Ranger Archive

When I started playing Gemstone III, five years ago, my first character was a ranger. Ranger in GemStone could be argued as the most difficult and least rewarding professions (at the time) in the game. I, of course, being new...did not know that.

I never achieved much with that character, and ended up rerolling her into a rogue. People I "grew up" with are now Legends...level 50 to 100. Me. I'm still level 15. Same character, for five years. I played my game, I had fun. I still do have fun in that game.

When I started playing EQ three years ago, I played a druid, and got her to level 35. I felt quite proud of myself over that, the highest level I have ever gotten in *any* game, even though all of the people I had "grew up" with were all 60 (and then 65), and went on raids all the time. I played my game, I had fun.

I find it amusing that friends from both of those games are always asking me how do to things...roll up or train their characters...what spells do...what's the best equipment...etc. And I always have an answer.

Two years ago, I heard about Star Wars Galaxies.

It was exactly the game I have been wanting to play. I sat on my hands for two years, waiting...waiting. Finally, June 26th rolled around...I drove to *3* different Best Buys before I finally found a copy at GameStop (Best Buy hadn't gotten their stock in, apparently).

Of course, we all know the story of the first day of SWG.

I finally settled down on Tarquinas, and started on Tatooine with a little Novice Scout called Casslyn. I remember doing delivery mission runs from Eisley to Espa...before I knew about shuttles. I remember making a camp and huddling down in a gully during a sandstorm, because I thought that the storm would hurt me (like many storms do in Gemstone). I remember the awe and wonder I felt when I first saw dewbacks and rontos out in the wild.

My other goal, besides being a Ranger, was to be a Creature Handler. So just imagine the glee I felt when I saw my first baby bull ronto. I promised myself that I would tame one.

I absolutely loved wandering out in the wilderness of Tatooine. This game was a wonder of possibilities, and I set myself to becoming a Ranger and a Creature Handler.

I found myself a few hunting buddies, and we tore across the Jundland Wastes and Western Dune Sea...within 2 weeks of release, I had Novice Creature Handler, and a couple days after that, Novice Ranger.

By then, I had a hunting pattern down, and my bull ronto Toby and I continued my quest. A week after getting Novice Ranger, I was 4/0/4/4 on the Ranger tree. I felt so immensely proud of myself, but dreaded the weeks of camping that was ahead of me.

It was apprx. 4 weeksafter release, and I thought I had a chance of being the first Master Ranger on Tarquinas.

But then...

I went to Lok with a friend, just to explore. And in the catina on Lok, I saw Tarquinas's first Master Ranger. At that moment, something happened, and it was almost as if a dream had been shattered. She didn't do anything wrong, and I'm certainly not mad at her...but I still wish I would've never seen that title.

I felt no drive to become Master Ranger in any hurry, anymore. And then, she went down the list of everything that was broken with Ranger, and I felt even less of a drive. I had realised that traps were broken, but not camps, not the uselessness of Field Bioscience and Wayfaring. By then, the first major maskscent nerf had been in, and she was complaining about how everything and it's brother detected her, and how the timer was annoying.

All the magic was gone.

I didn't even feel that much of a drive to do Creature Handler, anymore, because I sensed the nerf coming with it. I certainly never wanted a rancor or a graul. I was so happy with my bull ronto (who I still have, and always will), and felt no need to advance myself, and then be let down like I was with Ranger.

I didn't give either up, but I decided that instead of workingto getthat final wilderness survival exp, or those last five boxes in Creature Handler, I'd just get it as I played the game, as I explored the world and did theme parks or other missions.

Even with the new Ranger changes that came out, I found that camo kits weren't worth the time to make, and though I spent a lot of time on Dathomir, I felt no need to get that kit, and no drive to Master.

I started to feel the same down that I had in Gemstone and EQ. People I had trained in both Ranger and Creature Handler were running around as Masters. Creature Handler, especially, felt as if it were a let down. There are so many Master Creature Handlers running around, the title means nothing to me.

Still, I played my game. I explored worlds. I've made and spent millions of credits. I've co-founded a Rebel PA with two of my friends, and have joined the ranks of the Imperial Army (I'm the red-headed step-child of my guild =D). Every pet I've ever had, I tamed myself. I've enjoyed myself, tremendously.

Andfinally, tonight, I've made enough wilderness survival experience to make Master Ranger. I just got my title from Ranger trainer in Entha, and I...don't know how to feel. I'm proud, somewhat. I've accomplished something I really haven't before in other games...an experience cap.

I went out and made a High Tech Field Base, and was quite pleased with it.

I've accomplished my goal, and I still have Creature Handler to work on. There's still tons of places I've never seen...honestly, I've never even been to Talus, Rori or Yavin IV, and Lok andDantooine have yet to be really picked over well.

But you can bet your bottom dollar I know Tatooine, Naboo, Corellia, Endor and Dathomir like the back of my hand.

But every time I see that Master title hanging over someone I once trained...I still don't know how to feel.

I thought I'd share this little tale to you, asTarquinas's newest Master Ranger.

~Casslyn

Someone becoming a Master Ranger before you do isnt somthing to worry about, i am a Master Ranger and MasterCreatureHandler and i dont even use a Tag becuase i dont have a proffesion. Im just a guy that lives on Tatooine and runs around helping other people. When people ask what level i am itell them "Whatever level you want me to be"

Anyways the reason they made Master Ranger before you is becuase they did non-stop Hunting and i bet you 1 million credits they didnt have any fun doing it, But you did, And your not a Master of Anything untill you can use those skills like a Master And since you had to use your skills to get the next line of Ranger skills then you are the true first Master Ranger.

People just dont get the point of this game it isnt EQ like most people act like it is.Being a highlevel or a Master ofsomthingor anything isnt the way to be good. Like my Dad allways used to say "Your only as good as the Mirror's show, so put on your boots and go with the flow." That Quote may not make much since to you but if you think long enough on ityou will understand. Sorry for Rambling on Congradulations First TRUE Master Ranger of Tarquinas.

I did the same thing as you did, Sunflower, in that I enjoyed myself getting the Master Ranger title. I spent maybe a month and a half getting my way up there, making camps for myself when I needed to rest, killing lots of animals for xp while traveling around planets at the same time. I spent my Scouting days on Tatooine huntng Banthas (that was the first thing I wanted to see when I got SWG) and I spent my Ranger days on Lok, killing Snorbals and running around the forsaken planet. I've been a master for a few weeks and I still love it! I still spend time on planets, just running around, not necessarily killing stuff, but just enjoying myself. This game is only fun if you make it a game, and not a job (like grinding, eek!).

Congrats on your Master Ranger title!

Thanks for the support.

~Casslyn

Congrats on reaching Master.

What is a title? Nothing else than somethingfor those bragging people...

I've friends that have dropped the game 1 month after, because they maxed out, they didn't have fun with the game... sure they didn't... they didn't take their time to enjoy the game.

Oh an gratz

I am a casual player who enjoys the social aspect of the game as well as the combat aspects. I took my time to get master ranger (i am working on pistoleer right now). I set a goal that I would not don the title "master ranger" until i had been to every planet there was. I just think that is right for my style of playing. I did not power camp (well the last 5k of survival was semi-ground) and I had fun. I now hold my title and I am very happy with it. I enjoy hunting in groups more than solo, even in groups of two. I think its much more fun that way. I do solo but mainly to drive up my pistoleer skills. I love being a ranger and almost any time i walk up to a party and say "is there room in a group for a Ranger?" i get 3 or 4 tells inviting me. I enjoy the class and look foward to it becoming a better class. I am disappointed that people are leaving, but I think I will stay here. The only difference will be what my secondary skill set will be.

Congrats on being a ranger.

We have an incredible correspondant and a developer who listens to our reasonable requests. The changes may not happen as fast as we want it, but hey there is still a lot we can do with skills that were initially weak.

Draknev
Lowca
Master Ranger Pistoleer (1.2.1.2)

Congrats

Remember that this game breaks the "in the box" thinking about how experience systems work. You are not going to like this game if "level" is your game. It's not a race, it's about he journey

I know a LOT about the feeling of seeing peeps get master before me, usually the ones I helped get ranger boxes in the first place. I got over it when they ask where something is

Man, this thread says it all. It's always about playing the game that is, not the game we wish it was. I started into SWG wanting to be the "first" to do something, too. I wanted to be the first bounty hunter. And when I made master marksman and master scout in less than two weeks of very limited playing, that goal was not unreachable. But real life stepped in, as it always does. I work in politics and this time of year is really hectic.

At the risk of sounding a little off and nerdy, my interest in the bounty hunting profession goes back to the original Star Wars trilogy. Although he was a mere cameo in the movies, Boba Fett was and still ismy favorite character. I loved his mystique. His special armor said, "I can mess you up just thinking about it, so pray no one has put a price on your head." Well, until he fell in the Sarlac pit. LOL.

But then I started to read the message boards about other players who made bounty hunter and how the profession was broken. Let me tell you something, if you read the boards for every profession they all have whiners and complainers about how their individual professionshave been"nerfed" (which I still think over 80% of gamers have no real clue about where that word came from or what it means) or broken. The discussion is a good thing, but don't take everything that everyone says as gospel. Try different things for yourself. What one person may not like about the game, you may love.

During the 40k combat XP grind to bounty hunter, I decided to try out ranger. I did this before the camo kits and areatrack patch. Because of my style and interest in gameplay, I came to find thatranger was (and still is)really working out forme. Then the patch hit, and areatrack was a real bonus. Sure, I don't use camo kits all the time...but I do once in a while. Bugs happen and they get squashed. I can live with that.

Then I made the 40k combat XP and...instead of listening to all the complainers on the message boards...I tried out bounty hunting. I was objective. Tried a couple of missions. Tried the LLC. I took a week to make up my mind. Bounty Hunter just wasn't for me.

I forced myself to step back and think about what I like about the game and my style of play. I thought about the basics. While I was making my way up the marksman and scout trees, what was it I really liked about the game or the way I play the game? Right off the bat, I knew I likedthe camping aspect. I liked harvesting resources from creatures instead of just shooting them and letting them rot. Masking my scent so I was harder to detect was cool. And I loved trapping...especially the phecn dart, which I still use.

Funny thing is, weapon use was not high up on my list. Most of bounty hunting is training weapons and I'm not really into the whole quest for the uber pistol, rifle or carbine. I also have limited time to play the game, so I can't get into a bounty hunt that takes two hours, especially one that leads to a white circle. If you don't know what that is, just ask a bounty hunter.

It was clear that ranger was the best trek for me. I've since settled on carbine as my weapon of choice. I've decided to drop bounty hunting and stick with ranger because it fits my style of play. And instead of racing to the top, I'm having fun hanging out with friends and concentrating less on skill building. The skills will come with time. Right now I'm ranger 2-3-2-3, carbineer 1-1-0-0 and medic 2-1-1-2. When I'm done, I'll be a master ranger, carbineer 4-4-0-0 and medic 2-1-1-2.

Some nights, I don't even go out and hunt. I just sit around at the Anchorhead Tavern and heal people for the heck of it. I have a band of IRL friends that get together in the game and I keep busy filling resource orders for them or just hanging out. It's true that there is much more to this game than just trying to fill skill boxes.

Now I'll really be in a bind when the new politician tree goes live. /ponder

Congratulations on becoming a Master Ranger! For me, the survival experience was pretty tough, since I rarely group and need to be in camp for a full 20 minutes in order to get the maximum experience from it. Trapping was the easiest because I love traps.

I keep my "Master Ranger" title out because then people can search for me when looking for training. I love meeting other Rangers and one of the best ways of doing that is to advertise that I'm available to assist them if they look me up.

This is a great thread.

I got my Master Ranger title only a short time ago. I was coming through the Ranger tree roughly around the same time as Draknev, and he and I were trained ina couple of boxes by the same guy. To Draknev's credit, and yours, and many others it appears, we all actually enjoyed playing the game. To this day I have the safest route from Kaadara to Keren from my newb days memorized. Also some not so safe, straight to the cloning facility paths.

I still have a TON of exploring to do, and I'm loving it. Titles are indeed not everything as many have pointed out, but like Ikoru I keep my title up so that other Rangers can get training if necessary. I know Lok fairly well, but Dantoinne is practically untouched for me, as is Rori and Talus. Endor by far is my favorite. I wish we could build our suggested hunting cabins there.

Congratulations on making Master the "hard way". Enjoying it.

That is great to hear. I also didnt want to grind, though I have been thinking about grinding the last 20k surviv exp just to get it out of the way. Went up Artisan and Scout first with some medic had all 3 mastered with some skills in Pistoleer bbefore I decided to go up the Ranger tree. bye-bye medic and Artisan, not a hard choice.

I agree with what someone said earlier in this thread, I wont wear the Master Tag until I have explored all the planets. So far I have spent at least a week on each planet I have traveled to, to explore it and hunt. The only ones I have left are Dath and Yavin. I am enjoying Rori now, wish I had gone there sooner. Its hard to choose but I think Rori and Talus are probably my favorites, they are out of the way and have great hunting.

Soon I will also be aMaster Ranger.