Newbies R' Us

This board was so empty and lonely I decided to post to it. While we're all technically new players to DH2, a lot of folks probably were on DH1. But we're sekrit (SHHHH!) so we can't share who we were.

But has anyone thought at all about who they might be in the future? Who will be your 'new player' (or Character as the case may be)?

I have a few ... dozen ... concepts in mind. I honestly haven't been able to choose between them yet. I feel like a kid in a candy store.

I'm honestly in the same boat. I have about 7 concepts in mind. I'm just waiting to see what some of my friends are going to be doing too. Just because I'm a big fan of coming in with lots of RP hooks to really sink into a char.

My favorite is an overweight, out of work male exotic dancer. With a thick beard, a thicker stomach, and an even thicker heart of gold.

I love cardiac arrest plot hooks.

Imagine the possibilities, though. For every exotic dancer, there's a Hutt with exotic tastes. Very exotic. The kind of exotic that makes you throw up a little and cry on the inside.

I only have a couple of concepts in mind. It really depends on what the new class system is like. Someone said you choose two classes each level and get the best aspects of both. Any chance there will be details about that soon?

The people I RP with most are going in opposite directions, some choosing to start their own faction while others are looking to play with the Sith. I'm definitely going to try to start off with some hooks to get the RP going immediately but I don't know how well I do at being a villian. I'm not the type who can really, as one person said, beat a puppy with a bag full of kittens and enjoy it.

I think I'll pass on the Force user stuff because I do not want to have to live up to everyone's high expectations. It looks like we are going to set some online time requirements for all our Force users which I think is a great idea.

I'm really tempted to play some minor role but do it well. Wedge for example had only a few seconds of screen time but endeared a generation. I think that's better than trying to tackle a major role and fall flat. In the old days the minor character was called the 'shield bearer'. So on DH2 I'd be a senatoral aide, street cop, cantina dancer, or something else that makes for a great supporting character that makes everyone else look cool thereby being cool themselves. We all know Wedge wouldn't have been awesome without Luke.

Or a towel boy for Blubbas, the overweight exotic dancer.

Yes, the new level system will have you picking two classes each level ad getting the best of both. If you choose two similar classes you will end up with fewer stat points but a more focused skill set. If you choose two very different class you can end up being very good at a number of things (this is probably the best way to go).

And if we use the current incarnation of the code, the level system will give you an idea of how broad or focused a pair is along with a general idea of what kind of skills you can expect.

That would be kind of nice, I wouldn't want it 'spelled' out perse because I like the verbage the system uses, I just always hated never knowing what did what and how to get where I want to go.

I'm curious now though, is the system more 'tree' based with specialist classes further along? Is it wide? I mean are we going to see Pilot > Ace or is it going to be more Pilot > Fighter Jock > Ace with it narrowing in further? I guess this is going to end up being the 'talk about CG/Advancement' thread

The current version has twenty non-force classes to choose from and you choose two per level. No specialist classes this time around. All of the classes provide a broader skill base than a typical class on Dark Horizons I so you are advancing more traits at the same time. Overall, each class also gives more points than the level choices on Dark Horizons I so you don't have to worry about classes being diluted by the extra skills.

You have a pretty amazing amount of freedom when it comes to advancing your character.

Sorry for the double post.

You might take Pilot + Navigator for a kind of StarAce class. That is a very focused combination. You could also try pilot + leader to give yourself more command. It is still very focused.

If you take Pilot + Medic you will probably advance more skills.

And you said it'll take the best of both, so bear with me real quick so I can understand. Again, using fake numbers.

Pilot Class
Piloting +5
Gunnery +5
Leadership +3

Leader Class
Piloting +0
Gunnery +0
Leadership +5

Medic Class
First Aid +5
Surgery +5
Leadership +3

So if you were to take Pilot and Leader classes, you'd basically just get +5 to piloting/gunnery/leadership?

But if you took say, Pilot and Medic, you'd get +5 to Pilot, Gunnery, First Aid, Surgery, then +3 to Leadership?

Yes, it does sound complex but you aren't the ones that have to do the math. Just know that if the character advancement machine says it is a narrow class then you are looking at a few synergistic skills advancing quickly. If it says it is a broad class then you will advance a much wider group of skills quickly.

By synergy or synergistic I mean a group of skills that will work well together--- Blaster + Endurance + dodge or Pilot + Navigation + command.


Below is a slightly more technical explanation. Don't panic. If you only understand what I wrote above then you will do just fine.

When two classes overlap on a skill we take the higher of the two numbers and ignore the second number.

Lets say pilot gives +3 command and leader gives +5 command. If you combine the two classes you will end up with +5 command. Not a bad deal, except that the +3 you'd have gotten from pilot goes away and you end up with fewer points overall.

It is still not a bad deal if you want to advance a synergistic group of skills quickly. Think of it as a "create your own specialist class." In classes with little to no skill overlap you may not get the advantage of tight skill synergy but you don't lose points so you advance a wider group of skills much more quickly.

I love it, and I don't love it.

My only thought on the set up would be is we'll end up with a whole lot of Jacks of All Trades. Would it be possible to take the current set up as it is but instead of just wiping those points out, give them 1/2 credit?

So if you do the pilot/leader combo like up above. You get +5 leadership and an additional +1 from Pilot to leadership (1/2 of 3, rounded down) That would at least encourage people to consider focusing on that single defining skill, beacuse like I said I wouldn't see anyone doing anything except JOAT'ing.

I'm not too worried about JOATs.

I'm trying not to get too technical with my answers. I know you guys cant see the info I am able to see at the moment so tell me if I am dumbing things down too much or just going over your heads.

Players might have two to four specialties instead of one but that is out of 30 non-force traits. If you figure that six of those traits are fairly common throughout the classes then characters can still end up with a combination of two or three (sometimes four) specialties out of 24 possible.

It is more likely that players will have SOME skill in most things but probably not enough to hurt the player-skills market. You will want to find a particular player type to take on certain tasks rather than relying on a generalist.

Oh ok, when you phrase it that way that works better. I was thinking like classes will have 6-7 skills per and so people would have 15/30 skills high. But like that? That works great

I think people will take the narrower classes for the same reasons that they took the specialist classes on Dark Horizons I. They can make you very good at one aspect of the game fairly quickly.

I disagree with Mr. T.

I think people may WANT to take the narrow classes, but I think more players will expand their characters to more skills in many classes.

For example, let's say I want to be in Rogue Squadron! So I want to be a SUPER BAD PILOT! (By Super Bad I mean Good)

So McLovin, my pilot, takes his first 5 levels... which is actually 10 classes! WOOT!

I'd do this:
Pilot/Navigator
Pilot/Gambler (or some sort of streetwise type)
Pilot/Navigator
Soldier/Gambler
Pilot/Soldier

This keeps me totally on-point for piloting, boosting my navigation skills (whatever that is. I'm as blind as you all are) but gives be some cool "swagger" skills like gambling, streetwise, etc. And some blaster and toughness skills!

Why do that? Surely Pilot/Navigator straightup will make a better pilot. Yes, you're right!

However... what if I get in a firefight? What if I get in a drinking contest? What if I think I'm being followed from the bar?

Time and again I've found myself too specialized and when it comes time to +check ability, I fail at all but the easiest difficulties.

As I level up to level 10, my next 5 levels, I'll probably go like:

Pilot/Navigator
Soldier/Gambler
Pilot/Gambler
Pilot/Soldier
Merchant/Politician

If you check out the difficulties, I'll have, at level 10, 8 levels of pilot! And a good mix of levels of all the others! I'm obviously a better pilot than I am a gambler or soldier, but I've got the skills! I can even barter a bit and fast-talk!

That's just me. I'm sure some people will want to go and focus on stuff. That's cool, too. But I think having a wider-range of skills will be great. One thing I've always wished was a way to be a decent pilot while still being a great fighter. So I don't always crash, etc. Sorta like a person IRL can be a good driver without training.

That's how I mentally decide... I'm like "ok, first class will be what I'm focusing my character's life on, second class is more what he's been doing that week as a hobby."

Yep. Players will have the freedom to do that with this system. You aren't doomed to be locked into a single role if you want to be good at something.

I like to base my characters on the place where they live, rather than classes, so I'm really looking forward to seeing some planetary concepts!

So far, I'm leaning towards a minor politician in the Republic - or on a neutral planet.

/Are/ there neutral planets?

Not knowing what will be available to the users (not FS) I am totally clueless what to take.

Stalker: I'm not sure if you are talking about character roles or classes. I will assume classes for now because that is easier to answer. Just plan your character and I can promise you that you can find a class combination that is at least mildly suitable. Because classes are paired at each level there are just short of 180 possible combinations. You can /probably/ find a few that fit.

There is one neutral world. The Trandoshan Republic of Kuat. You can actually help design this world! Submissions are due in by the 10th - See the planet design contest thread at the top of the "General Discussion" forum.

There are two major neutral groups that are nomadic but these will probably be kept under direct NPC control for a while. They are the Ithorian-Togruta nomads and the Duros nomads. If there is enough interest we can open up some minor positions among the nomad fleets but we probably wont put an entire nomad fleet under player control.

Your math is off, T -- there are 190 combinations, before you factor in force classes.

To many choices! I am now totally lost!!!

Really though, that sounds great. Yea I have a concept but still waiting on the hard facts to see how it works. Patience grasshopper...patience....