Smuggler Archive

Ok here's a system I have thought about that I'm hoping the devs will at least look at and consider, what ever your view plz comment on this (but please no boring flaming :smileytongue. Im not going into much detail here as this is really just to see what people think of the basic idea.

Smuggling Spices

1) Remove making spices from the Smugglers and give the skill to either Chefs/Bio Enigineer or another crafting class. Make "Spice factory" deed crafting available for architects (these will be classed as illegal so better your not caught with one in town).

2) Spices will be crafted in much the same manner as other products, using different resources to try and improve the product. End result out of the factory would be crates full of spice applicators. Now the crafter needs the service of a smuggler.(NOTE: only smugglers should be able to see who made the spices or failing that then nobody should be able to see it).

3) Now the factory that makes the spices is going to be a good distance from any civilization to prevent detection by Imperial/Rebel security forces and the crafter CANNOT take the goods into town himself so he calls a smuggler to come pick up the goods (he could transport them a short distance to hide the location of his factory but the further he goes the more likely he'll be detected).

4) Now according to the smugglers skill (the old 4 spice skill boxes), you can carry the goods for x amount of time depending on how much you are carrying and what class the spices are. Within that time npc detectors can not detect the spice on a smuggler no matter where he goes, however space travel would require your own ship (and I reckon a smuggling hold attached to your ship). Your job is now to make it to the dealer ASAP with out anyone knowing what your carrying.

5) Ok so who deals these spices then? Entertainers do, (Lets face it I bet most entertainers take it to help there music after all). Of course they can't carry a crate full of spice around without being noticed so they need to meet the smuggler somewhere to drop off the goods (there home for example). Whilst Entertainers can't carry crates (except in there home away from prying eyes) they can break the crates down (which only entertainers can do) and can carry so many applicators at a time (depending on class of the spice and there skill at entertaining). They can sell these to a PC where ever they like but the prime place would be a cantina.

6) PC's can buy an applicator from an entertainer which they then bio link to themselves before they can use it. There limited to just one or two applicators to avoid detection from most NPC scans meaning there gonna have to go back to an entertainer for a fix often.

How the players deal with each other to make this chain work would be up to them, How payments are made etc, They should also make sure themselves that players won't scam them and that is really part of the game.

COUNTER GAME

Now obviously spice is illegal so getting caught with it will mean you lose the spice, plus getting shot at etc, losing fraction with what ever fraction catches you, etc. All that would really be in the hands of the developers to prefect to keep getting spice to the players a challenge however I have another Idea to test the players.

SPYS

Now seen as SOE are intent on making rangers an urban spy i have a role for them too. Rival Spice crafters can pay Rangers to try and locate other Spice factory's and there smuggling routes. To do this there gonna have to try and spot smugglers and entertainers tie the 2 together and follow the smuggler back to the crafter. They'll be able to "View" another players inventory (but not take) spot smuggling activity but there gonna have to get close.

Following a smuggler is not gonna be easy but using there new bio sig stuff should give them the edge over anyone else, although they may need help from a BH if the smuggler goes into space.(other ideas for locating Players across galaxies welcomed, pilot skill maybe?)

Once they locate a factory they need to report it to their employer who then hires a commando to go destroy the factory, the commando goes get charges and blows the factory put must be set as PvP whilst setting the charges (if its defended they may want to take help and charge more :smileywink once destroyed they can loot a factory piece that they can take to there employer to prove they destroyed it.

I similar system could be set up for spliced weapons, illegal ship components, illegal super fast vehicles?, anything we wanted really. They could add an Illegal side to most professions which players could take up if they so wished. Also i reckon smugglers should be able to take players that are KOS and help them escape the planet (think Han getting Luke off Tatoine :smileyhappy meaning PvP,PvE players could get across areas that could get them killed without having to change status.

The kind of indirect PvP side would also mean Players would have to be careful what they said if they was involved in such activity, Entertainers would have to be careful of letting slip who supply's them, smugglers would have to watch there tail on the way to a pick up and disguise there approach away from them, crafters would have to be careful which smugglers they used and how they was paid so they didn't get ripped off.

If players didn't take to paying commandos/rangers to destroy rival factory's they could introduce handing the remains in for fraction points where commandos would pay rangers to go get the info for them, but I would prefer it to be PvP personally.

Now I know this is very unlikely to be used at all even if every player in SWG loved the idea, but there's no point me sitting here thinking this is a great idea and not telling everyone is there

Anyway comment away, but please constructive critisism not boring mindless flaming.