Ranger Archive

Okay, here isthe newlist. I have been on and off the boards, and haven't had much time in game the past week or so, so I really need you all to comment on this list. Try to keep your comments short, and if you think the order should be different, then reorder the list. If you think something shouldn't be there, or that something else is more important, speak up.

Taking into consideration the feedback from the first correspondent report, here is what I'm getting as the new top 5 issues:

1. The biggest current issue. Creature to hit bonus currently only affects ranged weapons.

There are a number of melee based rangers, and both the ranged and melee style rangers agree that the creature to hit bonus should work for both combat styles.

2. Wayfaring run speeds and burst run efficiency don't really do anything usefulpast +50 (Master Scout)

After Terrain Negotiation reaches +50, anything after that increases crawl speed, which isn't really all that helpful. Someone at Wayfaring IV can't outrun a master scout. Burst run efficiency, wayfarers run no farther no faster than anyone else, despite having bonuses to burst run, and the HAM cost doesn't really seem to be significantly affected by increased efficiency, either.

3. There appears to be a slight delay on rescue before the actual rescue happens (maybe for the animation to finish)?

A delay on rescue kind of defeats the purpose of trying to rescue someone..."hey wait, let that rancor hit you one more time, so I can look cool pulling you out of the way...." the function of rescue is far more important than the form.

4. Examining creatures doesn't tell us what we really want/need to know.

There is a lot of agreement that examining a creature should tell you if it is a pack hunter (assistive) or a herding creature (non-assistive). Special attack 1 and 2 always show none. We know that a higher ferocity number means something over a lower ferocity number, but the details of what ferocity level is telling us are very unclear. There has also been some commenting on the fact that creature knowledge should give some sort of damage bonus, as someone that knows a creatures strengths, weaknesses, and physiology would know exactly where to strike the creature in order to do the maximum amount of damage.

5. There has been substantial demand from both Rangers and many entertainers for a way to heal BF in the field.

Isee this suggestion at least 4 times a week, and generally at least 10 replies each time that this would be a great feature. Given that a player can rack up impressive BF numbers in a very short time (I myself have picked up over 200 BF in 2 hours on Dantooine), the ability to heal at least some BF in Field Base and higher healing camps would be great. Perhaps at 25% the rate of cantina healing, or some other limiting factor - another suggestion was to put one or more optional slots onto the field base and up schematic, to "attach" specific funtions to the bases, such as healing BF, or increased healing radius, etc. So an 'impromptustage' attachment would be crafted by an entertainer, and the ranger would then use those as optional components for their camp schematics to enable BF healing...such modules could add various useful functions to camps and make the entire 'camp' concept far more extensible.

Pet Peeve:

Inconsistent performance of traps - I'll make a number of very high quality traps in a factory. Adhesive mesh is my favorite example. I throw one at say, a belle bol. It gets rooted, and the root breaks after 5 seconds or so. I throw another, at the same belle bol, and it lasts maybe 1 second. I have no way of knowing how effective my traps will be, how long they will last, when they are about to break, or any feedback at allonce they are applied. Sure, there is the -Rooted- message that floats over the creature when root breaks, but if you are hunting with some other people, that easily gets lost in the haze of numbers. I need to know more about trap effectiveness against creatures (perhaps as part of examining the creature), and better feedback about how the trap is actually performing once applied. As a side note to this, dizzy doesn't seem to bother creatures at all...I'll hit one with a lep dart, and then someone willdo a knockdown on the creature, and it has no trouble getting back to standing - never seen adizzy creature that did not get back to its feet on the first try.

As an attachement to Creature Knowledge, I think we should also have a better warning shot. If we are rangers we should really know how to scare an animal off. Now to make sure this is not exploited like a fear kite you should of course do the warning shot and not attack the animal again.

"1. The biggest current issue. Creature to hit bonus currently only affects ranged weapons."

I know I've pushed this issue in the past. But know that I am Master TK, I rarely miss when hitting my opponents. Maybe the reason that limited it to Ranged fighters was because Ranged fighters are the ONLY ones who need it.

If that is the case, I would ask that some other bonus be added for melee fighters. Perhaps improved damage when fighting melee. "We know where to hit a beast for the maximum irritation."

"4. Examining creatures doesn't tell us what we really want/need to know."

I'dlove to know whether I will receive the infamous "the creature was skinny" message BEFORE I harvest a resource off a critter.

It is possible to harvest Hide off a creature and get the "skinny" message, but harvest Meat off another creature of the same lair and get "fat and healthy".

By this, it sounds like the "fatness" of a creature is linked to the type of resource. So I would love to know which resource to harvest off a creature before actually doing it.

* harvests a Bolle Bol for 1 hide. The creature was skinny.

Good proposals, Mineras.

But I have some minor complaint :

- speed enhancements : If we could outrun a master scout over steep hill (up or down) it's ok. But the enhancements shouldn't go in the directions to make us faster on flat terrain, otherwise it could be a sort of an exploit in Pvp (i let you imagine a duel between a ranged ranger and a melee master scout ... the melee wouldn't have any chance ...)

- in order to make devs digest more the BF healing proposal (everytime i read a response they are unwilling to do this), i suggest that the camp itself shouldn't be able to heal BF. So you'll definitely need an entertainer in your camp to heal BF. And yes, I think that entertainer exp and heal speed should be triggered to be lower if you do in a camp instead of a cantina (so they are still happy with cantina usefulness )

Keep up the good work

Ehol

"(i let you imagine a duel between a ranged ranger and a melee master scout ... the melee wouldn't have any chance ...)"

Take the word of a TK, we don't have a chance to catch Ranged fighters right now, much less if they were FASTER.

I would love to see faster running speed, simply to improve my PvP combat.

If my opponent wants to pick up the faster running speed, and has the points to spend, then all the power to them.

"So you'll definitely need an entertainer in your camp to heal BF"

Totally agree. Auto-heal of BF would be very bad for the cantina scene. I have advocated the requirement of Master Musician or Master Dancer as well, as many people have the Novice Entertainer skill to heal their own wounds.

---

Mineras wrote:

2. Wayfaring run speeds and burst run efficiency don't really do anything usefulpast +50 (Master Scout)

After Terrain Negotiation reaches +50, anything after that increases crawl speed, which isn't really all that helpful. Someone at Wayfaring IV can't outrun a master scout. Burst run efficiency, wayfarers run no farther no faster than anyone else, despite having bonuses to burst run, and the HAM cost doesn't really seem to be significantly affected by increased efficiency, either.

---

Once plans for changes in Markscent are made, then the faster crawl speed will be very beneficial for Rangers because, from what the dev said they are woking on, is that being prone(moving or still) will give a 15% bonus, running gives a 10% penalty and walking gives a 5% penalty. so speed of crawling will giveRangersan edge with maskscent.

Psyke:

"Once plans for changes in Markscent are made."

Yes, but with the up and coming /conceal command, what Ranger would bother using /maskscent?

The abilities granted by Terrain Negotiation should be re-evaluated based on the addition of /conceal.

These are good issues Mineras. But I am still concerned with what got left out on Holo's reply to your first set of 5.

Mainly our request for experiment points like CM and Smuggler have. It seems like the devs have found 20 different new ways to give us xp within our prof for making things but neglected to provide us a way to raise the quality of those items without Still having to train up Artisan skills.

Also our request for Scout/Ranger traps vs. CH pets. unanswered.

Also our request for larger harvests so we can make a viable living.

I posted more thoroughly on Holo's response thread, which please take a look.

Think we can get them to clarify before we move on?

Thanks again for all your hard work. I really think most of the credit for the quality of the Dev response goes to you.

Wayness

"provide us a way to raise the quality of those items"

Excellent point. I gave up using traps long ago because they were cluttering up my inventory. Why are we not allowed to have more than 5 charges per trap? Is that some magic number, or simply an omission on the developers part.

"Also our request for Scout/Ranger traps vs. CH pets. unanswered."

This would be a nice addition, but would probably require re-balancing the entire PvP CH Pet system. So it may be a ways off before they do add this.

"Also our request for larger harvests so we can make a viable living."

I don't see how having more resources on the market would benefit ANY of us.

The better thing would be toREDUCE the amount of resources harvested by theSCOUT levels. This way those who picked up Scout simply to get to BH or CH will not be able to dilute the market for those of us who make a living off our harvests.

---

NRaas wrote:

"1. The biggest current issue. Creature to hit bonus currently only affects ranged weapons."

I know I've pushed this issue in the past. But know that I am Master TK, I rarely miss when hitting my opponents. Maybe the reason that limited it to Ranged fighters was because Ranged fighters are the ONLY ones who need it.

If that is the case, I would ask that some other bonus be added for melee fighters. Perhaps improved damage when fighting melee. "We know where to hit a beast for the maximum irritation."

---

1) Creature to hit bonus: I agree with you, doesn't really affect me all that much cause I am ranged, but think the melee rangers should get some love.

2) Wayfare: if these are ranked in priority, I don't think this is #2 for me. I do think that we need better bonus' for travelling: shorter downtime between burstruns, longer and faster burstrun times, the ability to burstswim, or just increase or swimming speed. Maybe even a new ability, similar to burstrun, but the speed isn't as fast, but the duration longer, and would get superceded by a burst run. The ability would be so that we can use this for our overland traveling to remote places, but still have burstrun if we need to flee an enemy.

3) Rescue: don't use it too often, needs work yes, is it one of my top issues, not really.

4) Examine: the ability to examine is neat. The special attacks do need to show up correctly, possibly even the HAM numbers showing up in the bar would be good (I know you can hover over their ham bars to get it, but nothing like having all your info in one place). As far as creature knowledge, in relation to actual skill, I believe that is what the Creature To Hit bonus is for.

5) Healing BF: totally agree

6) Traps: Among your list of 5 issues, I think that this is probably the top issue for me. Dizzy should be way more effective than it is. The L.Dart (gained at Novice Scout I think, maybe Trap 1) has the potential for having one of the most effective status' in the game. Apparently this status doesn't work on anybody but players. We (Rangers should be able to get some of the more effective traps that we get as scouts, and have them last longer). An improved type of L.Dart would be great for Rangers. Would have a longer duration on Dizzy, and would actually work.

Along the lines of traps, from what I understand, if you root (Adhesive Mesh) a creature, the root will last alot longer if you don't attack. The new proposed traps, will hopefully not have that restriction.

On your list, I think the biggest issue in my mind, is that Rangers can't bring their effectiveness to pet combat in PvP. That I believe is possibly the biggest current issue. We have traps,to hit bonus' and awhole bunch of things that make us more effective in combat against creatures, why can't we bring that to the PvP CH battle.

Fred_Skinner:

"I've just started UA (Secialist, working on Master)and now with the VK nerf I really REALLY need this. I can spend 15 minutes on a single Durni due to all the missing."

Sorry about that, I forget about the lower levels occassionally. We are an elite class though, meaning most people will have elite combat skills by the time they reach the upper echelons.

Maybe we could compromise by adding BOTH options in. More speed for you, more damage for me.

How about atoggle that you can set that allows you to choose one or the other when you enter combat.

That would be sweet.

"More speed for you, more damage for me."

Did I say speed? I meant accuracy.

* goes and hides inside a tonton for awhile