Compiled July 5th 2003
by TK608
Current Version is available at the Smuggler's Den ( http://phreakre.idlegames.com/theden/ )
I. Introduction
If classified in the pure MMOG sense, the Smuggler is a rogue type character operating in the shady areas of the game-wide storyline. The prerequisites of the Smuggler are a mastery of Unarmed Combat in the Brawler Tree and Pistol Specialist in the Marksman Tree. The Smuggler is at present composed of four skill trees comprising a multitude of PvP and Crafting skills, including Slicing, Spices, Underworld Connections, and Dirty Fighting Techniques. The Master Smuggler box additionally gives you a neat title and 25% off all faction perk purchases. At the present, the Smuggler profession is not entirely what is advertised by its namesake, however it is 99% complete.
II. Novice Smuggler
As stated earlier, Unarmed Combat and Pistol specialist is required to attain Novice Smuggler. Additionally, one needs 50,000 pistol experience to aquire this skill once one meets the prerequisites. Every unarmed trick in the book has been printed a thousand times, while almost no one looks for a pistol shortcut. I recommend picking up a vibroknuckle before seriously trying for Unarmed Mastery, it will make short work of most mobs. The pistol is self-explanitory, buy the best you can afford, you will do better. (Body Shot 2 is invaluable). I also recommend picking up the Ranged Support line if you plan on using your pistol a great deal (and you will with Smuggler), because Warning Shot will save you and your group's lives.
III. Underworld Skills
The Underworld skill tree is composed of PvP based skills outside of standard numerical statistics or special abilities. With this tree, one gains the ability to speak every language in the galaxy, 10% off all faction purchases, the ability to sell faction points to opposing faction recruiters, and buy them from friendly recruiters.
There is only one way to gain Underworld skills, killing things with a pistol in hand. Go to work. You should have an FWG5 before starting on serious pistol xp work, it will do a lot more damage than most other weapons of the same specialty.
IV. Slicing
Slicing allows a multitude of monetary opportunities to the Smuggler. At first, one gains the ability to slice locked containers for other people, gaining a fair amount of money if one wants. Once fully into the Slicing tree, the Smuggler is able to hack mission terminals to receive inordinate amounts of reward credits from successful missions. Afterwards, he gains the ability to slice into weapons and make them up to 25% more effective in combat either by reducing the speed/delay of the weapon of in damage dealt. Lastly, the Slicer can manipulate armor by reducing its encumbrance or increasing its resistance, though it does not do as much noticable effect to armor as it does to weapons, multiplied by several pieces of armor, the result is nice. The final skill in the slicing tree allows a more advanced method of weapon enhancement, which is unfortunately broken at this time.
The easiest way to gain slicing is to work terminals once you can. Standing infront of them you can continue to slice them over and over again for 100xp. Weapons give 250xp, sealed containers give 250xp, but you can only work on each on once. Standing infront of a pair of mission containers can give you master slicing, if you have the time. Refreshing missions several times without taking one will enable you to reslice a mission terminal in short order.
V. Spices
Spices are our methods of buffing. With regards to power, the Stims we create are the best in the game, however they have a very severe downside. Each stim raises a stat for a particular period of time, then lowers it in the same exact porportion afterwards. If a stim lasts 6 minutes and raises your strength by 150 points, after 6 minutes, you "crash" and begin to puke, for a time of about the same length, your strength will be lower by 150 points. What is the point? They are life-savers. Neutron Pixie, our most powerful stim, is able to increase the health and action pools so fast that one can literally keep themselves alive in combat. However, do not fear, crashing cannot kill you. If one drops into negative numbers, you will simply be incapacitated but you will not die. (I cannot say that without adding the warning that other people can kill you while you are in this state, so use Pixie at your own discretion).
Spices are made from everything under the sun, flowers to meat, chemicals to metals. Chances are, if it can be harvested, you will need it to make a stim, one even involves cereal. At the present, the best way to gain experience in Spices is to make Shadowpaw over and over again. For 25 organic and 5 metal, one creates an action boosting stim for 120xp (the most gained by any stim currently on record). I recommend finding a steady seller of metal and organics (usually a doctor type who already needs both) and just making the spices without adding the overhead of harvesters. Focus on being a Smuggler.
VI. Dirty Fighting
At the present, Dirty Fighting allows the Smuggler to feign death, launch a series of quick and wild shots, then deal a low blow, then launch into a last assault that is truly amazing. Feign death is very useful against monsters if used properly, obviously non-aggressives, an aggressive will simply walk up to you and attempt to deathblow then he will kill you. The rest are special attacks that are very situational. Panic Shot is useful when you start a combat and are surprised, it can hit the opponent several times if you're lucky. Low blow is an obvious close quarters hello to your opponent's senses, you can make them dizzy or knock them down. Last Ditch is a series of fast pistolshots intended to finish off an opponent, afterwards you take a long delay before you can continue to engage in combat, I really recommend playing with this to get a feel for its damage before you attempt to rely on it in battle.
VII. Master Smuggler
Master Smuggler is the top of our profession, currently it only grants 25% off faction gains, an improvement over Underworld I's 10% knockoff. Along with the title of Master Smuggler, of course.
VIII. More Analysis
At the present, I believe Smuggler to be incomplete. A key bug that needs to be addressed is Slicing III and IV does not function at all. Additionally, there is a bug where slicing a terminal results in a "you are already trying to slice something" error that is similiar to the Image Design bug of the same type. There should be a timer on Slicing that when it expires, the slice is over and is an automatic failure (perhaps 30seconds is appropriate? *dark grin*).
VIII-a. Master Smuggler Analysis
Master Smuggler needs more. Every other profession is given several skills and bonuses including stats in this area, yet Smugglers are singly given 25% off faction purchases. 25% is nothing to frown at, it is a massive knockoff and one well appreciated by the community, however, a few stat bonuses may be offered here that will help:
- +10 to Feign Death
- +10 to Pistol accuracy/speed
- +10-20% in our percentage of slicing with the additional skill of being able to hack ticket terminals and get reduced rates on travel
- some master level spices that have less "crashing" tendances and allow us to regenerate our HAM bars faster for a short period of time or another that allows us to mimic the "berserk" mode that our Unarmed tree already gives us that is similar to Berserk 2, but has a crashing effect that actually makes us do less damage while still taking more damage if we fight for too long under its effects.
With these implemented in the Master Smuggler section, we would truly have a complete profession to work with.
VIII-b. Analysis on the Smuggler's Essence
The most echoed comment in Smuggler history: Where is the Smuggle in Smuggler?
Smuggler's have no capacity for their namesake. Sure, they have guns, low blows, shady business sense, a capacity for negotiation, and the ability to create the objects they smuggle, however, the Smuggler does not have the ability to Smuggle. The author appreciates the lengths that the Developers have gone to implement RP-friendly devices, but outside of the RP community, Smuggling does not exist. Smuggler missions are a requirement. Long ago, they were talked about, but since have been quiet. Much like Bounty Hunters, Smuggler will never be "complete" without Smuggling missions. Once this is accomplished, Underworld should be switched from Pistol XP to Smuggling XP, rewarded by the smuggling missions.
Much like Delivery Missions, Smuggling missions involve moving an item from the hands of the sender to the hands of the owner. However, Smuggling Missions should involve passing through Imperial areas and around NPC's that can detect and will "capture" the smuggler if found, resulting in a failed mission and a bounty hunter mission generated with their name on it (tie in with PC BH missions would really add inter-dependancy in the combat area to shut up all those crafters). These NPC's should be illuminated on the Smuggler's radar and able to be escaped by handy use of the burst run skill and keeping your distance. Other ideas include intersteller travel and other things that can be implemented when ships are added to SWG.
When the Space Expansion is out, the role of the Smuggler will become more apparent and the time between then and now can be used to complete the existing skills we have that are incomplete or lack flavor.
Slicing could become more Smuggler-ish if it was used to add special modifications to ships that pilots/shipsmiths can already build that allow us to avoid blockades or imperial ships far before they see us (and out run them if they do!).
VIII-c. The Wishlist
- Spices should be stackable and splitable for ease of sales and promotion of use.
- More Dirty Fighting moves and an addition of some with unarmed combat utility. (leglock, pistolwhip, quickdraw)
- A "safehouse" type system for Smuggler's gained through the Underworld tree.
- A criminal mission system, where as the Smuggler gains Underworld experience, they gain criminal contacts that engage the smuggler in a missions involving all sorts of criminal endeavor.
- Slicing III be more effective. Right now, it is hard to notice a statistical difference, there is nothing different noticable when actually wearing the armor.
IX. Positive Feedback
To those with the vocal opinions about Smuggler, it sounds like only Spices is complete in their minds. I have not found one real complaint about the line that says its unfulfilled. Additionally, the pistol prerequisite seems unchallenged on any board. Smuggler is a workload to get too, but most feel it is not excessively grindy (read: Commando/Bounty Hunter) and is accomplished in a reasonable period of time. Lastly, the Slicing "minigame" adds a lot of flavor to it along with clearly demonstrating the use for each item (like the node analyzer).
X. Negative Feedback and Key Issues
Right now, one of the largest debates (even on my forums) is the Unarmed prerequisite. I believe that this is the result of young servers and a general lack of vibroknuckle availability, however after doing pistol, unarmed is a grind. Most seem to think that a crafting prerequisite is necessary for Smuggler, however, I believe that the two-tree requirement for Smuggler is sufficient and promotes a wide variety of Smugglers instead of a pigeon-holed existance that would occur with the addition of only 29 more points to the prerequisites area. I believe there are already a great deal of Smugglers going Smug+Pistoleer, more prerequisites would only multiply this rate exponentially.
XI. Closing
This guide is a work in progress. As I personally gain more time as a smuggler, this guide will fill and become more complete. At the present, I am combing the official forums and my own for the issues that we Smugglers feel are the worst/best and will be presenting a more complete list in my next report.
If you are looking for more information, I update the Smuggler's Den (located at http://phreakre.idlegames.com/theden/ ) daily and encourage all Smugglers to come be a part of the community we are building there.
XII. Updates and Errata
- 7/6: Slicing portion added to "Essance of the Smuggler Analysis"
- 7/6: Slicing portion about Slicing III being broken was fixed.
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