Smuggler Archive
Thread: Skill Points Change Proposal
That is because we are a hybrid profession, not an elite one. In fact, before CU we had it best among the other Hybrid professions. BH's needed to MASTER Marksman and so did Commando. We had it made in the shade with the only Triple Master Combo (TKM/MSmuggler/MPistoleer).
In case you were not here in the old days the Hybrid professions are:
Smuggler (Unarmed and Pistols)
BH (Ranged Support and Scouting tree)
Commando (Unarmed and Ranged Support)
Combat medic (Medic tree and Ranged Support)
Squad Leader (Scouting tree and ranged support)
I think these are it. the rest are elite professions.
Message Edited by Brutus_TOD on 08-05-2005 02:46 AM
Brutus_TOD wrote:
That is because we are a hybrid profession, not an elite one. In fact, before CU we had it best among the other Hybrid professions. BH's needed to MASTER Marksman and so did Commando. We had it made in the shade with the only Triple Master Combo (TKM/MSmuggler/MPistoleer).
In case you were not here in the old days the Hybrid professions are:
Smuggler (Unarmed and Pistols)
BH (Ranged Support and Scouting tree)
Commando (Unarmed and Ranged Support)
Combat medic (Medic tree and Ranged Support)
Squad Leader (Scouting tree and ranged support)
I think these are it. the rest are elite professions. Except Jedi, They are UBER L337!!!
Message Edited by Brutus_TOD on 08-05-2005 02:46 AM
So we've corrected terminology, but not addressed the point. Even as a "hybrid profession," we are still weak. Our ability to slice is all but impaired by unrealistic loot expectations. Our spicing is in no way useful, as only two spices in the galaxy matter, and the market is already so flooded with them. Our combat abilities have little to no meaningful effect when needed, other than allowing US to escape (which I DO NOT consider a combat ability). And the ability to buy and sell faction points is hardly enough to base an entire profession on.
I still hold out for the HOPE of more for smuggler. However, I don't think 5 skill points is much to ask in the meantime. After all, they just tinkered with skill points to aid entertainers when they nerfed their usefulness for BF. Smuggler came with basically a built-in nerf, give us a few more skill points to kick around.
At this point, what REASON is there toconsiderita "hybrid profession"? We're a hybrid of what? Marksman and Brawler? Tell me--wearing ONLY recon armor and based ENTIRELY on pistol fighting, is Smuggler in ANY way a viable Melee profession? The answer is clearly no, unless our "melee skill" is the ability to "take one for the team." At this point, the Unarmed tree is nothing but a skill point liability. It would be like requiring chefs to have the Carbines tree.
Now, we would ALL love to see Slicing/Delinquency turned into a combined "Contraband" tree to make room for a tree that provided melee abilities to validate our brawler skills, but I think that's far from happening. At this point, it wouldn't be so hard to chuck half a dozen skill points at us--wouldn't even have to change the Brawler requirement.
Smuggler should have the flexibility of being added to several other strong disciplines. I'm shooting for Smuggler/Weaponsmith/Artisan, not looking for an uber-fighter. Is it unreasonable to make and tinker with weapons and vehicles as a Smuggler?The obvious answer is Han Solo--but I'm not even looking for ship/vehicle slices.
Again, if smugglers were powerful, or if our profession were more engaging, or if the job were more lucrative, I could understand holding us back a bit. But as is, loosen up the constraints, no?
FIGMO wrote:I have a TKM/Sword/Fencer triple master, 4 pts leftover.
yes, and those are all "elite" professions, not "hybrid" professions.
Hybrid professions by nature take skills from different disciplines to combine in the profession. BHs use Scout and Marksman skills. Combat Medics use Medic and Marksman skills. Commando uses Brawler and Marksman, as does Smuggler. Squad Leader used to be Hybrid using Scout and Marksman, but now only requires Scout I believe.
Now, as long as we're a hybrid profession, I don't have a problem with it. But we don't have many if any abilities in Smuggler proper which stem from our Brawler prereqs. Fix this, which has been an issue since launch, and the skill points usage makes perfect sense.
First, the devs need to keep balance. All profs need 2 low-lvl pre reqs, and hybreds need it from 2 different skill sets. If the dev's listened to everyones' gripes and made the game totally catered to the customers, we'd end up with: 75% uber-ultra-l33t jedis that are master saber/master defs/master healers/and have an extra 200 skillpoints to spend on powers and enhancer. The crafters would have only the best resoures, and the other combat profs would have equal skills to jedi, guns with the dmg of an ALR and speed/SAC of a pistol. If this happened, the game would be no fun, hence the balance. It may not be perfect, but its far from horrible.
As for the money, you can make a decent bit of cash as a smuggler. Sell slicing loot you converted from the not-really-a-revamp-but-a-not-so-great-slicing-change. Or slice guns for cash. A lot of 10k-25k slices add up over time. Or slice bases and charge a bit for your service. Or sell FP, a very nice way to earn money.
Also, you do have the option to play the char you want to, smug or not. If you don't like smug, play something else, this game has many choices. For every prof, you need to give up one thing to have what you want. If you have smuggler but do not like it, why are you paying to do something you do not like? I currently play a smuggler because it has some nice skills (mezs), I can slice for friends, and just like being able to call myself a smuggler. I know I could get better skills as a MPistols, but I give that up for fun.
"First, the devs need to keep balance."
No one here has indicated otherwise.
"All profs need 2 low-lvl pre reqs, and hybreds need it from 2 different skill sets."
No one has contested this bit of information either, INASMUCH AS THE PROFESSION SHOULD SENISBILY BE HYBRID IN THE FIRST PLACE.
The problem is that Smuggler has thecost (penalty) of a hybrid, but without the appropriate benefit of a hybrid. It has become apparent that Smuggler will never receive the benefit, and thus I recommend that the penalty be mitigated (I'm not EVEN asking that it be REMOVED, please notice that). FIVE skill points, that's it. Removing brawler prereq would be giving us 29 (14 in unarmed + 15 novice brawler). I'm only asking five.
That allows a Master Smuggler to take on a Master Elite profession and that Elite's subprofession. It makes smuggler what it SHOULD be as it is currently represented in gameplay--an 'added certification' appended to another profession. It is of no use as a PRIMARY, but rather as a SUPPLEMENTARY. Therefore, I would, for instance, be a Master Artisan/Weaponsmith who also smuggles masterfully. Someone else could be a Master Carbineer/Marksman who also smuggles. Another could be a Master Doctor/Medic who also smuggles.
"Hybrid professions" have added 15 more prereq skill points because they are meant to be specialized, self-sufficient professions (reasonably speaking). Elite professions have 15 fewer prereq skill points because they are more specialized professions, requiring some OTHER skillset to achieve any degree of self-sufficiency. Smuggler should NOT be a hybrid profession. There is no benefit to justify the added cost, and there is no self -sufficiency. But even then, just another 5 points would balance it out for Smuggler (then you can deal with Commando).
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