Ranger Archive

Greetings all, here's my first post on creating an idea list for rangers. These are only ones I've thought of during my travels as a Master Ranger and may differ from others, but I'm trying to be as objective as possible and not get sidetracked, hehe...

Camouflage

In it's current state, I'm not really sure how effective camouflage stats are when in consideration to surrounding aggressive mobs/lairs. Maskcent works pretty good most of the time and sometimes is broken by the non-aggressive creature (and then being attacked by said target).

IDEA: make the /camouflage command work with camps and the individual ranger. I don't see why a ranger in SWG can't render himself or his camp virtually invisible to creatures as well as players/NPC players. My suggestion would simply allow a ranger to render himself invisible on the radar to other players, including group members, as long as he's not moving. This enables me to crawl into a bush, camouflage myself, maskcent myself, and then do my "scouting" on the imperial base or creature lair without being ever seen or trackable by "npc" creatures/players. We can't climb trees to scout out further for more LOS, and there aren't any real "tunnels" so hiding in bushes/treelines are really the only benefit as far as foliage is concerned.

This idea doesn't at all change the appearance of a camp or the ranger when camouflaged. When a camp is camouflaged, you don't see drapes of common flora hanging off the sides (although that'd definitely be a nice touch), it would just render those inside the boundaries of a valid and working camp invisible on the radar. This makes camps in raiding a lot more viable as well as making LOS required for creatures detecting someone out in the wild. When the ranger is camouflaged outside, in a bush per se, gathering intel on troop movements, perhaps the only movement he can do is crawl to a vantage point and then crawl back out, negating camouflage if he stands up, is engaged by someone clicking on him on-screen, or if he removes camouflage himself.

LOS

LOS plays a key role in just about every first/third person game out there. In SWG, it should be no different. The physics of gunfire should not allow for "bullet packets" to travel through the top foot of a mountainous curve simply because the target is over the top and going down the other side. I'm not asking for per-pixel hit detection, but if all you can see is my head because I'm on the down-side and you're still coming up (terrain negotiation in effect), then the only shot you can do is a head shot (mind pool), etc...but even that's not the real suggestion here. If I'm masked/camouflaged and crawling on the top slope of a mountain/hill, detection should be based on LOS of a moving target in coupling with "scenting". As for "human" NPCs, it should be strictly based on LOS, and not just a random dice roll that loses most of the time. If I camouflage under a bush and am crawling, knowing there's wind already out there, it would be next to impossible to detect me moving 3 inches to the right if I'm on the ground, on the down-slope of a hill going under a bush behind and to the right of a tree. This couples with IDEA #1.

IDEA: make LOS for detection of camouflage/maskscent more of the key factor rather than a creature scenting (if experience is questioned, why do I as a master ranger still get aggroed by a hermit spider?) or by a human NPC detecting my movements behind a hill with him 50m out and turned the other way.

Entertainers in a camp

Many entertainers have been in my camps. Providing the HTFBK gives the maximum heal ratio and offers the most in the line of room, keeping aggressive mobs out, and both crafting stations. It's even got glass tables, chairs with jets, potted plants, the biggest dome you've seen cover a camp, a single fire, cots, and somewhere it's supposed to have a surgical droid but considering medics can heal in a camp, that's ok.

So my question is, why can't entertainers heal BF in a camp? It can't *possibly* be the argument "we want you to go back to town". I always will go back to town. Always. I have to hit the bank, go to the bazaar, meet friends in starports, go to other planets, you name it. I shouldn't have to go back to town just because I'm forced to hit the cantina to bring down 100+ BF. In my mind, that's what it is, forced cantina visits. Maybe entertainers then would actually go out into the wilds more often, knowing a scout/ranger can provide a camp where BF, and not just mind wounds, are healed. This helps two professions at once. Scouts and rangers are actually needed for a camp as well as entertainers now can do their thing out in the field and not just a cantina. It also adds more to the RP environment knowing a group is out in BFE, getting things done, and healing up/resting amidst the protection of a sizable camp. Too many groups I see where you have six/seven professions but no entertainers.

IDEA: make a scalable reduction of entertainer-healed BF in a camp. A scout's camp provides a 30% reduction in an entertainer's ability to heal BF and a ranger's camp may be 15% reduction. This makes the entertainer dance longer but if a medic is around, they can heal the entertainer's action. It also gathers a bit more experience for the scout/ranger because the duration and healing of their camp is higher. Overall, this makes me, as a ranger providing the best camp out in the field, feel more "with" the group and not just providing a temporary joint for 2 minutes of healing before I disband the camp, as well as giving entertainers the full ability to be with a group out in the field, knowing their services are required as well. I would tip an entertainer 5x the normal amount if they were hanging out and healing BF outside of a cantina but with the current model, such is not the case.

These are my ideas...they may be laughable, they may be good, some may not like them, and others might. In the end, I love playing a Master Ranger. I just want to see the current ranger/scout model improve a bit so that said professions are key when out in the field. Thank you for your time.

"Camoflauge"

- In its current state, /conceal has been noted as quite ineffective... This is an issue, and will be resolved eventually.

"My suggestion would simply allow a ranger to render himself invisible on the radar to other players, including group members, as long as he's not moving."

- The main point being you can't move/attack during this invisibility... Once you do, any player can unconceal you immediately.

- I have heard this suggested before... I'll add it to the list.

"Line of Sight"

- This is a technical issue related to the entire game system.

- I don't really know where you would bring up system wide problems, other than the Discussion forum. Good Luck.

"why can't entertainers heal BF in a camp?"

- This has been a hotly contested issue for quite some time.

-The Entertainer community is divided on whether this would be an improvement, or a detriment.

- It has been suggested thatthis ability be part ofNovice Dancers / Musicians, rather than Novice Entertainer.

Another idea I thought of just recently while reading other posts in here.

Camps

The HTFBK is definitely the biggest camp out there, outsizing a small house that an Artisan can make. However, camps of any size, aren't permanent at all. This is understandable, especially considering a big group is wandering around God knows where on a planet and has to rest sometime, but move on. A ranger by himself or herself will want to have a house as well, but isn't going to go to an artisan to have it built. If they can build traps and build camps, they most definitely could build a small and "cozy" (lack of a better term) abode out in the woods.

IDEA: give master rangers the ability to "build" a small but efficient "cabin" of sorts that has the same heal rate as the HTFBK but no crafting stations. Make it sizable enough for at least 3 people to be in it, but it could be a single large room with two containers to store stuff in (and hence abide by the same rules as a house for permissions/etc). Instead of costing credits to maintain, it could be maintained by providing a pool of bone and hide for the exterior/interior holdings as well as meat for the heal ratio (if your meat quality is 1-499, the ratio is 0.6, if it's 500-799, it's 0.8, if it's 800+, it's 1.0).

This gives the ranger, using nothing but currently-held skills, the ability to forge their own building and have the same measures of maintenance, just on what they use, etc. I think it'd be a viable option, anyways.

"give master rangers the ability to "build" a small but efficient "cabin" of sorts "

- This has already been suggested in a slightly different form, and is in the State of the Profession list available via my link.