Smuggler Archive
Thread: Slow way to add smuggler missions (not much coding per step)
I like it. But replace 'one slicing loot' with a 'stack of 5 of the same tool' and add 'able to choose which kind'.
And woe to the BH that kills a (s)muggler. He might not see some slicing for quite a while.
Gotta add some threat to the missions though. Maybe once in a while when you turn in the datapad to the target, he decides he doesn't want to pay you and tries to kill you. And his friends show up. And maybe their friends. Perhaps those people's frat buddies. And the frat buddies' husbands. Too far?
Step 5: (kind of complex coding) Once you take one of these critical missions, your priority on the "Get stopped for a scan" board jumps, and you must avoid getting within some distance (let's go 40m) of the local constabulatory. Or they attack you. And call their lvl (insert your combat level here) friends. And they call those frat boys with their husbands back. Sorry, couldn't resist.
Also, maybe the devs were giving us a kick in the teeth with the slicing revamp. We complained that slicing wasn't smuggling, so they made slicing better (I...guess) and said "Ok, now those who really want to slice will have to find the components. Take that, Suckaz. *gang sign*"
On another side note, I think a slicing profession would be awesome. Could you imagine hacking NPC droids to fight for you? And hacking other people's bomb droids? And hacking the travel terminals to give you free tickets? And hacking into aStormtrooper's MFTAS system and giving it false readings? Like that commander standing right in front of you just turned into a rebel commando and he's about to shoot you. Fire, trooper!
DeathbyNerfing wrote:
I posted this in reply to another thread that I posted, but figured I'd give it it's own thread.
This will probably slide by unnoticed by anyone who can actually make things happen, but what is speech for if not to express your thoughts? So here goes...
Step 1) Add a "Smuggler" mission terminal that gives delivery missions to some NPC and spawns a worthless item (like a datapad or something) in your inventory and a waypoint to the NPC in your datapad. (Not a huge deal, but it will actually add "Smuggling" to the game, and give way to later steps where this is augmented).
Step 2) Change these mission terminals into NPCs. Doesn't make sense that some hush-hush deal is put on a mission terminal for everyone to see (but this may be necessary for step 1 to just get it in the game).
Step 3) Big step here. Add "Critical Missions" that give a special datapad to deliver to your NPC. These datapads can be turned in to someone in Jabba's throneroom for a piece of the new smuggler slicing loot. If you do this, then you obviously can't turn in your mission to the target NPC and will have to abort it to get another mission. Aborting these missions grants you X amount of visibility on the BH mission terminals.
Step 4) Add a new faction: Smuggler's Association. Taking "Critical Missions" requires X amount of faction with this association (gained through non-critical missions). A BH death makes you lose faction with the Smuggler's Association.
My reasoning
The first step isn't a huge deal and will be pointless to a lot of people. This does, however, get smuggling into the game and start the ball rolling towards adding risky smuggling missions with a real payoff that's useful and involving two professions with new content. This also takes some of the heat off of Jedi, so I imagine that they would be a third profession that would be happy with this process.
The second one is more for aesthetics (spelling?), but would require a good amount of effort as they (I assume) need to code a fair amount to get an NPC working with mission choices and whatnot.
The third is the real biggie. Lots of coding here. One potential drawback is that smuggling loot would become trivially common, while in making it a rare loot the developers imply that they wish it to be rare. I don't personally see this is a drawback, though, as it is required for a main function of smuggler. I know that if BH droids became a rare loot all of a sudden, I'd be pissed.
The fourth step is more for realism. This makes the smuggler not want to die as opposed to being indifferent about it. It requires a bunch of coding and deserves it's own step, or else I'd lump it in with step 3.
A BIG PREMISE IS THAT SMUGGLING MISSION PAYOUTS (for properly done missions where you turn in to the target npc) SHOULD BE BALANCED WITH OTHER FORMS OF MONEY-MAKING. Smuggling on missions should be a reasonable way to make a living as opposed to a sacrafice you make so that you can "feel" like a smuggler.
Thoughts? (Remember, any suggestions that would require a ton of extra coding or a hugely complex system are basically not very feasable)
Koweim
cool..... Lonelan wrote:
I like it. But replace 'one slicing loot' with a 'stack of 5 of the same tool' and add 'able to choose which kind'.
The problem here is that it's a delivery mission. Not something you could potentially fail as you don't have to fight anything to turn it in. Perhaps they could add something like an ambush later, but just to get it in the game with minimal coding you'd only need to go talk to whatever npc. Having it be 5 at a time and you choosing which type means that you can develop a large inventory of the loot with minimal time (and minimal ticks on visibility). Not to mention that they might have to code in 5 at a time. Awarding one item is done in many places in the game, but I don't remember any quest rewards that were more than 1 item. This would make it hard to get in because of more coding. Same thing with an interface to select which item.
Lonelan Wrote:
Gotta add some threat to the missions though. Maybe once in a while when you turn in the datapad to the target, he decides he doesn't want to pay you and tries to kill you. And his friends show up. And maybe their friends. Perhaps those people's frat buddies. And the frat buddies' husbands. Too far?
Step 5: (kind of complex coding) Once you take one of these critical missions, your priority on the "Get stopped for a scan" board jumps, and you must avoid getting within some distance (let's go 40m) of the local constabulatory. Or they attack you. And call their lvl (insert your combat level here) friends. And they call those frat boys with their husbands back. Sorry, couldn't resist.
Once again, tons of coding. I think the reason that smuggling hasn't been added to the game is it would require "too much effort for minimal gains" as the developers see it. Making it more of an effort would only decrease the chance that they do anything. Of course this may all be wishful thinking as the chances of a developer reading this and being inspired is pretty slim. We can hope, though.
Koweim
The only problem with adding things in steps, is that the Devs never follow through with those steps. Or they have very long periods of time between each step.
So they may implimentyour step one with mission terminals, that are simple delivery missions. Then either get to work on the next step, figure it's too much work and scrap the idea, and leave the mission terminals as they are; or wait about a year before going through with the next step. So, either way, we'd still get screwed on content and pretty much remain at the same place we are now.
I'd much prefer that the Devs just add everything at once, so we can avoid this.
But as the devs have been working on the smuggler revamp for over 2 years now, I'm sure they have a great, well documented and detailed plan for making smuggling fun and exciting.
Oh, you mean they just started thinking about the smuggler upgrade? Hmm.. Ok then, better something than nothing...
DeathbyNerfing wrote:
These steps make a gradual progression in favor of Smugglers.
Absolutely nothing to Step 1)
Step 1) to a small RP boost in Step 2)
Step 2) to added PvP content that gives a balanced reward in Step 3)
Step3) to a more realistic version that makes smuggler's not want to die (....which no one should be indifferent to death)
If they stop on any one of these steps, then you are better off than where you would be if they hadn't started the process at all (which is where we are now).
As far as Smuggler's not standing up to BHs...
...run away then and blast off into space or don't abort your missions and rely instead on smugglers who will take the risk. BHs tend to have short attention spans when it comes to enemies who successfully run away once or twice.
I don't agree that Smuggler templates can't stand up to BH templates when Smuggler is a common part of BH templates. Even if they couldn't, however, you aren't forced into PvP by this. Adding a new reliable source of slicing loot will reduce the market price of that loot. This will make them more affordable.
Koweim
More likly to say MOST people haveBH as part of their profession now. But that would bevery stuipid if they made it to the point of which you need BH to fight another. It would screw over the Crafters/Commandos/Melee/SL/CH and the lot as many cannot stand up. Take my MSmuggler/MCommando for example, he is great for group pve, but cannot do anything short of 'I hope i can land a LD as i stand no chance' in pvp
well obviously some templates will be more useful than others.
My point with a lot of BH templates including smuggler was to say that Smuggler itself isn't weak. Otherwise it wouldn't be included in templates of poeple who hope to fight Jedi.
Koweim
DeathbyNerfing wrote:
well obviously some templates will be more useful than others.
My point with a lot of BH templates including smuggler was to say that Smuggler itself isn't weak. Otherwise it wouldn't be included in templates of poeple who hope to fight Jedi.
Koweim
actually, most BHs dabble into it for LD and such. Remeber the big argument when the BH/SM waited for his contact at a starport, went over to a stormie and slapped him, resulting in the 1 hit ko. Then got up and LDed the Jedi for 10k damage or something, db, collect reward. Yes, the BH was very smart to do that, but got the whole jedi communtiy on the brink.
Thus, LD has become a great BH device, expecially if they grab accuracy foods and learned timing for it. Conc Shot also entices them so they can mez, eat, stim, attack....