Ranger Archive

I dont use traps much because of these two reasons: They will aggro the creature, making it charge at me. And the animation involved makes my character stop running away if I am being charged. I am a rifleman, and I would rather get away faster rather than slow down. Fix these , and I would find traps useful.

Guys,

N'Raas developed two Top 5 lists - one was the bug list, and the other was the design list.

The problem was that TH just picked the top one - the bug list - and went running with that. Not N'Raas' fault, and not THs. There was a lot of cross communication with this round of Top 5s - we'd never done it before, and neither had TH.

Here's what N'Raas has on his Top 5 Design Implementation list (just in case you don't know):

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1. Usefulness of Traps

Once again traps are on the minds of Rangers. Being that they are our only physical addition to combat, traps (or lack thereof) weigh heavily on Rangers minds.

• More Traps
  
  
  
  • How are those new traps coming along?
    
    
    
    • We recognize you are busy with Player Cities, and soon Smugglers... But can we expect them this year at least?
    
    
  • Request for an Area Effect Root (stop completely) or Snare (slow down) trap for handling social lairs.
    
  • Request for a Tranquilizer Dart/Trap
    
    
    
    • The effect would stop the target creature from attacking for a certain period of time
      
    • The trap would also stop the creature from assisting other creatures
      
    • Attacking the creature would immediately drop the effect
      
    • If the trap fails to affect the target, aggro would ensue as normal
    
    
  • Modular Traps
    
    
    
    • A generic trap schematic with multiple optional component slots
      
    • A crafter could produce a trap that produces multiple effects in a single throw
      
    • Each optional component item would provide a single effect (Blind, Stun, Dizzy, Bleed, Poison, Disease)
      
    • The components could be experimented for duration of effect, and effectiveness
  
  
• Effectiveness of Traps
  
  
  
  • Many Rangers feel that traps don't ramp up in effectiveness against the more difficult creatures, as the player's skill improves.
    
    
    
    • Namely once a Ranger reaches Master, and begins fighting the really big critters, the traps become so ineffective that nobody bothers using them anymore
    
    
  • Request for a Trap Launcher
    
    
    
    • Item would propel traps a further 10m than simply throwing them (60m in total)
      
    • Item would increase the success rate of the trap (very useful against the larger creatures)
    
    
  • Request to experiment on the effectiveness of a trap
    
  • Request to experiment on the duration of effect of a trap
  
  
• Usage of Traps
  
  
  
  • Request for a macro command for throwing traps, such as /throwtrap bonespur
  
  
  
  
  • A good contingent of forum posters don't really consider Ranger to live up to its "Elite" title.
    
  • There are several suggestions about allowing greater usage of Traps in combat:
    
    
    
    • Request to use traps on Creature Handler pets (possibly receiving no exp for doing so)
      
      
      
      • We are confused about why this ability is missing. Our traps would make a good foil to the Creature Handler pets.
      
      
    • Request to use traps on Humanoid NPCs at the Ranger level.
      
    • Request to have traps affect other Players at the Ranger level.

2. Usefulness of /areatrack

The Rangers like this skill, but if the command worked just a little better we would absolutely adore it...

• As a slight aside... How is /track coming along? We are awaiting the skill with bated breath.
  
• Now back to /areatrack:

• Issue with /areatrack not picking up lairs that have not yet spawned any creatures
  
  
  
  • This is a rather irritating issue that limits the commands usefulness away from the more travelled areas
    
  • Request for a Spawn Point tracking option. This way we can track lairs which haven't spawned any creatures yet.
  
  
• Request for /areatrack to force the first wave of spawns for all existing lairs in the vicinity, so that the creatures will appear in the list
  
• Request to increase the range of the command to 1000m
  
  
  
  • There are also requests to make the range incremental based on skill level. 500,750,1000,1250, and up to 1500 for Master.
    
  • However in order for this to be useful, a greater increase in the dynamic spawn rate would need to occur at a greater radius around the player
  
  
• Request for the command to allow the user to input the target type on the command line
  
  
  
  • The command would work like /areatrack animal, /areatrack people, /areatrack players, /areatrack all
  
  
• Request for /areatrack all at the Master Ranger level
  
  
  
  • The tracking option would list both Animals and Humanoids in the same list for easy lookup
  
  
• Request for the /areatrack results to be display in a Sortable List Window
  
  
  
  • The List window would have separate columns for Name, Direction, Distance
    
  • Clicking on the header for the column would toggle between ascending / descending sort order
    
  • Resizing the window would increase the size of the List portion of the window, rather than the height of the Mesage portion
  
  
• Request for a Refresh button on the list window, so once a player has traversed a bit of distance they don't need to reselect their choice of track.

3. Creature Combat Bonuses

Rangers are the penultimate outdoorsman. They know a creatures anatomy and their weak spots allowing for improved damage. They also know how a creature will react and how to best avoid damage from them.

• Suggestions for Offensive abilities (not all items are obviously required)
  
  
  
  • Request for an innate damage increase against creatures. The increase in damage would be based on some skill modifier.
    
  • Request for a random Critical Hit on occassion, with a frequency based on the some skill modifier, that deals a larger amount of damage than normal.
    
  • Request for a command that can be used to increase damage against creatures for a certain duration.
    
  • Many melee based Rangers have requested the Creature-to-Hit bonus be applied to melee weapons as well
    
    
    
    • If the bonus is already being applied to meleers, kindly change the text description to reflect such
  
  
• Suggestions for Defensive abilities (not all items are obviously required)
  
  
  
  • Request for a Creature-to-Dodge bonus.
    
  • Request for a Creature Toughness skill modifier
    
    
    
    • The skill would work like Unarmed Toughness, reducing the overall damage inflicted by creatures

4. Usefulness of Camps

Ah, camps. The pride of the Scouting line. However apparently simply an obstacle on the way to Master for Rangers.

• Most forum posters agree that Ranger camps need more "bang for the buck", as many (including myself) never make another Ranger camp again upon reaching Frontiering IV
  
• So we ask with the patience of a Frenzied Graul... How are those new camps coming along?
  
• Here are some suggestions for you to ponder while we wait:

• Request that the healing modifier of camps be applied to natural HAM damage recovery on Creature Handler pets and Faction pets.
  
• Request to be able to use a camoflauge kit in camp crafting to produce a planet specific camp with improved creature repelling capabilities
  
• Request for High Tech Field Base:
  
  
  
  • To not disband during combat. The name of the camp is Field "Base" is it not?
    
    
    
    • Many rangers would enjoy it acting as a center of operations without having to sit on their duff and watch the others in the group fight
    
    
  • To not disband in a set time, rather only when the Ranger leaves the planet or logs out.
    
  • To heal Battle Fatigue with the help of a Dancer or Musician
    
  • To have a terminal whice provides Explore missions.
  
  
• Request for a permanent, planet specifc, hunting cabin:
  
  
  
  • Creatable and deployable only by a Master Ranger
    
  • Can not be redeeded and moved, only demolished
    
  • Should be buildable on Advanced planets
    
  • Should heal Battle Fatigue like a regular house
    
  • Requires Maintenance and the use of a lot, like a regular house
    
  • Allows for storage of items, and the possible placement of a Vendor
    
  • Only one of these buildings could be deployed at any one time
    
  • The schematic could require some subcomponent made by architect to promote class interdependence
  
  
• Request for a stash
  
  
  
  • The concept is a buried container that can be used to store items while away from your bank
    
  • The structure would probably require the use of a lot
    
  • A player could have as many as they have lots available
    
  • In order to compensate for being able to have any number of stashes, the storage limit should be minimal... Perhaps a volume of 25
    
  • The stash should be deployable on an advanced planet
    
  • The graphic in the game space could be a dirt mound with a flag to mark the location

5. Harvesting Bonus

Beyond the simple increase in quantity, there is very little difference between the Scout and Ranger portions of the Harvest Skill. So we have some suggestions regarding adding some flair to the skill.

• Request for the ability to harvest multiple resources off a single corpse (up to all 3 types at Master Ranger)
  
  
  
  • Many Rangers consider the inability to fully utilize the corpse to be wasteful and unrangerlike
  
  
• Request that the 60% group harvesting value be improved if a Ranger is in the group
  
  
  
  • The improvement could be based on the Ranger's skill level... (62.5% with Skill I, 65%, 67.5%, 70% with Skill IV)
  
  
• Request for ability to determine resource attributes on a corpse before harvesting with a command /AssessResource
  
  
  
  • The ability would provide a list window with the appropiate resource selections available on the targeted corpse (meat / hide / bone)
    
  • Once a selection is made, a player would receive the /examine window for the chosen resource
    
  • The player would not receive a physical resource, only the information regarding its attributes
    
  • The ability could be used multiple times to receive the data on the other available resources
    
  • The information could also contain whether harvesting the resource would produce a Fat, Medium, Skinny result
    
  • The attributes consist of items such as Overall Quality, Unit Toughness, Potential Energy, etc
  
  
• Request for a /group harvest off to turn off the 60% harvesting rule and revert to the earlier rule set
  
• Request for the harvesting skill mod to increase the amount of fish meat filleted off caught fish

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So 90% of what you guys are talking about is on here, and in much greater detail.

Ye of little faith.

B

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TottCophii wrote:

Rangers,

Our Top Five to the Devs was wasted. All five were bugs that they should have already known.

We need to start a new Top 5 priority, but this time do not include bugs.

We need content ideas and profession changes.

Here's my Top Five.

1. Traps. More trap types, trap experimentation, trapping of player pets in PvP. As it stands, traps are mostly pointless, and are just a hassle in the way of getting to master.

2. Camps. Need to do more things. Need to make camps stop autodisbanding, possibly make the larger camps last longer, with the High Tech Field Base never disbanding unless the ranger travels too far away (1000m) or goes LD.

3. Harvesting. Need better harvesting capabilities to differentiate between usand Scouts. The larger harvests aren't that much larger.

4. Forage. Useless, unless you have to feed a pet.

5. Individuality. An actual structure, ahunting lodge, placeable by master rangers on non-buildable worldswould make this profession a bit more unique. Just make it non-transferable... how cool would this be? And not that hard to implement either.

There it is... Top Five... no bugs included. The devs know our bugs and will either fix them now, later or never. Let's make our profession better any way we can. Let's present a list of changes, not bugs.

A Ranger...

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Uhhh...The list NRass submitted was specifically a bug list --- as was requested by the Developers. He has a top 5 wishlist tucked away as well. I'm sure it's stickied at the top of the forum somewhere. Patience...and the ability to read. Good things--You should've asked Santa for them

Bah! Delta you beat me to it

Step on in

Okay, so am I the only ranger that DOESN'T think of myself as Grizzly Adams? Being a ranger is not exclusively, MAYBE not at all, about being a backwoods hunter/trapper loner. I think part of the problem is that the developers have NOT given the ranger a real 'identity' per se, but I understand that they are working on this.

One thing I think is continually lost on some people who frequent this board is that this is a cooperative game. No class should really be able to operate independently - not even rangers. Some of the complaints I read regularly have to do with the fact that items and abilities are not very good if you are soloing. Traps are a good example - they work GREAT, if you are in a group. Try grouping with others - you'll find ranger to be much less frustrating and more fun. =) SWG is an MMORPG - One of those Ms is for "multiplayer". Multi means many, several, more than one - you're not alone in the game. It's designed, by genre, to be a cooperative and social experience. Try cooperating and being social. =)

With regard to the issues you propose:

1. Traps: More types? I don't think its necessary. There needs to be a way to make the existing types more effective against higher level creatures while not being stupid against lower level ones. The number are fine. Moreexperimentation? Yes. I would love to be able to experiment on both effectiveness and number of uses. As a note, I don't think traps are just a hassle. I found them very useful, as did the other people in my hunting parties. They are less useful NOW because I am hunting rancors and Kungas, who are not so much effected by them - but on my way to this point they were quite nice.

2. Camps: I have three issues with camps. One is that they disband when you are attacked, and I think that's silly. You ought to be able to be active in combat while the camp is up, and even while in the camp. Two is ease of use. I think you ought to be able to experiment to make the "ranger" camps more usable by lower level scouts and rangers. Three: An entertainer should be able to heal battle fatigue in any either of the field bases.

3. Harvesting: Master rangers should be able to harvest multiple resources. It should be tiered so at, say, level two of one of the trees you can harvest two resources, and then get the third at Master. In addition, I would like to see Rangers be able to have a higher percentage chance of finding loot items from creatures, but I don't know if that is reasonable/ feasable. It just seems to make sense thata ranger would be able to locate the rancor bile gland or to successfully extract rancor bile than someone less "familiar" with creatures.

4. Forage:Wish there was a use for it, not torn up that there is not, don't know if it belongs in the top five. The fact is that just about every profession has skills and abilities that are not as good as others, and if forage is one of ours so be it. I would like to see suggestions for how this could be made better, though. What would you like it to do? How could it be more useful? I think just handing anyone a list of "stuff that sucks" is not very helpful - you need to actually have thoughts and plans and ideas for improvement.

5. Individuality: Not sure exactly how a hunting lodge provides us with "individuality", and not sure what the hunting lodge is good for. I am not really OPPOSED to it, mind you - but I would like to know what it would be for. "How cool would that be"? No idea - because I can't envision what purpose it would serve. The individuality thing is certainly a nice thing to want, but I would like to see more thought put into suggestions for how to make that happen. I don't think a ranger weapon is the answer either.

My thoughts on individuality: Use the stuff we already do, but make it better. Area track, for example, is highly-sought after as a skill. People like it, and I know several folks who go through JUST that tree of ranger. So, spread out tracking skills and bonuses through all four trees. Plus, what about the ability to try to track for a specific creature? We already get X skill bonus to finding all creatures w/in, say, 600 meters. Why not expand that ability so you could search for a specific creature w/in 1200 meters, but you took a significant hit to your "track" skill bonus? Not sure again if its reasonable or feasible, but I think it is more the approach to look for in terms of "finding ourselves" because it stays closer to what Ranger already is.

Just my thoughts.

~Wen, AKA Kyndel Stokes, Master Ranger on Intrepid