't in guilds and don't know a smuggler? they will be targeted by those nonroleplaying smugglers who then stand in front of starports and spam all day long for cash...like buffing doctors, adding lag and basically not roleplaying any better than the hapless guild smugglers. since spamming that you are a smuggler is about the same as selling illegal items on vendors, somehow i don't see this as an improvement.
if it becomes too much trouble to get stuff sliced, some will simply do without. between the spice line being as weak as it is, and slicing weakened...thats half the tree that becomes more trouble than its worth, and smuggler becomes as popular as ID
the option aboveis a decent one, the idea of contraband vendors that require smuggler participation creates value in the profession, adds for interplay with other professions and if youadd in anelement of risk (say from vendor scanning for example) it could allow for some cool things to happen.
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