Rifleman Archive
Thread: Concealment is beautiful!
So I was playing around with that new Sniper Support skill (whatever it's called).
Seems the effect is the same as shooting a creature with maskscent - except it works with NPCs. I did a few low level quests for fun and noticed that I could get two or three shots off before the NPC noticed. I could even shoot twice and peace out of combat.
Only worked with the rifle though - if I lead with a carbine shot the NPC agro'd immediately. Stance might affect it - I only tried from prone.
Regardless - I feel much more like a Sniper today 
"I did a few low level quests for fun and noticed that I could get two or three shots off before the NPC noticed. I could even shoot twice and peace out of combat."
Were you prone? When prone with all weapons you have always been able to get a shot or two, sometimes three depending on the weapon without the mob or NPC noticing. With an Laser I can reliably get three shots off before being noticed, with a t21 only 2.
The new support skill doesnt effect what you are describing, least how I understand it. Its more about not aggroing the 'other' mobs when you aggro one of their friends. Basically its a tool to help pull single mobs from groups, rather then bringing the lot of them. I tested it last night and for me at master rifleman with 100 to that attribute, I successfully pulled a single mob from groups every time I tried. Worked great and a nice addition to the rifleman.
Cul
i think where this skill will shine is at non-master levels. hopefully the first couple boxes are enough to lure some decent mobs.
like say headshot2/3 a mob in a group. you don't need to use concealshot's random pool, and less damage, and may not need to worry about the whole group aggroing you.
unless it works for AE attacks too i don't see what use it would have once you reach master. especially considering strafe2 pounds away halfsomething's hambefore it even starts shooting at me most of the time. then again i haven't played with it at all yet, maybe it's a godsend for master too.
Culdor wrote:
"I did a few low level quests for fun and noticed that I could get two or three shots off before the NPC noticed. I could even shoot twice and peace out of combat."
Were you prone? When prone with all weapons you have always been able to get a shot or two, sometimes three depending on the weapon without the mob or NPC noticing. With an Laser I can reliably get three shots off before being noticed, with a t21 only 2.
The new support skill doesnt effect what you are describing, least how I understand it. Its more about not aggroing the 'other' mobs when you aggro one of their friends. Basically its a tool to help pull single mobs from groups, rather then bringing the lot of them. I tested it last night and for me at master rifleman with 100 to that attribute, I successfully pulled a single mob from groups every time I tried. Worked great and a nice addition to the rifleman.
Cul
Hmmm - I was prone each time. I don't recall this being the case with NPCs before though. Pre-patch I remember hitting my bleeds and quickly running out of range as I was getting tagged by return fire.
Perhaps the posture is the difference - I tended not to go prone when engaging NPCs for the reason I mentioned above.
More testing needed I guess.
It also shines for folks with a melee skill. I was clearing out piket lairs last night and it made my life a lot easier, since I was working on TK xp. Pick one and start blazing away, then pull out the VKs and mop up when they get close. Rinse and repeat. No pets, no armor (most of the time), a lot fewer stims used.
Overall, I like it a lot. It's definitely a lot less hassle than "bleed & run." It's definitely not a super-skill or a major balance changer - justa littlegravy for an alreadyfun profession.
Most of the fights I used to have were one of two flavors: me vs the charging horde or me conceal-shotting the horde until my head imploded. Sometimes missing twice and back to step one... This change gives rifle combat a little more variation and maybe some interesting new choices for your first shot.
just continue to warning shot it till it bleeds out. i dont see what the point is with this. seems like a waste of dev time to me. i will be more than happy if someone can come up with a use for it.
yeah but when that creature comes after you he's going to bring his friends. (if he's BAF). now the creature alone comes after you.
i mean considering the new difficulty changes on high level npcs i think i'd probably use the hell out of this... i'd much rather fight 1 force mystic rather than 2.
This is what I do and the friends never come.
Mask scent.
Shoot it w/ Mind 1 and 2 from about 50 to 60 meters and then peace.
Go out about 110 meters or so..
Once the bleed takes affect the mob will come after you all by himself.. You can lead him out as far as you want depending on how fast you are... sometimes they just even stop coming after you.
Then just throw your pet at them whack away.. or whatever you want to do to it at that point.
"generally i just sic my pets on em or conceal shot em. so its of dubious value."
true - for someone with your professions and playstyle.
What I'm saying is that it opens things up a little for people who don't use pets and who don't want to always use conceal-shot. Also, you can definitely single - pull with a bleed and retreat, then use warningshot until it bleeds out.A very popular and mostly necessary strategy - particularly without meatshields and before you hit master. Also time-consuming and sometimes less direct than I'd like to be.
Rifle combat without tanks generally falls into a few well -defined patterns. You bleed and yoyo or you concealshot. Maybe you bleed and run to draw one opponent, or not (if you want to juggle a bit). Unless you used a bleed or conceal, your first shot at a social mob was more like shooting the starter's pistol while standing on the finish line. This change may give riflemen a chance toappreciate differentcombos, or at least a chance to become a little more direct in our approach to grouped opponents. Depending on thevictim's relative strengthyou can start using random - pool specials or just blaze away with headshots until it drops dead at your feet. The crucial difference being that when it does, the rest of the herd / gang / squad /nestisn't one step behind.
For a relatively small change, I think it's pretty cool.