Smuggler Archive

I see the Smuggler as the Jack-of-All-Trades class of SWG. I would love to see this reinforced and improved in the "re-development" of the profession. I have posted most these things in the past, I am polishing them, and consolidating them into this post. I hope any of this makes it in game through "The Process." I think it would make the profession fun.
Yes it’s long, we need a lot of work.

Smugglers need to be versed in several skills, can’t call the mechanic when your hiding on the dark side of Endor waiting for the imperials to move on. But ya need a blaster in your hand when they stop by. While broadly skilled they still go to the proper folks when they can, as they are not experts.

I think that we all agree on three main things for the Smuggler Profession:

We want to Smuggle.

We want things to be illegal. We are tired of seeing Spice and Slice as normal commodities. Folks should not be yelling for it at the star port.

We want it to be FUN.

Here are the things I feel a Smuggler is not:

We are not "Pistoleer Light"

We should not be so integrated to the GCW. Smuggler :not_equal: General

We are not Jedi. We should be documented. (within reason) not spoon fed, but not left with room for disinformation griefing.

This is not spelled out to the letter, I am not a dev, they would change it, so what’s the point. This is Ideas, hopefully ideas they will bring to bear in their re-dev of Smuggler.

Thanks much to Caylin for his input and help. I stood heavily on his shoulders for the spice changes, and appreciate the feedback and brainstorming we did to get here.

I am going to list this all by tree, have to break it into a few post:

Underworld

For underworld a full revamp is needed.

Our main failing at the moment is our Underworld Tree. It is devoid of anything "underworld" or smuggler like.
To have skills that REQUIRE PvP combat in the GCW is wrong. Some of us like the GCW, some do not. No one should lose 25% of their profession if they do not want to PvP.

Yes smugglers thrive in times of war, because borders become untenable, because planets get cut off from normal shipping due to risks. NOT because all Smugglers become Generals in the army.

We are missing our "social fringe" status. We are not supposed to be generals or honest businessmen. We are Smugglers.

I say let Underworld be just that, a tree of our skill/rank in the Underworld. The Underworld being the "Scum and Villainy" of the galaxy.
The Underworld tree should no longer take pistol xp, But take new smuggling xp.
This xp should be earned by doing missions for the Underworld, via Smuggling missions.
My idea for smuggling missions is detailed below.

Underworld:

Novice: The ability to obtain smuggler missions contacts, either new NPC’s, random NPC’s, or Spy Net Ops.

UW1: +10 Sneak, 100% Lang comp. (sneak is mask scent for NPC’s like Cor-sec)

UW2: +10 Sneak, /recruit thug, (see below), /fast talk (see smuggling),

UW3: +10 Sneak, Opportunist (Ability to trade with all people no matter of faction status. But possible "Cop spawn" like a spice/slice trade, see illegal below)

UW4: +10 Sneak, /recruit henchman

Master: +20 Sneak, /Recruit Sidekick

The main aspect is how this all plays with the Smuggler Missions.
Let us Smuggle!

Illegal

How to make things illegal within the current framework of the game:
It is quite understandable that there is no way to truly make things illegal without infringing on the fun of everyone else. No other class should have to worry about possession, but we can make the sale of items illegal.
Anytime a trade of spice or sliced items is done by anyone, there is a chance of "cop-spawn" Based on the number of items and cash that changes hands. Smugglers would have a skill mod to lessen these chances, Sneak.
(including vendors? Be tough, still thinking)
The "cop-spawn" would be Cor-Sec, Fed-Dub, or whatever the appropriate security force for the world. Lok is a smugglers haven, no cops. (but maybe Nym wants a cut of the big money operators?)

The Underworld line would contain the modifiers for this "bust" detection via the Sneak Skill.

Fast Talk

This skill allows a smuggler an option to the gun in combat. In lieu of a combat special you simply queue this ability. A random "roll" is made. If successful you lose an amount of smuggler faction, and credits, dependent on the mission level, and combat ceases. You will not be re-scanned by the same "cops" for 10min.

If it fails, combat continues as normal, and you lose only the credits in the bribe. Should require a bit of HAM to use, similar to Feign death. The loss should not exceed half of what he mission is worth. That way it is still profitable, your just paying off the cops…
Usable only in Smuggler Mission encounters or "contraband scans" (if applicable)

Opportunist

Smugglers get the ability to do trading across faction bounds regardless of covert, overt, or TEF. with the possibility of "cop spawn." If the smuggler is declared at the time, the cop spawn will be GCW in nature, StormTroopers, Reb SpecOps, etc.

Recruit Thug
As a Smugglers Underworld contacts grow, so does his organization.

Underworld2: Recruit Thug-Allows the /taming of meatlumps-swooper-desertdeamon-Sleemo basically all "ganger" types up to CL8

Underworld4: Recruit Henchman-Allows the taming of up to CL10 "ganger" NPC's

Master Smuggler: Recruit Sidekick-Allows taming of up to CL15 "ganger" NPC's

You can only have one "ganger" tamed at anytime.

Not sellable/transferable to anyone else, even other smugglers.

the /recruit thug skill could work as follows:
you get within a few meters of a non-hostile ganger.
issue command /bribe [insert credits].
the amount of credits is added to the faction you have with the gang.
if the total is [some number SOE likes] you hire/bribe the ganger. Or similar mechanics.
rough round the edges but you get the idea, and of course the CL would have to be massaged by SOE in their new vision of pet balance.

This would make me feel more "underworldy" to have a crime syndicate kinda feel, instead of a rock-beetle. Yes we are not CH, but this isn’t asking to be, no +pets in pad, no significant increase to pet level. This is nothing we could not easily get by using faction pets, just a different flavor.
This would also mean allot of us would have to repair our "gang" faction by trashing our cop faction. Such as killing Cor-Sec to get in with the swoops.
While this would be a pain to some, it would be more fitting to have cops auto aggro ya instead of Swoops and Monumenters.

Smuggling Missions

Building on the current "sub-game" system that bounty hunters use. Smuggling should be our "sub-game"
These Missions Should not be icing on the cake but integral to the advancement of a smuggler. For this reason Underworld would be switched to xp generated by smuggling missions. (smuggling xp)

They should be obtainable only via the Spynet(or other) NPC’s and/or Via slicing the terminals to access a black-market sub system. Slicing a terminal would add a new "tab" to the types of missions. (Remove the increased payout that they do now, this replaces it)
These Missions should involve the manufacture and/or transport of illegal materials from City-City at the lowest level, and Planet-Planet at the highest. They should be risky, involve investment on the part of the smuggler, and be FUN.

Mission levels 1-6:

Novice Smuggler=1

First row filled=2

2ndrow filled=3, etc…

Master Smuggler=6.

I call for the whole row (i.e.-1/1/1/1) because I would like to see all smuggler skills come to play. Two types of mission in most cases Spice centric or Slice centric.

Mission pay:

The value of mission should be measured against the time and risk of a standard destroy mission, then bumped up dependent on the additional risk involved. (see Mission Failure)

Level 1 Mission example:

Type A mission:

Make X amount of a Novice grade spice. Meet an NPC at location Y (anywhere from within town to 2k out, city on same planet, not the originating city).
A chance of being "detected" :

At the Pick-up point

Any public travel terminal/droid

At the Drop off point.

Detection would give the "caught" smuggler a temporary –6000 faction with all "police" type mobs. Cor-sec, FedDub, etc. and in addition would trigger the spawn of 1-3 of same. "Hey you! Hold it right there!"

Detection is based on

Level of mission: more money=more attention

Size of town: Small towns safer than large ones.

Transport if used: Shuttles are safer than Spaceports.

And of course your real faction rating with a police group is gonna make it hard to move round town anyway.

All measured against a "Smuggler" faction rating, we earn based on successful and failed missions. More clean runs means less attention. The only famous smuggler is one that gets caught. The unknown ones are doing their job.

If you are "busted" you can shoot your way out, run, or spend this Smuggler Faction to talk your way out of trouble. With the command /fast talk

This temp faction hit would last for a time in excess of the completed mission. Before eventually coming back to the Smuggler’s normal faction level. Killing the "police" would still earn you the commiserate loss of appropriate faction as norm. Eventually you will be a known criminal if you keep shooting your way through instead of using your head. This will eventually translate to you having a hard time moving in certain cities that you have become infamous in.
Mission Failure would need some sting, I’ll detail this at the end.
This type of mission would take about twice as long as a normal Destroy mission, with near match risk levels.

Type B Mission:

Go to point X and open a container for someone. 300-500c pay No higher than 500c, therefore you use a clamp you break even, you risk it, you might make some cash. Low pay but god knows the novice’s would love a new supply of containers.
Chance of being "busted" on the job site only. Lower risk lower pay.

Mission Level 2:

Type A: Would require the Manufacture of X amount of Spice Y(1rst tier) by the smuggler, and then transport to another city on planet. Same general run as level 1 but a bit more Spice and longer runs. Payout would depend on the requested spice type and amount.

Type B:

Slicing job. Go to point X meet with person needing container opened, computer hacked, security override of some type. A successful slice earns the reward. Payout and difficulty in line with normal destroy mission, NOTE some items will not be "clampable" or may require FAN’s due to some odd security or obsolete tech. 800-1200c pay.

Mission Level 3:

Type A: Bumping to tier two spices for product, Nearby moon for Destination now. (ie- Cornet mission sending you to Deric Talus) Payout should be a bit higher than comparable missions now due to a) travel cost b) forced public transportation now so higher chance of "Bust"

Type B:

Slicing at near moon location with commiserate pay increase.

Mission level4:

Now we are getting to some meat. Mixing A/B missions. Spice and Slice in same mission. With success or failure depending on both abilities. You might make the slice and fail to deliver the Spice due to being caught, therefore you fail the whole mission. This increases the risk level of completion, which therefore increases payout over that of two individual missions.

Mission Level 5:

As Level4 plus multiple spice requirements, (ie-10 units spiceA and 15 units spiceB) With deliveries to multiple stops, now to other major planets. Say from Cornet to Kor Vella, then to Keren Naboo for 2nd spice. But all one mission as far as failure and payout and this increases the risk level of completion. Which therefore increases payout over that of two individual missions.

Master level 6 missions:

A hodge podge of it all, multiple spaceports in large cities, long runs, high risk of failure, but high pay as well.

New twist:

Some Master Smuggler missions should be the transport of Glitterstim. (see Master Spices) This is the infamous cargo Solo dumped of Jabba’s. These missions, if successful, would grant the smuggler payment in Glitterstim, for breaking up and selling, or personal use.

ALL

the above will need adjustment when the Space expansion is finnaly upon us. But this all works within the current system of the game.

Mission Failure:

Mission failure should be STIFF, for one reason, to keep a Smuggler BH team from working it for the BH’s benefit. And for two, if it aint stiff, we ain’t gonna get paid more money.

Loss of Smuggler Faction.

Loss of the mission owners faction. (Hutt, Swoop, Borvo, whatever)

You can’t get another for X min.

Your next mission will be a tier down form your norm, ie- a Master would have to run a level5 to clear his name.

If failure due to being incapped by the Police, no smuggler missions for rest of day. And a fairly large amount of wounds or Battle fat. to force some downtime on you. You should be in jail but that would be near impossible to make fit in game.

Player Bounties

In game now if your declared you get different missions from faction terms than if your neutral, we could use this switch on smuggler missions as well.

If the player is declared (covert or overt) than the smuggler missions are PvP enabled and obtainable from faction terms. They become a hybrid GCW smuggling mission. The Rebels pay well for smuggled goods, and the Imperials need dirty jobs done.
The "cops" in this case will be StormTroopers or Rebs.

If a Smuggler fails a "Hot" smuggler mission, then a bounty is created for him via the BH terms. In the same fashion a Jedi Bounty is made.
These Mission should pay no more than normal. To choose to PvP is the bonus here, otherwise a smuggler failing his PvP mission would just logout to avoid BH contact.

The cops should not show every time, especially at low level but a master can bet on seeing at least one combat encounter. Whether or not he fights talks or runs is a strategic decision.

Well you get the idea, a lot more refining needed but this is what I would love to see. Especially the need for it to use ALL of our skills.

Dirty Fighting

In all this is a wonderful tree, it only lacks in two places for me: the master box, and our unarmed skills.

We have many unarmed mods as a Smuggler right now from the brawler unarmed:

Unarmed Speed: +25

Unarmed Accuracy: +50

Unarmed Toughness: +20

Unarmed Damage: +70

Melee Defense: +2

Center of being efficacy: +45

Center of Being duration: +15

As well as several Brawler attacks/skills:

Unarmed Blind 1

Unarmed Hit 1

Unarmed Lunge 1

Unarmed Spin Attack 1

Unarmed Stun 1

Warcry 1

Taunt

Berserk 1

Intimidate

Center of Being

Currently as soon as you equip a Pistol, all this goes away (except for warcry & intimidate)
To make Dirty Fighting Dirty, we should keep all these mods and attacks when we have a pistol equipped. Simple, effective. and we would get to use all the abilities that are REQUIRED to make smuggler. The Pistol in your hand would have nothing to do with how these hit or dmg, we would just always be flagged "unarmed" for these skills.

Master Smuggler: +15 Pistol and Unarmed speed & accuracy
While I dislike the idea of adding combat Mods to smuggler in general, this is an easy answer to tie in the Master box with Dirty Fighting.

Slicing

Another wonderful tree .
The Largest complaint by far, is that we have experimentation available on our tools, and upgrade kits. This experimentation has been tested heavily and no effect can be determined. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let us know what bearing it has in general, or remove it. The Jedi profession is more documented than we are…While mystery is lovely, room for disinformation griefing should be removed.
IF experimentation has anything to do wit h our tools then at the very least list the tool’s applicable stat in it’s examine window. Right now the only way I know a UK is experimented to any quality what the smith chooses to name it, some people lie.

We _need_ some mention in the Master box about the increased slicing ability, for our customers sake. Disinformation has lead to trouble here.

For the record I am against "pick-o-slice." Slicing is random, that’s the price for no failure. It is part of the gambler nature of Smugglers in general. To grant any form of pick-o-slice will only devalue any portion of the tree below that ability.

Slicing1 Terminals:

Add Ability: Slice Ticket.
Tickets are electronic passkeys. A Smuggler can sometimes hotwire these tickets to display other destinations or status. Useful when public transport is needed, but records are not. (Decreases chance of Detection on smuggler missions in arriving port)

When you slice a ticket you can attempt to change it's destination, or make it round trip. The price difference in the ticket adjust your chances of success.

Needed tools: Laser Knife.

Process:

Blue wire-

Opens change destination window, displaying all destinations available from your location. Choose one and hit ok. Base 50-50 chance modified by price differential and slicing ability, (some form of mod for each block of slicing) If successful, it would lessen the chance of "bust" during a smuggling mission.
Cor-sec traces your trail to Talus, too bad you modded the ticket to Naboo..

more drastic change=lower chances

higher slicing skill=better chances.

Failure = destroys the ticket.

Red wire-

50% chance of making ticket Roundtrip. (modified up by skill?)

Failure: destroys the ticket.

Notice there is no way to use a clamp or FAN in these abilities.

Experience:
250 slicing xp if successful.

Can only be attempted once every 10min.

This is not something I see us doing for others. This is something I see us doing to help in our smuggling missions.

Slicing1 Terminals:

Change ability,
Currently we slice a mission term and get the same vanilla missions with a bump in pay, remove this completely and replace with smuggler missions.
You slice a terminal and a new tab appears on the screen for Smuggler Missions.

Slicing 4: Smuggling compartments.
Ability to mod personal storage items for "secret compartments" allows for all Smuggler storage items to have a +10% of capacity smuggling compartment, this compartment helps in smuggler mission detection, (+10 Sneak) is in addition to the base capacity, but cannot contain insured items. Not transferable to others, you can give em the pack, but the compartment only opens for us.

Spice

Lots of folks (including me) feel the "crafting" nature of spice was off the mark. BUT it has become a valuable commodity in the game, and lets us have a "heal/buff" aspect to our jack-of-all-trades idea.
It would create to large a vacuum in the current game to change them much.
The current build of them being instant makes them worthwhile, and if the incapp bug is ever caught/explained they will be pretty balanced. I expect there may be some rebalancing with the duration and buff amounts in conjunction with the Chef revamp, hopefully doc buff rebalanced as well so all buffs are inline.

Experimentation is a hot issue, I was against it. BUT to ignore the value of an entire tree of our profession is wrong. It should have all the depth and interest as any other tree, it does not. I am not seeking massive amounts of experimentation and named materials like a dedicated 4-tree crafter, but we should have some skill come into play. Our smuggling missions should be taking up our time, not our factories.

I have tried to come up with a new and improved idea for spice, I see the following as the problems to be overcome:

Master Box tie in needed

Each tier should not superceded previous tier.

Experimentation should be effective, but not overpowering.

We should have an affinity for our product.

Immersion addition: (tech dept)
While anyone is under the effects of spice, the gamma of their session should be set 5-10% brighter than normal. (the screen should get brighter for you non-techs )
This would be a quick and easy opening to add, but more robust graphical effects are really desired, color shifts, wavy screens, varied focus, could all be FUN.

New Smuggler skill- Spice Addiction
As a Smuggler uses his own product, and experiences the side affects of cooking it, he build up immunities to some of the negative effects as their bodies no longer reject the spice but crave it.

Spice 1: -5% downer duration and penalty
Spice 2: -15% downer duration and penalty
Spice3: -25% downer duration and penalty
Spice4: -35% downer duration and penalty
Master Smuggler: -50% downer duration and penalty

Spice Tree

For the existing Spice tree, I support Caylin’s Plan of adding resist to Spice tiers1-4. This gives us something to experiment on besides the statmods, which are fairly high now in most cases. These mods will also add value to all lower tier spice as some folks may want to pursue the mod more so than the buff.

The resist are all I would want to see experimented on

, and should be dependent only on overall quality of the materials. This gives us some experimentation, but keeps from putting us in the same boat as folks who spend their whole profession crafting.

For Masters something more than a copy of the same old spice with new stats is needed. A new Spice assuredly, but not in the same old mold.

Master Spice: Glitterstim

Glitterstim is an awesome part of the Star Wars spice background. However it is already deeply defined in it’s rarity and difficulty in harvesting. With only Kessel as a source, and no flights to Kessel, there is no way we could "make" it. Perhaps the Space Expansion will bring Kessel to us, but I have a substitute method in the meantime.

Glitterstim should only be obtainable via Master Smuggler Missions. In quantities of no more than 10-25 units at a time. What we obtain is a sealed bulk container. We must open it, and break-up the glitterstim to lesser containers for sale. This involves slicing the container open, then using the Glitterstim we receive to craft it into smaller does, this is the point we do a crafting window on it and experiment. Maybe have another material needed like a metal for container or something. This keeps it from just being a "gimmi" item. Just think of it as harvesting with a kick

However for it to be so rare means it must be worth the effort.

Glitterstim is supposed to let it’s users see into the future and read minds to an extent. To make it any form of HAM mod would do it injustice. The only way I can think to represent this in game, is combat speed.

Glitterstim:

+200 (500?) all stats
+10 to +50 Speed Mod to all combat styles.
Duration 700sec
Downer: -75 speed mod to all combat styles.

Well thats it, thanks for reading. Hope any of this lives through the re-dev process

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Kav::Bria::Master Smuggler::Lok::
Kav's Smuggler Vision 2.5
Unofficial Smuggler FAQ v1.41 2/11/04
"Credibility is like virginity, you can only lose it once."

I actually just saw this on another thread and will prolly get yelled at or flamed for posting it, but I have to say I like this concept, though I do believe in Slicing we should at least get a minimum of say 15 at a like +5 per level meaning a master would get at least 25% or higher on weapons and at least 20% or higher on armor....

Jaenna Kell younger sister of Inaera Kell
Starsider Galaxy Pilot