Bio Engineer Archive
Thread: BE/Ranger
I"m not a ranger but a buddy of mine as a master ranger and "use" to be able to walk around with impunity. However that has changed recently. Camo kitsand the command /conceal apparently are a bit buggy. Similar to the problem that BEs are reporting about/maskscent; it breaks too easy.
However, i still think /conceal would protect you to a better degree than /maskscent against creatures (ask this question on the ranger board for a tested response). If I was to become aranger it would be for theirability to harvest more creature resources. So, even is /conceal is bugged it might still be worth it to you to take up the class.
] and a +15 camo bonus from being a bothan, but I almost never get aggro'd and mobs have a very, very small chance of ever breaking camo. And if they do, I'll just escape via my über burstrun of doom. 
my 2cr,
-- Z.
I'd say it's a good combo, but you'll feel the pinch either way when it comes to resource gathering.
thank you for replys.
as for resource gathering i have 8 other alts that will fulfill those needs. i just wanted to make a stealth sampler if possible.
thanks again
Ok, I have a BE toon and a ranger toon (separate), so I can share a few thoughts on this.
First, as a BE with 4-0-4-0 scout and mask scent clothing, there is only one creature in the game that I wished I had better conceal powers: the mutant rancor. For everything else, my mask scent holds a lot more frequently than it fails, particularly when I drink jawa beer (mmmm beeeer).
To sample mutant rancor dna, you need to be a master BE. It takes me probably a half hour to an hour per dna sample to get these so it's a pain in the butt, but I manage. If I had no mask scent issues, it would probably cut this time in half, probably 15min or less per sample.
Rangers get *no* mask scent bonus, so if you are a 4-x-x-x ranger, it won't help you even a little bit in sampling mutant rancors (since the dath kit is in the masters ranger box).
So really, in my book the only time you'd get any significantbenefit from the ranger/BE combo is if you were a master at both. That takes about 240 skill points if I'm not mistaken. So for that you give up having a vendor, being able to survey your own stuff for making tissues, or the ability to have any combat skills. So I dunno, for me personally I wouldn't consider the ranger/BE thing worthwhile. But only you can decide what's right for you.
Here's a pretty reasonable alternative to consider though: consider going master scout instead. You will have uber mask scent (much better than me) plus you'll have 60-70 skill points to put into combat or artisan boxes.
InterGalacticFemme wrote:
I was planning to master ranger along with BE.
Would the camo kits be of any help? Any thoughts on this?
Thank you
Message Edited by ArthurDentOnBria on 03-31-2004 07:17 AM
And while I dont know for sure, I can imagine that the same skill will let a BE find a creatures he/she wants to sample from much faster than acctually running around looking.
You get areatrack at novice ranger, but you need tracking 1 to get information on what direction the creatures is in. At later levels you get information about how far away the creature is, which does have its uses. But you dont really need anything more then tracking 1 to get some use out of the skill.
Im hoping to put this to the test once I get to novice BE.
Mortos,
That is very true, having areatrack is probably much more of an advantage as a BE/ranger then the cammo kit is, and you can dabble into ranger 0-0-3-0 and get areatrack. I've personally had pretty mixed results with it though. Sometimes I'm real glad that I have it, but just as often it's an embarrassment. Because it is buggy as heck and has such limited range you are often *still* better off zooming around in your speeder then trying to use /areatrack.
Mortos wrote:
Not sure if I should post here, since Im technicely not a BE yet (but Im getting there). But I am a ranger, and have been for some time. I have very little experience using camo-kits, but from what I hear, you have to be close to lvl 4 in that branch for it to work better then mask scent. Tracking, on the other hand, is god-sent. I have used in extensivly for finding prey to hunt, and at times I dont even bother getting missions for lairs, because its much easier to find a spawn point for the creatures Im after with areatrack, provided I know where to look.
And while I dont know for sure, I can imagine that the same skill will let a BE find a creatures he/she wants to sample from much faster than acctually running around looking.
You get areatrack at novice ranger, but you need tracking 1 to get information on what direction the creatures is in. At later levels you get information about how far away the creature is, which does have its uses. But you dont really need anything more then tracking 1 to get some use out of the skill.
Im hoping to put this to the test once I get to novice BE.
Thank you arhtur, that is exactly what i plan on doing..mastering both.
I wont be giving up anything technically with a pool of about 3000Sp spread over other alts
I do wish I could have some combat after mastering both but oh well, i'll see how it works out
MBA er E and 0030 Ranger and I LOVE it.
I crawl a lot faster and the area track has saved me from evil Singing Clan Rancors and the Taming Scum many times.
I'm having fun with it. Then again, dropping Tailor was fun too