Interview with President of SOE John Smedley

[trasgo]

An interesting read. Of course there is a lot of spin going on, but some tidbits about the future.

Here

[Shensen]

Um yeah, lots of spin there.

[Novall]

I wonder if we can get him on the O'Riley factor.

[Jerrel]

"In a sense that was one of the strengths of the game because you could be just about anything in the world, but it also had an impact on our ability to balance these professions and make them fun and unique. The feedback told us that there wasn't enough diversity and that people's choices [with regard to their professions] should mean something.

"So we decided to shrink down the number of professions and concentrate on more prototypical Star Wars iconic elements. A bounty hunter is a very iconic thing. Everyone immediately thinks Boba Fett. So we made that mean something now."

So in other words "We made too many proffesions and now we can't keep up with them all so instead of hiering more people to deal with it we're just saying screw you to the ones we don't have the time to fix."

[Sai'nu]

It may be more...

How do we balance a Master Fencer/TK/Swordsman with a Master Bounty Hunter/Carbineer?

How do we balance A Medic Template against a Non-Medic Template?

They really we're fighting a losing battle I think because a lot of people do look for the 'end game' template.

Was CU pretty close to the mark? Yeap, I think it was. They obviously don't. I can see their point on many cases though I didn't like the package in which they delivered it. It's comming regardless... our FedEx copy of NGE is here and we've got to either sign for it or don't.

Could they have kept more professions in and still done this single class limit? Yes, I think they could've. Give it time and we may see some of the other professions added back in. It might be a long shot; but it could happen.

[Isleh]

It may be more...

How do we balance a Master Fencer/TK/Swordsman with a Master Bounty Hunter/Carbineer?

How do we balance A Medic Template against a Non-Medic Template?

They really we're fighting a losing battle I think because a lot of people do look for the 'end game' template.

Was CU pretty close to the mark? Yeap, I think it was. They obviously don't. I can see their point on many cases though I didn't like the package in which they delivered it. It's comming regardless... our FedEx copy of NGE is here and we've got to either sign for it or don't.

Could they have kept more professions in and still done this single class limit? Yes, I think they could've. Give it time and we may see some of the other professions added back in. It might be a long shot; but it could happen.

I've pretty much said the same thing before. How do you make a Rifleman quest when you can have...

M Rifleman/M Pistoleer/Medic
M Rifleman/Carbineer/CM
M Rilfelam/M CH
M Rifleman/M Tailor
4400 Rifleman/M Smuggler/M Commando
4000 Rifleman/M Smuggler/M Commando/0003 Pistoleer
4400 Rifleman/M Smuggler/0040 Dancer?

Or any combination thereof?

35 professions and you have enough skill points to master 2 (106 x 2 = 212) and then some. Sometimes 3. We're starting at at least 1190 combinations ( 35 x 34 ) at the master level. That leaves enough skill points to at least reach novice to any other profession. So now we're up to at least 40,460 potential combinations ( 35 x 34 x 34 ). Often, there are enough skill points to complete 1 of 4 skill trees and pure crafters and master 3.

40,460 potential combinations.. if you choose to master 2 professions. Sure, some of the combinations won't make sense.

[Jerrel]

Its simple you make a quest path of progession for each class much like we have for each faction poilot.

Rifleman Quest
Pistolier Quest
Carbonier Quest
Comando Quest
and so on.

[Isleh]

Its simple you make a quest path of progession for each class much like we have for each faction poilot.

Rifleman Quest
Pistolier Quest
Carbonier Quest
Comando Quest
and so on.

Maybe that is the exact reason why we can mix and match anymore? You can't be a 4400 Neutral, 0040 imperial, 0004 rebel pilot.

Also, lets say you are a noob and you start on the rifleman quests and you finish them. They work great. Then you start on the Pistoleer quests... Is it the same quests that a noob would take if they started out with pistoleer?

Also

Run quests by teir like pilot? What quests will you have to take to just get 0003 pistoleer as opposed to mastering it? Would you have to grind out 2223 in pistoleer and then dump the trees you don't want?

Run quests per tree? So would someone who is a going for master pstoleer and is 4404 and is starting the quests for te 3rd tree take the same quests as a novice (0000) pistoleer starting take the quests for the 3rd tree? What about a 4400 pistoleer? Same quests? What about a 0400 pistoleer?

Would a Master Chef and 4404 Pistoleer working on the quests for th 3rd tree take the same quests as a Master Rifleman and 4404 pistoleer working on the quests for the 3rd tree?

[Jerrel]

I dont think you were ever able to mix the pilot skills but doing proffesion baced quests would be a simple matter of having and NPC give out a mission then as reward give you a skill and the only way you could talk to this NPC is if you had the previous skill in the tree. Think the NPC Trainers but they send you on a mission before they train you in a perticular skill.