Ranger Archive
Thread: Single v. Social Changes post-patch
Frell. Would that mean that there was a change to Fan Shot? Or have I been using it wrong? I hope that I've been using it wrong, because that would certainly explain both times having the other mobs nailing me, I think.
Then again maybe not. I'm pretty sure that TorTur was behind me when I started on the birds. My standard "tactic" against small birds is to just target and plink over and over again until I have a small pile of little corpses at my feet, so that when the music ends, I've taken some hits, but in a moment, I can harvest everything from their little bodies. I'll have to see if I can re-create the situation, and make sure that the TorTur/Ton is behind me when I am shooting to the front.
Tomorrow: more reports from the Human Pancake.
Okie Dokie...after exhaustively researching this issue... well sorta kinda anyhow...
Rasps have always been social, and they hate me, we all know that. I heard through the grapevine that fan shot (Pistoleer) may have a cone of effect, so I intentionally did not use it, opting for single shots only.
Hambabas are now social. Shot at Moe, to my east, nowheres near the lair. Over to the west, Larry decided he did not like me doing that, so he and Curlie (who was to my north) came over and stomped my butt into playdough, then laffed as Moe, in his death throes fell on me. Then to make matters worse (or worser) when I got done with my nap, they came over and wanted to play some more.
Ok Devs, ya got me. But I badged before it broke, so neener.
The statement by Ranger Fred about the beasts aggroing on the one doing the most damage is also true, found this out by experience also.I sent in "the Katt" first, he chewed on a ham (a solo) and they were duking it out til I shot. The Ham decided I looked like lunch, and came over to talk to me about my choice of breath mints. Pdart, stopping shot, health shot something, fan shot, double tap,health shot whatever, prepare to run... oh wait, he'sdown.
Needless to say, this sorta woke my happy azz up. Wonder if they messed with the bags?? Durnis did not change, thank goodness, next thing yanno they will be killer durni.
JB
seriously thinking about armor
Ok Keito, I see you are seriously considering Hairdressing... good for you. Can I have your Ranger stuff??
But first - take that Antarian Ranger off your signature, please. You wanna quit, feel free... but realize, quitting is not in the Ranger Creed.
I was not sniveling or whining, fact is I think it's pretty funny that we now get to deal with social white cons. But hey, I adapted and once again, as a mere Ranger, am soloing them once more.
Devs, thanks... made hunting interesting. Maybe it was getting too easy. Made me think, adjust, try...shame on y'all.
JB
Mamiens on Yavin are social now???? NOOOOOOOooooooooooooo..........
Man I used to spend a lot of time there smacking those goofy apes around. Guess they'll be smacking me around if I try soloing them again.
Thanks God my bread and butter destroy missions are unchanged. I'm afraid to post it here though, as I'm sure the Devs will change them to social the instant they find out about it.
Devs: "What? You mean there's a mob over CL20 that isn't social? We musta missed that one! Change it!"
Guys,
I've got a friend (who is a CH, oddly enough) sending me his list of critters that are now social that weren't before, and I'll post it when I get it.
I got a bit of an answer from the Devs, and they confirmed that some new creatures are social. I have explicitly asked for a list, or at least an update to the patch notes that reads this, as well as an answer I bring back to the Scouts and to you all about why this was changed.
Like I've always said - I can handle a change, but I want to know about it first. I really, really, really, really, really hate suprises.
B
Why can't we EXAMINE the creatures and find out their social behavior?!!!!!
We have been asking for that since day one! Whats the problem?
Will we be too uber?
We didn't ask for the stalking message...but we got it.
We asked for the social examine...they didn't do it.
sigh
Last night I was hunting Bantha's which are now social. Ok they werent but now they are I think it sucks but I will learn and adjust. The thing I find strange is that after I was incapped I poped back up and BAM they came back over and incapped me again, then I stood up again and BAM they came over and killed me. I never even got a chance to move or run away.
I dont want to have to start using a pet to hunt. I have always enjoyed sneaking through a bunch of aggro mobs, finding the animals I wanted to kill, moving around in small steps to avoid all the other lairs while taking out the one I wanted. I hunt solo always have I have accepted the fact that I wont be able to go to the advanced planets and kill the BIG mobs alone. But now its dang near impossible to even hunt on the beginner planets. I mean its not like I didnt die or get incapped before you bet I did but when everything is social and there are 4 other lairs of nasty big aggro red cons around you there is no where to run when the whole lair comes after you. I dunno maybe I am whining but I found the game plenty challenging enough without the changes. Now I guess I spend more time in the Cantina healing BF then hunting.
I guess I feel like I am being forced to group now or have a pet. I know, I know this is supposed to be a social game and grouping is encouraged but it wasnt that way and thats why I played. Again as I stated above I have accepted the fact that I wouldnt be able to solo the advanced planets thats where the grouping and social aspects should be but leave us people that enjoyed the game and soloing a few decent things to hunt besides Gnorrts.
Whining off
Sarrel
I can confirm that Fan Shot is different now -- I was attacking buildings... got a chuckle as I hit a tower. I was a bit concerned that different types of creatures might be assisting one another, but the targeting issues/special changes seem to have resolved that.
I do want to have a character that everyone doesn't tease for being super weak. But then again, my friends are always going to tease me for being weak regardless. I play casually on the weekdays -- I wanted the opportunity to solo for an hour or two. The limitation of time and the PvE element of the ranger were just a few reasons I selected the class. Is my solo ability limited? Well, my choices are decreasing.
It feels as if they are making the game harder... and perhaps social creatures is one way to do so. I remember some dev posts where Holo seemed a bit dismayed about just how easy we were finding it. Like a pendulum, it will bounce from extreme to extreme for a while before it finds a good center point. I can deal with that. I'll adapt, again 
Ultimately, this just makes me wonder what our camping and trapping lines improvements are going to be like. Perhaps there is something in them that will tip the balance a little more in our favor again.
The social animalsreinforce my desire for one type of trap -- Pacify. Give me the chance to calm Curlie while I go after Moe.
Relearning creature AI will keep things a bit interesting.I would have liked to have known that some of my favorite hunting was going to be acting quite different, though.
Just 2 credits...
Elysa, Master Ranger/Pistoleer/Entertainer, Intrepid
After more exhaustive research, ok, I was shooting things...
For all you Pistoleer types, fan shot has a cone of fire now...you do not shoot all 5 shots at the same point of aim, they vary... and in doing so, can and do strike animals and lairs in back of what you are aiming at, causing the animals to aggro, all of them if you start shooting the lair. For those that do not believe me, try it, shoot many times at an animal in front of the lair and see what happens, they may not be social but they sure as hell aggro you miss and hit the lair.
This also applies to you Rifle/Carbine types, tho to a lesser extent. I realize (Master Marksman in a past life) that you shoot slower and mainly single shot, but some of the specialty shots give you bursts. A hunting partner did this, one shot missed, hit the lair, and the race was on to kill beasties.
So yes fellow Rangers, missed shots do have a chance at hitting something now, be warned, be wary. I was hunting hambabas, a round missed and hit a freaking diseased vrelt from a nearby lair... who promptly came over and attmpted to gnaw off my leg. Silly dead vrelt.
Oh, I think I also have a line of the "Scout" label on some animals. They tend to sorta kinda ignore "conceal shot" totally for you rifle guys, as do many flying things. Corellian butterflies, a matriach, white con, ignored the fact that I was camoed and my partner used conceal shot, the BF came straight over and attacked the shooter. I then had to break camo and engage. The same happened with a freaking "Scout Paralope"... conceal shot was ignored and it charged, well it tried anyhow.
More results as they come in... hey Devs, this is fun, hunting got tough(er) again.
JB
research in the name of knowledge
(OMG, I can't believe I wrote that)
I was killing Dune Banthas yesterday--not social UNLESS there is a Dune Bantha (Scout) outside the lair. So far, once the scout is killed, another doesn't pop (doesn't mean it won't happpen, but it hasn't for me yet).
Also killing regular Banthas and again, not social unless there is a (Scout) out. The Matriarch was social as usual, and she just happened to be the scout for this one lair.
I don't know if Bull Banthas are social or not..I can only kill a Matriarch after an incap or two so I didn't want to try killing one when there were Bull Banthas about.
Fred_Skinner wrote:
Pets will no longer work as tanks for your guns if your damage is greater. They changed the AI to go after the d00d with the most l337 (Higher damage giver gets targeted). I'm not even sure what posessed them to think this was a good idea other then to make CH's never have another combat class. For me, I have a gun and a sword and it takes a bit of pressure off my low-level pet and actually works very nice, but I still can't be Master Rifleman (means losing any brawler I have left).
This isn't necessarily true. I have a non-CH pet (a level 14 Mountain Krevol). Yesterday I tried a mountain squill for the first time on my own. I have Pistoleer 2/2/3/2 and was using my highest damage heat weapon. I also threw a few traps during the battle. Not once during the battle did the mountain squill change from focusing on my pet to focusing on me.
I do know many graphical tweaks have been done in this patch, including the size of some critters. All my weapon repair tools look different. Some of the critters changed their look. The Cowerdly Gureck size change is even in the patch notes. (I was kind of tired having my head up ones *ss every time someone would pull one out on group hunts... now they will just be biting my crotch...)
There are 3 critters that were not social that are still that way, although this is on Corellia and not a starter planet (so I did not observe any of those changes). I do know that Dralls will assist anything that gets hit by a positive CorSec faction, I think this is intentional (I try not to shoot near them... don't need to make them more militant then they already are). That actually makes sense given the history about them.
I like how the /conceal command works now
however it has a tendancy to go down a bit too often. I think they need to tweak that up a tad (lessen the chance of breaking) but at least it's usable and no longer more fatal then not using it.
I agree. I was uncovered by a Kreetle the other day and I wasn't even that close to them when it happened. I think if a mob cons green or light blue they should have a slim-to-none chance of uncovering your camo unless you run right through a pack of them. Dark Blue and White should have a small-to-middling chance of uncovering you even if you aren't too close to them. Yellows and Reds... well you get the idea.