Ranger Archive

I don't think this would take too much extra coding since they need to put a lot of the same things in for perm player shuttle ports for cities. Even the graphics are there since they have a"shttule" camp used by spawning mobs.

Will this be useful after player mounts/vehicles? That depends are mounts going to be Fast Walking, or "Teleports." (like jumping from shuttle to shuttle.) Most will be faster forms of walking. So you still have to travel the km to get anywhere. So a "Teleport" spot will still be useful.

I would like to see this asan optional modual for a camp (well two, one for evac only, one for two-way transport.) Assume that the Field base has one option, it could only evac. The HTFB would have two slots so it could be a two-way port.

I would not realy expcet to see something like this for few months. But it would be nice to know if they will be doing it.

BTW, I kind of like the Ranger becoming a type "Military Engineer." At least as one aspect. They are the ones who get to an area first, and establish a beach head for further opporations.

-gustavef

I like the idea that you need Droid Engineer components. DE's need more reason to be DE.

I like the idea of a beacon calling a shuttle, but I don't so much like the idea of it being a shuttle port. The ticket collecter just seems out of place. Also, there is no need for it to be on the world map if it will only be up 10-15 min.

I would like to see a beacon that could send an emergency contact to a shuttle port for a quick rescue. It would have to cause money on the part of the ranger(if his group wants to help share the burden, great) and it shouldn't be able to carry everyone. Perhaps limit seating to 20 for the max group limit. Also, if you've ever tried a searce in game, you will notice it has a fairly small radius. Just send a system message to all players in this radius that a ermergency evac beacon has been set up and where it is. You can only travel so far in a few minutes. This camp wouldn't provide healing at all because it's an evac, not a healing site. Also, the camp wouldn't protect the ranger or repel creatures because it would have to be an emergency evac. And, when player vehicles do arrive, perhaps the beacon would work by giving anyone inside a personel vehicle a system message that a beacon has been set up at such and such, and the creator is willing to spend x amount of credits for a lift off.

I too like the idea of a beacon that calls the shuttle.. seems like something a high tech base would have.

When I'm out scouting I see outpost with little shuttles all the time.. if those dim witted swoopers can do it then why can't I?

As far as the vehicle and mount thing.. don't count your eggs before they hatch.

If your on a planet like talus that has 1 or 2 cities and your somewhere in the middle I would prefer the instant travel to having to go all the way back to a base.

As far as vehicles.. right now we don't know how this will be implemented.. who will be able to afford them. what restrictions might be placed on them for travel and terrain ect.. They might require some sort of battery, gas or other fuel that we have to constantly buy or make.. who knows.

How people who play one of the most jacked up classes in SWG can hope that the developers get the vehicles and mounts right.. well kind of reminds me of the kid that keeps putting the paper clip in the wall socket and wonders why he keeps getting zapped..

Or it may be that those of us who are drawn toward the Ranger class are just dreamers by nature..

The way I see it, if creature handlers can wield such insane powers, why can't we? I think all the elite proffessions should have something that makes them stand out. You don't have to set up the shuttle if you dont want to. A one-way shuttle does sound more reasonable tho.

This is an excellent idea. Expand on our steal abilities a bit. While I don't think invisibility from radar is an option, consider this:

Conceal - Hides you from NPC's and also makes your faction show as neutral (Suggestion not fact).

-Ranger travels through a very dangerous area on Dathomir that a group would have died getting through. Ranger sets down his camp. Ranger has one of his groupmates to email his coordinates. Ranger can activate and take a shuttle to the group's location. When the shuttle arrives, the ranger can activate the shuttle to return to the field base once everyone is on-board.

-Ranger conceals and heads towards an Imperial or Rebel player city. Ranger sets up a camp around the perimeter of the city, and shuttles in the rest of his groupmates. This allows for surprise attacks and helps prevent early detection.

None of these scenarios makes us a better combat character directly, but gives us some cool support abilities to use in the scope of the GCW. It also fits into our "theme" as rescue rangers. Imagine if some group is bogged down in combat and is slowing dying. They send out some form of distress call. Our High Tech Field Base is somewhat nearby and picks up the signal. Ranger hops in, touches down in the battlezone, and picks up the survivors and flies them to safety.

Interesting.

First, let me address the point about vehicles and mounts making this idea unsuitable.

I disagree.

Vehicles and mounts aresimilar tohorses from EQ. They offer higher-speed transport on a single planet. You can mount up, ride where you're going, and dismount to do your business. This won't be affected by Ranger Camps much. First off, making a camp has two basic differences:

1) Camps are not portable. Either the Ranger has to get where he's going solo and set up the destination camp each time for people to take a shuttle inbound, or the camp is pretty much just a "starting point" similar to the wizard spires and druid rings of EQ.

2) Camps cannot be built anywhere,requirements must be met before they can be built. A group on Dathomir would probably have to clear out some terrain before they could set up their escape route/arrival plaform.

The proposed Evacuation Shuttle Console (I like that name) is different. It's the equivalent of an EQ "Evac" or "Group Gate"type spell, used to get the group out of their hostile location quickly, or back into a location near (but not in the middle of!) the fighting.

I propose the following limitations to the proposed console:

1) Do not allow consoles to be usable as a destination more than X number of km from an existing shuttle bay or starport. X might be 5, or 10, or 20 (or more), as balancing with vehicle travel times will have to be done. This can be justified rationally - who wants to set a shuttle down in the dead center(pun intended)of the Dathomir wilderness, in the hopes that they can get away before a Rancor 20m away comes by and sees lunch? This reserves a niche for vehicles (transport from Ranger field base to the fight and back, general transport) and also for the console (a waystation, but not a final destination, emergency transport out, but not always free-rides in).

2) Do not allow anyone besides members of the Ranger's group to use the console, either to transport into the base, or back to a town. This prevents one Ranger from selling transportation to the whole server. "Come see Dathomir! Ranger camp near the Dark Jedi Master!" Only members of the Ranger's group should see the field base as a destination at a ticket console. (This can possibly be expanded later, if SWG adopts a "raid" system akin to that of EQ.)

3) All transportation to or from a Ranger camp should be at a significant markup in price over the starport or shuttle transports (Perhaps 10-30% markup). After all, we're talking about a chartered transport shuttle who's going to want danger pay. People will pay for convenience, and this is convenient. It will also have some effect on the money glut the servers are experiencing, as people will be paying for the priviledge of not having to transport to an outpost and ride longer distances through dangerous or hostile territory. (More noticeable once people can't solo their way through Jedi and Dathomir, and especially if large creatures can catch, affect, or damage a vehicle or mount!)

I'm sure I'll think of more later. Thoughts?

This is a GREAT idea

It's a fine idea for people who play in large groups I guess. But I dread being followed around the netherlands of Lok or getting tells out in the middle of nowhere because someone wants to go home also. I'll deal with that if it's something alot of people are interested in, and I can turn off my ranger title, I suppose. But frankly I am more interested in a camp that works, that I can fight from and really use as a base. If this is an extra option, a totally separate type of camp then I fully support it but will more than likely never use it.

How about just adding an Optional component to the Hightech Field Base camps that can be filled with an item that Mechanics (Vehicle Builder elite profession) make for creating speeders and such? This will keep the vehicles/ builders in the picture.

I think it would be neat to have a little mini-launchpad at my field base.

Also, it's my option that there should be a limit to how many groupmembers can use this transport at one time. Maybe two at a time, with a 4 minute wait time between launches? With 50+ minute camps thats enough time to shuttle 20 people somewhere, right? Also makes the camp usefull, but not Instantly so.