Scout Archive
Thread: Thanks Holocron for posting that msg you promised us!
I agree...the problem with the mask scent timer is that yellow mods, even pathetically low con ones to me, frequently will break my mask scent while I can generally move in complete maskedness(new word? lol) among harder aggressive mobs.
If there is going to be a mask scent timer(which I havn't had much of a problem with to be honest) then yellow mobs need to *not* break or affect at all mask scent. If thats in place, I don't think anyone is going to have a huge problem with the system except maybe the creature handlers...but you have to ask...shouldn't there be a risk involved in trying to tame the really nasty creatures as a creature handler? I don't mean to say that the current timer is perfect for the CH right now, but I do know the solution for scouts is to stop the yellow dot mobs from affecting mask scent...then all complaints go away.
DeltaXi65 wrote:
Guys,
I don't understand the level of angst here.
I'm a Master Scout, almost at Novice Ranger (took a break to congratulate myself and do some writing), and my maskscent strategy was more an afterthought than a means to make significant amounts of XP. Maskscent is nice, but I had more failures with it than successes, to the point where I ruled it irrelevant. It's nice to have when it works, butI didn't make it a key portion of my strategy to make Master Scout. Some may argue that the fact that it doesn't work consistently is a game flaw, and that's possible, but also keep in mind that you really aren't doing anything to gain that XP, just pushing a button and hoping to get lucky.
It is entirely possible to make it up through the Scout and Ranger ranks without using maskscent as a means to do so. It is slower, but its possible. I know, because I did it.
I've already voiced the hope that Holocron's update here will be to let us know that they will be making maskscent only usable against Red (aggressive) animals, and that it cannot be broken by Yellow (Docile) animals. That would solve, in my opinion, everyone's problem with the new timer.
As for Holo's not posting - I waited to see the message as well, but I'm patient. That's really what the problem here isn't it? The games been out for less than two weeks, my fellow Scouts. The fact that you aren't a Master Bounty Hunter yet isn't because the game "sucks" or because they don't want you to get to areas that haven't been developed yet - it's because if the game is too easy, or the goals are too easy to reach, what keeps you coming back to play? I like knowing that I'll be playing the game for a long time to reach the goals that I've set for myself. And I'm okay with that.
Just be patient and let the Dev's get to us. We're on the list- it's only a matter of time.
Brisc
The problem Brisc is that this change has totally nerfed a Creature Handlers ability to tame agressive / vicious pets. These pets are always near their parents / pack and the only real way we had to get up close to them without their pack tearing us limb from limb. The same can be said or Bio-Engineers who need to sneak up on mobs to get DNA samples.
Now, with this nerf it is **edit** near impossible to /maskscent into a pack of agressive mobs to tame a baby. I didn't become a CH to buy my pets off of a Bio-Engineer. I throughly enjoy going out and taming my own creatures. With this nerf I start to /maskscent towards a pack, Oh! I was detected, nw I get to back out for 60 seconds and sit on my arse waiting for my timer to run down so I can try again. And even if I do get up to the baby and start a tame any other animal moving around in the area can and will break my /maskscent making me instant fodder.
I really think this whle /maskscentnerf was not thought out one bit before it was implemented. As a 2nd tier Ranger now I should be able to blend in with the wilderness at will. I should be able to refresh my maskscent instantly and not have to worry about being attacked by /agressive mobs.
Heck, if they are going to leave this stupid timer on /maskscent then it should be a reduced time timer up to Master Ranger where it is instant refresh. It really makes no sense that a Master Ranger and a person with Explore II both have the exact same refresh.
I dont have any problem what so ever with them removing all XP from /maskscent. I just want the ability back so I can tame my own creatures again. Last week I went to Endor to explore and to tame a new pet. I found a Nightstalker bird (baby) up in the moutains surrounded by red con agressive parents. There is no way I would have been abe to get up there and tame that baby who was surrounded by his pack with /maskscent in it's current state. Heck, /masscent dropped 4 or 5 times just getting to the baby and several more times while I was taming the baby due to the pack moving around.
This is how the /maskscent change has hurt Creature Handlers.
And the ability to hide from NPCs was the skill called /conceal, it was a seperate skill from /maskscent that only Rangers got. The skill was removed from the Ranger class 2 weeks before the game went live with no word to the beta testers.
It is just not fun to sit and wait around just to use mask scent in 60 seconds.
I have not played since the patch either. I am finding other things I would like to do then just wait around.
I am not threating SOE at all, because I realize that I am only one customer and they do have many other issues to address, but I think I am going to ride out my free month and then do something else, because it just isn't fun being a scout anymore.
We wait for Camp XP, we wait for Scout XP two core skills based on waiting.
A disappointed customer.
Some of us are Creature Handlers, Delta.... understand now?
DeltaXi65 wrote:
Guys,
I don't understand the level of angst here.
I'm a Master Scout, almost at Novice Ranger (took a break to congratulate myself and do some writing), and my maskscent strategy was more an afterthought than a means to make significant amounts of XP. Maskscent is nice, but I had more failures with it than successes, to the point where I ruled it irrelevant. It's nice to have when it works, butI didn't make it a key portion of my strategy to make Master Scout. Some may argue that the fact that it doesn't work consistently is a game flaw, and that's possible, but also keep in mind that you really aren't doing anything to gain that XP, just pushing a button and hoping to get lucky.
DeltaXi65 wrote:
It is entirely possible to make it up through the Scout and Ranger ranks without using maskscent as a means to do so. It is slower, but its possible. I know, because I did it.
I've already voiced the hope that Holocron's update here will be to let us know that they will be making maskscent only usable against Red (aggressive) animals, and that it cannot be broken by Yellow (Docile) animals. That would solve, in my opinion, everyone's problem with the new timer.
Just be patient and let the Dev's get to us. We're on the list- it's only a matter of time.
Brisc
Thats not the point. I don't use it for a method to level either I use it for what its meant for scouting around those aggro mobs and once I get around to CH (taking my time with some other interests at the moment) A reliable and non timered mask will be essential.
I hope not this would make it even tougher on the CH's
They got around to us quickly to squash some exploiters by hitting us all with a sledgehammer should be just as important to fix an overzelous nerf.
I 'tried' to post a similar themed thread on the general dev. forum but got squashed for being a 'troll' just cause i asked if Holo was a) forgetful or b) a liar for not having a post concerning Scout issues with regards to /maskscent.
Oh well... I guess I'm a troll now?
Rubber,
I didn't realize that the Creature Handlers weren't using their own forum to post their concerns about maskscent. I was writing based on being a Master Scout and a Ranger, and from that perspective.
Perhaps the best approach for maskscent would be to tier the timer based on Ranger level (not for regular scouts), cut it off totally for CHs and to only make itbreakableby Red (aggressive) animals.
That should solve all of the problems with it, and of course - cause all new ones.
Brisc
I agree about the maskscent not providing xp forraging does not either but i do that because i like to use the bonuses food provides. maskscent was an effective way for me to check out new creatures or heal myself in the middle of hostile territory.
i did not use any exlpoit with it and it as not until i reach exploring level III that i relized iot gave you XP even. By then i only got 74 points on random but that did not matter to me. i lied the ability to wander up to big beasts or creatures just to see what they looked like. so i coudl go and explore the world maybe hunt smaller items and not worry about burst running from one red con'ed creature to the next group of them and getting killed after my burst run has ran out of burst.
i died 5 times on rori when travelling cross country due to the new restriction to maskscent.
the main reason i see there being a problem and the main problem i have is just this.... maskscent is a skill at level 2 explore you aquire.. and Can't use unless your bothan because it fails often.
level 3 can't use now because it's been damaged with soem new strange rules and update.
so level 4 i am wondering will i ever be able to use this skill that is part of my tree??
master scout. no use i'm at the top and master at what i do. but it gets me no where to use my own skills, since a novice can do pretty much everything i can except fail at /maskscent.
l see the dilema now?? Ourclass leaves us to work with skills we can't even use.
what other class has this problem?
that is the dilema in my mind.
other then that i love scouts.
Is there any point in playing a scout anymore? I was planning on playing a Creature handler eventually but as it stands now I don't know.
Anyone think he'll actually keep his word and post? Me neither...
Oh, no, the world is ending ending ending. Rofl...you've got to be kidding me. And I'm sure Holo either will post soon enough, or maybe just maybe he did forget.
Right from Hol's fingers:
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I still would like to see a single dev comment about the change to /maskscent that went in yesterday. I've checked through the Dev Tracker posts and couldn't find any.
I made several comments about /maskscent yesterday. We have a proposed change ready, and I was going to post a thread about it in the scout forumthis afternoon, actually.
-Raph Koster,
Creative Director
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