Smuggler Archive
Thread: How to make sure the smuggler revamp will be good
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atytula
Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:47 pm
#1
With todays announcement on the smuggler revamp (that is what I call it) I feel we should take an active part in its coming to be. We know that it is a draft, and that things can change, so this is our time to make sure we get the revamp we want.
I am going to bring up some of my concerns with the proposed changes, and note, I do think the ideas are a refreshing change. I would like to see our leader Wes start a request thread on things we would like to see changed before the development team tracks too far into the revamp process.
Concern Number 1 - Dynamic content, almost there
While the smuggler missions are what we have been asking for, I would like to see a little more dynamic content. The contacts indifferent cities are neat, but it would be nice to be able to unlock additional contracts as a player gets really good. Here is an example of what I am saying. The concept of deadbeat is a good start, but good smugglers should be have a prestige ranking as well. The prestige ranking will unlock additional contacts and with that, additional missions. The contacts will not be static like the normal ones. They will be wandering contacts. Some might just wonder a city, some a planet, and even some an entire galaxy. To find this contact, you would send him an email and he will give you a rendevous point and time, or the mission could be given over an email.
Concern Number 2 - Lack of Player Bounties
The concept of BH in SWG was based around Han Solo and his smuggling run for Jabba the Hutt. I like the idea that as a smuggler messes up his run, he gets in the bad books with his employers and his reputation is reduced. After one or two mess ups, the player might be expected to make payments (possible substantial), then later a BH will be tasked to bring in the smuggler (at varying levels) and finally a player BH can be assigned to kill the smuggler.
BH hunting smugglers isn't like hunting Jedi. The BH will start by pulling up flight records from a star port to determine when the smuggler was last at that starport and where he was heading. From there, he will have to follow the trail the smuggler leaves. When he finally gets to a city the smuggler wasat recently, he can talk to the PCs and use converse with NPCs to see if anyone saw the smuggler and which direction he went. If the smuggler used any terminal(like a mission terminal) the BH can use it to find out information on what the smuggler was doing there (like getting a mission 1200m to the East). Then the smuggler sends droids in the suspected direction and if the smuggler is withing 1500m (or so) from the BH, the droids will give the waypoint.
Now a smuggler can use evasion techniques to prevent being tacked. When a smuggler uses a terminal, he has the option to slice it and try to change the identity he is using to access the terminals. Any ideas on how this would work would be apreciated. A smuggler can also pay off NPCs and PCs to give incorrect information to a BH looking for him. He can also hire a decoy to head off in another direction or another planet that can leave the BH with dead ends.
A smugglers combat abilities should be very good at getting him out of trouble. While the smuggler may not be very good at beating a BH who has discovered him, he does have techniques that will give him enough time to get on a bike and make a run-away. Panic shot would be an example, but it would have to be modified to give a chance of complete panic in the target (where they run away from the smuggler in a burst run, but only works once in a day or something).
The idea is that the BH will have a challenging time finding the smuggler, if the smuggler covers his tracks well, and in combat, the BH will be the superior fighter (or should be) but the smuggler has a lot of evasion techniques to prevent his death.
Concern Number 3 - The 4th branch
The devs have indicated that in this new system, spices are earned as a reward for doing missions. This is much better then having smugglers make the spice and become drug lords. But the question lies, what will happen to our last branch. Any ideas.
Message Edited by atytula on 03-11-2005 05:51 PM
WesBelden
Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:59 am
#3
I'm still waiting to see what scope there is for tweaks,changes and potential additional content. Feature creep issomething that every developer, regardless of genre,attempt to stomp on vigorously. As for player bounties, I think the idea is to get the system in place and workingfirst;from what I've seen, Smugglers as a whole would likeevasion techniques, tip offs from contactsetc. that help them avoid being found by aBHin the first place. I suspect that'sreally out of the scope of thesegame additions.
I'llcertainly want to get a new post up to discuss what else we'd like to see added, but at the moment things can still change, for better or for worse, so I think it's best we wait to see whatthe end product of this is.
SpinningCloud
Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:28 am
#4
Wes; "Feature creep issomething that every developer, regardless of genre,attempt to stomp on vigorously. "
LOL, my experience is that devs tend to be the ones responsible for freature creep and the managers attempt to stomp vigourously on it.
SpinningCloud
Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:49 am
#6
Heh, I felt obligated to add that middle line since yesterdays little bombshell.
LaughingWolf
Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:51 am
#7
To become "At LAST Smugglers can Smuggle" when it hit live eh? hehe
I understand.
I understand.
Ashet
Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:59 am
#8
The idea of putting out bounties to PC BHs is a bad one. The concept is good, but the fact remains that BHs are the worst exploiters in the game (with the exception of Jedi perhaps). If anyone thinks this will be a contest of wits against brawn think again - it will become a contest of cheats and exploits, which is what Jedi vs. BH has devolved to.
BHs currently hunt Jedi by following them so they can observe them and put them on the boards, and then grab a mission to kill them. The BHs will follow you and make sure you fail your missions so that you can be on the boards. If you think there is any tactic so low that a BH will not use, then you do not know BHs.
SpinningCloud
Sat Mar 12, 2005 12:01 pm
#9
*sigh* We know Ashet, that's why many of us think it should wait until that whole system is worked out. But eventually it should be added.
Obono
Sun Mar 13, 2005 6:40 am
#10
To make the smug revamp good, i was thinking of letting the devs know that this is a smug revamp, and they shouldn't listen to BH's. Even if they whine alot, to get PC BHs on us. 
Vrond
Sun Mar 13, 2005 9:00 am
#11
The biggest thing we can do to make it good is when it comes out jam test center with Smugglers and hammer it try everything then try it all again the try it backwards. maybe this will be the first test center where more folks come to test then to duel.
Lixosskzzo
Sun Mar 13, 2005 9:14 am
#12
Saying that a system is exploitable is a very dangerous argument to make against something. Macroing was super exploitable, would you rather they had completely removed it, or simply fixed as many of the exploits as possible?
A thought for how to work the terminal ID masking: give the terminal slicing mini-game two options (for mission terminals anyway), first option is the default increased reward, the second is to disable the terminal's ID procedures, or gum them up somehow. Instead of disabling, what might be fun is to scramble the records, so when the BH shows up and does a query for our job, they get the WP for the person who used the terminal before us, or maybe three days ago. Should probably have a chance to fail that we won't be alerted of, or else they'd never find us if we were on a mission.
Also, I have a comment on Panic Shot: the word panic doesn't refer to the target panicking, it's supposed to be us. Not that we're scared or something, it's basically sort of a bunch of quick and wild reflex shots as we're bolting in the other direction. Sort of like giving ourselves covering fire as we haul rear end away hoping the person shooting at us will be too scared to peek out from behind the box to see us running.
atytula
Sun Mar 13, 2005 5:38 pm
#13
I conceed the point but disagree. We are at a point where we can make recomendations and get changes into the system. If we wait, then the devs will be less willing to make the changes. Feature creep is only an issue during development, not when defining features.
WesBelden wrote:
I'm still waiting to see what scope there is for tweaks,changes and potential additional content. Feature creep issomething that every developer, regardless of genre,attempt to stomp on vigorously. As for player bounties, I think the idea is to get the system in place and workingfirst;from what I've seen, Smugglers as a whole would likeevasion techniques, tip offs from contactsetc. that help them avoid being found by aBHin the first place. I suspect that'sreally out of the scope of thesegame additions.
I'llcertainly want to get a new post up to discuss what else we'd like to see added, but at the moment things can still change, for better or for worse, so I think it's best we wait to see whatthe end product of this is.
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