Ranger Archive
Thread: a utiliarian Ranger revamp proposal..
Ok, here goes.While I’ve submitted numerous individual Ranger skill ideas, this is my 1st semi-complete Ranger Revamp post.
To start lets look at Master Ranger in its current form and break it down. In exchange for spending 140 skillpoints we get:
Skill Mods:
- Burst Run efficiency +50 (completely derived from Master Scout (MS))
- Camping +100 (+50 more than MS) allow the use of 3 additional camps
- Camo +50 (Ranger unique) basically allows the use of a camo kit for each of the planets.The limitation of camo is also well documented.Basically mask scent is better, with the exception of the ability to camo other non-scout players.
- Creature Knowledge + 100 (+50 more than MS)More info in the /ex window, basically we can see a Creature’s special attacks.Determining resistances being the most useful aspect of the /ex function is available to all professions.Gives a MR a 30% increase over a novice scout for harvests.
- Creature To-Hit Bonus +25 (+15 more than MS)I have yet to notice any affect this mod provides.I leveled Rifleman and Pikeman, while a Master Ranger (MR), both of which are extremely accuracy dependent while leveling.
- Foraging +100 (+50 more than MS)This basically give you the ability to find your own bait for use with your fishing pole which a Ranger cannot craft.Green Marine has stated the tables for the forage skill where never finished.
- Mask scent +100 (completely derived from MS)The parens say it all, personally I find mask scent more viable than conceal.
- Melee Defense +10 (Ranger unique)I don’t know the exact formula, but roughly a+10 base defense gives you less than a1% chance to avoid an attack.Add the recent accuracy changes that caps accuracy/defense chances, i.e. you will always have at least a 5% chance to hit or to miss a target further reduces this meager bonus a MR receives.
- Ranged Defense +10 (Ranger unique) *see Melee Defense
- Rescue +50 (Ranger unique) less useful than the novice brawler /taunt skill, somewhat useful for ranged profession, but cumbersome to use.
- Terrain Negotiation +100 (+50 more than MS)The +50 TN that a MR receives is reportedly applied only to prone crawl speed.
- Trapping +100 (+50 more than MS)Better chance to land your traps, and the addition of 2 traps.
Abilites:
- Area Track (Ranger unique) the limitations of this skill have been well documented, so I will only summarize./areatrack only finds mobs that have already spawned in a 500m radius.In other words, it allows a MR to find a MoB that another player has already found.
- Conceal (Ranger unique) *see Skill Mods #3
- Forage (available at novice scout) *see Skill Mods #6
- Harvest (available at novice scout) *see Skill Mods #4
- Maskscent (available at Exploration 2) *see Skill Mods #8
- Rescue (Ranger unique although the novice brawler skill taunt works better and is easier to use.)
Now I know most of the previous info is well know by 99% of the players reading and posting in this the Ranger forum.Now before I get to the actual proposed changes I want to state up front I am a staunch supporter of the Combat Ranger POV, the only aspect of Ranger that I support more than the combat role of ranger is the utility of the Ranger profession.Much like the sniper vs. gunner roles of the Rifleman, I believe both aspects of Combat Ranger vs. Ultimate Hunter can be implemented without overpowering or infringing on other professions. Striking a nice balance between the opposing play styles.Admittedly I am incorporating other Rangers Ideas into my own. Now on to the proposal.
Ranger Revamped.
Skill Mods:
- Run efficiency +100 *see skill mod explanations
- Camping +100 *see skill mod explanations
- Stealth +100 *see skill mod explanations
- Creature Knowledge + 100 no change
- Creature To-Hit Bonus +60. Make this skill mod/ability do something
- Defense vs. blind, dizzy, stun, and intimidate +17 ( +1 for each state is gained per skill box earned/spent)
- State recovery +50 *see skill mod explanations
- Foraging +100 finish the original implementation of this skill as laid out by Green Marine.
- Maskscent +150 – 50% increase in efficiency over a master scout.
- Melee Defense +31 ( +1 is gained per skill box earned/spent with an additional +15 at MR)
- Natural awareness +30 *see skill mod explanations
- Natural resistance +30*see skill mod explanations
- Ranged Defense +31 ( +1 is gained per skill box earned/spent with an additional +15 at MR)
- Rescue +50 *see skill mod explanations
- Terrain Negotiation +100 - Apply the +50 gained in the Ranger Wayfaring Tree to general movement, and/or mount/speeder movement.
- Trapping +150 allow Rangers to use traps on all level creatures not just medium levels to include CH BE pets. *see skill mod explanations
Skill Mod/Ability Explanations:
1.Run Efficiency – this skill mod/ability is a Ranger specific modification of burst run. And would become one of the primary abilities of the Ranger in combat. I have 2 options in mind for this skill/ability.
a.Making a Rangers Burst run a toggle, having the current implementation of burst run essentially the same with the exception, that for a Ranger we can turn it on/off allowing the ranger to conserve and regenerate the BR timer, if managed properly.
b.The second option would be to make the Ranger burst run, a kind of permanent burst.The Ranger hits burst run, and burst run is active until the Ranger turns it off, with a moderate to heavy drain on the action pool.Upon deactivating BR, the Ranger would be subject to the current “you are tired”, “you slow down” down time.
2.Camping.Insert Modular Camps here.Althoughdisagree with the necessity of having other professions provide the modules, I think we should be able to craft the proposed modular camps on our own, but to be effective a player with the requisite profession should be required to be present. I.e. allow BF healing in MR level moduled camps. Experimentation should definitely be included in the crafting process.Modular camps have been well covered and exquisitely proposed by both Nrass and Owen.I would only add Rally point modules that much like the nearest group mission; it would provide a WP for the camp to all group members.
3.Stealth!Great Idea Fred! Although I would simplify it a bit.Gaining proficiency through the Ranger Wayfaring tree.Through out the wayfaring tree progression the Ranger with stealth active will beimposed with a moderate drain on the mind pool.At all levels the Ranger is still visually identifiable.
a.Wayfaring II – while prone with stealth active, a Ranger would be removed from radar, overhead name and title removed from sight, cannot be “tab targeted”, but your toon is still visible and targetable by directly clicking.
b.Wayfaring III – same but we remove the prone necessity. And will be removed from radar and overhead name and title removed from sight but can be tab targeted while in the kneel position.
c.Wayfaring IV -Same Stealth, but we are now me removed from radar, overhead name and title removed from sight and can be tab targeted while standing, but this level of stealth is broken when movement is initiated.
d.Master Ranger – Stealth Mastery, A Ranger at this level can move in any posture and remain removed from radar, overhead name and title removed from sight, cannot be tab targeted or auto targeted/attacked while remaining visually identifiable.
4.State recovery – A ranger makes his living fighting, killing, and harvesting creature many times his physical size.At many points in such battles a Ranger will frequently be tossed about, KD’d, Dizzied, Stunned, Intimidated, etc.A Ranger is accustomedto fighting under these conditions and through training and experience has become proficient at maintaining peak levels of performance through his innate ability to recover from such states.For every 10 skill mod points gained the Ranger reduces the time spent under state effects by 10 %, there for a master ranger will be effected half the normal time a state effect.
5.Natural Awareness – This skill would be spread throughout the Ranger Frontiering tree and would allow a Ranger to counter another Rangers Stealth mod/ability, by detecting a stealth active Ranger.The + mod would be at a 1 to 1 ratio as in for every +10 skill mod a Ranger has a 10% chance to detect another ranger with stealth active, while outside a municipal zone.Admittedly this may a more appropriate BH or SL skill for the purpose of profession interdependency.
6.Natural Resistance – Throughout his travels a Ranger has encountered many types of creatures and endured many of there unique natural abilities to poison there perceived attackers.Finding himself repeatedly in a state of recovery from strange and obscure poisons a Ranger has developed a natural resistance to poisons.
7.Rescue – Instead of being another form of the taunt skill, Rescue should have the ability to completely release agro from both the ranger and group members.
8.Trapping – there have been numerous proposals pertaining to the Ranger Trapping tree.Not much to add here, with a coupleexceptions.
a.All Ranger traps should be AoE.
b.Ranger traps should be palpableto CH pets.
c.Rangers should be given at least one trap that can be used on anything targetable.My suggestion would be claymore type traps.A trap that is placed much like mines, and work much like mines with the exception being that they are detonated/activated by the ranger who placed them.
I welcome your input and additions and identification of any possible exploits.I believe the changes myself and others have proposed would lend themselves nicely to solving the paradox that is the Rangers role in the Star Wars Universe, allowing for flexibility of play styles, while establishing a role in the GCW and combat.As well as providing the Master Rangers with the combat/killing effectiveness to bring to fruition the title of the Ultimate Creature Hunter.
Message Edited by JuCat on 08-25-2004 07:04 AM
JuCat wrote:
no thoughts? this ground already been covered?
Heh, give it a bit of time. It hasn't even been 2 hours yet and that's a lot of info to digest. As it is, I'd be happy to have all of those skills but some of them could have a few problems.
The burst run suggestions are very likely to lead to some sort of exploit mainly involving kiting (for (a) you could have a smart Ranger kite any non ranged attacker almost indefinately and for (b) you have buffs almost certainly allowing for permanent burst run if the skill is to be useful while unbuffed). This doesn't mean they aren't workable but there needs to be some timer balancing.
For stealth, visual identification is not really an option (it leaves the game too open to a hack). It has to either be full stealth or no stealth. Also, the mind drain is likely to severely limit the usefulness of the skill. It is probably better to have an initial HAM cost or possibly a HAM penalty after the stealth is removed (something like force weaken applied to you for a few minutes).
As for rescue, I'd recommend that there be two levels of the skill. The first level works as it currently does (possibly with some way of forcing the creatures to stop attacking the target for a bit). A second level would work more like an AoE warningshot, scaring the targets away a bit (think Old Ben's krayt call scaring the tuskens).
With trapping, I'm not sure all the traps should be AoE. If they give us something like an armor rating reduction (taking a creature from heavy armor to medium, etc) then I would be happy to have it be single target. But I really would like all the traps to work on NPCs and creatures (and even PCs). I really hate this creature only distinction on trapping (it arguably makes sense for things like harvesting and maskscent but the only problem I can see with trapping is a balance issue that really isn't there--look at all the combat profession skills that cause states AND damage).
Overall, well done.