Weaponsmith Archive
Thread: Thoughts on the limited schematics
Message Edited by NisiDaca on 04-16-2004 08:32 PM
I really don't have a problem with them. It's odd how they doled out the uses. I think 5 is an okay number. I'd probably rather have more, but I think 1000 is too many. Keeping them rare means you can make some money off of them. My biggest complaint is the scythe, because it's only a 2 use item. I did manage to get 4 out of 1 schematic, but eventually you have cubes and solidifying agent piling upthat you hate to throw away, but hate to use too.
I think the bonus out of it is that it keeps combat characters engaged. They need to get some loot in order to feel rewarded. The fact that they still have to come to us to have the weapon made should be seen positively. Yes I would rather be able to get the stuff myself. Yes powerful PA's will be able to supply their smiths more easily. But when anyone comes to me with a schem or some loot, I am really grateful and look on it as something special.
The only thing I really don't like is 1 use schematics. Not much in it for me there. I get my name on the weapon - big deal.
The argument that these will crowd out other weapons doesn't hold water to me. I still sell a good volume. The weapons from the looted schematics do sell quickly. But people are still going to buy regular guns for everyday use. And Krayt weapons never crowded out the regular weapon market.
So while I'd love to get my hands on some of this stuff, it doesn't kill me to do witout it. Sooner or later, it will come to me. I never wanted to be the first on my server to hit MWS. And I have no illusions that I am the best MWS (not even in the top 10). But if these drops keep combat characters engaged and in the game, it doesn't matter if I never see one of the new schems. I'll still sell T21's and Republic blasters. The classics never go out of style.
Stratego wrote:
Nisi, Nisi, Nisi... it's great my natural antogonist sees fit to disagree with me outside of the Gorath forums
If you felt like a "crafting monky" before the limited schematics and weren't involved in the crafting process, then you probably were limiting your weapons crafting and your imagination... but that's another discussion to be had some other time. We're talking about an assembly monkey... receiving looted pieces from every Tom, **edit**, and Harry and putting them together, one at a time, one customer at time. Where is the experimentation in that? Where is the diversity, the marketing, and basically the fun in that? Heck, if the Devs are going to continue down this road and start limiting crafting uses to one item, simply make a freaking droid that sits there and receives the looted pieces and a few misc. resources and spits out the end product. Btw Nisi, how is using the unserialed power cubes to mass produce the geno pistols getting "more involved" in the crafting process?
The Devs are throwing us a bone by primarily serving the needs and requests of the fighting classes. It's fine now with a fairly limited number of these new schematics but it might be trouble in the future.
The crafting monkey as you explain it is the same as crafting a krayt weapon, or weapon with loot stocks or motors or the capacitors. The diveristy comes in when you the smith interacts with the customer, not hides behind a vendor and your factories, the fun is building something YOURSELF that your proud to have your name on. Something special, with RISK to making (ie not al great sucesses) not just a run of the mill factory made BS. It comes from having to RP a smith, not just make a schematic, dump in factroy come back dump weapon on vendor. The schematics have breathed new life into what was increasingly becoming a very stale profession.
As for the geno pistols, that was a customers order with his cubes and his schematic, at which he paid me for. You see I dont mind doing custom stuff, as it involves actually playing the game, not letting an autmatic routine play for you. Ill make anything, with any parts for a customer. Of course i charge dearly for this, and im usually 3-5 days backordered. People like to know they have a one off "uber leet" weapon made by thier smith for them, and for them only. They go up in houses when done, and alot of Rp'ers actually want special names on thier weapons.
The limited use schematics prevents every smith from making an endless amount of the product and dumping them on the market. It provides yet another tool for a smith to be a smith, not just so guy who owns factories and resources. it lets you interact more with the customers, and lets the customers interact more with non fighter characters. Your bread and butter will always be the top selling normal stuff (t21's, laser carbines, dx2's etc etc etc). The limited use stuff is thier to provide the customer with something a little more special, and the smith something to do besides run schematics ina factory all day. Im all for them, as the only one reaaaaaaallllllllly worth getting giddy over is the scythe, but they did a great job by making it kinetic so it doesnt over shadow the already available powerhammer, the rest are just nichey fun weapons.
Dodece wrote:
Um no you cannot get the tenloss schematic over and over. Not possible. Each player can get it once. So if you think about it even now the supply of these schematics are going down and the prices up.
BZZZZTTT!!!! Wrong answer! Thanks for playing, next contestant please!
You can get as many tenloss schematics you want. Every time you walk out of the cave entrance you reset everything. i.e. Codes entered for the doorways, conversations with the NPC's, etc... SO if you are able to handle tanking a Kwi and the Klicks... Just run up and down for an hour or so and pick up 10 or 20 schematics!
If you can't tank, do I what I do... Use mask scent and time your runs past the Klicks and Kwi to coinside with other groups coming and going. If you have DF in smuggler, feign death usually works well for the Kwi!
Dodece wrote:
Everyother schematic is a one time get as far as I know.
BUZZZZZZZZ!
Wrong again. Check your information sources.
The scythe schematic can be optained at least twice.
The themeparks might be resettable, too.
I simply detest the looted schematic mentality. There are more then just combat players in this game. Why should I have to be a combat guy in order to make new guns?
Looted enhancements are fine. You kill something hard and find something that can be used to make a better gun, great. But looted components should not be required.
Before knowing this topic existed I created another thread on this type of issue. Lootted Schematics...Why?http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=weaponsmith&message.id=44193
Personally I think its all flash bang kind of stuff. If a player is looking to improve themselves. Looted certifications might be a great way. If you loot it you immediately learn it no resale. No ebay market. You go to a weaponsmith and say I have learned the secrets of how to use a hair triggered tusken. The weaponsmith goes to an npc buys the schematic, and cranks one out. This maintaines the uberness of quests and great adventures. While it also makes it easier on the weaponsmiths to do what they love. Which is trying to make it better.
If you ask me this is a far better idea. The combat profession has a ton of things to do some easy some hard. They have tangible goals after reaching master, and not something that just anyone can buy if they use a credit card and go to ebay. This kind of thing would also allow professions to get even deeper content. Certs need not be limited to weapons. A master scout might loot the cert for makeing a new trap or better mask scent. A doctor might get a cert for throwing flame blankets. A combat medic might learn a skill that would allow him to make a heavy poison dart. That would be harder to treat.
With professions takeing less and less time to master. Yes there needs to be more to do, but adding content in the form of self improveing objectives. Would be far more fulfilling, and give the new master still further horizons to reach.