Ranger Archive

Warning: Long Post!

I'm an MCH and my best friend is a Master Ranger. I've been reading the CU docs, and I really feel like you Rangers are getting the shaft. I think it's time Rangers were something more than resource collectors. It's your profession, though, so tell me what you think.

This submission actually applies to two of the In Concept posts: Combat Upgrade: Profession Roles Overview and In Concept:Mounts Unleashed.

I have two concerns with the CU in regards to Creaure Handler and Ranger:

• The Creature Handler role is not defined because their contribution is based on the type and effectiveness of the pet they use.


• The Ranger profession is not even mentioned as a contributing combat role.

I have an idea that would involve and ultimately benefit a number of professions and give Ranger a role in the world of combat. There are some basic profession changes that would have to go into effect for the following system to work:

• Bio-Engineers would no longer be able to create pets.


• Creature Handlers would only be able to sell pets to Bio-Engineers. However, an MCH can give/sell a pet to another MCH using the "Transfer" command.


• The number of pets that could be stored by a Non-CH player would be 3. The number of pets they can have out at one time would remain at 1.


• The max level of pets that could be controlled by a Non-CH player would be 30. This could start at 10 with new folks and gradually increase to 30 when the player reaches a Master Elite Profession.

With those base rules in effect, the following player pet/mount system would evolve:

1. Creature Handler - Obtains baby creatures from the field in accordance with their current skill level. The CH then sells the creature(s) to a Bio-Engineer.


2. Bio-Engineer - The BE can then do one of two things. Deed the creature as a pet and put it up for sale as is, or "enhance" the pet prior to deeding. The enhancing skill would be similar to the slicing skill used by Smugglers. A BE could enhance a pet in one of three categories: Health, Damage, or Speed. Unlike Smuggler, the enhancing skill would not be random, allowing the BE to choose which category he/she wants to enhance. Only one attribute could be enhanced, and only one attempt could be made per creature. The success and quality of the enhancement would be based on the skill level of the BE, the quality of materials used in the crafting of the "enhancing compound", and a random success/failure factor. Special resistances and combat specials would no longer be controlled by the BE and would depend entirely on the type of creature tamed. If a CH has a pet that they want to keep for themselves, they could give it to a BE to be enhanced for a fee and then returned without deeding. Enhanced pets would be illegal under Imperial Cloning Laws and could be discovered during searches.


3. Players - Players would purchase pets from the BE and then take them to a CH to be trained. The higher the level of the CH used, the more skills the pet could be given for use by the player. I imagine a fee applying on a "per skill" basis with the player only paying for the skilss he/she wants the pet to have. After a pet is trained, players should be able to alter the commands for the skills the pet knows to their liking, inlcuding changing the pet's name. If they want a new pet skill, however, they would have to return to a CH.

If the pet is not one that can be used as a mount, the system ends here. If the pet can be used as a mount, the system moves further:

There would be 12 species of pets that could be used as mounts and would fall into three categories. The pets listed are just examples and could be changed to others. However, the key issue is that creatures used should be those with numerous variations. Dewbacks are a perfect example. With the numerous variations of dewback available, a new player could buy a weaker one like the lesser dewback for much less than an experienced player would pay for a stronger one. For this reason, baby spawns for high-level mounts should be limited, making them rare and valuable. The use of species with numerous variations like the dewback would allow for more player options while minimizing impact on the game programmers since dewbacks, while varied in strength, are all graphically similar. A saddle for a lesser dewback would be the same as a saddle for a grizzled dewback.

The categories for mounts would be:

Health Tanks:

Dewbacks
Banthas
Bols
Brackasets

Health: High - Can take a lot of damage.
Damage: Medium - Inflicts medium damage with only on special.
Speed: Slow - These pets would not be optimal for travel and would move only slightly faster than a running player at a gallop.

Damage Dealers:

Gurreck or other large "cat" type creature
Blurrg
Nightspider or other "spider" type creature
Reptilian Flier or other "avian" type creature

Health: Medium - Can take an average amount of damage.
Damage: High - Inflicts high damage with two specials.
Speed: Medium - Could be used for travel, but would only do landspeeder speed at a gallop.

Speed Demons:

Kaadus
Carrion Spats
Cu Pas
Tybis or other "horse" type creature

Health: Low - Can take very little damage.
Damage: Low - Inflicts very little damage and has no specials.
Speed: High - Can move at speederbike speed at a gallop.

With the mount tamed, enhanced, purchased and trained, the player continues through the process.

1. Tailor - Tailors will craft saddles for mounts. A mount must be equipped with a saddle before it can be ridden. There will be three types of saddles available and will be specific to each category: Heavy for Health Tanks, Medium for Damage Dealers, and Light for Speed Demons. All three saddle types will have storage like backpacks. The amount of storage will vary with the saddle type. A bantha with a heavy saddle could carry much more than a cu pa with a light saddle. Any item stored in a saddle would only be accessible by a player if they have the mount out.


2. Armorsmiths - Mount armor could be bought and equipped by players and would work under the same system currently proposed by the CU for player armor. However, the qualityof armor would be based on the level of the player and not the mount. A player with a certification for advanced armor could also equip their mount, regardless of level, with advanced armor. A PSG could also be used with a mount. In addition to the rules of armor for players, equipping a mount with armor would negatively effect the mount's speed and reduce its storage capabilites.


3. Weaponsmiths - Mounts in the Health Tank category would have the capability of being equipped with heavy weapons. The number and types of weapons that could be used would have to be determined. Rocket launcers, flamethrowers, and aheavy duty "machine gun" type blasterare three possibilites.


4. Commandoes - A Heavy Saddle would have to be altered by a Commando before it could be equipped with a heavy weapon. Tailors could have this done pre-sale, to increase the saddle value, or a player could buy an unaltered saddle and have a Commando friend alter if for them later.

With this mount development system in place, we can now look at several key points in regards to the use of mounts in combat, the Rangers' participation in the mount system, and the Rangers' contribution to combat.

• The base profession requirements for Ranger should be reduced to just two skill branches to fall in line with the other professions. The two Scout branches not used by Creature Handler would prevent overlap.


• Because baby spawns of high-level mounts would be limited, Rangers would be essential to finding them. This would encourage Creature Handlers to contract the assistance of Rangers (a portion of sales to BEs) or pursue their own Ranger tracking skills.


• All actions that can be done by a player on foot can be done from a mount. As it is now, you can't even have a conversation with an NPC while mounted. Players would be more likely to choose a mount over their speeder if they didn't have to dismount to carry out tasks or use combat specials. Additionally, a player on a mount should be able to attack while swimming. Not only does this make sense in regards to realism, but it would also offer a combat advantage to being mounted.


• Allowing non-CH players to store up to three pets would allow them to have all three types of mounts and call the one suited to their current gameplay. However, pets cannot be called once combat is initiated. If you had your speedy cu pa out for travel and get jumped by a squad of Stormtroopers with an AT-ST, it's loo late to pull out your rocket launcer equipped bantha.


• Using a weapon on a moving mount with decrease your chances of being hit, but only slightly decrease your chances of hitting your target. In other words, you won't receive the entire accuracy penalty for shooting on the fly, but your opponent will receivea largepenalty for trying to hit a moving target. This penalty will be respective to the category of mount. Shooting from a moving bantha will give you a high chance of hitting your target, but your opponent will suffer only a slight penalty for trying to hit a moving target since banthas are big and slow. Shooting from a moving cu pa will greatly decrease your chances of hitting your target, but your opponent will also suffer the full penalty for trying to hit a moving target since cu pas are small and fast. However, your chances of hitting your target even from a Speed Demon will always be higher than trying tohit your targetwhile running on foot.


• The damage from attacks directed at a mounted player will be absorbed almost entirely by the mount. In order to get to the player, the mount must be incapped, knocked down, or the player must dismount. In the combat system proposed by CU, this would make Pikemen and Pistoleers (attacker control and modifiers) essential in knocking down a mount and thereby dismounting its rider. A set time delay would prevent the player from getting back on the mount after its recovery from a knock down or incap, during which time the rider is vulnerable to attack.


• Health Tanks would require several successful attacks to incapacitate, but would be relatively easy to hit. Speed Demons would only require a few successful attacks to incapacitate, but would be difficult to hit if they are moving. Damage Dealers would fall in the middle.


• A rider on a mount equipped with a heavy weapon would only be able to use the heavy weapon. If they equip their personal weapon, the heavy weapon would be disabled.


• A mount equipped with a heavy weapon would do considerable damage when used at its optimal range. However, if combat were reduced to melee range, the heavy weapon would be rendered nearly useless. Since the slow Health Tank mount could not likely outrun the melee attacer(s) to increase distance, the mounted rider would either have to rely on the mount's melee ability (medium for Health Tanks) or equip their personal weapon to fend off the attacker(s).


• The Ranger contribution to combat would be focused on mounts and pets. The traps that they currently use on wild animals would also be effective on mounts and pets with a slightly higher failure rate. For heavy weapon equipped Health Tanks, any Ranger trap that freezes the animal in place would also disable the heavy weapon and make the mount vulnerable to a knockdown by players with that special ability.


• Because mounts would basically provide their riders with a second health bar (damage goes to mount first, then player) and also pose the possible threat of a heavy weapon, Rangers would be essential for eliminating mounts. This would require a change to the game, though. If the mount system were put into effect, the need for Rangers in PvP would develop itself. However, there are currently no pets or mounts in PvE, so the Ranger has no contribution for a group. Stormtroopers on dewbacks, Rebels on cu pas, Tusken Raiders on banthas, Nightsisters on rancors, etc. would have to be incorporated into PvE to make Rangers necessary to groups.


• Now imagine a player/NPC is sitting on a flamethrower equipped dewback and really letting your group have it. The dewback is pretty strong, so it's taking a while to wear him down, and you still have the player/NPC to deal with when you're done. In steps our trusty Ranger who tosses a trap. The dewback is instantly frozen in place and the flamethrower is disabled. The mounted player/NPC now has two choices: dismount and try to deal with your group on his own (making him vulnerable to attack) or try to wait out the duration of the trap, hoping the dewback still has enough health bar left to continue the fight. If I'm dealing with a Stormtrooper base with 6 heavy weapon equipped dewbacks patrolling the walls. I'm calling a Ranger. A Ranger/Commando combination would be essential for taking out heavy mounts.

Message Edited by CG_Cowboy on 04-01-2005 05:40 AM

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BioEngine wrote:

Cudos to the patience to make a long post, my friend.

I would still like to know why we have to hit and damage bonuses, traps that can be used in combat, and defense bonuses against creatures if we aren't supposed to use them in combat. Combat Upgrade? It should be renamed, because that is becoming a bold-faced lie if anything.

Rabideko, Texas Ranger of Guild NOVA

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A Texas Ranger guild? THAT is an awesome idea. Never noticed that in your sigline before.

Being from and still living in Texas, I've always been a Texas Ranger fan (the law enforcement agency). But am also an avid baseball fan.

Anyways, just wanted to say... cooool.


Plunk

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FourthNail wrote:

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BioEngine wrote:

Cudos to the patience to make a long post, my friend.

I would still like to know why we have to hit and damage bonuses, traps that can be used in combat, and defense bonuses against creatures if we aren't supposed to use them in combat. Combat Upgrade? It should be renamed, because that is becoming a bold-faced lie if anything.

Rabideko, Texas Ranger of Guild NOVA

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A Texas Ranger guild? THAT is an awesome idea. Never noticed that in your sigline before.

Being from and still living in Texas, I've always been a Texas Ranger fan (the law enforcement agency). But am also an avid baseball fan.

Anyways, just wanted to say... cooool.


Plunk

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Sigh..if you were only on Sunrunner.........

Texas Ranger fan for life. Even live 5 miles from stadium...