Ranger Archive
Thread: Group Hunting 101....
All though hunting with a group can be fun and exciting, it appears to me that there always seems to be a trigger-happy player who ends up getting everyone killed and causing a lot of downtime.
A disciplined group of hunters can maximize the time used hunting by following some basic rules of thumb. By following these simple guidelines, you can get the most exp and resources during your hunts without wasting a lot of time running back and forth between the clone machine, or constantly camping trying to heal wounds.
This becomes especially important while hunting on the advanced planets where death lurks behind every hill!
I would like to propose a set of hunting 'rules of thumb', so to say, that we could email to folks wishing to join the group for hunting. While you may say that these are common sense, I'm constantly surprised by advanced players who don't seem to (or maybe they just don't want to) know how to hunt - period, or how to hunt in a group without getting everyone killed.
The message needs to be short enough to fit in the limited in-game email space.
Here is what I've started with, comment as necessary - I've added mine in the brackets [].
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Greetings!
We welcome you to our hunting party, but to maximize the hunt and minimize our deaths, we ask that you follow these simple guidelines:
1) The basic process of clearing a lair is simple. Clear the beasties outside the lair first. Then tap the lair until it spawns one beastie and immediately stop shooting (more will spawn). Clear the outside of spawned beasties again, rinse and repeat until the lair spawns no more.
[Again I'm surprised at the number of peeps that just run up to a lair and start shooting it!]
2) If we are doing missions, we ask that you select animals only - we hunt for resources.
[Personally, I don't hunt npcs, I have enough to fight out there without having to worry about a bunch of npcs aggroing me while I'm getting bit by a beastie. Obviously, this might be different for your particular group]
3) When we reach a lair, only one person is designated to pull (usually the leader)! If more than one beastie aggros, pick a different mob than the puller!! As the puller, healthshot is a great "lure" since it takes a few seconds for the beastie to realize it is bleeding and then comes after you.
[Nothing is more frustrating than having a bunch of high level beasties bearing down on the group because of some trigger-happy player. Obviously, if the mobs rally, that can't be helped, which is why everyone then needs to grab a different target.]
4) Only one person performs the first tap on the nest! The first tap usually causes a relatively quick spawn. As soon as it spawns - hit peace and target an mob.
[After that it takes a while until the next spawn. During that time more peeps can help tap to share the exp, but need to immediately stop when it spawns.]
5) Save yourself or someone else using "Warning Shot"!
[So many peeps forget about this basic shot that can keep a beastie at bay long enough to escape or recoup.]
6) Slow/stop your target with "Suppression Fire".
[Another very effective shot that is under-used. Causes the mob to fall to its knees or even prone position - providing you time to regain your composure.]
7) Don't forget to use traps.
[Even though our traps may not always work as we would like, with enough peeps throwing traps, something has to 'stick'!]
8) Always Maskscent or Conceal! This helps with pulling beasties as well as preventing inadvertent aggros.
[Yeah, I know!! They break a lot and don't last as long as we would like, but so far it is better than nothing.]
9) Above all, listen to your group leader.
Thanks for understanding and enjoy the hunt!
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These are just some initial thoughts and I know it needs to be whittled down to email size.
Great ideas, many of which my group and I have already incorporated and use.
Another thing I have noticed... Some lairs are basically xp gold mines. You can't tell which ones, nor are they the same time after time. Example - I was out looking for herbie meat - I find some paralopes, fairly low yield but meat is meat. I tag the outside animals, tap the lair... before I was done it looked like a war zone. The lair spawned no less than 40 stupid 'lopes, two or three at a time. Low pistol xp, decent scout xp, but a goldmine basically for me harvesting (40 x 8) without moving at all. Same thing the other night on a wrix lair, I swear we killed a minimum of 25, probably closer to 30, before the lair quit spawning. Great weapons xp for all. If you are out for xp, and even though I am Master Ranger, I am still working on Pistoleer, give the lairs a chance to spawn out.
Again, great ideas.
JB
who admits he said "They are only wrix, we can take 'em"
Great rules, you are correct that many people don't know how to hunt. For a while I couldn't find a good hunting party. Until I ran into a very organized and fun guild which I'm now a member of. Here are a couple of rules Quoted From Kryibacca's Guide to Hunting Parties. With a few of my own added in. If I'm not hunting with my guild anyone that wishes to hunt with me need to follow the below rules.
1. Determine which mob will be taken first, when combat starts, don't target anything else unless it aggros on you or another group member.
2. Determine your puller first. That way the medics know who to back up. Medics should be with or near the puller (who should not be the type to kite in circles).
3. All of the group should be ready, healed, and equipped before battle starts.
4. Medics should watch for incaps, especially when fighting mobs who DB.
5. Warning shot the mob when someone gets incapped, so a medic has a chance to heal them.
6. Don't run away from combat, into the hands of an aggro group of mobs, and then run back into your first combat zone.
7. Medics, Scouts, Rangers and Artisans need resources. Announce your need when the group is formed. Harvesting should always be rotated, as should camp setup. (No longer applies)
8. Ninja Harvesting should not allowed. Ninjas should be disbanded, and refused healing If My definition of Ninja harvest is the repetitive theft of resources from the mobs, without thought for others in your group. (No longer applies)
If there is more than one scout, resource harvest MUST be shared. (No longer applies)
9. Same for looting if you are fighting NPCs. Loot from NPCs should be announced to the group. (No longer applies)
10. Loose cannons are a liability. If the group is hunting a sizeable herd, and they are popping regularly, do NOT take out the lair. Doing so will get you removed from the group, and you will not be healed by group medics. Do NOT attack other mobs than the puller's target. Do NOT attack NPCs when hunting creatures, unless the group determines they are a threat.
11. When the group is traveling, let the leader know if you have any high faction problems. This will allow him or her to avoid a faction battle, such as thugs, Jawas (Sty), Jabbas gang, etc.
I'm going to also add a few things to think about.
Find out who is has medic skills who has armor, even show them some armor macro's for fast armor on and off (mine even equips my pistol for saftey reasons)
This can apply to all groups but I'm gonna throw up this example group as basegroup.
Example Group : 2 Riflemen, 2 Carbineers, 2 Pistoleers, 2 Bounty Hunters/smugglers , 1 Swordsman, 1 TKA
Know Your Role and your teams weapons. Work with the puller. This is very important for newer players and vet's alike. Too many times I've seen groups just spam specials away at something only to almost kill it or kill it with half of one pool left. Its a waste of time and effort on everyone.
Consider what weapons everyone is using and what specials, Ask them , ask the leader. You'll get a lot of **edit**, just shoot type comments but in the end. I all works out well.
Rilfeman = Mind
Carb= Action
Pistol = Health
Can some one add In what melee classes do? (Sorry my memory is shot and I won't post something wrong)
As for knockdown/suppression fire. As Leader or group member ask that 1 or 2 people that have it use it, 30 sec rule. 2 people one to cover if the other misses.
THAT fabled 1st shot. Death to all or Great shot. (aka Know your Target)
Actually Against a non BAF creature with high ham 7-9k range, a rifleman with concealed shot is a good 1st shooter
Why, Concealed shot you can fire untill you miss. (most of the time) It hits a random pool and If your using a good rifle you can do a quick 2k damage to a random pool. That way the group instantaly knows what pool to target, The creature still hasn't aggroed yet and the chaos can begin.
For BAF groups, Have everyone get out there little pets and set them on guard, the Creature Handlers send in its big guns to the pullers Target and cycle targets like mad,
Rifleman are extremely weak in this area due to melee damage modifers and distance are no longer helpfull, brake out a spraystick and use it .
Speed is the key here, Kill them as fast as possible, bleed here, cycle , another bleed, Its a battle royal. But with enough practice it can be an awe inspiring sight.
BAF groups kinda throw a monkey Wrench into anything planned and are often the hardest thing to battle while grouped. (Capper Guards/Queens for example)
Now I know its not always easy to get the same crew for hunting, but if you can it helps a ton. I've hunted enough times now with members of my pa that pretty much we all know what each person is gonna do. now and then the leader will call off some shots.
Hopefully this will be a nice addition to your Hunting 101 Post.
Thanks Folks!!
All great comments/rules. Now if I can just condense this all in one itty-bitty email!!!!
I'd like to comment/add a few points...
After you have initially cleared a fresh lair, all you really need to do it tap it once and peace right away, no waiting on the critter, in fact, it's best not to wait. Usually the initial number of critters is 20 for natural, 10 for missions (that might have chaged recently).Once you tap it you might want to pull back (outside of detection range) but it's not critical if you was out pretty far already. They lair will use up it's own hitpoints to spit out critters. This is typically 5. You can choose at this piont to kill them as they pop up or wait till all 5 are spit out. You will need to tap once more and wait. Max is usually 20 (mission) to30 (natural) critter.
as an answer for Glaza-X:
Rifleman-2 handed (mind)
Pistoler-1 handed (health)
Carbineer-Polearm (action)
this would be the complimentry brawler combos