Smuggler Archive
Thread: A Smuggler Revamp Proposal (Some Content Ideas)
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Kal_Serrak
Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:57 am
#1
I thought I'd work out some things I would really like to see included in the Smuggler's Revamp. Keep in mind, they're not very CareBear(tm)ish and involve damaging the way other professions work.
*(SMUGGLING)*
The real reason why we're all here.
Imperial, Rebel, CorSec, FedDub and other government organizations - along with various criminal organizations such as Jabba the Hutt and the Corbral - decided, under pressure of other corporate entities and the neverending drive to increase profits/resources, to start clamping down on the harvesting and movement of high-end resources, production materials, stolen blueprints and other items the common person was never meant to see.
Various government/criminal checkpoint areas can be set up (Using terminals as a trigger, for example) at various Shuttleports, Starports and Bases. Those discovered carrying contraband items will lose those items, pay a hefty fine depending on quantity and type, and potentially lose faction with the organization.
Thus, various players and other NPCs will require the use of a smuggler to move items off of planets (assumably, players can move restricted items themselves using vehicles or running - avoiding shuttle and starports, and major cities). I recommend smugglers have a 10pct (N.Smuggler) to 75pct (M.Smuggler) chance at successfully evading contraband searches at these checkpoints (in line with the Imperial Crackdown).
Now, this will open up other opprotunities in law enforcement - or the lack thereof. On one hand, city security needs to be tightened considerably. Allhigh negativefaction players should always be successfully repelled using waves on increasingly more powerful guards, droids and vehicles. Some can argue a way to XP grind using this system (as I believe it was argued a long time ago for Faction Points), but at this level of the game experience/fp shouldn't be as much as an issue as content is.
JTL Additional Content
There might be a way to achieve more than a 75pct avoidance on contraband searches. That is, to avoid the checkpoints altogether using starships. Not by just "traveling" which will incur the standard search procedures that regular transport use activate.
If anyone has played X-Wing Alliance, its akin to avoid being 'inspected' by any factional starships mentioned previously. After 'inspection' its a matter of using a starport not allied with the identifing starship - and outrunning any starships trying to disable your craft. Just that some sectors of space will be more difficult than others, easier to bribe, or use technology to evade capture.
This will require Starship certifications to be moved into the Smuggler Profession, since smuggling on a galatic stage is a JTL issue and the purpose of a smuggler. Namely, YT Class starships and other standard non-fighter craft (leave starfighters in the three pilot professions, and the advanced ships in the Master boxes as they are now).
*(THIEVING)*
Smugglers are, after all, the scum of the galaxy.
We can benefit players by providing them ways to recieve restricted resources and items, but we should also be a thorn in their sides. This is a forced PvP aspect of the game, treated much like being a Jedi player, so forgive me if I offend players. But, I feel we're outlaws and fighting with authority and authoritative players is one of our goals.
Smugglers should be able to use advanced slicing abilities (More expensive tools, slight random chance regardless) to slice into terminals to steal credits, schematics, blueprints and other interesting bits of information (Yes, I'm lifting this a little from the old Bounty Hunter forum 
).
).NPC targets would be Bank Terminals, Base Terminals, Faction Mission Terminals and the like. PC Targets would be such things as Harvesters, Vendors, Public Buildingsand PC City terminals - targeting the maintainance pools, treasuriesor resources. The amount stolen would depend on the success rating and how greedy the smuggler is - 2,5,7 pct of the available pool.
Why would I even suggest such a forced change on other professions (crafters/resource harvesters/politicians and practically any player has the potential to be hurt negatively by this - even if they don't consent)? First, smugglers are the dark side of SWG - we're criminals, just for being smugglers. Second, it opens new player dynamics - forcing the rich to guard their investments with new guard NPCs or PC Guards (preferred). Third, The richest sources of credits are successful player crafters - they should be the target of theft to help redistribute credits.
This should be of extreme risk to the smuggler - general TEFs and Bounty Hunter Terminal visibility for even attempting to commit an act of theft - and then depending upon the success of the theft and how greedy the smuggler was. General TEFs would allow the smuggler to be attacked by all present, especially PC guards hired by the merchant to protect the store/harvesters/city.
*(THE BLACK MARKET)*
Sliced items should be generally illegal and treated as contraband/restricted items under SMUGGLING. However, the level of the smuggler's avoidance transfers to the weapon/armor detection chance (minus 10pct, so that a M.Smuggler's work on a weapon would have a 65pct chance to pass inspection.
Sliced items, slicing tools, AUKs/WUKs and whatnot should not be allowed on vendors/bazaar terminals. A 100pct prohibition would be ideal and simple, however I would like to see player cities who introduce less restrictive law enforcement to have a chance to successfully offer to sell sliced items. Now, these player cities should come under scrutiny by government/criminal organizations and subject to random inspections with the same punishments as failing SMUGGLING searches.
Acts of Slicing, faction points (bribery) and other smuggler actions should have to compete against a city's law enforcement values in order to check successful evasion. Failed evasions will aggro NPC guards and add visibility on Bounty Hunter Terminals. Coronet would be the highest law enforcement city and Mos Eisley would be the lowest, for example.
I made mention earlier to a level of law enforcement for player character cities. This would be my ideal method of setting up a "AFK/OFFLINE" black market vending system. Mayors would have the option (and expense) of selecting and maintaining guards and militias to protect the city from theives and opposing factions. However, less scruplous mayors might open up their city to either underground or even outright support of criminal activities such as slicing, selling sliced goods, selling restricted goods, and smuggling. These cities run the risk of falling under attack from law enforcement, mayors being 'removed from office' and martial law being set up for a week or so.
*(TECHNOLOGY AND THE SMUGGLER)*
First off, droids will have to have their storage compartments removed for the obvious reasons unless some way to implement searching all droids/containers.
The smuggler will be able to manufacture (with the help of other artians) items to help improve their chances to smuggle. A Smuggler provides a tailor a special draft schematic for a backpack, the tailor manufacture's the backpack using the required resources, and the smuggler manufactures additional components to provide secret compartments to hide contraband items. This would offer perhaps 5-15pct additional contraband evasion success chance points to the smuggler or other that use the item. Of course, such items would be unsellable except for black market cities.
*(THE STARSHIP)*
Smugglers should get the options to specially modify their ships. Like under "Technology and the Smuggler" the smuggler and the shipwright would work closely to manufacture special components. These components will have certificates much like every other ship component, and the better the smuggler, the better the component/different types of components can be used.
Specially modified starships would only be able to be flown by smugglers, and smugglers with the right component certificates. Components would include smuggling comparments, additional weapons, better engines/power supplies/shields and whatnot, and so forth. These modifications should be treated as contraband, and losing the starship should be a remote chance.
Smugglers should be the best at using starship technology only because its their job and reason for being - the better the starship, the better the smuggler. And the better the smuggler, the better the starship.
*(THE BOUNTY HUNTERS)*
Like Jedi, we should have to manage visibility against Bounty Hunter players. Detected smuggling attempts, acts of thievery (regardless of success), outrunning blockades and inspection ships and activities in law enforced cities - all should raise visibility.
A Successful Bounty Mission (the poor, mistreated smuggler dies/gets captures) should not lose xp like Jedi (because Jedi shouldn't exist, and got their perma-death removed), but rather fail all current missions and lose all contraband items currently carrying (sliced weapons/armor should have a chance to evade detection like mentioned above). Also, the smuggler loses faction if smuggling for an NPC organization (like Jabba) - which could introduce more problems, such as NPC bounty hunters (who here WOULDN'T want to be persued by Boba Fett...)
Slicing a Bounty Hunter terminal should offer a chance to have visibility removed, but at the same time risk increasing visibility for a bad attempt - all using advanced slicing (more tools, random element introduced to prevent 100pct success).
<HR>
As I said, this is just a running account of all the items I would like to see incorporated into the Smuggler's Revamp. Most are not CareBear(tm) friendly, but we're playing a non-carebear profession where the risk is only equal to the reward. If you don't want to die, don't become an outlaw.
Kal_Serrak
Sun Oct 24, 2004 12:02 am
#2
Kal_Serrak wrote:
*(THE STARSHIP)*
Smugglers should get the options to specially modify their ships. Like under "Technology and the Smuggler" the smuggler and the shipwright would work closely to manufacture special components. These components will have certificates much like every other ship component, and the better the smuggler, the better the component/different types of components can be used.
Specially modified starships would only be able to be flown by smugglers, and smugglers with the right component certificates. Components would include smuggling comparments, additional weapons, better engines/power supplies/shields and whatnot, and so forth. These modifications should be treated as contraband, and losing the starship should be a remote chance.
Smugglers should be the best at using starship technology only because its their job and reason for being - the better the starship, the better the smuggler. And the better the smuggler, the better the starship.
I should mention that the Certs would be in the Smuggler Profession, not any piloting professions - all certs and other mentioned abilities would be in the smuggler's trees.
TimSpork
Sun Oct 24, 2004 12:03 am
#3
/sign
Seriously well written. But then again I'd sign any proposal to give the smugglers anything new even if it was a freakin pink flamingo lawn ornament.
Polarbear868
Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 am
#5
I agree with all you said, but I would fear that the devs would only implement some, like making us visible to BH's, but not making us any different than jedi, which is crazy since jedi can fend of a BH, or easily regain xp.
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