Ranger Archive

After going over to the Scouting forum and reading their gripes, I'm now even more certain that there needs to be a clearer definition between a Ranger and Scout (vs the ubiquitious "A ranger is a scout on steroids")

Here's some "official info" on Scouts and Rangers:

"The Scout is an explorer who is capable of locating valuable resources, moving over difficult terrain more quickly, and trapping creatures. Perhaps the most balanced and versatile of all the professions, Scouts are well suited to hit-and-run combat and long-distance treks." - current manual on official site

"Ranger: Adventurer well-suited to travel, tracking, and defending others in combat." - current manual on official site.

So if SOE has defined the class with these ideals in mind... then honestly the Ranger profession should NOT be a Scout on Steroids, but something different than a Scout.

Harvesting Resources, Trapping, Terrain Negotiation, and soloing balance are all defining characteristics and goals of a Master Scout.

or... to paraphrase the official line...

"The Scout is someone who will spend most of their time alone killing creatures and harvesting them for bones and hides and meat while being able to run up and down hills very fast in addition to throwing debuffs on creatures. Perhaps the easiest of all professions to solo with, Scouts are well suited to kiting and running away from creatures that they don't have a chance of killing in a stand up fight."

Now... here's what gets me... they have defined a Ranger as something that I don't even consider it in its present state.

Rangers are well suited to TRAVEL? TRACKING???? and DEFENDING OTHERS IN COMBAT??????

Ok.. ok....hold the phone.... We are well suited to TRACKING?? What the heck is that? Is there a secret Tracking skill I just don't know about yet?

Here's what I think they MEANT to say...

"Rangers are well suited to making big tents, trying to trick red mobs into giving them a little bit of scout xp before a yellow creature spots them, and jumping in front of charging Bols to die so their friend can run away."

Ok before I blow my ranger rick gasket.... lets just focus on one issue at a time...

Travel:
If Scouts are supposed to be able to move over difficult terrain quickly, then they certainly don't define Travel as speed. Master Scouts are just as fast running up and down stuff as Master Rangers... so "run speed" does not equal travel. So what on earth do they mean? Could travel mean that Rangers are well suited to going out into the middle of nowhere where the transports don't fly? How is this different than a Scout? We both make camps... a Master Scout camp doesn't offer any huge difference in effective ability than a Master Ranger camp... so I guess I'm just fuzzled on what on earth they mean by a Ranger is well suited to Travel? Do they intend Rangers to be even more "solo" proficient than other classes? This clearly needs better defining if Rangers are supposed to be "well suited to travel" ... please please please... show us what that means vs a Scout...

Tracking:
Was it just me, or did you freak when you read that? Rangers are supposed to be well suited fortracking??? Does this mean that Rangers = Best hybrid class for being a Bounty Hunter (since they are the only ones that have ANY sort of tracking jobs right now)... but OOPss sorry.. you don't have enough points to be a Master Ranger and an effective Bounty Hunter... doh.. our bad... So what on earth is this "Tracking" that we supposed to be well suited for? Could they POSSIBLY be referring to the "Examine" bonus we get from our Creature Knowledge??? Are they trying to imply that the fact that we can see info on a creature = we have tracked them??? Or are they lumping this with the travel comment and saying that because we can run all over the place, we're more apt to going out and looking for mobs? Or maybe they intended this to mean that Rangers would be the class that you could use to /track (sorry but the devs got confused and thought this was EQ) skill to find creatures in the area..? All I know.. .is that if Rangers are supposed to be defined by their ability to track... SHOW ME THE TRACKING! If you copywriter simply couldn't think of any real difference between a scout and ranger and thought this sounded good... well... its a reach ok.. a real big reach.

Defending Others in Combat:
Now I must admit, that I'd LOVE to have this as something a Ranger is well suited for... but HOW on earth is someone who, as a Master Scout, is supposed to be good at Hit-and-Run combat... supposed to Defend ANYONE in combat just because they are now officially a Ranger Rick? /Rescue you say? We get the /Rescue skill? Oh yeah.. sorry forgot about that one... let me just ask you a simple question.. HAVE YOU EVER USED /RESCUE!?!?!? Yes? Did it work? Did you die? Yes Yes Yes??? Ugh..... so you want to be a Rescue Ranger? You want to step in front of that pissed off Piket Protector to save your buddy? Perhaps what they really need to do is just rename the skill to... /Sacrifice. Look.. I'm all for the /rescue skill... but this skillobviously had a symbiotic relationship with /conceal or is specifically intended for Master Brawlers/Master Rangers, that is now debunked. If you are supposed to defend others in combat... then let us at least live... or have some ability to actually defend OURSELVES in the process.

So is that the real difference between Scouts and Rangers?
If
Scouts = Camping/Harvesting/Movement
and
Rangers = Travel/Tracking/Defending

In my mind, there is some real discrepency between what a Ranger was intended to be and what a Ranger is now at launch. Did /conceal really define the Ranger class and now that it is absent, we're officially faster crawling Scouts with camo tents? Please please please give us back the ability to "Travel" faster than any class... to "Track" (whatever that actually means) and to "Defend others in combat" while actually surviving ourselves.

SOE, please start focusing on making the Ranger proficient at the skills you intended it to have, otherwise we are just sorry excuses for Scouts who have spent too much XP onskills that just give us better looking tents and the ability to go prone! faster... sounds a lot like ranger impotence to me...

-=end rant=-

(for now)

- Zarn

/cheer XionLion

Rangers are basically scouts part 2 with no useful unique skills and a few broken ones.

I totally agree - something must be done with this class.

Why all adv. classes have plenty of new skills? And we have 2 traps (not that goodanyway ), rescue skill - and 3 new camps.

XionLion,

Good stuff. I hope it gets read by _someone_ other than us. It would be a shame to never hear direct answers to the direct questions you pose.

Longleon

yep

Ranger should be more then a Scout. One example, more resources from a creature. NOT more of a resource (pfffft, big woop there), more resources. Meat, bone, hide, sinew, perhaps other things... (mind is a blank atm)...and 1) fix the "Several Scouts can havest multiple resources" bit or 2) let Ranges do 2, 3 or all with experience... and FIX THE TRAPS. And why can't we get better bonuses for surveying? And....

OMG, I'm a WHINER

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

/agree

/agree

You bring up a lot of good points. Bravo and maybe one day rangers will be more than a improved scout with a silly rescue skill.