Ranger Archive

• Droid Engineer (nothing to do with droids in Artisan, which makes this vastly different from it)


• Weaponsmith (while weapons can be crafted in novice artisan, nothing comes close to the range and multitude of craftable weapons at weaponsmith.)


• Armorsmith (same as weaponsmith)


• Tailor (the variety of options for crafting here makes it, again, vastly different than artisan)


• Chef (same as above)


• Merchant (lame as anything, but still much different than artisan)

Brawler

• Fencer (you don't go around saying you are just really good at one handed weapons. Your skills are greatly superior to the one handed tree)


• TKA (same as fencer, you dont go around saying you are just really good at unarmed combat. You get the use of VK's and some awesome attacks)


• Swordsman (again, same as fencer and TKA, you are much more advanced.)


• Pikeman (again, same as above. Though they can't hit the broadside of a barn, they are still much different than the polearms tree)


• Smuggler (you can slice weapons, craft spices, and get the ability to avoid Imperial Scans. Sounds a lot different than Brawler.)

Marksman

• Rifleman, Pistoleer, Carbineer (basically the same as the above mentioned Brawler tree.)


• Can branch off to Squad Leader (I'll get to that one later)


• Master Marksman can branch off to....


• Bounty Hunter (VASTLY different from anything in Marksman)


• Commando (see above statement)


• Smuggler (see above notes in Brawler tree)

Medic

• Doctor (I never hear any doctors complaining that they are just Super Medics, so it seems they are happy with their role in the galaxy as it is clearly defined)


• Combat Medic (I could go on and on as to what I would like the Combat Medic to be, but it is still NOT a super Medic, so again, vastly different)


• Bio Engineer (you can craft Bio engineered pets. Sounds a lot different than Medic to me.)

Entertainer

• Dancer (not much different from the dancer tree in entertainer, but they do get buffs and some nice effects)


• Musician (same as above)


• Image Designer (more options, but really not that much difference. They are getting a revamp however)


• The difference with the Entertainer professions is that the Devs have stated that they are SOCIAL professions. They serve the exact purpose they were brought into game for and while they can definitely be beefed up, they are currently fullfilling their purpose.

Scout

• Creature Handler (No where in the scouting profession can you tame and control pets. so it is obviously different)


• Squad Leader (it may be busted and totally useless, but the skills and abilities obtained are very different from Scout)


• Bio Engineer (see above notes in the Doctor skill tree)


• Bounty Hunter (see above notes)


• And finally we come to Master Ranger

Master Ranger can

• craft traps (no different than scouts. Just less variety and weaker)


• Craft camps (no different other than the aesthetics of it)


• Harvest (no different than scout, we can just harvest a little bit more)


• Camo (mask scent anyone. I would rather just use that over camo any day)


• Areatrack (ok. so thats different. We can track NPC's, Players, and creatures.)

Now I am not saying anything new here. Everyone knows all this, I'm sure. But I just find it interesting that we really are no different than the Entertainer Professions. We are just enhanced versions of thescout profession. That bothers me. I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I would rather not be simply a Super Scout. I would like to be more than that. As it stands right now, our only purpose seems to be as meat gatherers. Since we seem to be modeled after the fantasy realms version of a Ranger, why can't we be more like that? I don't recall ever reading about Aragorn or Drizz't running around hunting creatures for their hides and meat so they could make a living. They did those things to protect the populace from harm. They were masters of their environment and could track anything and knew its strengths and weaknesses and knew just how to kill it. If you stepped into their environment you became their b!tch. They would own you. As it stands right now, we look like buffoons cause a frickin Bounty Hunter is better able to do our job than we are!

This idea just hit me. Why not take our current harvesting bonus, traps, and terrain negotiation and give that to the Scouts? I mean face it, the people who take novice scout and master it along with two other combat professions can harvest a lot more than us and perhaps enjoy doing it. I didn't take ranger just so I could be a meat gatherer. We are really no better than cavemen right now. I know this is probably going to start an uproar, but understand, I just want this profession to amount to something more than just meat gatherers. Anyway, this is just me venting, so take it with a grain of salt, but consider this. Do you really want to just be an enhanced scout?

Message Edited by RohmEnari on 03-24-2004 04:33 PM

I think the Outdoorsman nicely differentiates us from Scouts. While we would still have many scouting skills we would also get a lot of stuff that you don't really see in scout. Elite professions build upon their basics. They don't completely change them. An elite artisan (not counting Merchant) still crafts stuff. A Doctor still heals people. A BH still kills stuff. But we do need help and we are trying to get it. The harvesting levels are just a stepping stone. They are not all that we want but they are by far the easiest thing to fix. If we can't get them to change something that small now then I don't think we have much hope.

Lythender Nirou
Master Ranger/Master Rifleman
Eclipse Server

Message Edited by RohmEnari on 03-24-2004 03:16 PM

Message Edited by RohmEnari on 03-24-2004 04:39 PM

Good post really. Don't know why you don't like it, it sums it up nicely. We need to be elite, we are not. The comparison is nice to look at, and I think you have a point.


Big-Mac, Kettemoor Ranger/Creature Handler

Yes we have all heard this before, BUT I don't know if anyone has tried to show the difference between the elite professions and their starting profession roots. It is interesting that we are most similar to the entertainment professions, but the elite versions still get a unigie ability or two. I agree that the Outdoorsman goes a long way to alleviate this problem, and ittries to define what type of Rangers we are. Now, if only the devs would admit to it's existance....

Personally I've always felt that the creature hunting and resource collecting should be left to the scouts.

What needs to be done IMHO is a person who has mastered scout and mastered marksman should have two paths open to him, Bounty Hunter and Ranger.

Bounty Hunters should be the masters of urban combat. The worst thing you could do is run into one in a major city because he will most likely own you if you do.

Rangers should be the masters of rural/wilds combat. The worst thing you can do is run into one in the wilds because he will most likely own you.

Any bonuses given to Rangers and bounty hunters should be on a sliding scale too.

Rangers for example would get 100% of their bonuses when in the wilds and slowly lose them to a point of having no bonuses when in a Metropolis. Bounty hunters the opposite. The way I see it both classes should be on equal footing w/ one another if they were to meet in a village (Ranger has slight advantage) or township (Bounty Hunter has slight advantage).

Now, as to what those sorts of bonuses each class could get I'll have to think about it.


-PT

I think Rangers should be more like the mountain men of the west, with some recon skills thrown in.

Those guys were tougher than woodpecker lips. They stayed out in the middle of virtually freaking no where, survived, and once a year hauled their goods into an area for sale. They lived off the land, some better than others, and fought Nature to survive.

Additionally, they knew enough about their surrounding that they were often hired to be Scouts by the Army. Theyhad the skills to fight people and win.

We should be the same. I see our role in combat as Scouts/Long Range Recon. We go in first, unseen and see what's happening. We then report. We should have enough skills to do this.

Any combat skills should be from whatever combatprofession we have - be it sniper, pistol, hand to gland, sharp pointy things.

Except for BF, I can stay out in the weeds for days/weeks/months, given proper planning and maybe a convenient house.

I think that after we get the big 5 squared away, we need to start pushingour combat role. But only after we get the top 5working right.

Good initial post btw, noflames here.

JB

---

JBMat wrote:

I think Rangers should be more like the mountain men of the west, with some recon skills thrown in.

Those guys were tougher than woodpecker lips. They stayed out in the middle of virtually freaking no where, survived, and once a year hauled their goods into an area for sale. They lived off the land, some better than others, and fought Nature to survive.

Additionally, they knew enough about their surrounding that they were often hired to be Scouts by the Army. Theyhad the skills to fight people and win.

We should be the same. I see our role in combat as Scouts/Long Range Recon. We go in first, unseen and see what's happening. We then report. We should have enough skills to do this.

Any combat skills should be from whatever combatprofession we have - be it sniper, pistol, hand to gland, sharp pointy things.

Except for BF, I can stay out in the weeds for days/weeks/months, given proper planning and maybe a convenient house.

I think that after we get the big 5 squared away, we need to start pushingour combat role. But only after we get the top 5working right.

Good initial post btw, noflames here.

JB

---

No complaints here. Great job in the comparison.

... woodpecker lips - lol I'm gonna make use of that phrase in the near future.

Just remember that it's going to be at least 6 months before Rangers advance beyond Eagle Scout (if not longer). The wait's going to be tougher than woodpecker lips but I'm in it for the long haul.

---

Kharr Khomak
Master Ranger - since Dec 14, 2003
TKA 3-3-3-3
Member of the Antarian Rangers
Ex-Master Creature Handler - Dec 16, 2003 to Mar 9, 2004
Playing since Sept 7, 2003