Ranger Archive

Xionlion, I haven't been brave enough to go to Dantooine yet. I'm only Novice Rifleman, would I be able to survive? When I do go, that sounds like the place to be.

Ulot, you must be a commando, huh? I just think stealth incidentally fits much better into the Ranger than any other profession. Commando carries the big guns, anyway. I can't picture someone with a flamethrower and 20 grenades sneaking through the underbrush.

I enjoyed your story and I agree with elements of it. However, I don't want to be invisible a la Infiltrators from DAoC. Not having my dot show up on the radar, however, would be kind of nice.

No, I am not a commando. I play a ranger and a soon to be squad leader on the side. I don't see a guy carrying a huge load of skins and meat with a rifle hiding the the underbrush either so what?

The ranger was orginally a keeper or protector of a forest/area of land. Hence the forest rangers and park rangers. That was not an idea developed in fantasy novels. It is the reason why Tolkien called them rangers. The meaning of a ranger has nothing to do with the military. Even for a sci-fi setting, the ranger as a wilderness expert is completely valid because it is the definition of a ranger.

I think you are overstepping when you say PvP is a large part of the game. It isn't even required an any form or fashion. How could a large part of the game not even be required? You only play as much of a role in PvP as you choose. PvP was a huge part of DAoC. There was practically no high-level PvE of any value. PvP was it. Every class (while some more uber than others) was designed for some sort of combat. SWG isn't the same.

Rangers aren't about PvP combat and don't have to be. Plenty of craftsmen and entertainers aren't either and they get along just fine. Want to know the rangers indirect link to PvP? Exploring areasandgathering resources from them.Why take a non-combat based skill tree and throw in a single PvP only skill? Put it in a combat tree or create a new tree for it.

Simply put, saying that something should be a certain way simply because you want it that way just doesn't mean much. Consider the rest of the game along with the design of rangers. Radar dots haven't meant much in the PvP I've played anyways. The description of rangers says something about defending others in combat. Why don't you shoot for that instead if you just want a PvP skill? Or better yet, pick skill trees that are direct PvP focus.

You make many valid points. The one I must disagree with most is this:

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Ulot wrote:

Simply put, saying that something should be a certain way simply because you want it that way just doesn't mean much.

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Simply put, it is my belief that that statement couldn't be more incorrect.

I could go into many adverse reasons why, but I won't. Of course, I have no idea what your background is in MMORPG's. But this is how they work...with message boards like these and developer chats, in-game /bug reports and chats with GM's. They are works in progress, and that is part of what makes them special, if not excrutiatingly frustrating at times. Drastic changes will be made to this game in the coming months, and we will all be a part of it, often unknowingly. That's why they picked specialized correspondents this time around (though I'm not sure if I completely agree with the idea), that's why they monitor the boards, etc. They want input. They want it to be the best game possible and to adhere to as many peoples' ideals as possible, because, fundamentally,that is what keeps them in business.

Shamic:

To answer your question, I don't think you need to be any super duper trooper to have fun on Dantooine... certainly everything there will kill you in a few hits anyways... so its not as if its intended to be a solo affair for anyone...

The key is to let the Rebel NPCsdo the fighting... and you are simply their support... and the puller... If anything it teaches you how to pull creatures and be an effective rangers in an actual PC group... The Rebel SpecialOp NPCs are just badasses and have a ton of fun getting them in trouble by pulling huge level 40+ creatures into their camps It's not infrequent that there is just me and one rebel left after a battle... with bodies lying everwhere... its chilling...

Its not a huge powergain... very little combat xp as you're not going to dish out damage... but for example I was fighting Pikets and getting 300 weapon xp, 50 combat xp, 600 scout xp, and a bazillion trap xp per creature... not to mention those big suckers drop about 100 resources...

Its really more about the fun of fighting with a group of rebels. I had a blast one night when an Imperial camp spawned right next to the specOp camp and this huge rebel/imperial firefight started... I had to just back off and watch as I didn't want to lose any imperial faction.. but it was just awesome to be in the middle of all that.

Besides.. its not like Rangers are ever going to have huge combat skills... we're a debuff support class... used to make groups more effective.. and right now.. this is great training for that... I'm considering bringing some absolute newbie friends there just for fun. If you fail to hit with a phecnacine when you desperately need to, you may die... but thats half the fun right???

- Zarn

Shamic, notice I didn't say that it is meaningless. I don't want to play an "I've been around longer game", but I have been playing for years now. I've done betas and supported suggestions for changes. It takes a number of people cancelling accounts to get those types of things changed based on the "I just want this" arguement. Devs also realize that there is a large number of people with accounts that don't even post here at all. I'm not saying it won't happen or that your post doesn't help. If you were to come up with good reasons as to why to add it and your reasons fit well with the existing game, it is more likely to happen and will come faster.

Don't mean to call you out personally. I just grew tired of the same issue over and over with no real thought put into it. I guess I'm taking it out on your poor thread. So far the best anyone can do is "it would be cool if..." or "I would like to see..." I would just like to see real discussion for a change.

I wouldn't go as far as saying that it necessarily takes account cancellations, but you're right... change doesn't come easy. And seeing as how they're already making major changes to nearly every single other class besides this one, it may be a long haul. The reason I am hopeful is I personally witnessed all the mass tweaking that went into EQ over the years, and I was pretty happy with the final outcome. Now all the remains is to see if they have become humble from their mistakes in that game or arrogant enough to think they got most things right the first time with this one. All the while I'm trying to just forgetthe word Planetside