Ranger Archive

Heya:

At Master you get +10 Melee and +10 Ranged defenses.

Class defenses definitely depend on what weapon your using. I know this because my wookie TK Master friendwould morph fromtank to kitten whenever he picked up his bowcaster.

So, do Ranger defenses only work when you're throwing a trap? Or do they stack on top of my pistoleer defenses?

BTW, I have no idea why defenses don't stack. I guess it was 'too hard' to kill people, but your characters toughness shouldn't depend on the weapon they're using.

It does seem like I take hits better if I'm trapping and an animal catches up to me. But does anyone know if the defenses are working all the time, or just when you pull a trap, which makes your defenses 'Ranger' defenses?

-- YP

I haven't actually performed a formal test on the Master Ranger defenses, but since reaching Master Ranger I have seen no improvement in my defenses.

I use a rifle exclusively and I seem to get hit just as often as before and for just as much (insane, radioactive) damage.

In my opinion, +10 defense does not strike me as any meaningfull amount when compared to the defense bonuses the combat classes get. It may just be such an insignificant bonus as to be unobservable?..

Someone with more guts and time can do this test. I'm all tested out for awhile.

I think it's actually pretty good, Jova.

At Master Gunfighter I get +7 ranged and melee. In total that's +14 and +14 when you include the stuff from the novice marksman and pistoleer lines, so +10 in both areas in one shot is pretty good.

There is no way I could use traps with a rifle as well as I can a pistol, though. You're a brave man.

-- YP

"Class defenses definitely depend on what weapon your using. I know this because my wookie TK Master friendwould morph fromtank to kitten whenever he picked up his bowcaster."

- When you pick up a Bowcaster, your TK loses the following skill mods:

• Unarmed Toughness


• Unarmed Accuracy


• Unarmed Damage


• Unarmed Speed

- These are what is making your Wookiee such a kitten

- The Ranged and Melee Defense bonuses are not class specific and are supposed to be enabled in all circumstances.

- Now whether they work at all is another question entirely.

Well, NRaas, next time you want to kick a Wookie TK master's butt, throw him a bowcaster. With his kung-fu reflexes he will no doubt catch it, which will then drop all his abilities long enough for you to beat thesnot out of him.

I wasn't really tracking the rate at which I'd get beat up / shot / mauled, but I think the defenses are working. Makes me excited to complete the last bit of Pistoleer and stack on another +7 +7.

Just seeking any observations of other people who think their hides toughened up when they hit Master Ranger, or am I just thinking it happened, like when I'm looking for Jedi missions and I suddenly start seeing clues everywhere.

Honestly, this game provides less hard answers than a PHD in philosophy.

"Wait, that Jawa is levitating! Maybe he's the next clue!"

-- YP

Bow Caster is also considered a rifle so he would take x2.5 melee damage from equipping it. Yet another reason why he turns into a kitten. When I was a master TKA stuff that normally did 300ish to me holding a pistol went below 100ish damage per hit. If I picked up a bowcaster like your friend, I would probably be incapped in two hits =p

I have noticed the melee + range defense bonus, how every small they might be.

When something charges me I swap rifle to pistol or melee weapon. About 80% of the time if I get the NON RIFLE weapon equipped before the 1st hit, I will do some fancy sidestep, and avoid damage, same for blaster fire Now and Then it works.

Basically you can avoid 1-2 damage attacks, better than nothing.

these defenses are mods to how offene u get hit i belive...either way once i hit mster i noticed a LARGE differance

Seiryuu has it right. It does make a small difference (and it works ALL the time, not just when you are wielding traps)but abilities like melee toughness are far more effective. As a freebie at Master Ranger, I'll take it.

BTW, melee defense is just that... defense from melee attacks. It doesn't matter what you are personally wielding as a weapon at the time. If a melee attack is directed at you, it kicks in.

ON THE OTHER HAND, class specific "toughness" abilities DO care what you are wielding at the time hence they all have weapon type names attached to them, i.e. Unarmed, Two-handed, etc.

It's been said through several posts, but to consolodate your friend's position:

- He loses Unarmed Toughness. This is a significant damage reduction at master TKA.
- He takes 2.5 times extra damage by using the rifle.

With these two things, there is a huge gap in the damage being taken. Don't use a rifle in melee combat, it is very unhealthy.

- Melee and Ranged defense only affect your odds of being hit.

For every weapon skill box that you get giving you +10 to accuracy, that +10 defense just negated it. If you notice, there are a lot more +accuracy boxes and mobs have a fairly high innate bonus.

So it does help and might make the difference in a hit or two, but it is not overwhelming (and by rights probably shouldn't be).