Possible Pp Missing Skill Idea

[Mattsacre]

So many folks have speculated what the missing skill that PP lack should be, some have said a build skill, others a combat, and still others a L135 skill like JE/PS etc.

Many feel the PP is uber as is in combat/trade and to add another build or combat skill would overshadow warriors or TT.

Privateers of old were basicly State sanctioned pirates, one government or another would give potential privateers papers of marquee, i.e. a "contract" to go hassle, loot, and cause attrition to other governments shipping and warships while leaving the issuing governments resources alone. This would be done with "plausable denighablity" so the government could disavow any involvement essentially keeping their hands clean, the papers of marque would tell the issuing governments warships to let the privateer go if captured and give anonymous aid were applicable.

So considering all that, and refering to the old discription of what a "privateer" would intail, I got this idea.

How about a passive skill, one that buffs the whole group while grouped that acts like the old TT skill boosting trade and credits gained through negotiate.
But in true privateer style it is achieved through looting. Don't know if it should be 5 or 7 tier but the buffs can be fit for either with increasing rewards etc.

BOARDING:
Privateer uses skills to take over a enemies ship before distruction to maximize resource gain.

In effect it gives the PP/group at low level skill increased credits or slightly bigger stack of vendor trash, they take on the "booty" from the enemy ship/corpse.
Higher tiers of the skill would increase the potential gain.

at mid tier call it.
SALVAGE:
In effect it adds a hulk effect to the mob corpse that the privateer "mines" like explorers do, just not as much stuff in it so as to not overshadow their role.

Then at highest tier have it be called
BOOTY:

It adds better odds of the salvaged hulk to have superior gear and some odds like explorers to have things like Digi apogi, AA etc., maybe even uniques in real rare cases.

[Terrell [BT]]

Salvage is actually mentioned in the game documents as an unused skill, check it out, you can get the docs at the N7org site.

Proposed it as a possible skill for the PT [url="https://forum.enb-emulator.com/index.php?/topic/4783-progen-privateer/page__p__41778#entry41778"]here[/url] but I just made it a possiblity for an extra loot item in normal looting. I like your proposal a bit better, than mine, though I think the item should be looted, rather than mined. At max level, perhaps the quality of the items would be no lower than 105% but have a better chance of being higher than without a PT around.

[Tienbau]

good ideas guys. The boarding/booty would fit in very well with a few things we've got in the works too.

[Mattsacre]

Yeh didn't know if the "mining the corpse" thing was doable, but thought that would destinguish the looting period if so, then the players could see that the loot, so aquired was because of the skill and not just a normal random drop in the kill corpse. Especially if it was the PP that had to do the "mining", it sort of plays into the boarding the mob to grab the booty then scrambling back on your ship before destruct pops the corpse.

In live there was a device that was suppost to increase odds of loot drops like 5% or 10% or some such, but how would one be able to see if the device was working? How do you test "randomness"? I guess yoiu would have to kill 10k of something with the device in and then 10k without and see if there was a 5-10% swing in drops, that seems a steep test curve

Thats why I thought a "chance to get more" wouldn't be so good, people would be complaining all the time that the skill wasn't working at mid-high levels, that at low levels it would be easy to test, group and kill and see the credits/stacks then ungroup and kill same mobs, those not in group should see a lessening of credits/loot spread, thus tested to be working.

As the middle skill kicks in, a actual mining effect (if it was doable) would even further show that it was "working as intended" (how often did that statement grit your teeth in other games? ) but to test if gear dropped more prevailingly through the skill would take that 10k test to prove.

But *shrug* if a mining effect wasn't doable or desirable then the group/degroup should still hold on the testability, just (in my thinking) gets harder and harder when its loot drops other than credits/vendor trash stacks, to destinguish if the skill was responsible for a "random" gear drop or not. Edited March 23, 2012 by Mattsacre

[nimr0dbbow[IS]]

Yes,

Theres quite a few in the pot.

With the boarding idea this could lead to consumables such as "rookie troops" or "elite troops" as privateer only devices I suppose, that structural damage is taken as the 'hits in combat' to prove bonus to the troops. Maybe guilds could train 'shock troops' for use of the privateers; not sure how training would work though - diversion of experience?

<Unless the item developers say... noooooo Byakhee>

[Terrell [BT]]

New and unique effects that are exclusive to the new classes is a good thing IMO.

Scout: Secondary/Tertiary JSer, Debuffer of Explosive. (probably needs more) Can buff speed, but should explorers be in formation in raids?
Seeker: Tertiary Healer (poor shields), Secondary Debuffer (after JE), Possible Primary Debuff clearer. (Dispel proposal)
Privateer: Secondary Gun, Secondary Healer, great combo but needs a primary. Loot enhancer does sound nice.

Each of the new classes getting a few more things that they're the primary at would be good IMO.

Perhaps on the Salvage idea, it could also be range based in that if the PT is within a certain distance from the mob, grouped or not, the skill affects the mob's loot. Some of the equipment that the PT will get to buff the skill could increase the range of effect.

If there are multiple PTs within range, then the one with the best effect counts. If the skill is successful then there could be some type of announcement. Either sector wide, or perhaps the explosion upon mob's death or the corpse could look a little different.

The effect for unmined asteroid fields could work, over the corpse whenever the PT's skill affected the loot drops.

[Mattsacre]

Oooh ooh your effect timer for field on corpse got me thinking...how about to go along with the idea that your troops boarded and grabbed the loot before they set off demo charges.....i.e. "looted booty"

A count down timer then kaboom! to corpse, something like the PW self destruct or the old spore mother self destruct skill. Could say in green scroll, "raiders away.....gathering booty...arrrh...loot aquired! ....setting charges....scramble lads the charges are set!" .Then a count down timer over mob then KABOOM! and then a corpse to loot is left to pick through.

Could even go so far on special/rare mobs, or boss mobs to have additional green scroll say something like " well lookie lookie lads, we 'av us some purty shinies to goggle at! It'le be grog for all tonight in port!"