Weaponsmith Archive

Hello,

I wanted to post a thread to shoot some ideas around to try and get more variety in weapons used at high/end game lvls of SWG.

I am one of those players who wouldlike tosee people using weapons based on their appearance and what they prefer and still be viable as far as damage output. Forcing players to choose between one or three different types of a weapon class to just is not fun. If someone is an ee3 carbine fanboy, it would be nice for them to have one with master lvl dmg output instead of gimping themselves by using a weapon they prefer rather than one with simply higher stats and lvl reqs.

So this is why I am here. Is there a way that you all figure weapons could be made so that all are viable at all levels of play? Maybe having damage output more closely tied into the characters lvl or skill lvl with the particular class of weapon?

If skill lvl based then the 'level req to wield' system could be abandoned. Players could use the weapons they prefer other than master box certed ones. Players would seemingly be happier as they would have more stylistic input on weapon choice. A fan of the classic black DL 44 could use one all through their career and be viable with it instead of it being a case of using a lower cert weapon and lowering dmg output, or using a higher dmg output weapon than they should and having an advantage.

Damage output could scale with player lvl rather than the specific weapon they were holding. Lower CL players would still not be able to dish out as much dmg as one of higher CL as it currently is in both Live (excluding exceptional versions of lower cert weapons, but this is about crafted not looted weapons), and the CU testing servers so there would be no real imbalance.

Weapons with extra elemental damage would maybe need to be looked at. If the extra elemental dmg made their dps higher then it would create another situation where those looking for a more leet dmg output setup would use it and we would have clone troopers instead of variety. Maybe scale the elemental dmg weapons so that actual total dps with say a Republic blaster and a Scout Blaster for a lvl 80 pistol skilled character would be the same.

Initially this looks good from the Star Wars fan standpoint, but a Weaponsmith may see it as a case where Experimentation would then do nothing as a higher dmg crafted weapon would not be possible ifdmg output was CL based.

But, what if certs for the actual crafting of weapons still existed? A player coming to a Master WS would be able to purchase ANY weapon style they wanted, making for happy business, while someone coming to a non-Master may leave empty handed if the crafter does not know how to make that particular weapon.

Also, if dmg is based on CL and not an experimental factor for a WS, with spd playing a large role in dps calculations instead of the 'how much spd do I need to hit spd cap' situation on Live, rate of fire would then be be extrememly desirable to a prospective weapon buyer.

The ability toexperiment on and customizethe Accuracy, Wound Chance (not to griefing blackbarred health lvls, mind you), Condition, and of course the Action Cost of the weapon would also still be there...and if the effective range of weapons could be customized we would have a pretty diverse market as far as weapons. Without enough experimentation ever being available to max out all areas in a weapon, raising some statistical areas on a weapon over otherswould createa market for say:

*A rifle with longer range than the now standard 65m and an increased Wound Chance, but a slower rate of fire and higher Action cost than a shorter range rifle. A formidable weapon in the hand of a sniper at extreme range, but with the lower rate of fire and higher Action Cost not as handy when fighting at closer ranges.

*A pistol with increased accuracy and lower Action Cost for the extreme Crowd Control enthusiast that allows then to scurry around dropping states and snares on enemies for a longer period of time before their Action runs out, but because the accuracy and Action were tweaked, not unbalanced because there would not be room to raise the dmg output by heavy spd experimentation.

etc.

You all are more familiar with weapon crafting than I will ever be, so will no doubt see ways this could be manipulated by powergamers to create the uber stat combination weapon for dmg output, but maybe if we all put our heads together we could try and push for a system that makes the weapon variety fans, the crafters, the powergamers, and everyone else who might need to build, buy or use a weapon happier than being just another character locked into using a certain type of weapon just because its dmg stats are higher than one they may prefer.

Sorry. I am a Star Wars junkie and would really enjoy the option for more variety in weapons used by players in SWG, and I thought I would post here since if something like this was implemented the WS across the galaxies would not be stuck making only a few certain types of 'uber' weapons and a market could be created for all styles. This is not posted to be a total and complete new vision for weapons in SWG, but with enough input from the weapon crafting community and those who use the weapons themselves, I really think soemthing great could come of it, both in terms of gameplay and Star Wars flavor.