Ranger Archive

This game was made for grouping. I have been fighting it for 10 weeks, but you know what? Everytime I join a group I have more fun than a week of soloing combined. And not surpisingly, we tackle harder planets much more successfully and I double my XP for a given night.

I went out last night with 20 guys and had so much fun, I'm going to ask if I can join their PA. For everyone that says "I can't group, I don't know anyone, I'm on at sporadic hours, etc" a PA is just what you need. Because on any given night, at widely varying hours, you'll be able to find fellow PA members to join you.

Have you noticed how much better it is to hunt with a combat medic watching your back? Or a Doctor healing your poison orraising your sorry incapped arse? Do you know the feeling of having your head handed to you by some behemoth and being able to type 4 letters -- 'help' -- and seeing 10 buddies suddenly lighting up whatever it was that was about to drop you?

But the best thing of all is being a vital part of a working unit. It is human nature to seek validation within a community. How good does it feel when the Group Leader turns to you and says "We're beat up pretty bad, can you put up a camp?" It makes my whole night. Sure, camps are boring and stupid to you, you've spent a million hours in them. But for players that can't, well, you just saved them a 4000m run to town and back.

We hunted on Lok last night (and you haven't played this game until you have, it was my first time) and I was peppered with questions about camo kits. Now unfortunately my answer was that they're more trouble than benefit ... but it might not always be that way.

I strongly urge the hermits in the ranger community to play this game the way it was meant to be played, with friends. If you don't have many yet, you'll be suprised at how easy it is if you hook up with an organized group. I know many people avoid associations because they don't want somebody else's baggage weighing them down. Who does? But you can be as much or aslittle as you want within your group.

Good groups are hard to come by (for me). I've been in some pretty bad ones and have soured be to it. I try to go with people I trust now, or so many it don't matter. It's hard for me to find a good group on cue and I have to make a living so I solo 80% fo the time...

Speaking of which, I'm still willing to to some group hunting if you are Eclipse (I'm in CDT tho, I'm at work whenyou GMTEuropians are on and you guys go to bed when I get home )

I, too have had lots of fun grouping lately, as opposed to my standard soloing efforts. It's fun to see just what beasties you can take down solo, but there's definitely a lot of fun to be had in groups as well. When hunting beasties, areatrack can be helpful, as are our camps. I find trapping is well-regarded as well for really tough critters. You can bring a lot to a group, and get loads more harvests doing that. Lots of fun! '

The only drawback I've found is that groups don't really explore that often. They'll pick a popular destination and go there. They may beat down a trail to the Lok volcano, but soloing is the only way to get out and see some of the really random scenery. I like to balance it. When I'm feeling adventurous, I can solo. When I want to socialize, I can do that as well.

ooops (edit button please) that should have read "...have soured to it (hunting in a group)."

I gotta agree, good groups are fun. Bad groups just suck.

A good group consists of people who know what their job is and how to do it. The medic heals, the Rangers examine and share info and harvest, the shooters shoot, the creature handlers run the tanks. You all work as a team, things go well,and there is a ton of xp.

A bad group. One clown is too busy messing with some stuff he just found to pay attention and he gets left at the starport. Sigh, you wait for him. Ooops, another forgot to clone. Who said get missions to the East, mine are West. Ok, you find a target... and everyone is firing at a different target, with heat weapons, and the beasties are 50% heat resistant. The medic is too busy shooting to heal, but thats OK, you will all meet at the cloner, then spend 45 mins waiting on someone to heal mindwounds in the cantina (no entertainers).

Been in both, ran out on the bad, quickly. Left one lad in the middle of BFE (if ya don't know where that is, too bad) just because he was such a bonehead. Yeah, two of us tanked, died on purpose, and left Junior out there by his lonely self. Took him 5 minutes to notice we were gone too. Talk about attention deficiet.

I love good group, hate bad ones. Mainly been doing the solo act, finally got me a tank, or three. Would much rather go with a group tho, the wisecracks are worth it.

JB

And yes, I was the one who said to the group, well hell, hey are only wrix, lets do it... 30 wrix later... massive xp tho