Ranger Archive
Thread: The difference between /areatrack and /track
AreaTrack is the one thing I am happy about from this patch.
It works just as I imagined, even if it is alittle clunky. You need to remember that it is only meant to be our Tracking Lite.
Our full tracking skill will be implemented in due time and it should be everything I hear people wish areatrack was.
I am usually optomistic, but this patch (and a nasty fever) have me on edge.
1.) Mask Scent is still broken. At Master Level, I should not have to worry about kreetles, sevorrts and scyksdetecting and attacking me.
The duration on it was greatly reduced, but the reuse timer was also reduced from 60 to 20 seconds for Master Scout.
Mask Scent is aggroing creatures that are not even on my radar! Not good at all... 
2.) Conceal is even more of a detriment than MaskScent as it not only aggros critters, it also aggros Humanoids when it is broken (which is FAR too often even at Master Level).
I have tested the duration several times and my longest, unbroken conceal while sitting in a secluded Field Base was 16 minutes and 39 seconds... not worth the materials to make.
Even though I, myself, am a Prospector (Survey II) I dont agree with the floral requirement used in making camo kits. I am of the mind that it should either be a foragable item that fills the floral slot or, at the very least, a general Floral resource. Instead of Tatooine Wild Oats, make it Tatooine Cereal. I dont know how I feel about Rangers getting a Floral Surveying skill that is based off of our Forage skill mod, but I'm sure that is an option as well.
Like Mask Scent, Conceal aggros creatures AND NPCs from beyond my radar.
3.) Area Track is a great start, but as I said earlier, it is unwieldy and often reports superflous creatures and items. I do not need to have 7 instances of "A rill is to the southwest (242m)", nor do I need to track vendors or items in houses. I dont mind the dead critters as they can be an indicator that there are living critters nearby and tracking pets is a great way for a novice Ranger to track down its Handler. I think the idea of having Area Track locate the spawn point or lair instead of the individual creatures is a good idea.
4.) Changes to the camp resource costs... eh, I can live with it, but I would rather see us get a schematic for Planet Specific Hunting Cabin Deed at Master Ranger! 
"IMPERIAL Master Scout/Master Ranger"
How fitting!
Last Night it saved me from wondering around for an hour looking for certain creatures. peko peko's
It saved me from a tusk cat lair 128m south of my postion just out of my range.
Lord Knows maskscent wouldn't have helped with that.
only bugger with it is, dead animals, Shop Sign's, Myself and my groups, pets , droid etc.
I think I do know where me and my group is at.
/emote gathers the other intelligent, well-mannered, knowledgeable Rangers and raises a glass to Delta
Here here!
/cheers
I find the /areatrack useful. Unrefined, a great start, still somewhat buggy - but still VERY useful.
DeltaXi65 wrote:
I know, I'm splitting hairs and arguing semantics, but I'm a politician - that's what we do.
B
Great... so this is why Illegal immigrants are getting legal Drivers Licenses in California... all the politicians are playing SWG all day...
lol Delta - j/k - couldn't resist it.
Rancorrider4 wrote:
/emote gathers the other intelligent, well-mannered, knowledgeable Rangers and raises a glass to Delta
Here here!
/cheers
Indeed...
The skill has paid off in my first hour post patch.
How high are you guys?? Area Track IS very useful! Holy crap! I was on Endor last night and used AreaTrack, and I got over 50 animals within 500 meters, AND their distance & direction.
If you're HIGH enough, you get distance (I've been up to about 500m) AND their direction (west, east, etc). Excuse the developers for not giving you a freaking waypoint- as a Ranger, I'd hope you can navigate by east/west instructions alone
Get high enough in the Tracking tree, and AreaTrack is a phenomenally useful ability!!!
So I guess I respectfully disagree with all the complainers... ~J