Ranger Archive

New Ranger changes finally went live and I was looking forward to testing the new changes:

Scout XP: Insane, incredible, too much lol. I was worried about the new higher xp requirements, but I am now getting more xp then ever (not that I need it lol). This last weekend in two days palying I collected over 180,000 scout xp.

1)Even though harvest is now 60%, scout xp is still 100%, except every harvestor now in the group gets their scout 100% xp. No more taking turns on harvest and xp. A good group in Endor can get anyone both ranger skill trees (Wayfaring and track) in max two days playing. (All naysayers: Stop soloing, and get a group together. Get your PA out to hunt)

2)/maskscent is giving great xp now. Running around in Dathomir I was collecting xp in 100 to 200 range per mob (did a lot of burst running too ) /conceal is like 60% of /maskscent xp, but you get xp from NPC also.

Track: Excited. After playing an EQ Ranger for two years, I missed my track. Actually, the first thing I did when I logged on, is to check track. (Second thing was to write a new macro for areatrack to get rid of the annoying icon lol). I get the option each time to select from either Animals, People, or Players. Then I have to wait 30 seconds to see what is on track. It is horrible! I spend 2 days straight trying to figure it out, but it is unreliable.

1) It tracks corpses

2) It shows me what is on track with distance and direction, but can not point to it or track it down, and when I move a little (50m to 100m) I get a new data that does not match with the old data. Example: I track animals and I "see" a handful gnarled rancor on track 213m SE and some kwi 300mS. Ok, I close the window and move 100m SE, check track again. After another 30 seconds, track comes up and a complete new set of monsters show in different direction. No sign of the rancors.

Yes, camps despawn, but this happened consistently over this weekend! I kept retesting it at least 30 times to detect a pattern. In one case I had a camp 88m away from me. I checked track, and while waiting for track to collect the data, the camp vanishes. Then track shows upand it is clear of any mobs. Hmm, I move 20 or so meters in that former camp direction, and the camp with its mobs reappear. It seems to me that track is bugging actual data?

CONCEAL: Disappointing at the least. It is not a superior camouflage, it just works exactly like maskscent but it can be applied to others and it works against NPC. You get scout xp using it against animals ANDNPC, but at reduced percentage of /maskscent xp (around 60%). Maskscent is an inate ability, conceal requires quite a few resources. I do not mind the resources at all, Ilike surveying and harvesting , but whyWASTE resources, when maskscent does the job for free? Now in Endor, I swear by /conceal - those pubams are wicked and have huge aggro ranges lol

Now, I have not run test on it, but I was grouped with a CH on Sunday, who kept asking me for conceal. It appears his conceal is working off his camouflage skill, not of mine, judging by how often his conceal broke. I have not measured it though, because I used /maskscent myself. so this is purely a quick observation.

In summary, seeing Ranger class getting all this developer attention is great, but actual implemented code so far are windowdressing really. I know it sounds harsh, but that is my opinion. But i am not negative about them: They are a GREAT foundation to tweak the profession further, and a definite step, no LEAP, in the right direction!