Scout Archive
Thread: April's topic State of the Profession
Page 1 of 2
JBMat
Fri Feb 13, 2004 6:54 am
#1
As much as it pains me to do so - I will report on what I think will be the future of Scouts in the game.
That's right, a blank line.
We have been ignored in the CU so far. Most basic professions were, but us more than most. Non-combat you know. Don't get me started.
Anyhow, it is now going to be very very hard to solo many creatures for those starting out. Grouping will become almost mandatory even for seasoned players. Following with that line of thought, it will take longer to level up in Scout. While it was possible to zoom through the first few boxes, now it appears we will creep or at best walk through. While this is a good thing in some aspects, many people will get bored and either drop the profession or the game.
The Health of people who choose Scout will suffer. Moreso CHs. Scout boxes currently do not count towards Health, as they are non-combat. A Master Ranger/Master CH has almost no extra health, and damn few skill points to spend on getting any. Owen and myself are screaming and jumping up and down, but little has been done to this point.
What do I think will happen? As Health is vital more people will drop Ranger and Scout. To max health you about have to master two combat professions. Can't do that with Scout. Therefore, harvestors of resources will become rare. Master Scout may be like Master Ranger is now. Good news, more money for what you harvest. Bad news, the economies will be all messed up by the lack of organic resources. Sometimes the Devs do not consider the consequences of their actions. I can see Master Rangers grouping with only other Scouts and Rangers to do hunts, mainly for the harvest bonuses. That or a lot of people will be killing small stuff for the harvest, not time effective nor fun.
It's not all doom and gloom though. Owen has some great ideas floated for Ranger, and we benefit as we are the feeder profession. I have stated before theDevs are loath to mess with the basic professions, but sometimes you get incidental benefits from other sources.
One good note is traps have been made more effective. The only reason to include a Scout in a group is for trapping.
Go to TC5 and play and form your own opinions.
Me, I have been a Scout since day 3 (stupid delivery company was late in getting me the game) and I am not dropping it anytime soon. Of course, I am stockpiling meats and hides, and squirreling away all the FS XP I can. We shall see what happens.
JB
JBMat
Fri Apr 08, 2005 5:54 am
#2
As much as it pains me to do so - I will report on what I think will be the future of Scouts in the game.
That's right, a blank line.
We have been ignored in the CU so far. Most basic professions were, but us more than most. Non-combat you know. Don't get me started.
Anyhow, it is now going to be very very hard to solo many creatures for those starting out. Grouping will become almost mandatory even for seasoned players. Following with that line of thought, it will take longer to level up in Scout. While it was possible to zoom through the first few boxes, now it appears we will creep or at best walk through. While this is a good thing in some aspects, many people will get bored and either drop the profession or the game.
The Health of people who choose Scout will suffer. Moreso CHs. Scout boxes currently do not count towards Health, as they are non-combat. A Master Ranger/Master CH has almost no extra health, and damn few skill points to spend on getting any. Owen and myself are screaming and jumping up and down, but little has been done to this point.
What do I think will happen? As Health is vital more people will drop Ranger and Scout. To max health you about have to master two combat professions. Can't do that with Scout. Therefore, harvestors of resources will become rare. Master Scout may be like Master Ranger is now. Good news, more money for what you harvest. Bad news, the economies will be all messed up by the lack of organic resources. Sometimes the Devs do not consider the consequences of their actions. I can see Master Rangers grouping with only other Scouts and Rangers to do hunts, mainly for the harvest bonuses. That or a lot of people will be killing small stuff for the harvest, not time effective nor fun.
It's not all doom and gloom though. Owen has some great ideas floated for Ranger, and we benefit as we are the feeder profession. I have stated before theDevs are loath to mess with the basic professions, but sometimes you get incidental benefits from other sources.
One good note is traps have been made more effective. The only reason to include a Scout in a group is for trapping.
Go to TC5 and play and form your own opinions.
Me, I have been a Scout since day 3 (stupid delivery company was late in getting me the game) and I am not dropping it anytime soon. Of course, I am stockpiling meats and hides, and squirreling away all the FS XP I can. We shall see what happens.
JB
Caliet
Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:54 am
#3
Well written JB. As my master plan was Master Ranger/Master CH/Rifles 0300 (T21 Rifle with Conceal and sneak) I can only hope you and Owen have some luck making them see the errors of their ways. Especially since I will not even be able to keep novice rifleman and will instead be supporting my creatures with the mighty SG82 showerhead rifle. Nothing puts the fear of god into acreature like a cold shower, at least that is what I am hoping since I will only have like 1200 health to everyone else's 3000.
BioEngine
Fri Apr 08, 2005 10:40 am
#4
This is a bad sign. If the scouts are not also addressed in the Ranger Revamp, then I foresee absolutely no new Rangers for a long time after the Combat Upgrade goes Live.
There will probably be a single guild of Rangers and Scouts for each server, who still care about their profession too much to drop it for anything.
Dariane_Kamutsovy
Fri Apr 08, 2005 11:53 am
#5
It all depends wether or not (or how soon) a Ranger revamp will take place.
It might be then also beneficial to take in one go both Scout and CH among the ride, since they're connected some way or the other.
If Scout gets better items, it will benefit to Ranger/CH as well. Otoh if some Ranger stuff needs redoing, it might go down the path so Scout needs changing too (assuming for the better).
But...
As long as no feedback is given on how, when, what, I also foresee a dark future (imp anyone?) for Scout/Ranger/CH.
And for a few other professions as well...
As for the economy... I wouldn't worry too much. May sound mean, but if Scouts are dropping, Rangers are dropping in effect hampering economic growth, then that is a clear sign something needs to be fixed.
How? Well, that's whatwe all have beentrying tell the Devs for months (years?) now...
WookieInLaw
Fri Apr 08, 2005 3:11 pm
#6
Keep up the good fight, JB. Here's hoping your voice is heard over the noise. We Scout/Rangers are not in a very good position right now, and to make it worse, we're getting NO communication. Check out the Armorsmith and Weaponsmith forums for examples of fast Dev feedback regarding the CU. Granted, they might not be hearing the things they want to hear, but at least they're getting red names on their boards.
If a Dev would simply sac up and say, "Hey, we hear you, and although we can't promise anything, here are some things we have in mind," perhaps all of this would be easier to stomach. One can only hope that you and Owen are getting some sort of attention in the Correspondent forums, and simply aren't allowed to reveal any of it.
Then again, if that were the case, I doubt you'd be so up in arms.
Whatever you do, don't give up, man. And that goes for Owen, too. You guys are our only hope right now.
If a Dev would simply sac up and say, "Hey, we hear you, and although we can't promise anything, here are some things we have in mind," perhaps all of this would be easier to stomach. One can only hope that you and Owen are getting some sort of attention in the Correspondent forums, and simply aren't allowed to reveal any of it.
Then again, if that were the case, I doubt you'd be so up in arms.
Whatever you do, don't give up, man. And that goes for Owen, too. You guys are our only hope right now.
WornTraveler
Fri Apr 08, 2005 4:13 pm
#7
Good to know there's someone fighting for us- someone who can scream louder than the Jedi corr 
Perhaps JB was chosen as correspondant for such a time as this?
Well, thanks for speaking up for us. Even if this all does get screwed up, which the general feeling is it will as we all know, we will have someone on the inside telling the devs what's what.
Hakai
Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:54 pm
#8
WornTraveler wrote:
Good to know there's someone fighting for us- someone who can scream louder than the Jedi corr
Perhaps JB was chosen as correspondant for such a time as this?
Well, thanks for speaking up for us. Even if this all does get screwed up, which the general feeling is it will as we all know, we will have someone on the inside telling the devs what's what.
yes...JB is like "The Chosen One" only not as weepy or whiney.........
in fact he's darn right already like Darth Vader in my opinion........
i shall quiet now before i learn the awesome power of JB's force choke.
Message Edited by Hakai on 04-09-2005 04:54 AM
DeltaXi65
Sun Apr 10, 2005 6:37 am
#9
Keep in mind that there's supposed to be a non-combat profession pass after the CU is done for anyone who didn't get love in the CU. We should be included in that, and they'll have no good excuses on why they don't make foraging and camping useful.
B
BioEngine
Sun Apr 10, 2005 11:39 am
#10
DeltaXi65 wrote:
Keep in mind that there's supposed to be a non-combat profession pass after the CU is done for anyone who didn't get love in the CU. We should be included in that, and they'll have no good excuses on why they don't make foraging and camping useful.
B
What is your source for this information?
agent156
Sun Apr 10, 2005 3:23 pm
#11
CHs found that the get a CL bonus at the 3 and 4 levels of thier tiers if you haven't gotten the news.
Rangers might find the same thing, might not, will be enought? We'll see.
Scout still screwed.
Rangers might find the same thing, might not, will be enought? We'll see.
Scout still screwed.
AragornSoS
Sun Apr 10, 2005 4:03 pm
#12
DeltaXi65 wrote:
Keep in mind that there's supposed to be a non-combat profession pass after the CU is done for anyone who didn't get love in the CU. We should be included in that, and they'll have no good excuses on why they don't make foraging and camping useful.
B
Right... cause, ya know, Dancers and Armorsmiths and Weaponsmiths and Musicians are all Combat classes apparently....
Almagill
Mon Apr 11, 2005 8:47 am
#13
AragornSoS wrote:
DeltaXi65 wrote:Keep in mind that there's supposed to be a non-combat profession pass after the CU is done for anyone who didn't get love in the CU. We should be included in that, and they'll have no good excuses on why they don't make foraging and camping useful.B
Right... cause, ya know, Dancers and Armorsmiths and Weaponsmiths and Musicians are all Combat classes apparently....
Down boy!
Entertainers, AS/WS are all being directly affected by specific changes in the CU. Mind buffs going away, stat migration leaving on the last shuttle out, etc.
The docs, medics, and CM's are directly affected too, with great chunks of their profs being shuffled around and their being 'given' a combat role (something a lot of the Starport Cowboys are ecstatic about, not).
Scout is listed in the CU docs as we are the prerequisite profession for at least two of the profs directly affected by CU (BH and CH) and we are, theoretically, not within the scope of the changes.
That we are in fact sorely affected by the changes currently on TC-EP3 suggests that there had been a bit of blinkervision going on among the dev team. "Scouts? No, we're not changing anything that affects them, just balancing some combat stuff". But that IS what TC is for, to find these problems, identify them clearly, report them back to the Dev team and then get on with finding what else is broken.
I surely hope Brisc is right and that there will be a sweep of the professions to pick up on any problems the CU has created. It would be logical for them to do this, so here's hoping.
Page 1 of 2