Talk to the Team: Ranger

After the change to Lightning Arrows I have been giving thought to player's feedback and concerns. I have also been looking at Ranger and considering what its purpose should be, what does it really offer to the game, and how it might be improved.

I worked on this approach because after digging into Ranger I realized that it has almost no unique abilities of its own. Everything is shared with other schools and most of its abilities don't even originate with Ranger itself, but with Scout or Druid. So, I got to thinking... what is its purpose, what can it provide that is unique and would encourage players to use it beyond stuns and speed.

Below are some thoughts that I present to you for feedback:

• Rangers are adept at finding natural things in the wild
  
  • Bonuses to gathering/foraging skills
  • These can be shared with grouped allies (the Ranger shares their knowledge)
  • Rangers can summon a Campfire that counts as a machine for Confectioners and Alchemists to cook, prepare ingredients, and brew potions in the wild.
  
  
• Rangers are skilled at fighting animals and insects
  
  • Damage and To-Hit Bonuses vs these types of creatures
  • Rangers can share their knowledge with grouped allies
  
  
• Rangers are adept at creating poisons
  
  • Rangers can more easily gather venom and craft poisons for other players
  
  
• Rangers can use different types of arrows that have different effects.
  
  • Blunt Arrow - Causes Crush Damage, Chance to momentarily interrupt the target (1s stun)
  • Broadhead Arrow - +Range, Causes Slash Damage, Chance to cause a Lacerated (lowers combat healing rate, stackable)
  • Bodkin Arrow - -Range, Causes Pierce Damage, Chance to cause Penetrated (lowers armor, stackable)
  • Incendiary Arrow - +AoE flame damage on hit, Causes Burned
  • Quivers
    
    • Provide the above arrow-types
    • Display as a quiver on the player
    • Are crafted by Fletchers
    • Come in all tiers
    • Provide a +Bow bonus to the player
    • Have charges that are consumed upon use
    • Grant an ability when equipped that lets the player replace their standard arrows with the Quiver’s arrow type

Are the quivers going to be rechargeable, if so, by what means? If not, they need to be replaced constantly (what amount of charges will they hold?). We don't need things that are going to take up a lot more bulk and stacks, so will be very helpful to know what we are up against in this manner.

I find the rest of the items, very useful so far and sounds interesting. But whether or not they can actually be implemented is another story

also, will any of these addin's help with things like Daknor fights? I just spent 16 or 17 minutes in a daknor fight. In that amount of time, I was able to actually hit Daknor a total of 17 times. the rest were misses (1 hit per minute is not acceptable. my dex is 1680, my bow skill is 1333). Beside the fact that most ranger attacks are very low damage on a lot of mobs, I didn't notice anything above that is actually about fixing bow damage, or accuracy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Malicore

also, will any of these addin's help with things like Daknor fights? I just spent 16 or 17 minutes in a daknor fight. In that amount of time, I was able to actually hit Daknor a total of 17 times. the rest were misses (1 hit per minute is not acceptable. my dex is 1680, my bow skill is 1333). Beside the fact that most ranger attacks are very low damage on a lot of mobs, I didn't notice anything above that is actually about fixing bow damage, or accuracy

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We are currently still investigating what the underlying cause may be for the disrepancy in bow accuracy, DPS has been looked at and we're working on some tweaks in general to bows themselves.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Malicore

Are the quivers going to be rechargeable, if so, by what means? If not, they need to be replaced constantly (what amount of charges will they hold?). We don't need things that are going to take up a lot more bulk and stacks, so will be very helpful to know what we are up against in this manner.

I find the rest of the items, very useful so far and sounds interesting. But whether or not they can actually be implemented is another story

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Negatve on the rechargeable part. The quivers and arrows won't be separate items, and the quivers won't allow techniques, and so recharging them won't really mean much. You'll simply replace it with the next quiver. The number of charges is yet to be determined, but it won't be a tiny amount. The charge will be greater if they are used for auto-attacks, less if they are special. We're still debating that.

I hope you keep in mind that, it's not fun dying because you have to watch your backpack/quivers to make sure you switch when needed so often. But so far I am liking the specialized parts I see. Though I am still remaining concerned about the lightning arrow it's self. We still need a way to keep mobs at bay. I don't want to see this become a group reliant school. I love playing a Ranger, I always have.

• Bodkin Arrow - -Range, Causes Pierce Damage, Chance to cause Penetrated (lowers armor, stackable)

Leary about this one though, since a Rangers base attack is pierce to begin with, Is this really needed (will remain a question) the added bonus can be added to the main attack skill.

• Blunt Arrow - Causes Crush Damage, Chance to momentarily interrupt the target (1s stun)

Again I have to caution, that a 1 second stun is as useless as anything can be. Please think about this one (depending on it's actual usage, so trying to keep an open mind here) remember, it take about 3 seconds just to fire the demon bow (not sure about others atm)

Thanks for all the input

Something to think about: We get bow skill (chance to hit) for adding training points, we get dex (used for bows but no idea what it accomplishes.. damage? accuracy? ((accuracy is mainly Bow skill))? if either of these are supposed to be true, they do not work) but dex right now, seems basically useless, as no matter how many points you add, it changes nothing about the bow use. Archers should have Bow/Dex tp's. Please look into the lack of support by dex for bow use

I have quite a bit of time to really go over your suggestions, and here's what I find:

Lightning arrow = 50% chance for 3 second stun + Now Mobs will have 6 second immunity (I ask you to leave Lightning arrow alone, as the following statements will help explain why).

Blunt Arrow - Causes Crush Damage, Chance to momentarily interrupt the target (1s stun) (a complete waste time to make this arrow, as you will still only have a chance to stun and waste arrows while using it, as you still have a 6 second immunity to wait for) By the time the stun hits (If it hits), it's also gone, so I don't follow the reasoning behind it or the need for it

Exactly what you were complaining about with lightning arrow. chance to stun 1 sec. nothing wrong with the 3 second one listed above. (This is just duplicating the lightning arrow, but lowering to 1 second stun).

Rangers are one of the best companions to have at your side during major battles. They can help heal, have AOE elemental archer ability. Their normal stun, and atm at least 2 other stuns. This is just enough to keep a ranger alive on his solo missions. Not as some people have made it out to be. Stunning 3 mobs for mere seconds and waiting for recovery of those spells, is not out of proportion.

Leave the nature stuns at 8 - 10 seconds, this is not asking too much. It takes a while to kill any worthy creature and the stuns wear off long before the first mob is dead and they can not be recast during recycle of the spell. Contrary to popular belief, we are not stun masters. we have a few simple stuns and Yes we do die a lot regardless. It takes practice, soloing and other tactic to kill a lot of T6 mobs. Once you find the root of the problem with rangers missing so much on certain types, it will be much appreciated....

Next: we have fletcher, ok fine and dandy.. if you can carry every you need. I can not speak for others, but what good is a camp fire to help Alchemists going to do for the Ranger? quick answer... nothing (I don't know of anything my Ranger needs, as alchemist or otherwise in the field, that he doesn't already have enough if in his backpack.

Give something a Ranger can actually find useful. Maybe a multi-hit arrow? chance to strike 3 targets. (special ability) Other abilities can be thought of, I am sure.

Backpacks on bipeds are already stocked full of attuned items, crafting gear, fighting gear, odds and ends like Dragon Crystals to help do some actual damage. Do we really want our Backpacks now filling up with more junk? I don't believe so. Even if the bulk is 0, you are going to waste our stacks (which is worse by far)

A solution as opposed to making arrows for special uses. make only quivers for each type. This will allow the arrows to be set as abilities. so when XX quiver is equipped, that arrow type ability comes into use. similar to the KNoC, as he equips his shields / swords he gains XX ability to use with it. So in essence, maybe 4 - 5 quivers need to be made. Or quivers also become abilities (adding the bonus will come from the quiver ability itself for each type), when enabled (same effect) arrows for xx quiver ability becomes available for use.

You can then equip (or use ability for) each quiver and hotkey each arrow ability associated with said quiver. This way no more backpack space is wasted as it is way to valuable.

Again: Increase damage output to scout, ranger, elar. they do very poor damage to most mobs

I would rather see the ability side put to use much more than filling my backpack, and running back to town to make new arrows/quivers all the time. I would prefer to be hunting, not gathering.

Something that could help a Ranger: Give them their own set of Nature skills / Abilities / Heals.

I hope you consider these possibilities. I am just passing along what I think would work best as someone who has played Ranger for 15 years now.


Keep in mind, if you choose to force us to make arrows as you have described, this will be the only school in the game having to make and carry items just to hunt. I do not think that will go over well with any decent and knowledgeable Ranger

Mingtian does not wish to craft any arrows and would probably eat them anyway.
I don't know what needs changing with Ranger except for the small amount of damage the arrows actually do...
ALl those suggestions for arrows are too confusing and not necessary.