Ranger Archive

Yes, this game has its flaws. For now, I would say that the biggest one is the lack of people trying to work together. You have people going out to solo the largest creatures around. You have people AFK grinding a profession (even combat ones). The sense of community this game started with is dying. But it is not all gone.

My playstyle used to be the solo Ranger/Rifleman. One day, I realized that this just seemed a bit silly for an MMORPG. I was spending time doing things alone because I was afraid I would run into one of the Uber Leet Doods (this syndrome became most apparent during the hologrind and is when I started heading out alone). And it was getting boring. I picked up Squad Leader to force myself to join up with people. Yes, I do run into the occasional Uber Leet Dood. But I also have met some really nice people. I'm back to the point where I actually enjoy playing the game. It's not the story that brings me in--I finish the story elements too quickly. The people are what make this game fun.

The hard part now is finding these people. Sometimes I'll wander over to Ft. Tusken and join a trainee Squad Leader's group. Often you'll find 90% of the group AFK. The same goes for the Geonosian Caves. The best way I have found to meet up with people is through the forums. Make a post trying to put together a Krayt hunt or a Gorax hunt. Or maybe head over to Mos Eisley and take a group of new players out for some fun (I haven't tried this yet but I'm sure most of them would really appreciate it). Or try and put together a group for the Corvette. Yes, you can do this stuff with your guild. But I know that my guild is rarely available for such a thing so I've had to go outside it a bit for some extra fun.

The solo attitude is killing this game. That is why the Devs are working so hard on the Jedi changes, the Combat Balance, and the GCW revamp. Even if we come out on the short end of the stick, the game will feel much more alive. You will be able to go to Dantooine without hearing shouts to form solo groups. You will actually need to go out and work with others. While this is hard now, it really makes the game better. This game shouldn't be about being Uber. It is meant to make you work with others. That's the whole reason the Devs are concerned about making people dependent on each other.

The fact that you've held out this long means you have hope. While you have to do what you feel is best for you, try to force some people into the multiplayer aspect of this game before you decide. I'm not recommending you do anything drastic like switching to Squad Leader (I get the feeling that any psychiatrist that got their hands on me would put me in a rubber room with a straightjacket) but try to put a hunting group together. If you still can't enjoy this game when you go out with a good group of people then you probably do need to take a break from this game. Hopefully not permanent but don't burn yourself out over something like this. Whatever you decide, just try and enjoy yourself.

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Enoshima wrote:

I go to work tonight about 6pm. We check our tools. I go to the Maintenance meeting. We have nothing to do tonight. Great. I go have a smoke, grap a couple soda's, and break out my kickin laptop. Hook it up, crank up the ol' SWG.

After about 10 minutes on my main character, got bored.

Go the my next highest leveling toon. 15 minutes, bored.

Try my Wanderhome toon, say hi to Calc, 15 minutes later, bored.

When are they going to put something in the game. Story wise, I mean real story wise. I can make up better stuff. You are supposed to making your own story here.

But when there is nobody around to interact with it is kinda hard to do. Sorry there are people to interact with, AFK Entertainers, Medic's healing AFK tumblers, and all the people trying to get more stuff to be better than the Jones's.

I am so bored with this, it makes me angry that I held out this long. People tell me to wait for the combat balance. I honestly believe that we as rangers are going to get the raw end of the deal. I much as I want to champion for us, and believe that it will happen, I can't hold a good feeling about this anymore.

I don't want to start another profession to make it interesting. It's just a different way of doing the same thing, nothing.

I apologize for being such a downer here, I want to smile, I really do.

Are they still marketing this as a MMORPG? I thought RPG, was roleplaying, using your imagination. Like my 3 year old says, "Make Pretend". But this ain't it.

I am done, sorry. My time ends on the 31st, I might extend 1 more month because I am still deployed, I might need something to do.

After I get home, this Ranger is going to take the last walk into the forest. Will he return, who knows?

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Dude I had a ton of fun as a master Ranger. People loved me in their groups. My camps made people ooh and awe. I could camo those without mask scent. My traps helped the group with debuffs. I made a kiling off the meat/hide/bone that I harvested. I would challeng people to prone races and I'd kick their butts! Ranger needs some work, but it's by far the most fun profession I've done. Then why did I quit? Because I was tired of getting owned in PVP because I was only a crappy mastere pistoleer LOL. (I needed something to get my D up)

Message Edited by Kaabezza on 05-29-2004 01:38 AM

I don't think that this game (or any game) is meant to be engaging and to be played intensely for a prolonged amount of time. Im not even sure that it would be healthy. Here are my reasons:

1. The typical single user game (e.g. KOTOR) takes maybe 20-60hrs to finish. That's about 1 months play if you have any sort of rl. Granted, there is more stuff in SWG than KOTOR but, even so, unless they keep pumping in engaging and varied content continously, most solo players would look for something new within 2-3 months.

2. As a community game, any current on-line game has severe limitations:

a. The most important of this is the interaction bandwith; the limited ability of typed chats to convey the full emotional overtones of human interaction, compared to face-to-face talking. Its slower, has limited ways of conveying "moods" and only a clumsy way of using body language. Everyone i met online left a "shallow" impression on me compared to rl meeting of similar duration. This limits the satisfaction you can get from interacting (plus sex is out of question.)

b. It is much more difficult to bond using shared experiences because of time zone differences, and because of the simple fact that you are not at the same place at the same time. You are not breathing the same air, so to speak.

3. Unless designers create a miracle, the cheaters, exploiters, "power gamers", campers, spammers, griefers, hologrinders create a very low "signal-to-noise" environment.

4. In addition to these fundemental limitations, there are game-design issues that limit the typical players involvement. For example, the design of the profession system puts hard caps on how good you can become once you master a profession. After mastering ranger, you dont get one iota better at harvesting even if you spend yrs harvesting every animal.

As a net result of the above, I don't think its likely that many people would find playing these games _intensely_ for a long time. Of course, some people, e.g. corrospondents, find other ways of enriching their game experience that prolongs the involvement period.

This was a very long-winded way of saying, don't feel bad about leaving but we will miss you and your friends will welcome you back if you change your mind.

I don't think that this game (or any game) is meant to be engaging and to be played intensely for a prolonged amount of time. Im not even sure that it would be healthy. Here are my reasons:

1. The typical single user game (e.g. KOTOR) takes maybe 20-60hrs to finish. That's about 1 months play if you have any sort of rl. Granted, there is more stuff in SWG than KOTOR but, even so, unless they keep pumping in engaging and varied content continously, most solo players would look for something new within 2-3 months.

2. As a community game, any current on-line game has severe limitations:

a. The most important of this is the interaction bandwith; the limited ability of typed chats to convey the full emotional overtones of human interaction, compared to face-to-face talking. Its slower, has limited ways of conveying "moods" and only a clumsy way of using body language. Everyone i met online left a "shallow" impression on me compared to rl meeting of similar duration. This limits the satisfaction you can get from interacting (plus sex is out of question.)

b. It is much more difficult to bond using shared experiences because of time zone differences, and because of the simple fact that you are not at the same place at the same time. You are not breathing the same air, so to speak.

I know what you mean. But I am gonna offer some suggestions -

Quests - do them all. Both rebel and imp, jabba and valarian (ok, forget the gungan, they suck) and any others you can find.

Set some insane goal, like having 100k of hide ready for sale. Regardless of OQ, PE... just get a load of hide to give away or sell.

Hang out in Tat and find newbies to take hunting. You may make new friends, find members for your town/guild, who knows?

Teach some morons...uh.... uneducated people.....how to hunt. Just last nite I had a friend remark it was more fun to do it my way than the old way. Now we have less damage, quicker missions, more money. Amazing what can be done with moving of the feets.

Collect crap. I mean loot that no one wants, but looks cool on the wall.

Yeah, sometimes it gets old, but if you are bored, find something new to do.

JB

You don't need to apologize, Enoshima. A lot of us feel the way you do and are looking for anything that can increase our enjoyment of the game.

There are some really good suggestions here. I have used a couple of JB's for a long time now. I still haven't done every quest out there and while I have a ton of stuff, I bet there are still a few items I haven't collected out there.

/wookieehug Hon

Several times I have taken a week or so break from the game. It makes it all new again when I come back. I agree that I get the most pleasure out of the people I have met and the group stuff (like the Ranger meet) and not from the story-line.

One thing I have had fun with is starting characters on new servers and attempting to role-play with them. Tash is a kid with bad grammer. Sax is fiesty and sly. Siger is shy and frightened. Paks is serene and gentle. Kuari is just plain nasty. I found that I suck at role-playing, but it is an interesting and challenging way to spend an evening.

Don't feel bad about taking time off. This is a game and above all it is supposed to be fun. Do what you need to do to have fun. You have enhanced OUR fun, both here and in-game, immensely. Thank you.

Message Edited by Vorpaks on 05-29-2004 12:19 PM

When I'm bored, I go an trash talk some Imps. It's pretty funny to get people role-playing with me. I'll say things like, "If the Empire is so powerful, howcome a farmboy from Tatooine blew up your best weapon in ONE shot?" hehe

Then we get into some psudo political debate and duel to the death. I have a ton of fun. Those dirty Imps better watch out when I master TKA! HEHEHE

The Doctor prescribes a healthy dose of a classic RPG to take your mind off things. Fallout, Fallout 2 or Planescape: Torment will keep you busy for a few weeks, then you can come back to SWG refreshed

Message Edited by GadonThek on 05-30-2004 02:19 AM