Ranger Archive

I'm posting these issues separately to keep the discussions separate.

Pleasepost onany omissions or errors.

----

Issue #5: Rangers and Harvested Resources

Additional Detail:

• Harvesting Skill Mod does not seem significant enough to make it worthwhile.
  
  
  
  • What is the percent difference between a Master Scout and Master Ranger?
    
  • Is the difference enough for what is considered an Elite skill set?
  
  
• Grouping with pets (either Creature handler or Faction) invokes the 60% harvesting rule
  
• Issue of creatures with skinny resources appearing for 24 hours after the resource has shifted
  
• Issue where you accidentally harvest a non-existing resource (hide off a Hermit Spider) by using /harvest hide, and after that you are not allowed to harvest the correct resource.

• Being an Elite profession we would like to be significantly better at harvesting than the Scouting profession.
  
• With that in mind, the following has been suggested:

Proposed Solution:

• Request for the ability to harvest multiple resources off a single corpse (up to all 3 resources at Master Ranger)
  
• Request for poison components to be harvested off poisonous creatures.
  
  
  
  • These items could then be applied to existing weapons to produce a Damage Over Time effect.
  
  
• Request to add rare loot to creatures that only Rangers can find.
  
  
  
  • Schematics that create Teeth necklaces, Trophy Heads, Hide Rugs, Skulls have been suggested
  
  
• Request for higher quality resources to spawn on the more advanced planets than the starter planets.
  
  
  
  • There is little incentive to hunt purely for resources on the advanced planets, as most times the resources on the easier planets are actually better quality.
  
  
• Request for Creature Harvesters in for the form of traps




• The concept is to supplement the income of Rangers who are casual players.
  
• Most of following items are intended to reduce the impact of these harvesters on the economy
  
• Work like Mineral harvesters.
  
• Possibly have a large footprint like large harvesters, to keep from having large farms of them around hot spots.
  
• A small hopper, perhaps 2000-4000, to ensure that they are not completely unbalancing.
  
• Schematic is available at a high level in Trapping, perhaps Trapping IV or Master Ranger
  
• Harvester would take up a number of lots per trap (perhaps 5-6) to ensure balance
  
• Players would use a crafted tool to locate animal migration trails, much like the Survey system

"But maybe the "surveying" could be done with an ability and not a tool?"

The one problem is visualizing that information.That is why a survey like tool was suggested.

---

There is no reason they cannot make a "visualization" for abilities. The interface used with surveying tools can be used just as easily for an innate ability as it is for a device ability.

Look at Tracking. A small window appears when we track. There is no reason we cannot get a "survey" style window for tracking migration patterns, unless it is to make us "interdependant" with the crafters who make the tools and to clutter our backpacks with more junk?...

"Maybe at tracking 2, we get to harvest 2 resources, and at Master we can get all three"

Those were my thoughts as well.

I would wait for all three to be at master Ranger for the reason that devs obviously were worried about an increase of harvests with the 60% rule. It would be one of those crowning jewels, and wouldn't allow crafters who have taken the tracking line to gather their own harvests, to get harvest bonuses unless they're a full fledged Ranger.

I'm just trying to be realistic in our requests, keeping the perspective of the whole game in mind.

Why are the Devs so worried about the "increase" increature organics?

Why aren't they this "worried" that I can rake in 8,000 units of Minerals, Chemicals, Flora and Water eachevery singleday, using only one harvester each, while offline?

Because even the smallest change to anything involved with the economy has potential for mass disruption to the economy. If they make a change, they want it to be gradual or take their time to think it through. Besides that, I dont know.

The group harvest lunacy is hardly a small change, and that was apparently not tested at all. If it was well thought through, it wasn't thought through with the solo Ranger in mind.

Rather, meats, hides and bones are used in far smaller quantities than other resources. So, if they were brought in at the same rate, there would quickly be an excess of them.

No one is asking that creature organics be brought up to the same rate as inorganics, just to a point that we are not stuck spending our entire playing session supplying our clients with the resources they need.

Some of us do not have hours upon hours each day to play a video game. Some of us can only play for an hour here and there and it is incredibly hard for a casual player to make any living.

Casual crafters/surveyorshave no problem making money, they can plant a few harvesters, invest some money and credits and sit back for a few days to collect a huge amount of resources that can be turned around and sold for an incredible profit the next time they log on. Trust me, this is how I make money (good money), but there is nothing Ranger-ish about this.

Why should I waste my time killing one type of creature over and over and over again just so I can collect enough hides to sell, when I can put up a small investment and begin a solar energy empire?

The harvester traps have been proposed with limitations in mind (small hopper sizes, low spec rates, large footprints) to keep the "influx" of creature resources low, while allowing the casual Ranger to make some living using his Ranger skills.

I would like to suggest that Rangers increase their group harvesting % as they climb the tree. Perhaps hitting 70% at Master level.

My understanding is that the group harvest/60% rule has been rescinded and is no longer in effect.

Doesn't this void many of the proposals, warranting a re-write? ~J

"I would like to suggest that Rangers increase their group harvesting %"

I presume youare refering tothe 60% harvest solution currently in place...

Such that each new skill level would improve that number 62.5, 65, 67.5, 70, etc.

Sounds reasonable to me.

---

NRaas wrote:

• Request for Creature Harvesters in for the form of traps




• The concept is to supplement the income of Rangers who are casual players.
  
• Most of following items are intended to reduce the impact of these harvesters on the economy
  
• Work like Mineral harvesters.
  
• Possibly have a large footprint like large harvesters, to keep from having large farms of them around hot spots.
  
• A small hopper, perhaps 2000-4000, to ensure that they are not completely unbalancing.
  
• Schematic is available at a high level in Trapping, perhaps Trapping IV or Master Ranger
  
• Harvester would take up a number of lots per trap (perhaps 5-6) to ensure balance
  
• Players would use a crafted tool to locate animal migration trails, much like the Survey system

---

This would require a reduction in the number of hides per individual harvest. I would also prefer the "survey" skill to be ranger innate and not something other players can use. Same for the harvester itself.

I've mentioned before, I am against the meat grinder, slaughterhouse conception of a harvestor trap. I completely understand why some of you really like the idea, but I just can't reconcile myself to anything that takes the "killing" out of harvesting resources.

I can envision some sort of "call" to attract more creatures of a particular variety to you, a trap that would increase the max amount of spawns in a lair, etc. I'd like to think there could be a potential compromise.

N'Rass, you mentioned this was an iffy subject with a number of rangers -- but it made the top 5 list? I understand that you are listing it as a suggestion only, butthe overwhelming majority of rangers want this? I must say I am a bit dismayed.

I can envision some sort of "call" to attract more creatures of a particular variety to you, a trap that would increase the max amount of spawns in a lair, etc. I'd like to think there could be a potential compromise, but perhaps the overwhelming majority of rangers want this.

I would prefer seeing information on tracking, the melee to-hit bonus, etc. While I do think there should be a greater spread between what a scout harvests versus a ranger, I'm plenty happy the rates have been increased.

Whole-heartedly behind more information on /examine.

Also, I think you are doing an excellent job as our correspondent -- and you had some big shoes to fill Thank you for all of your hard work!