Can We Improve Jade Bot Modules for Better Quality of Life?

[Ahvulso.2540]

The Jade Bot and its modules, introduced in the End of Dragons (EOD) expansion, represent significant gameplay mechanics but currently suffer from limitations that could be improved. Specifically, the Jade Bot's restrictive module system could benefit from some quality of life enhancements.

Firstly, the inability to swap modules without a Jade workbench is inconvenient. Allowing players to change modules on the fly would be a straightforward and highly beneficial quality of life improvement.

Secondly, the limitation of having only two module slots—specifically one for "Sensory Arrays" and another for "Service Chips"—restricts gameplay diversity. Like many players, I tend to equip the Treasure Hunter Protocol and Scavenger Protocol on all my characters to avoid missing out on potential loot. This setup, however, means missing out on the benefits provided by other modules.

Proposal: A tiered module slot system could be introduced, where each level of the Jade Bot unlocks an additional module slot. For example:

• Tier 1: Basic Functionality
• Tier 2: Mount Energy Booster
• Tier 3: Recycler
• Tier 4: Scavenger
• Tier 5: Turtle Siege Enhancer
• Tier 6: Gliding Booster
• Tier 7: Rescue Protocol Recharge
• Tier 8: Skiff Supercharger
• Tier 9: Treasure Hunter Protocol
• Tier 10: Turtle Pilot Booster

This system would improve the game by:

1. Enhancing player enjoyment through the ability to equip multiple modules.
2. Increasing the popularity of maps that drop materials for higher tier modules.
3. Boosting the game’s economy by increasing the demand for multiple modules across characters.
4. Creating more visibility for the Jade Bot, potentially increasing sales of Jade Bot skins, as players see it more often in various situations like boat pushing or using the gliding booster.

This idea could be implemented similarly to the expanded mastery system used for the skimmer underwater. Furthermore, with future updates or expansions, there is potential to enhance Jade Bot cores and modules with new technologies, perhaps incorporating Asuran advancements.

We could even foresee a future with craftable legendary jade bot modules.

By addressing these points, we can significantly improve the player experience and expand gameplay options in Guild Wars 2.

PS.: English is not my first language, so I passed my text to a chatbot in order to clearly state my points in english, sorry if the text feels a bit "mechanical".

[SnowdropFox.2456]

12 minutes ago, Ahvulso.2540 said:

This setup, however, means missing out on the benefits provided by other modules.

This. The whole system is basically: choose loot or utility. And we know what most people will choose.

Also while we're at it, can we please get a Legendary Jade Bot or something which can stack 2h Buffs quickly without dancing in and out of Arborstone multiple times?

[Manpag.6421]

1 hour ago, SnowdropFox.2456 said:

The whole system is basically: choose loot or utility. And we know what most people will choose.

I think the flaw is the variety and balance of modules, not the “this or that” nature of it. Being able to use all/most module features at the same time would be like having to repeat a very expensive mastery for each character. I say balance, as the scavenger protocols and recyclers are inherently cheaper and more accessible because they only have a single level, whereas all the utility modules have 3 levels and need a lot of research notes and RNG/Imperial Favor to use their full potential.

An additional slot for the loot ones would be one approach, meaning people still have to choose what matters to them for utility, or tone the loot ones down a bit with a longer cooldown between activations and improve/add to the existing utility range to make them a more tempting option. It’d be really interesting to see if people still favoured loot over utility if there were modules like “Increases skyscale flight meter by X%” or “Increases max griffon speed by X%”. If they made it a more impactful feature in general, a hub/area where you can rent and test modules without owning them would also be a good idea. I’m not sure it’s really that everyone is just after loot and nothing else, it’s just that if you can’t try a module to know how much of a QoL improvement it’s going to be in advance, you’re probably going to go with the cheaper, safer option rather than gambling time and research notes on something more interesting.

There’s just so much potential to augment different aspects of mounts that’s currently going unused, though maybe that’s deliberate. If SotO is the model of future expansions, we may see more supplemental mount mastery lines later on, so maybe they’re more likely to flesh out module options when they’ve exhausted what abilities they want to give mounts through new masteries.

[kiroho.4738]

7 minutes ago, Manpag.6421 said:

I think the flaw is the variety and balance of modules, not the “this or that” nature of it.

I think it's both.
I agree with what you write, but I personally stay at the same modules because I have to visit EoD or my guild hall to switch them.

I would really like to use the turtle modules more for example, but there are so few occasions where I even use the turtle. If I use it, it's usually spontaneous and I'm not willing to port to whatever map and back to use the modules for 5 minutes.
Having one turtle module that's only useful as the driver and one module that is only useful as the gunner make things even worse.

Treasure hunt module is another example. I would like to see nearby chests, but I never search them actively and often I'm not even on maps with such chests.
Before changing a map I had to check if there might be such chest on the map, port to guild hall first and change the module before going to the actual map.
That's a no go for me.

I would like to have one of these two solutions:

1) Let us change modules freely as long as we are out of combat. It wouldn't be an unlock for all modules as only one can be active at the same time and having to have the modules in your inventory is kind of a trade of.
A cooldown would also be fine imo. I could even be turned into a mastery -> let's you change the module/sensor chip once with a 5/10/x minute cooldown.

2) Give us a portable jade bot workbench item, just like the portable bank access or crafting table. Single use ones like single use vendor, bank access etc. that are obtainable the same way and a permanent version as a super rare drop from BL chest.
This wouldn't be a solution for everyone, but it would make the whole situation much better.
Having to choose whether you use such single use item is a better option than choosing whether you leave the (maybe full meta) map to change a module.

[Mistwraithe.3106]

It would make more sense for them to have one slot which allows you to pick only between different loot bonuses and another slot which allows you to pick only between different utility bonuses. That should improve the variety in what players pick.

[Ashen.2907]

I hope not.

I would much rather, if we are going to have bots at all, retain the meaningful choice inherent in the current implementation.

[ZephidelGRS.9520]

They should have had 3 categories with the current Jade Bot chips:

+ Movement: for Glider Boost, Mount Energy, Skiff speed and Turtle’s control. Could add 1 new: Permanent Swiftness/that speed buff in cities.

+ Service: Rescue, Recycler (Jade, Karma), Mount Skill Damage. Could add 1 new: Allow other chip changes without the bench.

+ Sensory: Treasure Hunter, Trophies (Magic, Might, Cloth, Wood, Metal). 

Having the Movement chips compete functionality with the Service chips is just weird.

[Flowersunshine.7385]

How about we get extra slots for making better power cores? Right now there isn't really any reason to make T10 cores, is there? The extra vitality is not really something I'm gonna notice... You'd think that a better power core would allow more modules to be used 🧐😇

[Manpag.6421]

10 hours ago, ZephidelGRS.9520 said:

They should have had 3 categories with the current Jade Bot chips:

+ Movement: for Glider Boost, Mount Energy, Skiff speed and Turtle’s control. Could add 1 new: Permanent Swiftness/that speed buff in cities.

+ Service: Rescue, Recycler (Jade, Karma), Mount Skill Damage. Could add 1 new: Allow other chip changes without the bench.

+ Sensory: Treasure Hunter, Trophies (Magic, Might, Cloth, Wood, Metal). 

Having the Movement chips compete functionality with the Service chips is just weird.

That’s logical, but would introduce new conflicts that would make other aspects less useful. At the moment, Mount Energy Booster doesn’t compete for a slot with Gliding Booster, Turtle Pilot Booster, or Skiff Supercharger, and makes all three of those modules more effective. I wouldn’t want to see existing synergies break if they reworked it; it’d be better if they just removed the categories altogether but made it so you can’t equip two scavenger or recycler modules at the same time.

[Zaxares.5419]

I agree that the Jade Bot modules need more slots. I don't know if we should allow ALL of them at once because that would really widen the gulf in player capability between veterans and newbies, but we definitely need more than just 2. I like the proposal above of having more slots related to the module's function. I think my system would be:

1. 1 slot for Scavenger modules. (Might or Magic)

2. 1 slot for Recycler modules (You can also put Treasure Hunter in this slot if you don't wish to give up your junk drops for Jade slivers. Furthermore, I think there should be Minor/Major/Superior Recyclers that let you fine-tune exactly which junk items get recycled. Minor recycles anything below 1s. Major recycles anything up to 10s (so it recycles Spoons, for WvW/fractal players who get these often), and Superior recycles up to 25s, same as the current Recycler.)

3. 1 Siege Turtle upgrade slot. (Only unlocked at the higher tiers of Jade Bot Power Core. Might also be nice if there was a way we can combine the two siege turtle upgrades into one. I don't think this would really affect overall balance too much because the places in which one actually NEEDS Siege Turtles is quite limited.)

3. 2-4 more utility slots for the player to fill out with whatever they desire. Lower level power cores have fewer slots.

In addition, we could possibly look at increasing the total number of tiers for the Power Core, each utilizing some of the more unusual metallic ingots (like Eitrite, Kralkatite and Prismaticite) found in the game. There is also the potential for creating a Legendary Jade Bot Power Core.

Edited April 17 by Zaxares.5419

[Manpag.6421]

On 4/17/2024 at 10:08 AM, Zaxares.5419 said:

3. 1 Siege Turtle upgrade slot. (Only unlocked at the higher tiers of Jade Bot Power Core. Might also be nice if there was a way we can combine the two siege turtle upgrades into one. I don't think this would really affect overall balance too much because the places in which one actually NEEDS Siege Turtles is quite limited.)

I can’t see them combining them, just because even though they’re considered niche, that’d make for a very bloated module (even though the Siege Enhancer one is bugged, making it near-useless). Though it would be a nice change if they made it so that the driver’s equipped module could affect the gunner and vice-versa. You can currently equip both, but only benefit from one at a time — and the driver having Siege Enhancer neither affects Slam nor gives the gunner the benefits.

If they made a single turtle slot as part of a rework, but made it so that Siege Enhancer also affected Slam and two players on a turtle got the effects of each others’ module (if different), it would actually add a lot more fun cooperative play. It could even encourage more turtle use, because if me jumping into someone else’s turtle gave them my T3 Pilot Booster, they’d suddenly get a taste of how much better it is with more jet efficiency. I sometimes help teach people turtle techniques which either need T3, or at least are much more forgiving to practice with it, so being able to confer the benefits without them having it themselves would make that much easier.

With all of that said, I reckon the “turtle slot” could instead be a “mount-specific” slot, encompassing both the turtle modules and the skiff one (of current modules), as well as a new range of specific buffs to other mounts, keeping mount energy booster as a general utility one. That way, you could run mount energy which is broadly useful alongside whatever specific module you wanted for a mount you use a lot.

[AliamRationem.5172]

Good suggestions.  I don't see why you should have to choose between these functions.  The only ones that should be restricted are the ones that provide extra loot of different types.  Of course we wouldn't want (or maybe we would, but it wouldn't be a good idea to allow it!) the bonus loot modules of different types to be stackable.  But I don't see why having the boost that lifts you while gliding should be mutually exclusive with making your skiff faster, for example.

[Linken.6345]

OP with how they qol changed jade protocols I would be careful what I wished for in the future.

Edit

added a y

Edited April 18 by Linken.6345

[Sobx.1758]

If anything at all, I can agree with having a slot for drop related modules (recycler/scavenger protocols). Other than that I don't think it's a good idea to just stack everything at the same time.

[Vavume.8065]

On 4/17/2024 at 10:08 AM, Zaxares.5419 said:

I agree that the Jade Bot modules need more slots.

So do I.

[Astralporing.1957]

On 4/16/2024 at 8:29 AM, Ashen.2907 said:

I hope not.

I would much rather, if we are going to have bots at all, retain the meaningful choice inherent in the current implementation.

That's the point. There's not much meaning to the choice we get. the utilities are just way too weak. Not only that, most of them are also too niche, which, when coupled with not being able to swap them freely means you would not get any use out of them most of the time. In this situation loot will win 90% of the time. With half of the remaining 10% being people that just have no understanding how significantly the quality of available choices differ.

Stacking all options together is a bad idea, obviously, but separating loot from utility choices would result in a far more meaningful system than the one we have now. Additionally, for some utility options we'd need to either have them be far more general in use than they are now, or allow swapping them freely without the need of a workbench.

Edited April 19 by Astralporing.1957

[ugrakarma.9416]

On 4/15/2024 at 9:01 PM, kiroho.4738 said:

2) Give us a portable jade bot workbench item, just like the portable bank access or crafting table. Single use ones like single use vendor, bank access etc. that are obtainable the same way and a permanent version as a super rare drop from BL chest.

I vote for this.

[Aeon.4583]

The one module i want for Jade Bot will be Food\Utility Management, Player can equip chip or module, Food and Utility slots will appear in Jade Bot menu. You can place stack of non-Ascended Food and Utility in bot, and then each time you get Malnourished-Diminished Bot will use(eat) single portion of Food and Utility. Thus removing necessity to open inventory to refresh food duration.

But now after Jade Tech nerf, i would go with chip or module which will reduce Jade Tech boon cooldown.

[kiroho.4738]

2 hours ago, Astralporing.1957 said:

In this situation loot will win 90% of the time. With half of the remaining 10% being people that just have no understanding how significantly the quality of available choices differ.

At this point I think it wouldn't even the worst idea to get rid of all loot related modules.

I mean let's be real, the two trophy modules are nothing but a gold income boost. Jade Bot shouldn't be "you get X more gold".
I wouldn't be mad if these modules get removed compelety.

Trash to karma is straight up useless due to the low karma amount anyways and trash to jade slivers isn't much better.
Best way to use them is no not use them, saving up a bunch of trash items and then use the module once to convert all trash together.
That's a hella clunky way to use these module efficiently.
I say they need a complete overhaul or getting removed.

 

With not being forced to choose between maximizing gold income and utility boosts, there is more freedom to take a utility modules, even if they are not used 100% of the time.
Currently whenever you take a utility module and don't use it, it's a loss in gold income, because you could have gotten trophies from a trophy module in that time.

[Ashen.2907]

4 hours ago, Astralporing.1957 said:

a far more meaningful system than the one we have now

Which would increase their utility, something I would rather not see.

[Astralporing.1957]

5 hours ago, Ashen.2907 said:

Which would increase their utility, something I would rather not see.

Ah, so you are fine with the situation as it is not because the choices are meaningful, as you said originally, but exactly because they are meaningless, and the actual utility provided by bot modules (outside of additional loot) being practically non-existent?

Edited April 19 by Astralporing.1957

[willow.8209]

I agree that the system could be improved somewhat, but I wouldn't want people to be able to stack everything. 

However one more slot would be welcome.

I'd also like to see the modules labeled with what kind of spot they go in--some seem unclear to me and I keep having to look it up (can I used x with y? no? hmm)

Edited April 21 by willow.8209

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

They should have made one slot for looting, one for utility, and the last movement related. We can't have certain combinations.

[Tumult.2578]

Jade Bot Components should not be white. The first thing I did when i entered cantha was beat the Aetherblade Boss, "on his ship, docked below the palace" and got the White Colored Minaturized Skiff Engine, which seemed like normal trash, so I sold it without a second thought. Now, after many more defeats I cant get it again and I'm thinking it's a one time only...

[Batel.9206]

18 hours ago, Tumult.2578 said:

Jade Bot Components should not be white. The first thing I did when i entered cantha was beat the Aetherblade Boss, "on his ship, docked below the palace" and got the White Colored Minaturized Skiff Engine, which seemed like normal trash, so I sold it without a second thought. Now, after many more defeats I cant get it again and I'm thinking it's a one time only...

If this- Miniaturized Skiff Engine - is what you're referring to, you can get it again by buying it from Myung-Hee.