Ranger Archive
Thread: Corr Summit Quesions you would like me to TRY to ask.
Personally I would rather you not do any complaining or ask any Jedi questions. For one, it is hard to holda convincinglyaggressive line when you are face-to-face with someone (usually people just come off whiny or defensive). Second, if fan fest is any indication the rest of the corrs will boo you.
I know we are frustrated with the Jedi/JTL/and etc. issues, but there is a vocal majority who stalk the devs around at every opportunity and voice their displeasure loudly. Lets not be those people.
That said I would ask something along the following (and I am envisioning this as a dialogue more than a QA):
The word "Ranger" creates a clear and immediate image in the mind of each player. There are many different visions of what a Ranger is and all of them are very strong. Because of this the Ranger community has a very diverse player base. We have Aragorn Rangers, Antarian Rangers, UK/US Military Rangers, Ultimate Hunters, Ultimate Explorers, Combat Support Rangers, and mixes of all of these (and, of course, wanna-be Space Rangers). Everyone agrees that the word Ranger suggests an identity, rather than just a profession.
When you think of the word Ranger what immediately springs to your mind?
(Dev answers)
Is this the vision of Ranger that will be implemented in the future?
[(Dev answers) this is a difficult question because there is a risk that the Dev will respond with his personal vision (as do we all) and not the official version. There will also be the risk that the answer to the question above will be “I don’t know” which kinda borks the rest of the questions However, if the Dev is GM (or will it be just TH?) I think he has a very definite view of where he wants his professions to go.]
How do you see the current skill trees fitting in with that vision? How does each tree enhance those abilities?
(Dev answers)
Currently the Ranger profession does not support that role for the following reasons (point out some deficiencies). How do you plan to enhance each skill so that it fits with this vision (Actually makes us the ultimate hunter, explorer, whatever)?
[(Dev answers)Actually I think Draknevs questions were a lot clearer and to the point, so replace the above question with “Ya, what Draknev said!”]
Would you consider expanding this vision to include (list different types of Rangers excluded by Dev viewpoint)?
(Dev answers)
What aspects of the different visions appeal to you?
(Dev answers)
What aspects of the different visions do you believe will never be instituted?
(Dev answers)
What would it take to change your mind?
(Dev answers – hopefully with some flavor of ice cream)
One big issue players have with Ranger is that it is a kind of "Super Scout." Other professions, like Doctor, that have the same skill point setupas Ranger do not have this problem because they have enough unique and valuable skills to differentiate themselves from their beginniner professions. What unique and valuable skills do you have in mind to give Ranger that will address this problem? (Other than any that might have already been mentioned)
(Dev answers)
The word “Ranger” also lends itself easily to a space role. What role do you foresee for the Ranger in JTL?
(Dev answers)
What are the constraints that will be placed on SWG professions in space? In other words, will our Ranger skills translate into JTL skills? Faster, more maneuverable ships (terrain negotiation), for example? [Or will our skills make no difference to how we function in JTL?]
[(Dev answers) I think you can strike that last sentence, it gives them an easy out]
Do you forsee any patches/new featureshappening to JTL after it goes live? For example, if we come up with suggestions that will enhance our profession within JTL will they have a chance of becoming implemented?
(Dev answers)
The word “Ranger” also lends itself easily to PvP/War role. For many Rangers this is the type of Ranger they identify themselves with. What role do you foresee for the Ranger in the Galactic Civil War?
[(Dev answers) Insert all stealth questions here lol]
So… those are my long-winded questions. 
Feel free to edit/shorten how you see fit!
EDIT: Okay, yet another color edit... hopefully this one is better.
Message Edited by Vorpaks on 07-20-2004 12:56 PM
EDIT 537: AND I can't spell.
Message Edited by Vorpaks on 07-20-2004 12:57 PM
EDIT 538: And I added another question.
Message Edited by Vorpaks on 07-20-2004 01:00 PM
EDIT... whatever: And yet another question added.
Message Edited by Vorpaks on 07-20-2004 01:38 PM
Calculus_Entropy wrote:
Hey guys, with the Correspondent Summit on the Combat Balance approaching (at the end of August), I would like to get a list of questions you would like me to TRY to ask the devs. I can not guarantee that I will get to ask all or even any of your questions, but I want to be prepared ifI can get a dev cornered. This is not a what do we want thread...there is another thread for that. An example of what I am looking for is:
What is the perceived direction the Ranger prof will go in the future (i.e. will we have an offensive role in PvP)?
An improper question would be:
WIll the Rangers ever get creature defense mods (I want to reserve these kinds of questionsfor the suggestions thread, as I am certain I can present the items in that thread to the devs...)?
Please let me know ifI need to clarify, and please keep this on topic.
EDIT: Just wanted to make sure that everyone knows this thread was my idea and was NOT solicited by and devs....
Message Edited by Calculus_Entropy on 07-20-2004 10:56 AM
COME ON! You are a RANGER!!!!
Hunt a Dev down while you are there.
Here is how you do it.
Bring a box of donuts, a bottle of Vodka, and leave a trail of droplets and crumbs from the hallway to your "Trap"
The trap will of course be a closet or if you can finagle it, a conferance room where you have removed the inside doorknobs. Once the Dev OR Devs if you are truly skilled at hunting, follow your trail into the room, they pick up the bottle OR box of donuts and it trips a wire that closes the door, sealing them AND you inside, cause you are of course hiding under the table until the door is closed, (Don't want to spook the Devs).
Once you are all sealed in, you will have about 30 minutes to give them all your ideas.
Now, the time limit is crucual cause after about 30 minutes, all booze and donuts will be gone and they will most likely start eyeing you for their next meal.
At 30 minutes you phone your backup, who quickly open the door, allowing the startled Devs to bolt back into their natuaral environment.
IF you are lucky, you can "Tag" the Dev with a copy of your suggestions, that way another Dev will pull it out of their pocket one day and ask what it is, the Dev will not know, but will assume it is some ideas of HIS and will take all the credit for it. Thus getting your ideas implemented, although your never get credit for it 
Go for it, and GOOD HUNTING!
My question on this topic would be: "Why don't you hire an additional person (coder or designer) to work on the Ranger profession?"
The only two possible rational answers would be: "Yes, we will." and "We don't want to do this because it would hurt our bottom line."
Lets do a quick SWAG:
300k subscribers x $15mo = $4.50m/month
Lucasarts share of gross = -2.25
Personnel expense 100 plp x 150k incl. overheads -1.25
Other op. costs (rent, pipe, data center, sw licences) -0.50
Operating profit $0.50m/month
This is to recoup an initial investment of $30-35m (= 100 plp x 2 yrs + $5m equipment - income from initial S/W sales). It's slow. The budgets would be squeezed.
Now do the calculation with an additional 100k of subscribers. That's $1.5m/mo of incremental profit. The payback period is now 18-24 months, instead of 70 months.
They are betting that they can get the additional 100k with the JTL. I'm saying they will eventually lose 100k or more subscribers if they don't fix the base game within a reasonable time frame. They need to hire and additional 10-20 plp to work simultaniously on all of the areas that you mention (and more) so that there is a steady stream of improvements to keep people from jumping ship.
MonsofoLexius wrote:
- JTL (I expect the Dev team back in Dec or so)
- Smuggler Revamp (in the works)
- Combat Balance (while we should get some love we would not be in for full revamp)
- Squad Leader (to my knowledge have never got anything and are in as much or more need than us IMHO)
- GCW Revamp (once again we might get some love but not the whole enchilada)
- Rangers
And I am all for any editing of my statement to your liking Veri, that was just what was on my mind at the time I posted.
I'm off topic, but I really want to comment on this, because I feel strongly about it. Often the CB, GCW and Profession touchups are discussed as if they can be divorced from one another but in reallity they can not. They necessarily are intertwined, and I believe the real order should be:
1. Re-conceptualize the GCW on paper. (Don't touch a single bite of code.)
2. Derive the profession skill changes from step 1.
3. Get player feedback.
4. Code, test go live.
5. Tweak (Combat balance)
Message Edited by antwil99 on 07-22-2004 01:04 PM
MonsofoLexius wrote:I will try to keep this to something that might get answered/done...... hmmmm...."The Ranger community knows that a revamp is a ways off for us, and we are mostly ok with that and understand we are going to come after Smuggler and SL. Would it be possible to have a dev (green marine?) take just a little bit of his/her time (maybee 8 hours over 6 months?) over the next few months to help point us in the correct dirrection on our ideas? This may need the dev's as a group take a peak at what (green marine?) brings from us so they can say yeh or ney. This would do 2 things: 1) Give a huge pick me up to the community 2) So when it does come time to revamp Rangers the community as a whole is working in the best direction we can and will be ready when it comes our turn"
I am not OK with the Ranger revamp (or with the combat rebalance) being a ways off, neither, evidently, are all the other ex-Rangers who would be back as soon as a meaningful revamp is done. Let's try to phrase this so that it doesn't imply something on the behalf of the whole community, when a sizable portion (minority? majority?) of that community is forced to drop the profession to be able to enjoy the game.
VeriBeri wrote:
I am not OK with the Ranger revamp (or with the combat rebalance) being a ways off, neither, evidently, are all the other ex-Rangers who would be back as soon as a meaningful revamp is done. Let's try to phrase this so that it doesn't imply something on the behalf of the whole community, when a sizable portion (minority? majority?) of that community is forced to drop the profession to be able to enjoy the game.
I meant to imply that currently the Dev's have the following on the table and we would come after this (could be late 04 or early 05 lol) not that they could apease us with my question and just continually shelve us.
- JTL (I expect the Dev team back in Dec or so)
- Smuggler Revamp (in the works)
- Combat Balance (while we should get some love we would not be in for full revamp)
- Squad Leader (to my knowledge have never got anything and are in as much or more need than us IMHO)
- GCW Revamp (once again we might get some love but not the whole enchilada)
- Rangers
And I am all for any editing of my statement to your liking Veri, that was just what was on my mind at the time I posted.