Ranger Archive

Please allow my firstthread to fall into the depths of forum hell.

Sorry again. I hope this works

FYI, don't cut and paste from word, lol

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I posted this a week ago on one of the many threads suggesting improvements for the Ranger, and it received no feedback and was lost to the depths of the forum. So I'll start my own thread. The squad leader is designed to make groups more effective in PvP (PvE a little also).

What I suggest is to give the ranger some group buffs for PvE, specifically creatures. There have been suggestions that the ranger should give Terrain Negotiation and Burst Run bonuses to the group, yet this would take away from the SL, so I would keep it right there, a group out big game hunting should have a Squad Leader and a Ranger, period.

So what can the Ranger offer to groups out hunting big game? Advice. If I was hunting with a master hunter in RL he would give me advice about how to position myself, where to aim, what techniques to use for different creatures, etc…

This would be implemented as a to-hit creature buff for the group. This seems like an easy fix. Include it in the hunting line with a gradual increase to efficiency all the way to master.

Next, the hunter would help the group avoid dangerous creatures, teach me some basic camouflage techniques or at least help apply basic camouflage, such as face painting or scent masking.

This would be implemented as a /maskscentgroup, anyone within a certain radius of the ranger would be have their scent masked and not cause reds to agro. This of course would follow the same rules as the maskscent option does now but to a lesser extent, so the camouflage level of the ranger would be not be what he gives to the group but a percentage of it. A little tougher fix, but possible. Include it in the wayfaring line with a gradual increase to efficiency all the way to master.

Next, the hunter would set up a hunting hide or blind. This would give additional camouflage and defense to possible attacks by aggressive animals.

This would be implemented much the way camps are now, with the exception of the healing bonus. The hide/blind could add additional buffs to camouflage and defense vs. creatures. New schematics could be obtained as one climbs the frontier skill and it would give another opportunity to obtain survival xp without just sitting there. This of course would be the hardest due to the new art assets needed.

These are things a RL Ranger/Hunter does. Think of the Ranger as a safari leader, nobody with any sense would head to Africa and just start shooting things, they would bring along a trained professional. The Ranger could sell his services to groups heading to adventure planets. Once the space expansion comes out, he could even shuttle them there and back. This gives the Ranger a place in groups as well as a functioning role in the economy.

These are my thoughts, take them as you will.

i like your ideas alot. espcially the group camo and the group to-hit.

Wow, I like those ideas. I''ve just started to go the Ranger route (although Im dropping my med skills in the process), and it always distrubed me that the Ranger is pretty much solely PvE based. And in fact, other than his sweet camps, he really has no large effect on groups with him. Well, he does have to stop every 2 mins to let people catch up to him. I hope SoE sees this, and likes it. Definitely some good ideas.

Thanks a lot. I've been thinking them up ever since I decided to become a ranger even though I knew the profession was under-developed.

If you like my ideas please use the rating system to bring more attention to it. Mineras, the Ranger correspondent suggested this in an earlier post.

these are great ideas and i think mineras should include them in this weeks submission

I like your ideas, I really do. What I want to know is why people seem to concede that we are not intended to be good in PvP?

Right now everyone is levelling up so any extra help we get in PvE is appreciated but in a couple months most of us who started at release are going to be maxed out. At that point PvE isn't going to mean as much.

After maxing out, most groups are not going to want to take on large critters they will be working on rebel/imperial faction and killing toughNPC critters. Also, PvP in general will heat up as more people go overt.

I think we need to quit limiting ourselves and acknowledging that given our current skillset we are not intended to compete in PvP. Instead of striving to be the most wanted PvE class we need to try to be competant in both PvP and PvE.

From a personal standpoint I really enjoy playing a ranger, but I do wish to participate in PvP conflict and if I don't have the skills to compete I'll have to try something else out. I think by concentrating on PvE improvements we are cutting ourselves out of a large portion of the endgame.

I also like you ideas, but what I want to point out is that you have also based them within a reality of what could be added to the game. You recognize that the camo camp would be difficult because it requires new artwork. Many "idea" posts are often far-fetched and fail to consider what could be reasonably updated. I hope this trend is contagious to other posters.

I believe a strong continutity among the ranger community and posts that are to the point like this one will get us the help we need.

Well, I think to say that Squad Leader = PvP is wrong. Squad Leaders need alot of work still, possibly more than Rangers, maybe not, I am both a Squad Leader and a Ranger. Squad Leaders are PvAll. Groups get the Squad Leader bonus against ANYTHING, PvP or PvE doesnt matter. I think that a challenge facing this class is the common idea that Rangers have no business in PvP based on Ranger skill alone. I am not putting words in anyones mouth, but it is a common observation that "Rangers should not be PvP capable." This is entirely incorrect. Rangers should have thier very own interesting abilities to bring to the table in both PvP and PvE. Please do not stigmatize (is that the right word) the Ranger class as "UberPvE" because guess what? we arent! We get a few more skins per kill, alittle better mask scent, and traps. In order for any other class to kill creatures as easily as a Master Ranger, all they need is an equal level in weapon, and Trapping 4 in the scout tree.

Jehab Farseeker - Ranger/Squad Leader/Pistoleer

I agree that the Ranger needs some PvP improvements as well. I'm not saying that either profession should be limited to one or the other, I am just trying to expand the Ranger into more than a Master Scout +1. Two of our skill sets are strictly creature only, this limits us more than anything. "Yes, I know about /rescue, and its worthless IMO" Field Bases do have their PvP advantages, but our PvP advantage from the wayfaring line is missing.

The fact that we have heard nothing about /conceal makes me worry. Conceal IS our main PvP ability. The Ranger should be far ahead of the group "scouting" out the enemy while remaining invisible to enemy players, thats what an Army Ranger does, that is what a GCW Ranger would do.

Don't get me wrong, I do hope to get involved in the GCW as Dekas gets more advanced. I am just giving ideas on how to increase the rangers role in SWG society with out any huge game altering ramifications. PvE is our focus, that is painfully obvious, so at least our role in PvE should reflect that. Now give me /conceal vs. PvP players and things change!

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Jigoro wrote:

Well lets not leave out helping the Ranger in PvP also. I mean how much is enough when it comes to killing in PvE all the time...gets real old after awhile. So, lets help out the Ranger in more ways then just PvE.

thx

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Is this in response to my latest post or the original thread?

I agree that Ranger needs additional PvP abilities. Please read my latest post and tell me what you think.

I was addressing the PvE issue in the main post because it is the easiest to implement and our profession seems to be based specificly around PvE creature encounters. I mean traps not working against player controlled pets is just silly!

Zzik wrote:

"I think we need to quit limiting ourselves and acknowledging that given our current skillset we are not intended to compete in PvP. Instead of striving to be the most wanted PvE class we need to try to be competant in both PvP and PvE."

I have yet to make it far enough along to be a Ranger, but its my goal... seems to me a pvp oriented improvement to Ranger would be taking advantage of the fact that a Ranger is a master of camouflage. Who better then, in a PVP situation to be able to snipe his enemies.... massive damage from single shots, moderate reset time between shots and each shot yields a small percent chance for victims and those in immediate area to "spot" the sniping Ranger...

Sven

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SvenValcyn wrote:

Zzik wrote:

"I think we need to quit limiting ourselves and acknowledging that given our current skillset we are not intended to compete in PvP. Instead of striving to be the most wanted PvE class we need to try to be competant in both PvP and PvE."

I have yet to make it far enough along to be a Ranger, but its my goal... seems to me a pvp oriented improvement to Ranger would be taking advantage of the fact that a Ranger is a master of camouflage. Who better then, in a PVP situation to be able to snipe his enemies.... massive damage from single shots, moderate reset time between shots and each shot yields a small percent chance for victims and those in immediate area to "spot" the sniping Ranger...

Sven

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Yes, this is the /conceal ability I was taliking about in an earlier post. It was included in the Wayfairing line of Ranger, but do to a bug at the end of beta it was removed and never returned. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Well lets not leave out helping the Ranger in PvP also. I mean how much is enough when it comes to killing in PvE all the time...gets real old after awhile. So, lets help out the Ranger in more ways then just PvE.

thx