Smuggler Archive

According to the Smuggler Document that Tiggs just posted...

"Getting Paid

Once the smuggler arrives at his destination with the goods, he’ll want to be paid. Successful completion of a contract is worth credits, but also a portion of the goods delivered. This system will replace the current method of crafting spices. In the new system, the smuggler will pick up a load of spice and deliver it, receiving a crate of spice and a few credits as payment. The type and quantity of spice (or any other reward) will depend on the difficulty of the mission."

I just wanted to know what you guys think about this? Without having the ability to craft spice, we'll have to do missions in order to obtain it, in order to sell it and use it. Do you like this? Why and why not? Also, what do you think will replace our Spice tree ?

Personally I like this idea. I'm not a chemist, and I've never liked the idea of me sitting in my house cooking drugs. I enjoy distributing, but not making. I also like this because I think it will prevent dabbling in spice making, and it will make spice prices go up .

I like the idea of obtaining spices instead of making them. I've never enjoyed the crafting aspect of the game, I just don't have the patience. I wounder if the Spice tree will remain and instead of crafting, we'll get bonuses to the amount we can skim. I always like the idea of Skimming the spice, this proposal appears af if we'll just be given some, it would be nice if we could get more. Hopefully, if we are given a nice shipment of good spice we can just decide not to deliver it and keep the entire shipment ourselves.

Not a Smuggler myself, but as I have used the services of Smugglers on many occasion (including my sister), I'll speak up.

Spices suck.

Wait, wait, hear me out. With the advent of Doctor buffs, spice has really gotten pushed to the fourth most sought-after ability that Smugglers have (behind slicing, feign death, and faction point purchasing that became more important with the GCW changes), which basically means as a master Smuggler you have a whole useless branch of your profession. Yes, spice works a as quick boost to your stats in emergencies, but compared to chef foods and drinks it's underpowered, undertimed, and has negative downer effects that may do in the player in the end.

Now, with the changes that Tiggs has so kindly laid-out for the community along with the CU/RB that will change entirely how Doctor buffs work (perhaps even doing away with them in the format we know), hopefully massively reducing their power, I'm anxious to see if Spice will once again be put at the position it should be in the game: you get some awesome abilities for using it, but you're going to pay later. With Smugglers not able to craft it and hopefully the value rising on the open market due to a restriction in supply (you better bet I'm having my sister craft me a whole load before it goes live, though), Smugglers will have incentive to hijack their own cargo and sell it to other players, giving them deadbeat points and creating the risks of Smuggling that come with failed shipments. Yeah, you can be a rosy-cheeked Smuggler who always does everything you're told to do by your contacts, but you won't get to reap the benefits of selling large quantities of spice, either to NPCs or other players willing to pay whatever premium you set.

Heck, I'd even like to see some sort of addiction to spice be created, where you slowly lose health over time until you pop another dose. All back to normal, plus the boost you inherently get from the spice. The more times you consume spice, the greater the health decay. Only a Master Doctor could cure the effects of an addiction, and it would take multiple treatmnts to decay back to zero. Perhaps even on a timer of once a day, or something.

Anyway, that's my opinion of spice. Currently, not too useful with the current game mechanics. But hopefully soon it will be back where it should be. I'm glad the Smugglers are getting some love, it's about damn time. I hope you guys aren't too busy playign the changes when they go live to make sure that Squad Leaders get some love after you.

Message Edited by Darter on 03-11-2005 10:33 AM

As soon as the Smuggler revamp goes through, or when I know it's definitely coming, I'll head over to the Squad Leader forum and help them raise the flag .

Yeah you're right, spices are pretty useless right now, but you're also right about the CURB stuff. I like your idea about addiction, but if they decide something like that it will probably be a "later, but we don't have time right now" things.

BTW, can somebody tell me how to /quote Tiggs so I can make my first post look nicer?

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SpinningCloud wrote:

Darter,

My impression is that the CURB is going to change the way doc buffs, food and spices work so I'll reserve my comments on the effectivity of spice till after CURB details are in.

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Oh I agree with you, but I was just talking hypothetically. When Doc buffs surpassed the benefits of spice by a power of 6, a duration of 18, and an availability of...well, I'm not sure there's a number for that...Smugglers were backseated to Docs.

AFTER the CU/RB, I was saying spice should be the greatest reward, but with the greatest penalty, followed by Chef food, followed by buffs, if anything like that exists after that publish. After all, Docs have other purposes beyond buffing and rez-botting.

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SpinningCloud wrote:

I agree Darter. Guess we'll find out soon enough!

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Nope, it's NOT soon enough. Heck, I'm not even a Smuggler and I'm excited to see these changes go live.

I love the change in acquisition, but I dearly hope there will be some difference between spice of the same type, or some way to further refine it after you've got it. Otherwise, unless the amount of spice we get from missions is very limited, the market for it's going to be close to as bad as it is now.

...though honestly, WHO EFFING CARES?? WE CAN SMUGGLE!!!

I'm all for not crafting spice. but i can see how some people could be sad, i made a good liveing at selling moun before i could slice.