Smuggler Archive
Thread: How would you do it?
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TheWok
Sat Aug 14, 2004 7:04 pm
#1
For a long time, I've been asking myself, "Self? If you could redo the smuggler revamp the way you wanted to do it, how would it be done?"
Recently, I came up with an answer. It's not complete, and it's kind of rough, but I think my implementation of smuggler allows more choice than the current implementation, at least as far as combat skills. In my implementation, combat skills aren't even part of the requisites.
I'll work you through the logic I used. First, we examine the relationship of the smuggler to the bounty hunter. At their basest core, these two professions seem to be the same. They have some ofthe same skills, but they use their skills for different purposes. So, we can take that similarity and use it as a basis from which to branch the two professions. The main similarity comes in the form of contacts. The smuggler uses underworld contacts to inform him of jobs, movement of authorities, outdated and new codes, etc. The bounty hunter uses contacts in order to track down marks. So, we can rip the underworldline from smuggler, and make it the similar requisite between the two.
Also, people believe that another profession should craft spice, while smugglers move it. The current implementation of spice is such that the crafting of spice is the game mechanic to explain how the smuggler gets the spice. However, we can rip that out of smuggler, too, and give it to another profession.
The Dirty Fighting line stays in smuggler, but is now based on combat xp, and the specials are usuable with all ranged weapons.
Slicing? Well, slicing is removed, too, and it's renamed to "Rigging" to more accurately reflect its purpose of rigging weapons and armor to be more effective. Don't one-star me yet. This is for a reason.
And that reason is my version of the tossed-about Criminal profession. Thisstarter profession (though the idea is to make it like politician, requiring apprentice points to train)is the new basis for smuggler and bounty hunter, as well as being a decent profession on its own.
I'm thinking some sort of "criminal xp" where you would run missions for the local crimeboss (no terminals...and NPC, and would gain xp that way. The trick is to make it so the smugglers and BHs do some legwork to make contacts, but notdo the overtly criminal stuff. That'll be saved for the Power & Influence tree. Perhaps crimebosses could have two types of missions. One would be simple peon delivery missions (always with a chance of getting caught by local authorities and having a battle) and then there would be some hardcore racketeering and such. It's something I'll have to think about.
The Crimelord (Master Criminal title)would get all of our current master "bonuses," namely the rigging bonus (along with some extra ways to rig, including reducing HAM cost, decreased turning radius on vehicles,etc.)and the underworld discount. However, Novice smuggler will also get the 5% rigging bonus (with a "favored weapon" rigging ability). Crimelord would also be able to place player city casinos, which could serve as a "front" for their operations in that city.
In order to get Novice Smuggler, a character would need Underworld 4 and Rigging 4. How do we eliminate rigging stacking? One character can have only one of either Master Criminal, Novice Smuggler or Novice BH. Taking one will not allow training in the others. This technology of skill choice is seen in JTL, where a character can choose only one pilot profession and cannot train in another until dropping the current one.
So, now that we have gutted the current smuggler tree, what do we do after novice smuggler? Good question. Slicing is back, but it is now slicing as seen in the Star Wars EU, i.e. computer hacking. Through slicing, smugglers will be able to "craft" false IDs, manifests, transponder codes, etc. But, it's mainly for accessing BH terminals and for slicing information for missions. It would be based on Slicing xp. Dirty Fighting is now not pistol-specific, but still limited to ranged weapons, as they are the heart of Star Wars, and based on pure combat xp. Then we have two lines based on the new Smuggling xp: Contraband movement (mission difficulty) and Charm & Luck. C&L is where we smugglers will get negotiating abilities (Yes...actually haggling the price of services. Not advisable with Hutts) as well as give us a "luck" factor,stacking with the FS tree. Master Smuggler gives a bonus to all four lines.
This implementation of smuggler will allow training in rifles, pistols or crabines, or general training in all three. The favored weapon of the smuggler is completely up to the player. Those who like pistols may keep them, but those who like the range and power of rifles may use them as well. The "favored weapon" extension of rigging will make a weapon "no-move" like the quested holocrons and Bestine campaign disks.
What about BH? Bounty Hunter requires the underworld line of criminal, plus carbines 4 and pistols 4 from marksman. Otherwise the tree is the same. However, NO weapon skill mods are avilable to either BH or smuggler in their respective trees. These come only with training in that profession's tree. Want the fastest pistol in the galaxy? You'll need to train Master Pistoleer. But your smuggler or BH training will give you some extra moves (eye shot, last ditch, etc.)
It's kind of jumbled at the moment, I know. And it's probably hard to read.
But this is how I'd do the revamp. It's a fundamental re-thinking of the profession, but I think it works better this way, while adding variety as well as letting us smuggle. Smugglers and BHs would get a box like Jedi did at Pub9, where they can redistribute their skills as needed to get the proper pre-requisites.
Will it ever happen? I sincerely doubt it. But I think a close examination of the profession from concept up is needed for our revamp--not just putting new stuff in the old boxes.
Message Edited by TheWok on 08-16-2004 08:51 PM
TheWok
Sun Aug 15, 2004 1:12 pm
#2
Thought I'd expand a bit more on the slicing idea.
If you haven't checked out Uplink, give it a shot. It's at http://www.introversion.co.uk/uplink/about.html
That's somewhat like I view slicing. Basically, you'd have a set time to slice in, do your business and get out. Slicing increases visibility by different amounts, depending on the operation you attempted. There is always a chance of failure, which nets more visibility than success. Higher skill levels give more possible operations as well as higher skill. I'm thinking of a real-time "mini-game" here, and not just a series of text windows.
At novice smuggler, all you can do is hack into a computer and look at information (BH terminals will display the characters with missions pending so you can inform them of their status as a possible mark). At Slicing I, you gain the ability to store information to a file on your datapad (mainly useful for missions where information is the item to be smuggled).
Slicing II allows you to alter information in computers (or remove players from BH terminals). Slicing III gives you a chance of getting out without a trace (delete logs forno visibility increase, but takes time to perform, with chance of failure).
Slicing IV is where we put the "False ID" that's been tossed around on this forum, as well as the ability to falsify transponder codes and manifests if JTL has contraband screening in space.
Master Smuggler gives a nice skill bonus to slicing, increasing the chances of success.
TheWok
Mon Aug 16, 2004 9:09 pm
#3
Switch the Underworldline of criminalto Underworld xp. Criminal xp would then go to the P&I line only.
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