Ranger Archive

Based on what I've read on rangers here is what I think.... (take note that I have yet to become a ranger so I'm not 100% sure)

But rangers don't really even seem to be rangers as they sit now. There main abilities seem to be getting better harvesting from critters (though i really don't know how much better), getting food in the middle of nowhere (which serves little use at this time), being able to hit creatures beter, and not being noticed by creatures sometimes. This to me doesn't really speak RANGER. To me, in a very broad sense, ranger means that he can find pretty much anything when he wants, he blends into his surroundings, andhe is in tune with his surroundings (meaning he can find food and be ignored by creatures).

Now breaking that down. I agree when it was stated that tracking needs to be added and its fine if they just make it so that tracking is just for creatures. But it'd also be cool if Rangers could track special features in the wilderness, maybe this is where the best spot to find a certain type of mineral, chemical or fauna for surveyers (more world based than the current survey tool is) or remote locales such as a remote rebel base that isn't marked on the map could be found easier if you are a ranger. If SOE wants to make this tracking kind of like what Bounty Hunters have they could make it so that Bio-engineers can create a tracking pet that aids players in tracking. I think this would help out bio-engineers in the same stroke. I'd say add tracking to Frontiering line just because of the lot of the skills frontiering seems to be most broken and it isn't too far from the thought of the subject either.

I also agree with the sentiment of bringing conceal back. I would say there'd be 4 steps of conceal.... 1) conceal from critters... 2) conceal from humanoid NPCs.... 3) take dot off radar of PCs... and 4) conceal from PCs.... This would make rangers fall in line to the "blending in with the environment" idea and would make it so only the best rangers could actually hide from players and would also strengthen a Ranger's pvp ability. Now to counteract this, Bounty Hunters should gain the ability to see concealed, maybe with a droid or just at high levels, or a special bounty hunter helmet. I also wouldn't mind if Wookies or Bothan had an innate chance to detect hidden either, it would go along with their more "naturalistic species" motif... creating counters to the hidden ability I think is vital to keep hidden balanced.

I also like the idea of manipulating the terrain movement a little better. Any of what was stated above would really work... crawl speed increase, flat land speed increase, swim speed increase, or lower the scout bonuses and that would make the ranger bonuses worth more.

Trapping flusters me cause it isn't even remotely trapping. They added rescue to the line likely to give the line more worth, but rescue for a ranger just doesn't feel right. Taunts should be for warriors not rangers.... At any rate, new types of traps for the ranger arsenal would be good, AoE creature and single target PvP most needed. I think what would really be cool for trapping line though would be adding real traps. Maybe you set a trap and you come back later and you catch 1-5 critters (depending on where the trap is set and your skill in trapping, +1 critter per level, +1 critter for master). These traps would be reusable so you could pick it up and put it somewhere else. In essence they would be like the artisan's harvesters, just for bone, meat and hide.

For field bioscience I'd like to see some sort of pet buff. Lets face it, it's a natural coupling to be a ranger/creature handler. This should be encouraged with some sort of buff I think.Maybe just an attack speed or a defense buffwhen you get FB I and FB III. Nothin major, justbecause it's a natural fit and should be seen thatway by everyone.

Lastly,when ridable critters and vehicles get in, I'd like to see some sort of bonus there too. With rideable critters and speeder bikes.(Ienvision those 2 storm troopers in the beginning RotJ as Rangers). Though I really don't know how those will be handled. It could just be that creature handlers train em and everyone can ride em, or it could be you need some skill to ride em in which I think rangers should get that skill naturally at some point...

Anyway just some random thoughts and over drawn out agreeances.

I have twostatement/idea for the Rangers.

First idea? Dev's, the Ranger profession really is worthless to spend huge amounts of time playing. If you wanted to make it all worth while, then make it so the concellment that Rangers can do, works towards other player character's too. Whethera Ranger isseen on radar's of other player's or not, it doesn't matter; however, make it so that we can conceal our selves from other players graphic's and/or attack's.Thenhave it where eachplayer has a "check area" for hiden creature's/players that goesaccording to their average mental/focus/willpower.

Second idea? It's important that Ranger's can be further usefull in game. The trap legg is nice while out hunting, but make it so a Ranger's trap's can also be used against player'spet's (of all sorts) and against players' themselves. Of course, normal rules apply for player verse player play.

I hope you Dev's actually look at this forums. The game all together is great. You've done a wonderful job. However, I believe improvements can still be made. So I will make my recomendations in certain professions, and hope other's will join in. Thanks ahead of time, for reading and considering things.

Honestly, I would like to see some sort of real trapping stuff going on with the ranger... Dig a pit, put some spikes in there and check your traps. Hey, we got harvesters, why not animal trap harvesters?

I don't understand why traps don't work against players? I mean, you can shoot them, but you can't slow them down or hinder them in any way? **edit**?

Traps - They should be area effect, and they should effect NPC's and PC's. Also, we need more of them. Finally give us some damage type traps that go off when a creature/PC is in the vicinity. Limit those traps to being set up one at a time with a timer as to when they go off. This will give us much more capabilities in PvP. It would also provide a new dynamic to that area. Rangers and scouts could also have the ability to detect the traps.

Tracking - We need something to make us appeal to the groups. Currently we don't really offer anything. Give us an EQish tracking that works on Creatures only (so as not to interfere with the BH's.) This would make us much more desirable to groups.

Wayfairing- First of all, give us some more speed for our troubles. This will make the line worth while and desirable. Second, camaflouge needs to have some effect in PvP. Simply take us off the radar. Also, some sort of invisible laser or bolt action rifle should be available to rangers to supplement their hidden sniping abilities.

Fronteiring - We need something in this line. The camps are nice, but uneccesary. They are not useful on a normal bases and definetly not worth an entire skill line. I am not sure what else can go in here, but we need something.

This class isn't complete. I am certain the developers are aware of this and agree, and I am sure some changes will come to the class. They are just dealing with the early game before focusing on the end game.

My only complaint is that the ranger tree is so obviously devoid of interesting special skills. Regarding some of the complaints I'm reading, my only response is that I really don't care all that muchabout PvP, so that's a moot issue for me (but I respect other players' styles...), and, as for the camp kits, I absolutely love them, and look forward to each new one like I'm opening a Christmas present. So I love that branch...

But, geez, two entire skill trees give nothing but skill points, and despite all this "mastery" of trapping, we have only two more traps than any run-of-the-mill master scout?

It just seems incomplete. Not that there aren't obvious, clear benefits from the skill points, but come on. Every other profession comes with additional skill points and unique abilities. It just seems clear we're getting shorted. Won't keep me from playing the class, but I sincerely hope there's some rewards down the road for the class in general. Otherwise, we'll become obsolete.

I think the group movement abilities of the Squad Leader really ought to be part of the Ranger profession. The Ranger is skilled at moving through the wilderness - it makes sense that he should be able to impart some benefits to his companions. This would also make a ranger a more valuable addition to a group.

I'm very surprised at the seeming distate many have of the ranger. Though I am not a ranger yet, whileI don't feel the profession is exactly what I would have made, I do think that it is useful and worthwhile, and certainly not wasted time and energy. Traps are wierd, but effective. Perhaps more of a cumulative effect there would be good. Also, a better defined sense of where no-build zones are, though that has been covered before. I like the idea of a swim speed bonus, and dislike the idea of a general outdoors speed bonus. Going up hills is where a ranger would have an edge, not running across an open field. Maybe running down hills as well.

Tracking would be interesting, though with the way things move in SWG, I wouldnt find it useful unless it affected PCs. I dislike the idea of any branch or ranger or scout going toward combat in a brawler sense. As far as camoflague, it should be in the game, and it should work against PCs. Camps are what they are. I dont think anyone is thrilled by them, but they accomplish a very specific purpose. I liked the idea of a ranger 'pet' of some sort. But assuming we can acquire one from a CH, that makes a 'pet' somewhat pointless. What would be nicer is if rangers had access to certain creatures that the CH is unable to tame. The creature to-hit should be increased and should affect melee as well as ranged attacks.

Rescue should be a command where you stop a creature from attacking someone else. This does not necessarily bring that creatures ire upon you, it merely stops the creature from attacking and gives the rescued person a chance to run away. Then you can mask scent or engage the creature. In some ways, I disagree with a lot of opinions, since that command would be useful if some non-combatant PC was being attacked by something you could handle, so you give the PC a chance to run away by stopping the creature from attacking. Then you can engage and kill the creature OR you can run away. (something you are most likely far more proficient at than the non-combatant you saved)

While it seems like a long list, these are not major changes. I don't have a big issue with the way it is now. It is exactly what the devs said it would be, an 'uber-scout'. It takes the same abilities and builds upon them. You can master another skill tree and a half to fully flesh out the character.

Oh, a nice thing I thought of would be the ability to 'scan' for a particular creature. The scan would give you a waypoint or a direction in which that creature is most likely located. For a lower level 'scan' maybe you'd have a 180 degree range, with the creature possibly anywhere within it, and that goes down to 90, 45, 15 or what not as you go up in 'scan' ranks.

Anyway, just a few ideas.

1. Serious camoflauge. Being able to spot whats ahead without being seen. (SCOUTING)

2. Traps effect all targets.

3. Camps having more abilities added to them so they're almost like mini cities.

4. Speed bonuses going across straight land. (Thinking of Aragorn in The Two Towers)

I don't see the problem with crawl speed. If you are going to be using a rifle, this will add to your crawl bonuses which you will also get in rifleman. (lol, crawling as fast as you can run---maybe)

I've been thinking a little bit on it, and I think some form of creature tracking would be a cool addition to our skills.

One thing people should keep in mind is that Ranger is an extension of Scout abilities, so it's not necessarily going to be new and ground-breaking, which is why some may feel it is incomplete. AE stun and AE blind? Cool, if the abilities actually did anything. The damage on our traps remains the same, so as we level up the amount of damage they do to the creatures we're fighting becomes much less significant. The only ones I use anymore are the snare/root/debuff ones, and it doesn't seem like the debuffs are doing much.

Traps vs. players would open up a new dynamic in PvP that is for sure. They may have to reduce their duration to make it remotely balanced. Can you imaging being able to snare an opponent? I must admit as a Brawler the idea has me drooling, heh - just not sure it's balanced. Then again gettingkited around constantly isn't very balanced either.

I don't think we should get any form of radar or player cloaking - but returning conceal to avoid npc humanoids wouldn't be bad - I assume they removed it because they wanted to keep the Ranger a "creature only" profession.

i recently acquired Ranger and would like to see some of these things (some were already mentioend)::

-Increased Run Speed - Runnings up hills is fine, but I'd really like to see an increased run speed here, maybe also as a group effect (although the squad leader already his this capability I think)

-Traps to work on humanoid NPCs and PCs. It is a real waste of an entire skill line if already by default half of our skills are voided from the get go.

-A larger camp bonus. Our camps right now are "awesome" to look at, but offer very little benefits. Once u get the High Quality camp in the beginning that's all you really need.

-Stealth. While we have camo, I really would like to be able to go invisible and do stealth attacks, perhaps positional based. (Based on if your crouching, standing, prone, from the side of the mob, front, ecct) Also this gives some meaning to the term "Scout" (as would an increased run speed. Read above)

-The ability to produce more traps at once. I'm tired of making maybe 5 or 6 traps tops. I realize You can always make more but it become a pain in the ass (indended probably, not that im really complaining) and if your in a good group, you may have very little down time in which to craft more.

-More OOOMPF! Not sure, I love the class, but it does feel like there are some things missing.

Quote: "I don't think we should get any form of radar or player cloaking - but returning conceal to avoid npc humanoids wouldn't be bad - I assume they removed it because they wanted to keep the Ranger a "creature only" profession."

Actually I would agree with this as well, being more realistic and keeping with the tune of the Star Wars universe much better.

[Sorry posting twice in a row I just couldn't figuire out if i could edit my above post in anyway]

OK now that I have considerabnle more exp playing as a scout and the game as a whole I will say this. It will take a good bit of paitience to get to the Master Ranger slot. Right now every swinging character out there has some scout abilities and is trying to raise them. Granted most will stop once they get Master Scout and move onto BH or CH. Still therewill benewer players entering the game all needing or wanting scout skills. When grouped with said people you own scout exp will lag. Hopefully by the time this game gets a few months old people will start moving out to higher end planetsand people have defined characters and roles. Where the ranger is the one making the camp and not everyone trying to ninja make them to grab exp. Right now in this games infancy us initial Ranger wannabes will struggle fighting for scout exp against the myriad of other players who want that same exp.

Now someone made mention of the rescue skill being worthless, yes and no. Instead ofitdoing what it does now, dragging the aggroto you, how about this. How about we have a scare skill where we, being rangers and all, know weaknesses of certain creatures we can "scare" off an atacking creature? Our ability to scare them off increases with our skill in that skill tree. As well the ability to scare off higher end aggresive mobs. Now to balance it, there will be certain mobs that are just not going to be affected by this. We wouldnt be very likely to scare off a rancor.

A tracking ability should be added. Though right now it isnt to hard to find a group of animals when you are out wandering the wilderness. But the ability to find the type you want, without using a mission waypoint to guide you, would be nice. This skill would really have limited uses as I see it now, but as rangers we track.

The whole increased crawl speed is nice for people who have rifle skills. To me as a pistoleer, not very ranger like I know, its pointless. I have heard that the run up hills is capped at explore 4, it should continue on for rangers.

The larger camps are nice, havent personally seen one yet, but I hear they look sweet. I dont know how useful a crafting station would be in one, maybe for some who knows. Seeing as we can make items with thegeneric tool pretty much anywhere. All the things I need anyway, traps, camps and stimpaks.

And finally I would like to seesome sort of camo skill in place. It would start as basic skill hiding you from animals and progress up to players. The old hide/detect hiden skills in UO come to mind.

thats it, any other skills I can attain by training in other professions.