Not tracking reds?

[Meryddian]

<DIV>Does anybody else have this issue?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I had noticed the first time I stepped into Enchanted Lands that I could not track - well, just about anything, because everything was a <FONT color=#ff0000>red</FONT> con at the time. It was the first time I'd noticed I couldn't track reds (hadn't really paid attn to it before) and at first assumed that maybe it was some kind of coding to prevent parking a lowbie toon in an area where named would be and park them there to track for nameds. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>But as I've leveled (I'm now 32), I still can't seem to track any reds. Yet there is, on the track screen, a choice to filter out reds. (I have no problem tracking grey through orange). </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Last night I was with a group and the tank in the group insisted his assassin is able to track reds no problem, so he thought I was either lying or stupid about how track worked. (as background, I've had a ranger in EQ1 for 4 years, I *know* how track works). And I thought well hmm, maybe ranger subclasses just have better track than rogue subclasses.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So... dumb question of the week: Can swashbucklers track reds, and if so, then what do I have to fix to get them to show up on mine? Thanks for any assistance. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Syrano]

Can't remember if/when it changed but it's been that way for awhile. You also can't track any mob labeled Group X 2 or higher.

[Kaff]

No scouts can. The limitations for all tracking classes are as Syrano has stated.And, yes, basically this is coding to prevent rapid checking of named mobs -- you actually have to go there and look if it's a raid mob, and if it's just group, you have to be level appropriate.As another ranger refugee in the swashbuckler class, I imagine I've got similar mixed feelings. I'm glad it's not a breeze for one guild to just pop into a dozen zones in a matter of minutes and lay out a raid schedule to monopolize all the rarer spawns, and I'm glad that an alt half-my level can't perform such tracking duties that remain, although I can't help as if I've been blinded in one eye and left unaware of my surroundings as well.Not that tracking helps my overall awareness anyways -- it seems like I can spit farther than I can track in this game. (Making me wonder exactly how many inches tracking traditions grant with a measly few skill points..) But that's a gripe for another day.

[Akurei Sens]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Kaffis wrote:<BR><BR>Not that tracking helps my overall awareness anyways -- it seems like I can spit farther than I can track in this game. (Making me wonder exactly how many inches tracking traditions grant with a measly few skill points..) But that's a gripe for another day.<BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV>yea the tracking range is a bit um pathetic, for all the other restrictions they have in place to prevent the other guild/farm issues you mentioned.  A species filter would be nice too.  I mean if I'm stalking undead why do I also need to know where 30 animals are too.</DIV>

[Syrano]

Tracking range is quite good, there just seems to be a limit on the number of mobs it can track. For example, if I'm in Zek where Gurk spawns, I can track mobs in the mines if I have all the nearby orcs killed (there aren't many spawns there). However if you go into a densly populated area (take a room in Runnyeye) you can barely see mobs past the room you're in.So the hard cap on number of mobs on the tracking window is what's really limiting the skill. I understand why they did it, but it does make its usefullness a little limited for actual tracking in densely populated areas. I guess that's somewhat realistic.As for enhancements, I could care less about sorting by con color. I want to be able to filter on a search string I put in. Or by mob type, like "Orc" or "Goblin" etc.

[Kaff]

<blockquote><hr>Syrano wrote:Tracking range is quite good, there just seems to be a limit on the number of mobs it can track. For example, if I'm in Zek where Gurk spawns, I can track mobs in the mines if I have all the nearby orcs killed (there aren't many spawns there). However if you go into a densly populated area (take a room in Runnyeye) you can barely see mobs past the room you're in.So the hard cap on number of mobs on the tracking window is what's really limiting the skill. I understand why they did it, but it does make its usefullness a little limited for actual tracking in densely populated areas. I guess that's somewhat realistic.As for enhancements, I could care less about sorting by con color. I want to be able to filter on a search string I put in. Or by mob type, like "Orc" or "Goblin" etc.<hr></blockquote>Fair enough, you're right. The limitation is really the finite number of trackees that gets crammed full by the dense mob populations.That doesn't change the fact that skill improvements are never useful (meaning the tracking traditions are pretty stupid to bother having), and I don't see an improvement in my ability to track as I level (because I'm already capped way early).Raid targets and red cons aside -- EQ1 ranger tracking was something I could use, and felt good to contribute with. Running the Trak's Teeth rare cycle was one of the most rewarding camps to pull, ever. That was fun and valuable utility.Tracking stuff barely out of the clipping plane that an alert player can just run around and find before you finish scanning the list? That's a novelty that grows old after about a level.P.S. Seconded on the search string filter. More powerful filters of any type (that would exclude misses and not count them toward the number cap) would handily get around that cap, too. I don't mind an interface limit that says "yeah, the tracking window can only accept 50 mob names" if we can keep trash we don't care about out of that 50 and thus get to use our whole range.

[Meryddian]

<DIV><FONT face=Helv size=2> <P>It's not just group x2 mobs not showing up on track; it's that NO reds (aside from "friendly" NPCs) show up on track.</P> <P>I appreciate the whole "anti-toss a lowbie to track into the zone" train of thought. That is a nice thought to prevent named farming, I guess. But from my viewpoint, that really is only at its most useful in open zones such as Thundering Steppes which do not have the level/quest entry requirements of say, Enchanted Lands/Zek. On the other hand, between instancing, privately instanced zones, and the fact you can only have 4 characters per acct (8 if you're Access subscriber), how many people will sacrifice a character slot just for a tracker? With the current revive structure it's really not too hard to park a lower-level character w/in sight range of a particular named you want to keep an eye for.</P> <P>The other thing is that it is not unusual to hunt in zones where the mobs are red to you. You're not hunting names, you're just doing exp/quests, and you pull up track, and it's ... blank except a stray NPC or two. Very frustrating. Nothing quite like being able to look into a room, see 20 mobs in there, but only have 4 show up on track because they're orange. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <P>Right now the tracking cap is about 6 levels higher than your existing level - ie. I can't track the level 39 mob standing right next to me, because I'm 32. That is a very narrow band of levels, particularly as you get higher and there is slightly more leniency in grouping structure. It would be great to see the 'trackable cap' raise as you raise in levels - ie. level 15 you can track 5 levels higher; level 20 you can track 6 levels higher; level 25 you can track 7 levels higher; level 30 you can track 8 levels higher, etc. - without having to spend specialization in it.</P> <P> </P> <P>(PS. while I've had a ranger 4 yrs, my main for the last 2-1/2 has been my enchanter, with my rogue being my primary alt... I finally let the inner rogue out. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />)</P></FONT></DIV>

[Kaff]

Meryddian, you make a valid point about not being able to track what you're hunting -- for now. I truly believe that the whole "hunt reds for xp/quests" thing is gonna see a nose dive soon. I don't particularly care (although my Vulcan half suggests that hunting red group cons is illogical given the con definitions), but that's just what I see on the horizon.

[cyclonus11]

<DIV>I can understand the reasoning behind this - but if I can physically see it, I would think that I could track it. Also, I wish NPCs and white con mobs didn't have the same color, and group together in the tracking screen...</DIV>

[Penstar]

<DIV>In TS I was looking for an NPC (some sort of guard) for a quest, and couldn't find him until I tripped over him, because he was red.  <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV>

[Dazzler_Twodir]

<DIV>Why is there a filter for red then?</DIV>

[Snarks]

I believe there is a racial trait for one of the races that increases tracking ability. This puts it 4 or 5 levels higher than everyone else at your level, meaning you can track mobs 7 levels higher than you (red).if that makes sense.

[Kaff]

<blockquote><hr>snarkteeth wrote:I believe there is a racial trait for one of the races that increases tracking ability. This puts it 4 or 5 levels higher than everyone else at your level, meaning you can track mobs 7 levels higher than you (red).if that makes sense.<hr></blockquote>Erm. There are several races that offer tracking traits -- wood elves (Tunare's Footsteps), Kerra (don't know), Barbarians (Teachings of Tundra Jack or something) all come to mind.And, let's get this straight -- it's 5 POINTS of tracking skill, not levels. 5 points = 1 level. Not to mention, we have no clue if tracking cutoff or range (or both) is affected -- I've never heard somebody suggest that the red cutoff was based on your tracking skill rather than level. I suppose it could be possible, but it seems like a really backwards way of doing it.