Ranger Archive

The thread about the changes is just too long, so my apologies if this is repeated.

Has anyone played on TC with this change yet? it concerns me a bit--but i'd like to know exactly *when* your scent breaks...

It's neat to see a creature running around looking for you for a few shots (or nps with camo kits)before they find you and come after you. Will this change now do away with that? I'm fine with maskscent breaking during combat..as long as it does not break until they "find" you.

An aside..even when I have the resources needed, i rarely use camo kits..aside from the time needed, i seem to get detected a lot more often than i do with maskscent (i have wayfaring IV, so while not at max, i'm pretty high level). In addition..you cannot turn it off like you can maskscent...and once you use a camo kit..any time you use maskscent it acts like camo during that log-in session (i'll get points for npc's even though i'm only masked, not concealed). Is this common (sorry, i do not often read the Ranger board)?

What I'm worried about is when I'm hunting aggros and my maskscent turns off when I engage in combat and all the other ones decide to attack to. That's not good. I say let it disengage for the current creature you're attacking, but keep it enabled for the other ones in the area. I don't need a bunch of ferocious kusaks attacking me at once. I do that to myself just fine when I accidentally tab the lair.

"Has anyone played on TC with this change yet?"

Well if Test Center had not been misbehaving last night, I would have a definitive answer to this question this morning...

However, the answer will need to wait until tonight I guess.

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Stay tuned for the ongoing saga of Man versus Server.

Great, Nraas (though i see it's still down). Hate to get in a tizzy when i'm not sure how it will work yet (like the harvester changes...hoping it's a miscode...).

How do *you* feel about this change...just curious?

"How do *you* feel about this change"

I am a Melee Fighter (Tera Kasi)...

The use of /conceal to get a couple shots off before the critter notices me is sort of redundant in my case.

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For testing purposes, I will have my Medic initiate combat (he uses a pistol), and then observe the reactions of the target creature, and any nearby assistive creatures as well.

Personally I think that if mask scent or conceal breaks after you open fire it makes sense. It may make life harder but once you open fire you do reveal your position. Now, and intereting twist would be if the sneak shots that are done from the rifleman tree while under /cover would allow you to keep your mask scent. But I dont think they would do that, but it would be nice and may make sense.

I disagree, RMH. It's perfectly plausible that it would take a moment for an npc or critter to find out after the first shot is fired...maybe several shots.

I think /maskscent and /conceal should be totally different skills and
should stack. While Ogo had some great points in a previous post,
I think the players also need to take /maskscent and
/conceal for what they are and not what they think they should be.
Just as the devs should wrap their minds around those two systems.

/maskscent should do exactly what it says...masks your scent from the
noses of other creatures sniffing you out. This is not invisibility
folks. This is reducing the impact on one of the five or however many
senses alien creatures have. I've said this before, I do not
understand why so many scouts feel they should be able to /maskscent
and then sprint heavy-footed through a pack of aggros. Just doesn't
make sense to me.

On the other hand, I don't think /maskscent should be broken by just
one creature. Just because one creature detects you doesn't mean that
your mask is magically broken. Unless kreetles have a networking
system that allows them to put the word out on the crazy scout that
just ran through their pack thinking he/she was invisible because
he/she couldn't be smelled, the breaking of /maskscent doesn't make
sense either. Or do they have a magic humanoid spray or a speciall
sponge bath soap that wipes off the mask? /maskscent, once broken,
should only be broken to the creature that detected you, with penalties
to your masking from other creatures.

Conceal is a whole different story. It works on at least two out of however many senses a creature has. Got news for everyone, though. It still isn't invisibility. When was the last time youheard ofa marine recon unit with brown and black face paint and desert camos run through a military installation in the middle of Iraq?The group would be hailed as supernatural or you'd hear stories about how the opposing forces thought us Westerners were nuts. And believe me, shooting a rifle in that situation attracts a lot of attention to the general location in which you are hiding. So I can see why creatures may spot you.

However, I also think that just because one creature or person may spot your camo job, it doesn't mean all of the creatures or people do. The thing that would make the /conceal ability more special for rangers is to make it modify the herding factor. It would make soloing a little easier in a game that is so group-oriented.

I can see where a lot of MMORPGers would confuse maskscenting and concealing with invisibility. Hiding is such a weird and illogical thing in most games. I'm actually glad that there are some realistic aspects to it here in SWG. I swear I would have laughed if there was a "poof and you're gone" fake invisibility skill in this game. I really would have.

Well if the change works how I think it will, I dont like it.

And it better only be for mask scent. And here is why:

1) The post on changes only says mask scent, doesn't mention /conceal

2) /conceal with the camo kits costs us mega resources, even with removing flora. Mask scent costs nothing.

If they make /conceal cancel when initiate combat, there is going to be trouble. If they leave it so /conceal stays up while in combat, except for your target of course, then it will be incentive to use /conceal. Which is a good thing, because that will differentiate the Ranger from the Scout, and make those camo kits more valuable.

"If they make /conceal cancel when initiate combat, there is going to be trouble."

Then there is going to be trouble, as /conceal breaks if damage is incurred.

You can toggle conceal off. Have nothing targeted then hit /conceal again.

Seir..thanks..i'll try that...

but if i maskscent after i've concealed...i cannot just hit maskscent again in order to UNmaskscent...i'll try the /conceal with nothing targeted instead.

I never said anything about being invisible..i think maskscent AND camo work quite well for me and they're reaonable. If they were a little more consistent..i'd be even happier. Why i can go to endor and be perfectly safe, while going to a less difficult planet gets me killed, i'll never understand Some nights works great, others not so great.

Guys,

I've played with it pretty often on TC now, and the changes aren't that tough. It's not getting me kille constantly, and its not cause me any major problems.

But that could be my playstyle, as well.

B