Development Cycle Archive
Thread: IC 1-11: Combat Roles; Ranger
What defines theRanger role in combat?
A ranger is a support class. Our main role should becombat vscreatures.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
A generic "to hit" bonus vs creatures. One that can be applied to both Melee and Ranged.
What offensive abilities?
Special attacks and moves that work against creatures (hit weakspot or maybe critical chance vs creatures). Traps that work on pet creatures as well.
What defensive abilities?
Ability to scare creatures, maskscent, build protective camps, fast burstrun/terrain negotionation.
Basically everything we have now is sufficient.
What unique abilities?
High level traps for use on creatures (even pets). Ability to see creature's weakness. Lots of specials vs creatures like maskscent, warningshot and maybe the ability to do a special attack vs creatures that can apply to any weapon you carry (both melee and ranged). Tracking is also a godsend.
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
The ability to "handle" animals/creatures easier due to debuffing traps. If a group wants to hunt high end creatures (and find them) they should want a ranger or two along to help them track them down and debuff them and possibly distract them in critical moments. The ability to build camps that can repell aggro creatures is also useful.
How could/should they interact with other professions?
A ranger (like a scout) harvests organic resources from slain animals, therefore artisan's and medics will want to trade with them. A combat group out hunting creatures will want them as guids to help them find rare creatures out in the wild and to build camps for them to heal in as well.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
A ranger alone is nothing when it comes to combat. They should require a group (or the rest of their own skillpoints) to fully handle a combat situation. However due to their ability to debuff and track creatures they will become a great asset to other players out for a hunt.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
It holds the refining and designing ideas we've been contemplating for a while and will answer a lot of the questions listed here in general terms.-What basic combat elements should they possess?
Tracking down a creature/player.(PvE/P)
-What offensive abilities?
Their knowledge gives them a sense of where a creature's weak spots are. They can also lay traps to snare or poison creatures that pass through it. If a creature pulls themselves from a snare, they can only do it at great pain to themselves. (PvE)
-What defensive abilities?
Mostly agains animals, their knowledge gives them an advantage because they can anticipate how the animal will attack and prevent it from hitting them. (PvE)
-What unique abilities?
static traps (PvE), ambushing (PvE/P), concealment (PvE/P) Hunting camps that attract creatures with pheromones and apply a concealment bonus (PvE)
-Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
Regeneration after battle, efficient travel, quick locating of enemies (PvE/P), Ranger sharing his knowledge with the group for a small to-hit chance bonus for the entire group (PvE)
-How could/should they interact with other professions?
the other way round. A Ranger doesn't need anyone, but other professions need Rangers. (need being relative). A Ranger without anyone else's help can stay out in the wild and slowly regenerate their wounds and battle fatigue in camps. (it'd be quicker to go to a cantina and a doctor, but the option should at least be there, especially e.g. when you're on Dathomir.) A Ranger should be the only profession able to go to the veryborders of Dathomirwithout anyone else there and still arrive with the motivation to hunt, leaving it mostly up to them to find other players or not for the extra help. Other players can use a Ranger in their group to track for them and help them defeat the animals and supply camps.
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
A Ranger without any combat skills will survive in the wild, but not hunt anything with any success. It's not a combat class, more a support class.
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
Scouting out the enemy before being sniffed out yourself. A party with a Ranger scouting ahead 200m will be able to prepare for the coming battle and perhaps even ambush the enemy that the Ranger has spotted as incoming.
1. Add more planets that can not be built on. No cities. Increase the decay rate on vehicles on these planets so the use of them will be a one way ticket. This would increase the need for the scout and ranger camping abilities. like the old days on Lok and Endor.
2, Give the scouts and rangers a skill that allows them the ability to find (spawn) dungeon type missions in the wild. A sort of mobile mission terminal that would spawn
dungeon or other missions away from the cities and towns. They use their superior knowledge of the wilds to find cool interior creature type missions when in camp out in the boonies. No need to return to the mining post or whatever. The complexity and level of the mission would be dependent of the explorer or wayfarer experience level. It would be cool to put together teams that travel to a planet for the day and just explore and see what you scout or ranger can find. These non build planets would be where the use of mounts be return as a viable option as the use or a vehicle would rapidly destroy it. this would reflect the undeveloped nature of the planet. Everything to survive must be brought with you. The expense of shipped thing to this planet is great hence the extraordinary decay rate. You could use it for one shot to get back to the starport of entry if you are close enough. This would allow a one time use if you need to bail out but anything more and you lose the vehicle.
3. Traps. How about allowing traps to be set like harvesters. You can only get one creature but you can get it alive if it is one of the tameable types. The CL level of the creature would be based on the trap level. The scounts and Rangers could pass these off thru the trade window to Creature Handlers of the correct level for training as combet pets or mounts. You really need to bump up the quality of the creatures found in he wilds. Right now the Bio Engineered Pets are way superior as I think they should be. However, can any man made life form be better than the ones provided by nature ? Sometime yes sometimes no. I guess what I am trying to say is just increase the possibilty of finding and trapping or taming a creature that is superior to the BE pets once in a while. I am not trying to put the Bio Engineers out of business.
Just some thoughts on the game I love
If you haven't seen it (and have seen the numerous supporters of it in this thread and elsewhere), it is important to know before reading that it's not suggesting a fundamental redesign of the profession. It's offering a wide range of targetted tweaks, with a healthy dose of new content within all existing skill boxes and skill mods.
ErrikksonFLask wrote:
JonnyW wrote:
For all the ppl that say a ranger should not be combat orrientated and just be good at killing animals I suggest telling that to a U.S. Army Ranger and see how long its takes him to whoop your ass
As far as the combat aspect of a SWG Ranger, I could not agree more. I like the Outdoorsman idea, but I want some combat ability like a Army Ragner as well.
Thunderhart asked:
What defines theRanger role in combat?
The answer IS VERY SIMPLE:
NRASS does ..................................
On his "Outdoorsman" proposal.
I believe this documents addressess EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS Thunderhart, and is also one of the most consistent and solid proposal of a SWG profession u can get.
Even thoughI belive this proposal still needs some changes, especially in the Modular Camp area, everything is there. Get this proposal through tothe the dev team and we're game.
Eter Solwalker
Naritus Master Carbineer/Master Ranger
Lot of good ideas.
Would also like to allow camps to give people in them "concealment", which means they don't show up on the radar or HUD when in such a camp. Maybe call it a foxhole or something, with no other attributes.
Or better yet, just add optional components to existing camp schematics. If we want to add "camoflouge netting" to a basic camp kit, it would make people inviso when in camp, but raises camping requirement so novice scouts can't use. Add Turrets to give some additional defence.
And camps shouldn't disappear when engage in combat, nothing worse than deploying a big camp and have something aggro on the group and camp goes poof. And with mind pool allowing people to incap, its almost required to have entertainers constaly healing combat medic mind wounds from doing /healmind.
I'm a big fan of the outdoorsman proposal that Nraas has made, i think its pretty much perfect for my concept of a ranger (althoughI understand it won't please everyone).
Not meaning to be negative but I'm a bit saddened to see that this thread will be open till April. There has already been months of speculation, suggestions, etc. on the ranger forum, by rangers and other professions alike, I was hoping to see some resolution a bit sooner than the end of the summer tbh.
So here's the short version:
Read your own skill descriptions, I posted examples, post is entitled- "Ranger combat enhancements"
To be dubbed "the ultimate critter hunters" is such a waste. We should be more like Army Rangers, instead of "Yogi Bear" Rangers, scouts should be the ultimate critter hunters. Antarian Ranger's anyone............
What defines theRanger role in combat?
Rangers are Special forces, they use there environment to there utmost advantage.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
Traps should have effect on any target, So why can't I set a trap for my enemy? Fortifications, camps should have a role in combat, i.e. def bonuses, harder to hit, etc.
What offensive abilities?
Maybe an Ambush type special ability. General Def abilities, **edit** We ave to completely master scout, and Ranger......all those skill points so I can have a nice big camp to sit in while I'm AFKing some other profession. What other professions spend more skill points, Doc's, CM, BH, Commando, not to mention we have to pick up another profession to do anything other than be hunting guides....
What defensive abilities?
Wayfairing should include a general movement speed bonus, not just terrain neg and burt run eff. General Def abilities, +Melee def, +ranged def, etc.,
What unique abilities?
See the above, Fox holes, ambush tents, combat fortification, should be able to set traps for other players.
Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
See above, camo is good,
How could/should they interact with other professions? Field base? should be more than a place to pull your pets and speeders, and allow doc's to rebuff. Do Soldiers not relieve some BF when they go back to base?
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
2 words ANTARIAN RANGER, now that Jedi are around....
**edit** We have to completely master scout, and Ranger......all those skill points so I can have a nice big camp to sit in while I'm AFKing some other profession. What other professions spend the same or more skill points, Doc's, CM, BH, Commando, not to mention we have to pick up another profession to do anything other than be hunting guides....
Well got a meeting, gotta run,
My original plan when I opened the SWG box was a ranger-sniper type of character built for intelligence gathering and ambush. With the ranger abilities providing the wilderness survival and concealment characteristics, and rifleman to provide the combat abilities. Unfortunately there are essentially no methods for concealment in a PvP environment, and there will soon be none for PvE with humanoids either.
I would like to see conceal kept as it is with regards to humanoids, and an additional feature that can conceal me from players at least in the wilderness. Ideally I could make it work on non-rangers as well, but a ranger should at least have the ability.
Perhaps a schematic for a ghillie suit, or an enhancement that a tailor could use to make one.