Rifleman Archive

I don't know if you remember but I suggested the same thing in the marksman's forum. I thought then and think now that the approach the devs have taken towards the rifleman skills is completely wrong. I suggested that the rifleman would have the ability to identify and then pull back to a significant distance (I suggested 100M max) to allow him or her to actually use their long range shooting ability (fix accurancy please!) and to get the best effect of their range of skills. The Rifleman should not have to rely on strafe to perform a "prarie dog" effect on a mob (Up,down,Up, down). A rifleman should have unparalleled stealth, range, and accuracy. OR you give the rifle man what ammounts to a M-16 or Uzi (NOT THE CARBINE!) that has pistol like range and let him have at it. The current nerfing would seem to indicate that was the idea but forgot to give the Rifleman his M-16.

I WANT to be a rifleman. I WANT to have Rifleman skills. I don't and sadly I will likely have to go the same path that everyone over the age of 14 playing this game is going and that is the path of the pistol packing Scout,Ranger,Artisan type (I will quit before I become a "Bounty Hunter").

This skill is so badly conceived and executed. I HAVE to use a secondary weapon for melee. But as a Master Marksman and a up and coming Rifleman 80 to 85% of the time MELEE should be a non starter. Just doesn't happen by the time I have MindShot2 ESPECIALLY against white and blue conning NPCs!!

The Devs make the Rifleman the most vulnerable and underpowered character class in the entire game when it should IMHO be the ultimate class in skill,stealth,and deadlyness. Now I am just a shmuck hoping to get a round of range fire off before I have to pull out my pistol to finish off a NPC because although I am a Master apparently I am not a very good shot with the rifle.

No no no no, this simply isn't reasonable due to PvP, guys. Lets talk about movement rates. By and large, every combat class user knows that he/she better fill up scout to at least explore 3 for the terrain movement bonuses, so let's assume most everyone moves at the same speed during combat. Let me copy/paste what I said before when this issue was getting a lot of attention. And yes, I am a rifleman.

"You can't have the weapons have different ranges, it has to do with skirmishing tactics that would make the Riflemen the only profession to use.

Say they made the pistol range 40, Carbine 50, Rifle 64. Against a pistoleer, all I would have to do is fire a shot from my max range. If the target choses to close the distance, I just step back. If he tries to flee, I step forward. We both move at the same speed, so there's no way he can possibly beat me unless I were foolish enough to let him sneak into his range.

The way it works now, if you'll notice, I may still be able to hold him at my range, however as a rifleman, I'm not as effective as I can bebecause I'm running back and forth. The pistoleer isn't either, but he doesn't suffer as great a dropoff in accuracy as I do. (imagine trying to fire a rifle on the run vs. firing a pistol on the run, both difficult, but the shorter barrel on the pistol makes it easier) In a perfect world, our accuracy's would equal at this point, making for a fair fight. However, we all know that this isn't the case, and the pistoleer's accuracy equals at least what he can do while standing still, if not more, even at max range.

This is the core of the riflemen vs. pistoleer/bounty hunter debate. The pistoleer is not suffering the accuracy dropoff that they should be because its being compensated by the extra bounty hunter tree points. Riflemen have no such "extra tree" on which to build on."

And get of Aldeon's back, Tek. Step back and realize that this change would get the riflemen hit with an incredible damage nerf. Sound like fun for PvE? That wrix doesn't care if you're 64 or 128 or 150 meters away, he moves 10 times faster than you do.

I'm a pistoleer/carbineer that used to be a master marksman and I agree with increasing the max range penalties for carbine and pistol. If that's what it takes to get riflemen back in the game, I'm with it. Just don't let em nerf me insanelyagain.

I saw shorten the max range for the other weapons and perhaps tweak the agro range a bit to offset. I love seeing the Marksmen Correspondant here... after all, we are Marksmen's sons and daughters.

BTW - Gravity from planets can bend light. I remember hearing about people finding planets based on the shift of a suns light as it passesthe gravity of planets... pretty wierd stuff.

V'Losh

All ranges are base 8, it is programer math. The clipping plane is the real limit for weapon ranges.

The easy solution is to not make big changes, but to make small ones that give the feeling in game of difference and balance.

Increase rifle max range by 8m, to 72. (64+8) The draw plane on minimum machines is 80m, on most its 96.

Decrease pistol max range to 56m. (64-8) This is still outside the normal aggro range of 48m.

Adjust range penaltys appropriately. Leave optimum ranges where they are, and no changes to carbines.

This actually does make riflemen more group freindly by itself. We are then the best equipped to "pull". Additionally, the current code does detect damage at up to 96m for mobs. Watch their reaction to bleed damage after a warning shot. Currently, attacking one mob will BAF friends within 96m (if they BAF). By keeping the changes small but meaningful, you avoid the problems and make a low balance impact. The additional 8m in PvP is covered in 1-2 seconds. It does not give a great benefit, but a small one. (still offset by current disadvantages.)