Weaponsmith Archive

Inspired by Summer’s post, I thought I’d try to put together my own vision for how our profession could be improved… no… rejuvenated. I hope to turn this into a structured and presentable post, but I’m going to make it up as I go so it may be a bit of a ramble.

As I see it the main problem for the veterans is the lack of challenge and variety in the current crafting process.

1. WS feel frustrated by the strict caps on weapon stats introduced with the CU. The gap between an average weapon and a top-end loot made one is still there, but it’s much smaller and more consistent. This also reduces the advantage a 12pt veteran ‘smith gains in finished weapon stats over a relative novice.

2. The CU introduced CL on weapons. As caps on lower CL weapons are stricter the lower you go, the loss of challenge and satisfaction in crafting them is amplified

3. Pre-CU the Devs had (IMO) done a good job of giving us desirable loot schematic weapons that provided a challenge. The DE-10, Scythe, Hack, NSEL, Geo Blaster and Disruptor Rifle provided much enjoyment. Since CU the CL classification of most of these weapons has not only reduced their popularity, but has made the fact they are harder to obtain than much better, standard weapons a little silly.

4. The resource buff means all those months paying through the nose for the best of the best resources a waste. Veteran crafters gain pleasure from spotting a resource with stats just 1 point higher than the current best… The buff will remove this enjoyment completely.

5. With the welcome exception of the Trandoshan Hunter’s Rifle, more and more players are using their (game-breaking) ADK to use quest reward weapons that threaten to make the ‘smiths practically redundant.

So… It’s easy as pie to sit here and point at what is wrong and what we don’t like… but lets try and find some ideas to make it better.The very nature of the CU means that the strict caps on weapons are here to stay. So we need to find other ways to bring satisfaction and achievement to weapons crafting.

The furore caused by the new entertainer resource buff is such because, essentially, it is the resources and not the skill of the crafter that govern the quality of end product. If we can find a way to add a degree of skill into the system then the fact it’s easier to cap resources would become a positive rather than a negative. Why? It would make the profession more accessible to newer and less affluent players, while making a visit to your local cantina a must before getting to work. (I personally find the idea of having a job where your boss will demand you go to a bar for a drink BEFORE work fantastic!)

1. Loot vs Schematics vs Quest Reward: This needs to be balanced to provide an interest and challenge for all of the questers, crafters and fighters. To my mind they got it dead right with the Trandoshan Rifle i.e. A quest required to gain access to Avatar Platform, a permanent schematic acquired on-board and a looted sub-component required. Very importantly, the end result is a highly desirable weapon.

Provide Weaponsmiths with a quest in the style of the R.I.S. quest. Give us certifications to make certain weapons that are only currently available as quest rewards... but make us work for them. Then make sure we need looted components, thus giving the fighters and looters a role to play still.

2. Previous loot schematic weapons: Either make the likes of the DE-10 and Geonosian Sonic Blaster the subject of quests as mentioned above, also increasing their CL to Master Certified weapons, or give them to Weaponsmiths are standard schematics. I’d much prefer the former.

A comparison with reality is needed I fear… Your car breaks down, it’s a classic and so needs to be restored carefully. What makes you choose one mechanic over another? Well one guy has decided he likes cars and wants to try fixing them, the other guy was around back when the thing was new and knows every part like a member of his family.

Currently once the community agrees on the favourite framework for using your experiment points e.g. 10/2 SAC & speed on subs, 10/2 damage/SAC on final weapon, then it’s all down to the quality of your resource stash and the lottery of the dreaded experimental failure.

Short of making the crafting process twitch based like JTL (yeah I know…) there’s limited ways in which the devs can code anything that requires actual player skill. So how do you allow a good ‘smith to separate themselves from lesser mortals? To be honest I’m not sure. Any ideas here would be cool

Like my earlier praise of the Trando Rifle, I think some answers can be found in already live improvements the devs have given us. In this case I refer to Shipwright. Summer already made some excellent suggestions regarding applying the RE skill to other crafting professions. That would be very interesting to look at in more detail and see what the devs think. What I’m thinking though is a way to give a reward to the veteran crafter for all the work and knowledge gathered.

…KSE Firespray disks…

How about implementing a similar system where loot/quest limited use weapon schematics are used, theres a chance that – as well as the weapon – the ‘smith receives a fragment of a schematic for one of the new weapons. Collecting all the fragments should take a while and a good deal of crafting but the end result is a permanent weapon schematic that many other ‘smiths don’t have access to.

That's it for now... Remember, you don't have to like the ideas but any idea is better than none at all

Jeremaiya Qu'ool | TheRealElvis | Lushious Qu'ool

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GUARDIANS OF LOK

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ELVIS Weapons & Armour- Returning with the Trader Revamp... Soon™

Don't get me wrong. I am all for enhancing our gaming experience. But before we start proposing any new ideas lets get our old issues fixed first. Last thing we need to do is add more things that get buged and just pile them ontop of our old issues. Current issues need to be our top priority.

Jeremaiya Qu'ool | TheRealElvis | Lushious Qu'ool

________________________________

GUARDIANS OF LOK

________________________________

ELVIS Weapons & Armour- Returning with the Trader Revamp... Soon™