Star Wars Galaxies Combat Upgrade Interview
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Q: You mentioned the focus on professions. It's interesting that this combat upgrade spills over to affect other professions. What are entertainers supposed to do, now that the mind pool doesn't take damage in combat?
Dallas Dickinson: We already have and will continue to extend the inspiration buff system. The entertainer's interaction with the combat classes will have a lot to do with that particular mechanic. One of the issues that the players have had that we've addressed with the combat upgrade is the ability of someone to create a buffbot entertainer. Most people didn't like that. They were just used to it as a way to get a sense of healing. We deliberately said we didn't want them to just be buffbots; we wanted entertainers to actually be entertainers and have people actually enjoy playing the game, rather than just creating character in order to grind it up. Julio actually plays as an entertainer, so he can probably respond better to it.
Julio Torres: [Laughs] It was my favorite profession when I started this game. Specifically, the inspiration buff gives the entertainer the ability to enhance the experience for the combatants. That's our first step, one of more to come, that will allow an entertainer to interact with a combatant and give them a buff that will enhance your experience, because with it you'll get a little more experience when you're out there. Obviously, if they kill something, that will increase their progression. It will give them the ability to have a better chance to getting loot. Third, if you're a crafter and you want to craft something and get some experimentation, it gives you a higher rate of success to produce a product or item at the end. That's the first stage for it and it's a step forward.
I'm not going to disagree with the community by commenting against the fact that we should do more with the entertainer and we will. We do have publishes in the future that will enhance them further.
Debysue Wolfcale: I think it's fair to say that the combat upgrade was about combat and upgrading the fun factor of combat. It wasn't an entire game upgrade. There are always elements of the game we need to continue to polish and many things that change because they're so interrelated. When we started it, we wanted to demystify the combat experience so more people can participate and have fun, and we wanted to make it feel more like Star Wars. That's what we're hearing from players. That's what they like about this game, and that's what brings them in. That's what we need to deliver on.
