One reminder for everyone who doesn't like the idea of Droid Decay....
Anti-Decay Kits.
While the programming for Droid Decay is added, the ability to use Anti-Decay Kits could be added to the droid as well. This would make it possible for a person to use their beloved companion until the end of time.
Wow Drashk, man that's an awesome point. If you love your little budy that much, then get him an anti-decay kit.
Now the truth behind R2 and C3PO's long lives is revealed!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Droid Vendor at Resurection near Theed on Naboo -5757 6222. Both carry a wide variety of maxed Droids, I also carry every type of Droid and Droid supply.
*Straker Atrella: Dark Jedi * Atrella's Wench: Master Droid Engineer / Artisan / Scout / Merchant * Dark Vortex: Ranger / Rifleman * Havana:Musician / Dancer / Image Design * Enigmatica : Doctor / Swordsman* CrazyEyes: Role playing BH.
Another possible suggestion, along the lines of a Droid Anti-Decay kit would be a Jawa Quest.
Each PC has the ability to run a quest out of the Jawa Fortress that would give a Droid Anti-Decay kit as a reward. A new Jawa could be added to the Jawa Fortress that speaks Basic. The quest could consist of traveling to Naboo to find a part from an old Battle Droid, traveling to Lok to find a part from a disabled Droideka, and traveling back to Tatooine to find a disabled IG-series droid. All three places could be spawned by the quest, and only accessable by the person with the quest, or the spawns could be static in nature, that are only accessable by a PC with the quest. Once the three parts are gathered, you would travel back to the Jawa, give the 3 parts to the Jawa, and get the Anti-Decay kit in return.
This could be a one time only quest, or if you use the Librarian, you could complete the quest twice.
Another possible suggestion, along the lines of a Droid Anti-Decay kit would be a Jawa Quest.
Each PC has the ability to run a quest out of the Jawa Fortress that would give a Droid Anti-Decay kit as a reward. A new Jawa could be added to the Jawa Fortress that speaks Basic. The quest could consist of traveling to Naboo to find a part from an old Battle Droid, traveling to Lok to find a part from a disabled Droideka, and traveling back to Tatooine to find a disabled IG-series droid. All three places could be spawned by the quest, and only accessable by the person with the quest, or the spawns could be static in nature, that are only accessable by a PC with the quest. Once the three parts are gathered, you would travel back to the Jawa, give the 3 parts to the Jawa, and get the Anti-Decay kit in return.
This could be a one time only quest, or if you use the Librarian, you could complete the quest twice.
This is awesome thinking, however, I would want it to be different from all the other just fetch and grab missions. Perhaps make some stuff that needs killed, but they can ONLY be killed be somebodies droid. If they want their little buddy to last forever, make it so that the droid actually plays a part. The droid you "preserved" wouldn't have to be the same droid you did the fighting with.
Honestly, I love this idea a lot. Make the quest turn an "ordinary" Droid into one of the Epic ones from the movies.
No trading this item either.
Kill the refurbishment kits, kill my chasis salvage idea, this is the deal right here.
Add the quest when you add droid decay. People have a way to save their buddy (but only one,) and CONTENT is needed as well, which is something that is needed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Droid Vendor at Resurection near Theed on Naboo -5757 6222. Both carry a wide variety of maxed Droids, I also carry every type of Droid and Droid supply.
*Straker Atrella: Dark Jedi * Atrella's Wench: Master Droid Engineer / Artisan / Scout / Merchant * Dark Vortex: Ranger / Rifleman * Havana:Musician / Dancer / Image Design * Enigmatica : Doctor / Swordsman* CrazyEyes: Role playing BH.
Another possible suggestion, along the lines of a Droid Anti-Decay kit would be a Jawa Quest.
Each PC has the ability to run a quest out of the Jawa Fortress that would give a Droid Anti-Decay kit as a reward. A new Jawa could be added to the Jawa Fortress that speaks Basic. The quest could consist of traveling to Naboo to find a part from an old Battle Droid, traveling to Lok to find a part from a disabled Droideka, and traveling back to Tatooine to find a disabled IG-series droid. All three places could be spawned by the quest, and only accessable by the person with the quest, or the spawns could be static in nature, that are only accessable by a PC with the quest. Once the three parts are gathered, you would travel back to the Jawa, give the 3 parts to the Jawa, and get the Anti-Decay kit in return.
This could be a one time only quest, or if you use the Librarian, you could complete the quest twice.
This is awesome thinking, however, I would want it to be different from all the other just fetch and grab missions. Perhaps make some stuff that needs killed, but they can ONLY be killed be somebodies droid. If they want their little buddy to last forever, make it so that the droid actually plays a part. The droid you "preserved" wouldn't have to be the same droid you did the fighting with.
Honestly, I love this idea a lot. Make the quest turn an "ordinary" Droid into one of the Epic ones from the movies.
No trading this item either.
Kill the refurbishment kits, kill my chasis salvage idea, this is the deal right here.
Add the quest when you add droid decay. People have a way to save their buddy (but only one,) and CONTENT is needed as well, which is something that is needed.
Indeed, I think this may just work. Question is how's everyone else feel about it?
Jenden Morn - Master of Droids- Tarquinas Droid Engineer Blue Glowy Owner, Operator, and Founder of DarkStar Inc. Groupy of the best band in the galaxy, Solar Flair 3D art of Jenden by Saeelwenea
Another possible suggestion, along the lines of a Droid Anti-Decay kit would be a Jawa Quest.
Each PC has the ability to run a quest out of the Jawa Fortress that would give a Droid Anti-Decay kit as a reward. A new Jawa could be added to the Jawa Fortress that speaks Basic. The quest could consist of traveling to Naboo to find a part from an old Battle Droid, traveling to Lok to find a part from a disabled Droideka, and traveling back to Tatooine to find a disabled IG-series droid. All three places could be spawned by the quest, and only accessable by the person with the quest, or the spawns could be static in nature, that are only accessable by a PC with the quest. Once the three parts are gathered, you would travel back to the Jawa, give the 3 parts to the Jawa, and get the Anti-Decay kit in return.
This could be a one time only quest, or if you use the Librarian, you could complete the quest twice.
This is awesome thinking, however, I would want it to be different from all the other just fetch and grab missions. Perhaps make some stuff that needs killed, but they can ONLY be killed be somebodies droid. If they want their little buddy to last forever, make it so that the droid actually plays a part. The droid you "preserved" wouldn't have to be the same droid you did the fighting with.
Honestly, I love this idea a lot. Make the quest turn an "ordinary" Droid into one of the Epic ones from the movies.
No trading this item either.
Kill the refurbishment kits, kill my chasis salvage idea, this is the deal right here.
Add the quest when you add droid decay. People have a way to save their buddy (but only one,) and CONTENT is needed as well, which is something that is needed.
Indeed, I think this may just work. Question is how's everyone else feel about it?
Hmm.
It's a great idea for content and the basic idea of a droid non-decay kit is intriguing, but if you introduce that as a simple questable item, you are pretty much negating droid decay. Most people only heavily use one droid, so once they have this kit in their hot little hands, that's it. So here's some ideas to combat that, so the kit is not so easily obtainable:
1) Make the quest in the difficulty range of the 'vette or or the DWB 2) Make it a vet reward item 3) Make the questable items spawn once in a blue moon
I'm not trying to be the nay-sayer here, but the idea would need this consideration. Oh heck, I'm nay-saying.
Rasal's Ye Ol' Droid Shoppe
00000000000 000000000000 0000000000000 00000_0000000 Purveyor of fine and sophisticated droids and other Artisan needs. 0000/0\000000 Come see my shop in beautiful South Coronet! 000000000000 Shop Location: -140, -5500 00000000000 000000000
Another possible suggestion, along the lines of a Droid Anti-Decay kit would be a Jawa Quest.
Each PC has the ability to run a quest out of the Jawa Fortress that would give a Droid Anti-Decay kit as a reward. A new Jawa could be added to the Jawa Fortress that speaks Basic. The quest could consist of traveling to Naboo to find a part from an old Battle Droid, traveling to Lok to find a part from a disabled Droideka, and traveling back to Tatooine to find a disabled IG-series droid. All three places could be spawned by the quest, and only accessable by the person with the quest, or the spawns could be static in nature, that are only accessable by a PC with the quest. Once the three parts are gathered, you would travel back to the Jawa, give the 3 parts to the Jawa, and get the Anti-Decay kit in return.
This could be a one time only quest, or if you use the Librarian, you could complete the quest twice.
This is awesome thinking, however, I would want it to be different from all the other just fetch and grab missions. Perhaps make some stuff that needs killed, but they can ONLY be killed be somebodies droid. If they want their little buddy to last forever, make it so that the droid actually plays a part. The droid you "preserved" wouldn't have to be the same droid you did the fighting with.
Honestly, I love this idea a lot. Make the quest turn an "ordinary" Droid into one of the Epic ones from the movies.
No trading this item either.
Kill the refurbishment kits, kill my chasis salvage idea, this is the deal right here.
Add the quest when you add droid decay. People have a way to save their buddy (but only one,) and CONTENT is needed as well, which is something that is needed.
Indeed, I think this may just work. Question is how's everyone else feel about it?
Hmm.
It's a great idea for content and the basic idea of a droid non-decay kit is intriguing, but if you introduce that as a simple questable item, you are pretty much negating droid decay. Most people only heavily use one droid, so once they have this kit in their hot little hands, that's it. So here's some ideas to combat that, so the kit is not so easily obtainable:
1) Make the quest in the difficulty range of the 'vette or or the DWB 2) Make it a vet reward item 3) Make the questable items spawn once in a blue moon
I'm not trying to be the nay-sayer here, but the idea would need this consideration. Oh heck, I'm nay-saying.
Your right to some extent. For example, the doc with the buffbot would surly have the decay kit on his med droid. However, he would have 4 (possibly) other droids that would decay. With the ability to protect 1 droid (your most used one,) you could actually increase the rate of decay overall. I'll take only 4 droids decaying over the current system any day.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Droid Vendor at Resurection near Theed on Naboo -5757 6222. Both carry a wide variety of maxed Droids, I also carry every type of Droid and Droid supply.
*Straker Atrella: Dark Jedi * Atrella's Wench: Master Droid Engineer / Artisan / Scout / Merchant * Dark Vortex: Ranger / Rifleman * Havana:Musician / Dancer / Image Design * Enigmatica : Doctor / Swordsman* CrazyEyes: Role playing BH.
1) Decay requiring the presence of the DE to repair is unfair to anyone who isn't a special order/hand crafter, or any DE who has a "life" outside of Droid Engineering. Do you really want to be hunting on Dath and be getting /tells "Yo, come back to ur shop, k? I need u 2 fix my droid - it go boom!" This turns DE from a crafting to a service profession. If I wanted to be a medic I'd be a medic.
2) The only way I ccould even begin to support a "kit"-based decay system would be if it were extremely difficult to make. Even so, it still doesn't increase the amount of droids sold, or any of the true problems with the market - it just would give DE's a stipend income, not lead to the production of more droids. Instead of asking them for a kit, we might as well ask for them to increase battery consumption again and add some components - that's all it would end up being, which isn't really decay if it never actually decays.
3) I too instantly thought of anti-decay kits. If people REALLY want to keep a droid, earn it. Adding a quested item is a nice idea, if it can only be used ONCE per player. You get one droid to keep forever, and that's it. Perhaps like the anti-decay kit we have now, you can remove it by destroying the droid. Unfortunately, even this has limited value to us as a profession, as most people may have multiple droids in their datapad yet only use one consistently, which totally defeats the purpose of repeat sales.
If we operate this from the role-playing side of things, we are going to miss out as a profession. As much as we'd like to attach romantic notions and projections of living, sentient beings - in terms of game mechanics they are not. When you look at the design of the game and how droids function within it, decay is the missing link. If people want to role play that this is the trusty droid they've had for x-years, let them role play it - they don't need to be coddled and our profession kept in the dark ages because they refuse to do so yet hide beind role-play arguments (if you can't do it, you can't use it as an excuse).
Decay is necessary, and adding another kit isn't going to address the core issues of the profession.
hmm... if we should agree on a decay system similar to the one for Vehicles, how about repair garage like buildings/Items? That would at least solve the problem of finding help in case every DE you know is not available...
AO: I think it all comes down to the customer (and thats why I'm working to get some feedback from droid customers). How many players will actually be attached to their droid enough that they would rather spend more money than the cost of the droid to have it repaired? My bet is the majority of players when they learn how expensive it is (and when its tough to find a DE) will just replace the droid once it gets too worn down.
The standard repair "kits" are just another layer in this same idea. If the owner wants to take the time/effort to keep repairing their droid every once in a while with the standard kit, the droid will last longer (its still not lasting forever, so we are making progress). Its the same for all other crafting professions, so I'm not sure what the problem is there.
I hadn't thought about the decay kits myself when I was working up this proposal, but I could definately see replacing the refurbishment kits with some kind of quested anti-decay kit. If we really want to combat the fact that most players only use one of their droids regularly, we could introduce some slow decay for droids in the datapad (I really hate the idea of making droids decay when they're not being used though).
Anyway, I think the only thing in the proposal that really falls outside of standard item decay as most professions see it now was the refurbishment kit, but it looks like thats on its way to being replaced with some kind of anti-decay kit.
Jenden Morn - Master of Droids- Tarquinas Droid Engineer Blue Glowy Owner, Operator, and Founder of DarkStar Inc. Groupy of the best band in the galaxy, Solar Flair 3D art of Jenden by Saeelwenea
I think it all comes down to the customer (and thats why I'm working to get some feedback from droid customers). How many players will actually be attached to their droid enough that they would rather spend more money than the cost of the droid to have it repaired? My bet is the majority of players when they learn how expensive it is (and when its tough to find a DE) will just replace the droid once it gets too worn down.
Exactly. So....just let them wear down so they can be replacable. People love the idea of droids as sidekicks...we all understand that. However, they don't really lose the sidekick, they just have to have to hit the 'reset' button now and again. I mean, if you build a droid that's identical (or even better) than the original and they name it the same, what have they lost?
But..............what have WE gained?
The standard repair "kits" are just another layer in this same idea. If the owner wants to take the time/effort to keep repairing their droid every once in a while with the standard kit, the droid will last longer (its still not lasting forever, so we are making progress). Its the same for all other crafting professions, so I'm not sure what the problem is there.
I do think the user should have a method to slow down the pace of the decay...but not stop it altogether. The right pace would need to be worked out, in addition to the exact method.
Perhaps we could look into dropping battery use as part of this system, which would give an upside to the change.
I hadn't thought about the decay kits myself when I was working up this proposal, but I could definately see replacing the refurbishment kits with some kind of quested anti-decay kit. If we really want to combat the fact that most players only use one of their droids regularly, we could introduce some slow decay for droids in the datapad (I really hate the idea of making droids decay when they're not being used though).
So do I. I think use should make the droid decay faster...since it makes more sense. The issue there is...what if a player only uses a droid very sparingly? They might still not need to replace it for.....6 months? 1 year?
The time to decay for 'normal' use will be hard to gauge...maybe among the hardest aspects to tweak of whatever system gets (hopefully) added.
/bow
Respectfully,
TheRealTK421 a.k.a. "Doughbacca"
SWG DE Correspondent
Co-Founding member of Ahazi DENet & SWG DEA (Droid Engineer Association)
"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. ...I'm certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am."
Eceen wrote: Addind modules takes to much coding but adding a whole new dungeon doesnt? Explain that one to me.
Adding new modules doesn't take as much coding time as adding a new dungeon, and we have gotten more new modules since launch than we have dungeons.... so I'm not sure what you're getting at there. That being said, adding new modules is always just a temporary reliefe for DE's, sales spike then drop down to about where they were (little bit higher base but same stagnant pattern). New modules are great and all, but when the droid lasts forever, they just get bought up early on and then used till the player leaves the game without ever needing to be replaced.
Jenden Morn - Master of Droids- Tarquinas Droid Engineer Blue Glowy Owner, Operator, and Founder of DarkStar Inc. Groupy of the best band in the galaxy, Solar Flair 3D art of Jenden by Saeelwenea
Jenden wrote: AO: I think it all comes down to the customer (and thats why I'm working to get some feedback from droid customers). How many players will actually be attached to their droid enough that they would rather spend more money than the cost of the droid to have it repaired? My bet is the majority of players when they learn how expensive it is (and when its tough to find a DE) will just replace the droid once it gets too worn down.
If you think most players won't care anyway, then what's the point of not having true decay? It's tough to argue we need all these consessions to make droid decay palatable if the postulation is that for the most part they won't care anyway.
The standard repair "kits" are just another layer in this same idea. If the owner wants to take the time/effort to keep repairing their droid every once in a while with the standard kit, the droid will last longer (its still not lasting forever, so we are making progress). Its the same for all other crafting professions, so I'm not sure what the problem is there.
It is *NOT* the same for other crafting professions. We already ask people to carry batteries, customization kits, and repair kits. Do we really want to add yet another consumable to the mix? Asking a player to give up another slot in their backpack for yet another crate of supplies for droids?
Additionally, it's not leading to more droids being made and sold, it's just...another kit. This isn't just about money (I can't believe I'm saying this to you, Jenden, LOL), it's about making droids. Just like I don't think you will find most DE's want to become parts brokers, I don't think you will find most of us want to be making consumables all the time. We need more droids to be sold, period, if we want to increase the success of DE as a profession. Another kit isn't going to do that for us - it will not help spread the market for droid making, which is the larger picture here. It's a band-aid for a problem that will still exist.
I hadn't thought about the decay kits myself when I was working up this proposal, but I could definately see replacing the refurbishment kits with some kind of quested anti-decay kit. If we really want to combat the fact that most players only use one of their droids regularly, we could introduce some slow decay for droids in the datapad (I really hate the idea of making droids decay when they're not being used though).
Anyway, I think the only thing in the proposal that really falls outside of standard item decay as most professions see it now was the refurbishment kit, but it looks like thats on its way to being replaced with some kind of anti-decay kit.
I think in an effort to appeal to everyone, the spirit of decay has been shunned out of this proposal.
How about this :
AO's Ad-Hoc Decay Proposal
1) A droid decays when used. Perhaps using the vehicle model for the decay events - you loose a set amount of points every time you call them, and smaller amounts as they are out and used.
2) When your droid has decayed, you must give it a complete retrofit. To do so, you buy another droid deed off of a DE, and go to a special building in NPC cities (much like a ID tent) which we will call a "Droid Refurbishment Center" (DRC). The deed must be of the same chassis, but may contain any modules (which will replace the ones in the droid being retrofitted).
3) The DRC, which is decked out like the droid "torture" chamber and repair facilities we saw in Jabba's Palace in ROTJ, features automated lifts like C-3PO was bathed in by Luke in ANH. When a player goes up to one of these repair lifts (don't know what to call them - do they have an offical name?) they call their droid and the droid enters.
4) The player puts the new droid deed into the machine for "deconstruction". The existing droid goes down into the vat of oil (or whatever) and the new deed is consumed.
5) Presto, out pops your droid good as new.
This proposal is advantageous because :
It is decidedly "Star Warsy" - this emulates much better than a "kit" how it actually worked in the films (how many game systems can say that???)
DE's are selling and more importantly making new droids that people need, not making yet another kit (no matter how many parts/components it takes, it's still a kit)
Those that want modularity now have a way to do so without unbalancing the profession since new modules override the old ones
People that want the role-playing aspect of keeping the same name/color/etc. can do so in a VERY Star-Warsy manner - the DRC takes the parts from the "new" droid and simply puts them in the "old" droid
Getting an actual decay system is the development hurdle - I don't think creating DFC's would be incredibly difficult. The art for the droid "torture" and various static droid displays are already in-game, the interior itself could be modled after a player-city cloning facility; the only new asset that would be required would be for the drop chambers, which could be "cheated" by using an elevator-style door so they don't have to animate the droid actually going down.
This makes Droids another step further to being "Star Warsy", it appeases the folks that enjoy droids for role-play (i.e. non-game mechanic-based reasons), and it gives DE's what we need the most - a reason to make more droids.
Eceen wrote: Addind modules takes to much coding but adding a whole new dungeon doesnt? Explain that one to me.
Although I'm not a proponent of a "dungeon", you miss the whole point :
A "dungeon" or quest is a one-time thing
Adding a new module isn't, because as soon as sales fall of the "new kid on the block", we'd need another one. That's what people are asking for here - an endless cycle of new modules to keep us in business, instead of giving us the tools to stay in business ourselves. We've already gotten some huge additions since launch, and for people to expect it to keep up like that is naive to the realities of development.
You know, the whole "teach a man to fish..." theory. Give us recurring sales, and new additions are icing for us and not something we desperately clamor for to get a few new sales.
My recommendation would be to remove the ability to reconstruct a droid and replace it with an anti-decay droid kit, gained through a quest, as suggested above. Make the kit similar to the new Reward Anti-Decay kits, in that if you delete the droid from your datapad, you gain the kit back, so that it can be placed on another droid.
I think that this solution would be one that hits upon the middle ground of those that want a droid to last for ever, and the DEs that realize that Droid Decay is needed for the health of our profession. Making the kit a quest based reward, we not only add additional content, but we also take some of the sting out of the addition of Droid decay.
