Now that you have a good understanding of how slicing works, let's continue with...
The Do's and Don'ts of working with your Slicer
Do not get angry at your slicer for slicing speed when you wanted damage and vice versa. There is no way to choose this outcome.
Do not believe any smuggler that advertises higher slices because of quality components. There is a tremendous amount of study that has went into this. Statistically, the distribution of slicing percentages with all sorts of tools, knives, and upgrade kit qualities fit the pure random distribution almost perfectly. If you want the personal touch, all my experience as a master smuggler indicates this also. Personally, I've stopped worrying about how high quality my gear is now. I get 35% slices just as often as I used to (15% slices too but then again, that's how randomness works).
Do go to smugglers that you trust or your friends that you trust refer you to. The way slicing works in this game requires a certain amount of trust. There are plenty of swindlers out there in the real world and in Star Wars. Don't give your prized Krayt Scatter Pistol to some random schmuck you have never heard about unless you are willing to take that risk.
Do ask what the fee for Slicing your equipment will be before you begin slicing.
Do not argue about price. Yes, a slicer doesn't spend an awful lot on tools if they mine their own components, buy their own factories, and get schematics for free or make their own by getting novice weapon/armorsmith. Fact is, smugglers typically put a lot of thought into their price. Trying to haggle down the price typically won't work. I'm a master smuggler, and like many other master smugglers, we aren't in it for the money any more and certainly we are not in it for the experience. We can't put our goods on a vendor for you to pick up, like an image designer you are paying for our time, and that is priced by the smuggler individually.
Do not be disappointed with the smuggler when you get a low percentage effectiveness slice on your armor. Encumbrance slices can be up to 45%, effectiveness slices are significantly lower. If you get a 22% effectiveness slice, that is actually quite high on average! Finally, the ideal range for slicing weapons for a master smuggler is 15-35% equally likely on speed or damage. The range for a Slicer (Slicing IV) is 10-30%
Do treat your smuggler with respect. Master smugglers pay alot for the ability to get the highest average slice possible. We have to get 2 million pistol xp and most of our combat skills are broken and we certainly don't get any combat modifiers so our mission difficulty is level 10 without any other combat classes. Like Master Image Designers, we put our time into this and the end result is something we cannot sell on a vendor. Treat us with respect and we will be more likely to stop what we are doing and slice your gear.
Do not be afraid to send us e-mail asking us about details or to set up appointments. I'm more than happy to work with a client who has two crates of vibro knucklers and a full suit of composite to slice -- but not when I'm in the middle of Dathomir. Work with me on a time and I will cut you a deal on the price and we can take care of everything at once without distractions.
Do not try to play us Master Smugglers off against each other -- especially on price. There aren't many of us around and typically we get along very well. (Shout out to Osyrus, Brek, Lag, and Va'sh!)
*sneaks off to post this on his own server's board* With proper credit of course.
Gennith Entreri - Eclipse - Master Smuggler, Master Gunfighter, Novice Commando.
5k per slice, under 20% is free, Fence spices for 10k a crate.
Come visit Exodus, just North of Kor Vella near the Rebel theme park, -4251 6487. E-mail Gennith for zoning rights.
1. Do NOT even tell your slicer what kind of slice you want. Not only can he do nothing about it but if it's at all possible you'll jinx the slice. *grins*
2. Don't talk to your slicer until he/she is DONE...distract him/her enough and eventually you'll get a failed slice. Gabby customers should get charged for failed slices...
Hint for slicers: Don't advertise your failures! I tell my customer what each result is after each slice BUT I do the good slices in vicinity and the bad ones in tells. No sense advertising your failures.
Smuggler, Smuggler, Smuggler Pie, Two years of "Soon"(TM), a harsh bunch of lies. Ask me a riddle and I reply: "Smuggler, Smuggler, Smuggler Pie"
Smuggler, Smuggler, Smuggler Pie, Dancers can't smuggle and neither can I. Ask me a riddle and I reply: "Smuggler, Smuggler, Smuggler Pie."
Smuggler, Smuggler, Smuggler Pie, Why are there Jedi, I don't know why. Ask me a riddle and I reply: "Smuggler, Smuggler, Smuggler Pie."
I'll repost this (with full credit, obviously) on Lowca. Excellent post!
We've all heard reports of "xxx smuggler stole my gun/charged me too much/cheated me/purposely sliced low/etc," but we're not all jerks. I'll admit, I'm in it for the money, but when I slice a 12% speed on a scatter (ugh, yesterday) I definitely won't charge full price. Bad for business? Maybe. But I try to be compassionate. Sorry, rambling.
Until they fix splicing wouldnt it make sense to just charge a base rate of x credits, and then whatever they get they get. Make no promises/guarantees.
No matter what they are going to more then likely get something back better then they had it.
"*sneaks off to post this on his own server's board* With proper credit of course."
I'll do the same. Hehe.
Sluggy Devlya Master Smuggler-Politician Avian City-Talus-Chilastra Best way to deal with the tall guys is to give them incentives to lick the ground. And dont look down on me that way youre not THAT taller.
So who's going to step up to the plate and make a guide to the Underworld line? I swear I get more questions from novice smugglers about that skill line than any other.
Dinian :: Master Swordsman - Teräs Käsi Master - Force Adept Retired producer of fine weapons for Kong Technologies
Dinian wrote: So who's going to step up to the plate and make a guide to the Underworld line? I swear I get more questions from novice smugglers about that skill line than any other.
This may sound really sad...
But, I'm a Master Smuggler...and I don't even know what Underworld does for me. I just ground the 700000 pistol XP so I could make Master Smuggler... /shrug.