Smuggler Archive
Thread: Of smugglers, speederbikes, and racing
Page 1 of 1
Verhalnez
Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:06 pm
#1
Great Idea!!! I like the race courses that have been added I think that they are a nice added bonus to the game! But I think that smugglers (and a few other proffessions) should get a bonus that would help them win the race, or at least the ability to modify thier bike!
Jaspor
Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:15 pm
#2
As cool as the idea may be, I don't think it'll happen.
Rather than depend on in-game bonuses and stuff, just keep practicing until you're one of the best. 
Heck, I've won close to 100k challenging other people to races. And, of course, it doesn't hurt if you make a few *ahem* wrong turns and demonstrate a slow time just before accepting a challenge.
Smuggler: "Darn, I got a 175 again... "
Other racer: "That's not so bad, I'm about the same time."
Smuggler: "Cool, want to race? Maybe we can even bet on it."
Racer: "Sure, say 10k?"
Smuggler: "Why not make it 25k, I think I can crack 170 this time around."
Racer: "Sure, why not."
Race Coordinator: "Go!"
*And the race is on!*
Race Coordinator: "Smuggler has set a time of 120 seconds!"
Smuggler: "Wow, guess I got lucky. Pay up."
KaiRan
Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:47 pm
#3
Perhaps some of this, particularly #1, removes some of the "twitch" of racing... and certianly racing a course repeatedly will develop a player's skills. I would still argue for the other points, based on advantages and traditions present throughout the Star Wars genre, most importantly on those presented in the films. In defense of #1, the ground-based game was promised to be non-twitch based, and while these time trials must have player skill in them, character skill and ability should still reign supreme. I wouldnt dare approach JTL with this, as it is promised to be entirely twitch-based in design. But here, character bonuses are fair game.
KaiRan
Fri Aug 13, 2004 12:29 am
#4
Well, its that time again, time to earn another racing badge,and this time its a beautifully complex course through the narrow streets of Keren. Of course, with the current record onStarsider at 108... Well, lets just say that I'll be logging in at server up to make my best time of 120 mean something.
Now, If you're anything like me, you get a little purturbed when the "novice entertainer" pulls up next to you and the race droid anounces their 2-seconds-faster-than-yours time. Challenging asracing is, smugglers in Star Wars have traditionally been portraied as extraordinary racers and kings of the swoop race circuit. In fact, smugglers in generaltend to be above average "wheel men" to survive in the profession. Besides their skill behind the wheel, smugglers are also often portrayed as being adept at pushing their vehicles beyond the normal limits, either with permanent modifications or temporary and normally dangerous changes made on-the-fly... and sometimes both and often at the cost of reliability. The skills that they grow on the swoop tracks and garages are later applied to the space lanes as they mature to becoming upstanding scoundrels.
This isnt to suggest that only smugglers should have an advantage with swoop races, infact there are a fair number of other example types who traditionally have the advantage in repulsor vehicle racing, most notably Jedi and pilots, and of course career racers.
Keeping both our own traditions and these other groups in mind, I would like to propose a few additions to the swoop races that could add a great deal of excitement to anyone trying them and some everyday bonuses to those who regularly race.
1) Racing builds vehicle skill: Anyone who races often enough has increased their abilities behind the wheel as they put more and more time on the edge of their racing vehicle's capabilities. I propose that anyone who races have a skill bonus given to each time they sucessfully beat their own track record, and a bonus for breaking the days record. This should not directly translate to a bonus to speed or controll, but rather eventually result in one, say at +5 you're slightly faster, +10 your vehicle responds slightly quicker, and so on. These bonuses should effect both racing and everyday use, but dont stack up to enourmous bonuses, just shaving a few seconds off track times, etc. They should be capped at a specific and realistic number.
2) Certian classes have slight advantages: Smugglers, Pilots, Force Sensitives, Bounty Hunters and perhaps even Jedi all traditionally have better than average skills behind the wheel. In all of these cases, the skill bonusesshould increase as a character improves that profession, and stack with the race-based bonuses. Except for Force Sensitives and Jedi, the combined profession bonuses and race exp bonuses should face the same cap- a Master Smuggler might be better than a Master Merchant the first time out on the track, but both would be evenly matched as professional racers. In the case of Jedi and FS, their bonuses should be seperate from and stack on top of the racing skill mods, even on top of it's cap. Lets face it, a connection to the force will make you better than humanly possible (or what ever race)
3) Certian racesobtain slightbonuses: This is established in Ep 1... though no one character race should have a better possible top speed and controll than a FS. Humans would gain no bonuses, as established in Ep. 1, and racial bonuses should stack on top ofthe skill cap.
4) Part of the Smugglers' bonus comes at a risk: We gain a fair amount of our abilities from temporarily pushing the vehicle too hard. Like a burst run, we should gain speed, loose control, and wind up going slower when the burst ends untill the vehicle is repaired. This burst should damage the vehicle as it is running. As we hit master, the time we can burst on a vehicle should be possible to exceed the vehicle's condition, resulting in catastrophic failure of the vehicle. Limit it to once an hour or once a day if the non-smuggs get to cranky.
5) Smugglers permenantly slicevehicles: Like weapons and armor, speed or durability should be modifiable by a clamp and a few snips of some red and blue wireing. Anyone can drive one, and the bonus should come at a cost of condition and/or controll and/or speed.
6)Player-run time trials: Make your own race track! Players can get a race droid, feed it a few WPs and host their own races. DEs build the module, Smuggs place em (why not) and can set the entry feeand jackpot. They can only be up for a limited time before the time trials are declared over and the winner awarded their reward- and the smuggler running the illegal race gets his cut, of course...
7) Race at your own risk: These races are illegal! Lets keep them that way! So long as you are racing, if you get too close to a scan team, they fire on you- no matter who you are. Street racing is illegal, even off-duty cops will be arrested for it.
Whew! Ok- those are my ideas for now... I think racing is a big part of SW tradition, and I hope with some improvements we can see it become more exciting than the relatively simple system it is now.
Message Edited by KaiRan on 08-12-2004 03:49 PM
Spec-Ops
Fri Aug 13, 2004 11:39 am
#5
its not that bad an idea i think, but which race would get a racing bonus really, not much to see off of EP. 1 that is playable
Page 1 of 1