Smuggler Archive
Thread: An Idea for Contraband (if it's made illegal)
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MISTagent01
Tue Mar 01, 2005 11:02 am
#1
I know, I know, we've gone over this a hundred times. However, I couldn't help but think about something this morning that, imho, would solve two problems:
- The illegality (if ever applicable) of contraband on regular vendors and the bazaar; and
- Merchants' insistence that Smugglers having contraband vendors takes away from their profession (which I think it does.)
So, with that being said, here's my idea for the situation (if it ever happens.) It's not totally thought out, I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anyone wanted to chew on it.
Smugglers should have the ability to drop a casino in player cities. Once the casino has been dropped, Merchants should retain the ability to drop contraband vendors in this designated area. Casino vendors should NOT register on the planetary vendor list, and both sides are happy, as Smugglersare giving Merchants the ability to sell dirty goods,but without actually stepping on their toes by givingSmugglers a contraband vendor.
Like I said, just throwing it out there. 
Kamileon
Tue Mar 01, 2005 11:21 am
#2
While I like the idea of having place of the more seedy variety where contraband vendors would be placed, I still think there needs to be clear and ovcious risk involved in merely selling contraband. A normal, every day, straight forward businessman isn't going to be selling spice out of his shop, and there HAS to be risk involved.
Contraband should have some way of being detected on vendors. Places like the casino, and special contraband vendors, if implemented, should have a reducing factor on the visiblity of the contraband therein, but if it is truly to be considered and treated as illegal, it cannot be openly sold.
To help reduce server load, instead of having to have every item on a vendor be scannable, a vendor could simply have a illegality rating assigned to its stats, as a function of the number of illegal items contained therein, and modifiable by any bonuses.
Contraband should have some way of being detected on vendors. Places like the casino, and special contraband vendors, if implemented, should have a reducing factor on the visiblity of the contraband therein, but if it is truly to be considered and treated as illegal, it cannot be openly sold.
To help reduce server load, instead of having to have every item on a vendor be scannable, a vendor could simply have a illegality rating assigned to its stats, as a function of the number of illegal items contained therein, and modifiable by any bonuses.
Aelik Orrigo: Smuggler, Pilot, and Ranger. Kettemoor
tralita_tusnami
Tue Mar 01, 2005 11:37 am
#3
what about much like the new event guys a smuggler can hire a guy to sell spice, much like a npc pet, but works like a vendor, when nobody is with in3 metershe "patrols" a area say 62 meters. under world skill tree is involved because
at:\
nov smuggler- 24 hours partol time, at which point any supplies on him disapear, or he uses them
under world 1- 36 hours "" ""
under world 2- 72 hours "" ""
under world 3- 72 hours he is scared of you and returns the unsold items to you
under world 4- 72 hours "" ""
master smuggler 96 hours "" ""
now this NPC pet can be attacked by imperial troopers and city guards so you should not "Place him out where troopers roam"
but at levels
nov- under world 2 the pet is incenerated
at underworld 3 the pet runs and might escape
at under world 4 he is powerfull enough to fight back aginst 2 troopers and win
at master smuggler he has the same resists as your player and fighting style if you know it so does he ie low blow last ditch any special
the pets would be able to be armed by you, but you wont get the weapon back, so how much are you willing to shell out for your goon?
SpinningCloud
Tue Mar 01, 2005 11:38 am
#4
Why not just let merchants put contraband on their vendors BUT everytime a piece of contraband is purchased there is a roll to determine if the law decends upon the purchaser and vendor. If the purchase is spotted then the consequences to the customer are the same as a scan. The consequences to the vendor are that all future purchases from the same vendor have an increased chance of brining in the law.
Eventually vendors will become notorious and well known to law enforcement and dangerous for people to purchase from. Maybe for a fee a smuggler can hack the vendor to reduce it's visibility.
HOTDOG
Tue Mar 01, 2005 11:55 am
#5
I like the idea Veels-
I would LOVE to see Casinos in game and having a SET place where contraband vendors could be placed does allow for there to be scans of those vendors and possibly even punishments for having the Casino (you are saying that only Smugglers can place them right?).
However, I don't see Contraband Vendors as stepping on Merchants toes- if done right.
A Smuggler would still have to have business 3 or above to put down a vendor. Just like anyone else.
And if a Merchant wanted to sell contraband they should have to at LEAST get novice smuggler.
I honestly think that this is fair.
Selling stuff is their game-
Illegal stuff is ours.
People are just getting upset because until now it was just assumed that everyone had the right to put illegal stuff on their vendor- but if we are going to start treating contraband as if it IS illegal and not just enhancements then it should NOT be okay to just put them up. Especially when our whole profession is based on that material.
Message Edited by HOTDOG on 03-01-2005 11:12 AM
HOTDOG
Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:05 pm
#6
SpinningCloud wrote:
Why not just let merchants put contraband on their vendors BUT everytime a piece of contraband is purchased there is a roll to determine if the law decends upon the purchaser and vendor. If the purchase is spotted then the consequences to the customer are the same as a scan. The consequences to the vendor are that all future purchases from the same vendor have an increased chance of brining in the law.
Eventually vendors will become notorious and well known to law enforcement and dangerous for people to purchase from. Maybe for a fee a smuggler can hack the vendor to reduce it's visibility.
I think this is a cool idea too- but why give that content to Merchants when we have no content of our own? Those vendors should be getting US in trouble. WE are the smugglers.
Ya'll see what I am sayin'?
SpinningCloud
Tue Mar 01, 2005 2:14 pm
#7
I don't mind the casino idea IF it is only one of many ways a Smuggler can smuggle. Personally I don't want to be the type of smuggler that is tied down to a casino...I'd prefer to roam the galaxy taking smuggling jobs here and there for criminal factions, Imps and Rebs and maybe dable in the drug trade, a little slicing on the side and maybe a casino now and then.
We need smuggling and we need a variety.
Thochkored
Tue Mar 01, 2005 3:26 pm
#8
I think this is a great compromise. It doesn't give Smugglers the ability ot place vendors without Business III and it doesn't allow for a Merchant to sell illegals items without a Smuggler. However, if the vendor can't be listed on the map there is no incentive for a Master Smuggler to go past Business III, so I fear that there will be alot of Smugglers spending the skill points and cutting the Merchants out of the equation completely. I agree that the Vendors probably shouldn't be listed and searchable, but if they wereto make it so you couldn't use the words Sliced, Spice, and other variations in the Vendor Names. This would give the full Merchant an added advantage over the Smuggler with Business III.
I also don't want top be tied to a Casino. I want to Smuggle in other ways.
Message Edited by Thochkored on 03-01-2005 04:27 PM
Kamileon
Tue Mar 01, 2005 3:28 pm
#9
You could look at it as having to Smuggle the goods to the casino to be resold, as just a delivery point for one of your contracts. An enterprising Smuggler could work with multiple cities and cantinas to deliver contraband items.
JediArashi
Tue Mar 01, 2005 7:13 pm
#10
Very nice proposal Wes!! I like the turn you took the idea. It's more immersive, more complex, more involved, and I think more productive. The way I see this ideas place in "the grand scheme of the Smuggler revamp" tm, is this provides a strong majority of the "Lando" template of Smuggler. This is the business type of Smuggler that we also need in the game.
While most of us,I think, would prefer to be that spacefaring pistol jockey living by their wits and the seat of their pants; there are many who want to be that tied down "respected" business man. This is the outlet for that. Totally right on.
Arashis' stamp of approval! Code it!
Thochkored
Tue Mar 01, 2005 8:24 pm
#11
Not a bad idea, as long as the Crackdown works. I could see Merchants asking for a Smuggler Escort to get their items to the Illegal Vendors.
Kamileon wrote:
You could look at it as having to Smuggle the goods to the casino to be resold, as just a delivery point for one of your contracts. An enterprising Smuggler could work with multiple cities and cantinas to deliver contraband items.
Ternque01
Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:21 pm
#12
Great idea Veela.
If only there was a crimelord profession to drop the casinos instead. I really wonder how smugglerish owning one would be. It would have to be a master smuggler skill because operating a casino isn't for novices.
Great post, as always.
WesBelden
Wed Mar 02, 2005 1:40 am
#13
I think this is quite an interesting idea, especially if the Smuggler is the one that's responsible for seeing to it that various contraband scans don't take place on his/her premises. By this I'm not envisaging the Smuggler standing outside the door whistling innocently, but rather activities they can attempt that if done successfully have his place of business 'overlooked' by the local authorities.
These activities would basically involve getting into the position where you're able to bribe an official, be it by payinga substantial sum of credits, procuring an item/s for them through smuggling missions, Smuggling something of theirs to an associate, etc.
Basically, the Smuggler keeps the arm of the law at bay each cycle of this system through, ironically, illegal activities. If they fail, the merchants selling their goods there would receive a hefty fine and possibly have items confiscated (although the last one probably depends on how heavy handed the developers are willing to be with law enforcement post-revamp). Obviously Merchants aren't going to stick around if the Smuggler isn't doing their job, but on the other hand a Smuggler could charge for the privilege of having a merchant in their casino.
I would hope that there will bemany items that are custom order and as such are not likely to be on vendors, but rather just business between a Smuggler and their customer; I think this system leaves scope for that and at the same time allows for a more realistic version of selling contraband.
Edit: Just to note thatthe key benefits of this system is that it's not intensive on the server for scanning and it still relies on a Smuggler getting the job done to sell contraband.
Message Edited by WesBelden on 03-01-2005 12:44 PM
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