OGRank - SWG HOC Chat Log

Sprite: Welcome to another great Stratics house of commons with the developers of Star Wars Galaxies! The focus for this chat will be Officer Expertise, Smuggler Expertise and the Smuggler System. So please keep your questions to this topic. Please send those questions to [QT]Preston - to do so type /msg [QT]Preston My question here. Please only send questions to our QT as those sent to myself or the developers will not make it into the lineup.

* HanseSOE sneaks around with illicit goods.*
* HanseSOE finds it hard to sneak around with everyone whispering to him*.

Sprite: We'll begin with a quick intro from our guests...now would be a good time to send in those questions!

Chrysalide: Hello, everyone. I am Chrysalide, Lead Systems Designer for SWG.

Vapor: Hello everyone. My name is David Jones and I am an Associate Producer with SOE.

Tunso: Hi all, this is Mark Halash and I'm a Systems Designer. Last chapter I worked on BH Expertise and currently I'm working on Officer Expertise. It's great to be back again for another Stratics HoC!

Teesquared: Hello all! I'm Tony Tyson, SWG Technical Director.

Tereb: Hello, this is Tom Cramer and I'm the SWG Build Master. aka keeper of the hamster chow for Test Center.

Blixtev: Hi! Im Blixtev the Assistant Lead Designer. I'm responsible for managing the Content and Systems Leads and ensuring the required design work is delivered on time and meets the quality bar. This way you all get regular Game Updates.

jneri: Hi everyone, Jake from LucasArts here, thanks for coming looking forward to the chat!

Neif: Hi everybody, this is Tim Temmerman over at LEC Production. You can find me under the forums under Neif

gris: Hi there - my name is Fannie Gunton, and I am an Associate Producer with SOE.

TH: Evenin' folks! I'm Thunderheart, the Community Relations Manager for SWG. I hope everyone is doing well tonight. Let's get this party started!

HanseSOE: Howdy! I'm Hanse and I'm a System Designer. Currently working on the Smuggler Expertise.

RodianPower: So far we know close to nothing about any decisions made on officer expertise or the smuggling system. Could we get some framework or an updated status report? We're assuming now that officer/smuggler are the objectives for Chapter 3, but we haven't gotten updated on the anticipated timeframe for anything.

Vapor: Correct, the objectives for chapter 3 is Officer and Smuggler expertise. I would keep a close eye on the website as there will be more details in the near future.

Akelei: Hello, my question for the Chat goes: After all of the professions have recieved their expertise, will it be possible to discuss resetting the respec prices? Considering the big changes made.

jneri: good question, we have talked about a few options but its too far in the future for us to speak to any specific respec prices at this time.

ArkonPhoenix: Officer has always sounded like a cool profession, but what will really separate its profession from the others? In essence, what is their role or niche going to be in SWG?

Tunso: Officers are getting expertise that will reinforce their role as a group combat support class. Having an officer in your group will make a very big difference. Aside from that they're going to have some more options for solo combat viability and defense. But as always, the choice will be up to you in what you choose to focus on.

GreenjaPfalzer: What is in store for officers in view of their own armor for example general veers ATAT commander armor or Naval trooper etc etc Faction armor dyes (limited colors Faction backpacks,shoulder pauldron, and capes??Eclipse imps are very into all of these im sure rebels officers woudl like to know wht is goign on also thanks.

Chrysalide: Without going into too much detail and ruining any surprises, I will mention that in the upcoming chapter there will be some new factional goodies. Be on the lookout for more details in the future...

ArkonPhoenix: Smuggler is an attractive sounding profession, mostly in part due to Han Solo. So how then are you going to incorporate more of that Han Solo feel to the Smuggler profession?

HanseSOE: Smugglers are definitely flavored along the lines of Han Solo's character. Some example skills in the Smuggler Expertise tree: Lucky Break, Bad Odds, Under the Counter... One of the trees is named "Scoundrel"...

COLS_Halyn: How will smuggling work in space? Will we be allowed to use snubfighters, or will it be restricted to POBs? Will there be any advantage to using POBs?

Teesquared: There is going to be a space element to the new smuggler system changes in Chapter 3. We aren't going into details. More info will be coming soon.

COLS_Gassygunslinger: Will smuggling be entirely GCW-based? Will smugglers be able to smuggle for the underworld figures like Nym and Jabba?

Chrysalide: Smuggling will not be entirely centered around the GCW. There will be quite a bit of work done for the underworld types.

ArkonPhoenix: Will Officers get more faction perks and/or ranks, since they are Officers?

Tunso: When we roll out the GCW Warfare Expertise trees, we might include things along these lines. But nothing like this is planned for officers right now.

ArkonPhoenix: With most everything in game now being able to solo, will Smugglers and Officers be of this same caliber in combat or will support roles start becoming more of a factor again in SWG?

HanseSOE: Smugglers are more of a crowd control character with huge bursts of lucky damage. Officers are more along the lines of group help, although they are viable as well.

Rammi: I have been a smuggler for over 2 years now and so im obviously concerned about the up and coming smuggler system! Can you give any details out in regards to this as my major concern is that we will receive glorifed delvery missions with NPCs?

Teesquared: We've done some enhancements to the quest system to make the new smuggler missions really interesting with many challenges and surprises. Did I mention space ...

COLS_Fordaith: Will smugglers be able to "wipe" profession certifications off weapons for personal or community use?

Blixtev: No that is not part of the planned Smuggler Expertise system, there is a reason we restrict certain weapons to certain classes.

Fariq: There has been a decent amount of info given on the what the Smuggler Expertise will look like (thanks Hanse) but nothing about Office. What can we expect from the Officer Expertise system?

Tunso: A quick overview. Officer's will be able to specialize in things such as group buffs, explosives/area effect, pistols, 1-hand melee. They can get upgrades to their current damage attacks. Specialized supply drops as well as the ability to call for reinforcements and have a solider (pet) under your command. We'll have more details forthcoming.

Crispy: will the smuggler system allow smugglers to actually smuggle things? If so will the Bounty System be incorporated with this at all?

Chrysalide: With the new smuggler system, smugglers will actually get to acquire and transport illicit items, while trying not to get caught with them. On particularly dangerous jobs, smugglers may find themselves up against a Bounty Hunter or two...

COLS_Mentski: Will there be more jobs for smugglers to do aside from factional/GCW (ie Jabba/Blacksun/Nym/Valarians)?

Chrysalide: There are quite a few people all over the galaxy that will give out jobs for smugglers that are not factionally aligned.

GreenjaPfalzer: will officers Arial and Orbital bcme stronger and will officers central around melee pistol carbine or rifle skills?

Tunso: You will have the ability to specialize in those abilities. Specializing in orbital strikes and explosive will result in their becoming very deadly. For weapons specializations, they can choose either pistols or 1-handed melee.

COLS_Halyn: Is there an advantage to having a crew or group for smuggling, or is smuggling largely a solo activity? (Pardon the pun)

Blixtev: Right now we are implementing the Smuggler Missions as a solo activity. Once we get the groundwork system in place we can always revist if we want to put some group activities into the Missions.

COLS_Kloudrunner: If the smuggling is mission based will we obtain missions from NPC's at iconic locations (ie. cantina's, Jabbas or some back alley), will we aquire the mission from a terminal - or are you planning to implement an entirely different system?

Chrysalide: Smuggling jobs will be handed out by NPCs, not by mission terminals. Additionally, if a smuggler happens to find some illicit items while out adventuring, he or she can collect them and earn their own smuggling mission...

tiveria: will the officer expertise tree have any skills that require a specific weapon? If they do, what weapon are you focusing on?

Tunso: Officers will have a few abilities that will require specific weapons. For example, Crippling Vortex is an area effect crowd control ability that will require a 1-H melee weapon to use. Pistol drillmaster is a group buff that requires a pistol to use and increases the pistol skills of your entire group.

Mithraw: As there has not been any precise information on the forums yet, could you perhaps give us a quick overview of what the officer's profession expertise will look like?

Neif: Sure thing -- The new officer tree will have some profession improvements as well as new features. Expect to see more group buffs, some 1-handed melee weapon specialization, as well as pistol improvements. For new stuff, you'll be able to call reinforcements and actually control some NPC's to fight by your side. Expect some new supply drop lines as well.

Rammi: Are smuggler going to be able to have Innate armor in order to actaully look more iconic as you want the game to be?

HanseSOE: It's currently planned (as I said on the boards) to not be innate. This is subject to change, as I need to do more research (probably tomorrow, in fact!). I'll post my findings tomorrow evening on the smuggler board.

Telex: Will there be additional fixes for quests? As a veteran, I am still waiting on fixes for the Legacy Quest and quests before it that cannot be deleted or completed. This has been known since November 15, 2005 by your team. Also, are Smuggler/Officer quests that were given to us be inspected and started? Should those old quests to be inspected be deleted since they will never be fixed?

jneri: We continue to fix bugs in our quests on an ongoing basis and you can count on this happening on into the future...an example is the YT-2400 bugs we know you wanted fixed that were knocked out in a recent hotfix.

Chrev-bloodfin: Looking beyond the release dates of chapter 3 & 4, will the smuggling system support roleplay and profession interdependency? Will we feel needed again? Will we be hunted and if so - by who?

Chrysalide: On particularly dangerous smuggling missions, bounties may be placed on the head of the smuggler making you a nice target for some bounty hunters looking to make a credit or two...

RodianPower: Are there any dramatic changes for officers in the works, i.e. game-systems related to rank? What will will make us stand above other classes as leaders?

Tunso: An officer that specializes in group buffs will dramatically increase the strength of his allies. Abilities like Charge! and Scatter! will provide run speed, snare removal and increased damage or defense. Inspiration is a buff that restores actions and provides an action reduction for a duration. And targetting an officer in combat is not always a good idea, as the ability Last Words fires on the officer's death and restores health, action and a hefty buff to combat effectivness.

Mellie: What will the smuggler expertise trees focus on (ie: fighting ablites, ablities such as feign death, abilities to hide certain items on their persons?)

HanseSOE: Smuggler trees allow you to get very lucky, crowd control, fight with pistols and melee weapons, spot suckers, smuggle illicit goods, and a few other nifty tricks (that some might consider dirty).

Sissor-corbantis: Is the new smuggling system going to be purely PVE or use a system with optional PVP?

Chrysalide: A lot of the smuggling missions will be PvE, but for some of the more dangerous, higher-end smuggling missions will have optional PvP involvement.

Epani: Will officers get a better supply drop? And are the arial ranges increasing and getting heavier damage?

Tunso: Officer's who specialize in deployment will gain access to medical and tactical supply drops that scale with your level so they will always be useful. You can devote points into Aerial and Orbital strikes to make them more powerful. If you go all the way and buy the Superior Firepower and Primacy abilities you can call down even MORE seriously punishing death from above!

Telex: I hear that player bases are finally returning. Is this true? I sure do hope so because both Smuggler and Officer can play a vital role.

Blixtev: Player bases will return and play a role in the new GCW system. We will be updating them so they can be destroyed, turrets will function and higher level elite mobs spawn in front of them.

Mithraw: What exactly will the smugglers be able to "smuggle" in the new Smuggler System? Anything like long-awaited well-starwars-known drugs, e.g. glitterstim or some of the old drugs that were once craftable?

Neif: Smugglers will definitely be smuggling scandalous, illicit goods. The kinds of things you'd expect Han to smuggle. Unfortunately we're still working out the list of what these goods will be.

Epani: Will officers be able to call NPC & PC reinforcements?

Tunso: At the end of the deployment line, Officers will get the ability to call NPC reinforcement. This will be a pet that arrives that you can order to attack, follow, guard etc. You'll also be able to group with the pet and it will recieve the beneft of your group buffs.

Fote-Lowa: I am asking this on behalf of the mayors of the Lowca galaxy and other galaxies. Are there any plans to clean up the abadoned houses that were left by people who are not in game no more . and what are those plans

Vapor: We realize that this is a concern for many players and we are looking into doing it but there are no definite plans yet.

COLS_Halyn: Will there be salvage-type missions for smugglers, ala Firefly?

Chrysalide: There are currently no plans for any spacecraft salvage operations of which you are thinking. However, we are introducing collection-type missions for illicit items that you might find while adventuring on the ground or in space.

mvb2: How good will be officers and smugglers againts jedis and BH's with the exp trees?

HanseSOE: We'd like to see them equivalent. Of course, each has their own weaknesses and strengths. When they are available on test center, please give us your feedback!

Xternal: Will Smugglers be able to slice weapons/armor and craft spice again :O?

HanseSOE: Nope.

TarqAPEistSmuggler: Is the smuggler system going to grant abilities that effect activites such as pvp, such as buffs and/or additional skills?

HanseSOE: The Smuggling system does affect Smuggler Expertise. As you go up in rank, through the smuggling system, you can spend points in expertise that your rank affects... An example is an ability that increases your armor resistance, as you increase in rank. There are many expertise abilities you can get that are tied to the Smuggling system, as well.

Sprite: That will wrap it up for tonight. I'd like to thank the developers for coming! Thank you all for joining us! You can join #StarWars to chat more about the game.

Chrysalide: So long, everbody. Thanks for coming!
Blixtev: Thanks for all the great on topic questions!
TH: Gnight folks
Neif: Hey thanks everybody, we had a ton of great questions coming. See you all next time!
Vapor: Thanks for coming tonight. Please watch the site as there will be more info soon.
Tunso: Thanks Stratics and thank you for all your questions!
Tereb: Night everyone.
Teesquared: Thanks everyone for coming! Farewell.
gris: Thanks for joining us!
jneri: Thanks everybody, tons of really great questions tonight. Appreciate your time.
HanseSOE: G'nite folks!