Ranger Archive
Thread: The Vision Infiltrator
I've thought about it and we already seemed to fit what the Ranger was, and there were lots of good ideas on ways to expand upon it. None of that mattered - the Ranger shouldn't be the Ranger.
The name itself seems rather anachronistic when I think about it. I know there are modern day Rangers, and even futuristic ones in sci-fi, but I always come back to some Tolkien-based archtype. That's all well and good (I often play ranger-type characters), but what we really need is to get away from that. This idea might really bother those that are striving for 'the Ultimate Creature Hunter', but I would appreciate everyone's help in expanding this idea.
In the following points we will see some of our old functionality, with a bit of combat ability thrown in, a GCW tie-in all wrapped up into a more Star Warsy package. Pretty ribbons optional.
Thus the Infiltrator:
1) Change the name. What's in a name? A lot of preconceptions. This proposal really isn't all the different from the Ranger we currently know, but changing the name let's us try a few new things without being stuck on being "a Ranger".
2) Wayfaring becomes Infiltration. This remains our stealth and mobility line. It is not drastically different than it exists currently.
- Stealth - Ranges from simple camo clothes to advanced cameleon suits that work throughout the electro magnetic spectrum. This will work on NPCs as well as creatures, much like the majority of us feel it should. I think the decaying suit idea from the ideas thread works much better than the camo-kits. The best parts should come from BE/Tailor made items.
- Terrain Negotiation - We keep the fast crawl. Additionally we see a speed up in swimming or any other future terrain-caused states that might slow us down.
- Mounted Terrain Negotiation - We let our mounts negotiate terrain like we could on foot. It also gives us a /trot command which lets us move at regular speed in combat, but we cannot attack back (this could be innate, say if you hit peace).
3) Frontiering and Tracking are merged into the Survival line. These work pretty much as they do now, existing suggestions for improvement included. A few are moved to new, more applicable lines.
- It would still be necessary to know about creatures so I think the creature knowledge should remain a profession bonus. It might be worth moving to the new trapping line (details below).
- Harvesting remains, and it makes more sense that it is only a minor improvement instead of a wholesale leap above Scout.
- Creature to-hit bonuses I can go either way. Possibly moved if kept.
4) Trapping becomes Anatomy (name help welcome). This line would require a pretty substantial rewrite. My thinking is that this line should take advantage of our knowledge of anatomy and simple poisons to debilitate targets for a quicker take down. This is our crafting line, although it has room for combat bonuses due to knowledge.
- We get traps that work equally well on critters or NPCs. Mostly state changes, including new ones like the proposed tripwire that is a knockdown or a fear gas that causes intimidation. Some of these should be static rather than thrown.
- Unique weapon power-ups. These act as DoT's (not as powerful as a combat medic's poison) or state effects. They are made from foraged components or the better ones components crafted by medics, doctors or combat medics. The initial ones can only be applied to melee weapons or those given in the fourth line below. Higher level ones might allow for ranged weapon modifications.
- Creature knowledge would fit in this line very well. The to-hit bonus does not make as much sense to me with what I am proposing, but it would fit either here or the next combat line better than the Survival one.
5) Silent Combat. One of the Ranger's biggest drawbacks is that it lacks any real combat ability. This line is to rectify that, but keep in mind we would still be better off knowing another combat profession. This just gives some options to an elite profession.
- New weapon types only certified here. Crossbow, Dart Gun and perhaps a few other stealth-related weapons. The crossbow and dart gun are both excellent delivery methods for poisons, such as those made by the Anatomy line. +Speed and Accuracy is granted through this line.
- I imagine the crossbow analogous to the rifle and can use some but not all of its specials. A few of the power-ups should work on it, but would not be as effective as the dart gun.
- The dart gun wouldn't lend itself to existing specials very well as it is more of a drug-delivery system than a direct damage dealing weapon. Poison DoTs and state effects would be its main advantage. There is room for new specials to cause these instead of or in addition to power-ups, but that really depends upon profession balance.
- Cover and sneak-attacks. Similar to the Rifleman, but I would like assistance in not stepping on their toes. What I envision is the ability to fire a shot or two of these weapons without being detected, but no significant extra damage. Restrictions such as /aim must be used first are possible. I had this in the Anatomy line at first, but felt it fit better here.
Please remeber this is just a first draft. As you can see, it already incorperates a lot of existing ideas in some way, with only a minor twist and in a more comprehensive package.
Is it a good basis for presenting as our Vision? Does it help with the Star Wars feeling without deviating too much from our Ranger roots? Would you feel more effective in PvE and PvP? Do you think you might contribute more to a group without taking away from other professions?
If it is a good basis, then let's flesh it out into the Rang...er, Infiltrator.
As a "modern-day Ranger", I can tell you that the similarities end with the name. This game portrays the Ranger very much in the Tolkien sense of a "man of the woods" much as we were at the beginning of this country's history.
A Ranger was a rough man, able to ride out long and far, read the signs of the environment and survive on what was available. The name itself came from their own talking about how far they had "ranged" that day, "I ranged 8 miles today," thus the name Ranger was forever affixed to these men and their way of life. The trade naturally evolved into a combat profession as the nation, as it was, found itself in desperate need of men who could do what the Native Americans could, survive the environment and then excel in it.
Instead of tracking animals, they tracked men. Instead of cleaning and skinning game, their knives and hatchets found new uses. Their profession became war and so it remains with us today. There have been many incarnations of the Ranger throughout this country's history but they have always been a rougher sort, a man capable of more than what most are capable of...or willing to do.
In the game I play a CH/BH/Ranger and love it. I enjoy tracking animals and taming pets and whatnot. It's fun. A break from reality. In RL I am a fire team leader at 2nd Ranger Batallion.
So, there's my 2 cents, or credits, if it helps or not. Once again, the similarities end with the name and maybe that I actually have had to clean and skin game in the woods to survive. Sure would like to have that Terrain Negotiation bonus in RL though *grin* everywhere I need to go always seems to be on top of a hill.
Thanks for listening
I like this idea. I think stealth has been overlooked in this game. I mean, who doesn't think stealth is cool? I don't think mobs have field of view. If they wanted it realistic, some sort of field of view should be implemented. I would love to be able to come up behind a npc and do a sneak attack of some sort.I do like the dart gun idea but I think some universal modifier should be added. Like a chance to critical hit with your preferred weapon or an actual sneak attack command only while concealed. This would make /conceal very very useful.
Some are arguing that becuase it's star wars that everyone has personal radar and would detect you therefore /conceal shouldn't work against npcs. I disagree, first of all, think of all the npcs who are primitive or poor, then you have npcs like the force witches and such. I doubt they would have radar. Besides I don't remember anyone in the Star wars movies looking at their radar. Even if they did detect you on their radar, that doesn't mean they see you. Anyway like I said, I love the idea.
I'm fine with leaving the name Ranger, really. My point is, and is supported by the RL Ranger above, that they are trying to give us a medieval-fantasy archtype based on the name instead of the modern-day equivalent which fits Star Wars much better.
There is room to merge the two, which is what this and many proposals before it have suggested. It's just that getting away from the Ranger name while discussing what we should be helps get over the preconcieved notions that we need to be a Dungeons and Dragons class.
It just lets us see things from a different perspective a little more easily.