Lack of solo ability

[omarr72]

<DIV>Things had been going along good with my Ranger, reached lvl 23, had some fun with friends along the way. This was over a month ago, and after the last big patch were we were short changed, I am still lvl 23, while my friends have reached lvl 30 or higher, now I can't group with them and can't solo anything and can spend an hour lfg. What I would like to know is how you other Rangers have adjusted to our class sucking now, and still continued to level and have fun. The end started for me when the day after the patch I was killed by a white SOLO bear in TS......humilitating. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR>Wolvern lvl 23 Ranger</DIV> <DIV>Haxx lvl 17 Warrior</DIV> <DIV>Cuthbert lvl 13 Druid</DIV>

[zentyra]

<DIV>I'm a 23 ranger as well, and managed in 4 hours last night to get 30% of my xp for lvl 24 while soloing, since TS on Tox was dead last night for groups. I was able to kill blue solo's without any difficulty, while whites were a serious challenge.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My method is to (with blade fury and hunter's instinct up) backshot, ranged combat, openshot, melee combat, melee ca, melee ca, melee ca... </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>For loadout, I'm in complete crafted medium armor. For weapons, when soloing I use a 1h and a buckler (groups I go dual wield). I use the buckler because the ac keeps you alive long enough for your ca's to recharge again and again. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I don't know if this will work for you, its only how I do it. Grouping is still better xp, so keep lfg. Good hunting. </DIV>

[Kthaara]

<DIV>25 to 30 is a grind for Rangers.  I hit 30 last night.  I picked the skill that upgraded shadowlunge (cant remember the name), put the Rip on my tool bar and started collecting Feyiron arrows.  Once I had about 25 or so, off to Zek I went.  First order of business was to buy some level 150 posion from the vendor on the dock for 8S.  I equipped it and equipped the feyiron arrows.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I ventured outside the gates.  The first Orc Maruder was a white con solo.  I easily dumped him.  Feeling a bit cocky now, I tried a yellow con Orc solo.  I opened like this:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Backshot</DIV> <DIV>Wounding Arrow</DIV> <DIV>Triple Shot</DIV> <DIV>Open Shot</DIV> <DIV>HO Chain</DIV> <DIV>Etc and Rip when refreshed</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>By the time that he got to me his health was orange and I easily killed him.  This felt kinda funny, since yellow con solos were PWNING me in TS.  I attributed much of this to the Feyiron Arrows and posion.  I then tried a yellow con Orc without using my bow.  I opened like this:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Hunt (duh)</DIV> <DIV>Shadowlunge</DIV> <DIV>Lucky Break</DIV> <DIV>Corner</DIV> <DIV>Lunging Thrust</DIV> <DIV>etc. and Rip when refreshed</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Then went throught my specials and HO's like normal.  This was also a rather easy kill, although it had been easier with the bow.  Note that I did not have to use my bow initially(or ever in the fight) to be able to use Rip to get a few more arrows.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So, all that I can say is that at 30, go to Zek and use posion.  You will be able to solo just like the good old days.  Not sure how many levels this is going to last for me, but it is fun now and that is the point of the game - right?  Also, orc meat sells for 5S in willow wood armorsmith.  Common drop from the Orcs i killed.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Kwentavius</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Zholain]

I too had a lot of difficulty at lvl 22/23. I got really discouraged. I tried to rethink the wasy I was playing the game. I duo A LOT with a fury(who is in fact my rl best friend) and we discussed trying some new tactics and agreed it would be a good idea. I also concentrated on practicing current moves, i.e. cheap shot/stalk/move behind target/attack. This was a big help.But the single thing that I noticed more than anything else was upgrading my gear. I had no money, so I started making paper and quills(this was before interdependency patch, of course) and selling them. For the most part I did not adventure for 2 weeks while trying to make some coin. I already had most of my skills at Adept 1, so I was able to concentrate on armor and weapons. I bought the best stuff I could find on the broker (turned out to be mostly pristine forged carbonite and forged steel). New bow...new jewelry...everything.Our first fight out after fully equipping myself, we tried a ^^ skeleton group in TS(the same one that had owned us a week or two earlier). I was tanking(i know, i know...rangers dont tank). At the end of the fight, my friend commented "Wow, there's not a dent on you. It's like my 21 berzerker with heavy armor." After this I found a new committment to the game and the fun started to return. That was just about a week ago, and with very limited adventuring time, I will ding 26 tonight before bedtime with time to spare.I've found that playing a ranger means making **constant** adjustments, and THAT is what makes this class fun. I rarely use the same tactics 2 nights in a row, and that in itself breaks up any monotany(sp?). That being said, I don't look forward to having to by rediculously priced arrows and poisons after 30. I hope...nay, pray that SOE does something about that before I get there. If not, then another 'adjustment' will be in order so I can figure out how to afford arrows AND poisons, AND upgrades AND food AND drink. But I will adapt and the game will continue to be fun for me.

[Jay]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><FONT size=2> <HR> Zholain wrote:<BR>That being said, I don't look forward to having to by rediculously priced arrows and poisons after 30. I hope...nay, pray that SOE does something about that before I get there. If not, then another 'adjustment' will be in order so I can figure out how to afford arrows AND poisons, AND upgrades AND food AND drink. But I will adapt and the game will continue to be fun for me.<BR> <HR> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><FONT size=2>I can help with the food and drink, I'm a provisioner and I give discounts to all scouts. Oh wait...you're on Highkeep and I'm on Butcherblock. I do make deliveries - 20 minutes or less to anywhere in Antonica! <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> - but I can't exactly deliver to another server. Might want to consider having an alt or maybe your friend go the provisioner route, it's pretty fun (as far as tradeskilling goes) and it's very useful. </FONT></P> <P><FONT size=2>Anyway, great post. Keep it up. </FONT></P> <P><BR></P>

[Bayler_x]

<DIV>If you're not using poison, you need to start; it makes all the difference for us.  </DIV>

[Teksun]

I just hit 24 Monday, and solo'd most of the way through it. My only advice has pretty much been given: POISON, use it, LOVE it! I ran out in TS and had trouble with blues, but NO trouble with whites when I have it. FOOD & DRINK, I still use level 20 stuff, it works fine for me, ALWAYS player made (tier 2 player made is better than tier 3 store bought). I always pull with backshot (actually I took the special upgrade (?) - works as good as backshot adept 1), I follow up with wounding arrow, and backpedal my open shot. This will bring the MOB down to yellow at least. Then it's the HO spam, (corner and pierce first for the defense decrease and the DOT). The only time I run into trouble is when I backpeddle into an add, but then as long as I have at least half power, I can outrun almost anything <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Jay]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> <FONT size=2>Teksun wrote:<BR>FOOD & DRINK, I still use level 20 stuff, it works fine for me, ALWAYS player made (tier 2 player made is better than tier 3 store bought). <BR> <HR> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><FONT size=2>You're darn tootin, it sure is. You're on Butcherblock with me, if you're looking for good tier 2 stuff, send a /tell Kaeros or add me to your friends list. I'll hook you up with tier 2 food and drink at the "extended ranger discount." All scouts get a base discount, rangers get an additional discount on top of that b/c our class is so costly in other areas. Yeah, of course I'm biased! <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></FONT></P>

[Zholain]

That's a very nice gesture,Jay. Makes me wish I played on Butcherblock.I actually have my alt slots filled, with one of the chars probably on her way to provisioner, but she's still really low level in her crafting(as are all my alts..lol).

[Sirlutt]

i dont know what your issue is but I solo just fine.as long as i am trying to solo SOLO mobs ... dont get confused with the new con system and try to solo stuff above your level.at lvl 23 go to the centaur across the other side of TS, past the village at the waters edge and do his quests.. at 25.. do your Zek/EL quests.. get in varsoons groups.make SURE you have done or are doing "these boots were made" quest.. great XP .. just killing solo mobs for no real reason will take you light years to advance.. do quests.. as many as possible... get EL and Zek access when ever you can... do the quests on the docs of TS for the far seas stuff.

[omarr72]

<DIV>Thanks for all your help. I do already have the best the best armour and ring, waist....etc. that I can have for my lvl. I didn't know posions made that much of a difference though. What are some good ones for my lvl that will work? Also, I am just using the arrows I get from Makeshift Arrow, does that make much difference at my lvl in damage? Right now I am working on alts, but I will come back to my Ranger, and hopeful reduce my frustration lvl and bring back some fun.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wolvern-lvl 23 Ranger</DIV>

[Sirlutt]

oh yeah poisons DEF make a huge diff.. for me anyhow..i dont go into battle without one.Go to SQ, upstairs to the alchy shop is a girl.. buy from her.. OR better yet buy from the broker.open your skills window.. look at your poison skill.. they come in 50 increments.. ie 1-50, 51-100, 101-150 etc etc.Player made are usually 1-150 or 1-200 and the NPC ones will be for your level from that girl.. check to make sure before you buy. Diff poisons do damage in diff "ways" ..ie some hit hard up front but the "ticks" are low.. some are low hit up front but high ticks.. some are a cross .. i usually use the purple or red poisons.you will find they help alot.. the one i use right now (at 2<img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> hits for 17 intially.. ticks once every 6 seconds for 91 and 37 four times.. so in essence i think it does 529 extra damage over the course of about 24 seconds .. thats a BIG help... at 23 your damage will be a bit less.. but none the less it will help out alot.I also use a good shield when soloting and the largest weapon i can afford.. (2.5 time i think) .. my damage comes from specials.. HO's and poison mostly. That and use the correct arrows (the makeshift will be fine for you right now)...

[Rahmn]

<DIV>At 35, I regularly solo white and yellow individual mobs in Enchanted Lands and Zek.  Works something like this:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Snipeing Shot</DIV> <DIV>Wounding Arrow</DIV> <DIV>Turn on Ranged attack</DIV> <DIV>Triple shot</DIV> <DIV>Flaming shot</DIV> <DIV>Corner</DIV> <DIV>Lunge</DIV> <DIV>Impede</DIV> <DIV>Melee attack on</DIV> <DIV>and then comence beatdown as the mob is usually at 60-70% of life.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Vertigo, 35 Ranger</DIV> <DIV>Everfrost</DIV>

[Kthaara]

<DIV>Hmm.  I like the idea of giving a discount to scout class for selling food.  Good for you!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Kwentavius</DIV> <DIV>Guk</DIV>

[GoNom]

<DIV>Simply put, I parsed myself in a group with and without poison.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>With poison/Feyiron arrows</DIV> <DIV>DPS = 85-110</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Without Poison </DIV> <DIV>DPS = 60ish</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As you can see it makes alot of difference, every Ranger/Assasin that i come across that does not use poison I feel like slapping, your working yourself twice as hard.  GL Ranger.</DIV>

[Arioch]

<DIV>Thanks for the tip on poison makes all the difference in the world. I too have no problem now killing yellow Orc Maruaders/Talon Grunts solo.</DIV>

[TerminalVelocity]

<DIV>Poison is a must. catacombe sludge is prolly the best NPC for lvl23. I use with an alternate poison (cant equip 2 poisons the same).  I play on Nek server, and player made that I have seen comes in at 1gp each!!!! and doesn't seem much better than npc. Maybe unlucky when I'm looking.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My Ranger just ding'd 24, and solo green >> skellies in SH now spank me hard (lvl20). At lvl23, the lvl19 green >> were easy, but I understand you get 4points defence added at 80% xp? seems to make a big difference.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In terms of slapping Rangers who don't use poison, I grouped in TS with a lvl28 Ranger, using a single handed weapon. Not only did he not have a shield??? He also didn't use poison??? Go figure.</DIV>

[Lesca]

<DIV>I usually go out duoing with a paladin, and we found that things were very tricky around the 25 mark, at least for me. I had a great deal of difficulty soloing some things - really it all depended on how hard things could hit us.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It used to be that the pair of us could take on blue ^^ mobs without too much difficulty. We tended to swap aggro a couple of times, give the other a chance to heal up a bit before switching over. Then we hit about 25, and suddenly a green ^^ was almost killing us. Not sure if this coincided with some mobs / class changes, but the fact remained that the pally was a lot better off going out hunting with my alt templar than with my ranger.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>But now I'm past 30, I'm finding we can take on the harder mobs again. I can even solo a bit once more. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Now I've got some decent attacks to use whilst on the move, have access to 150 skill poisons and have just generaly improved from playing, it's got a lot better for me.</DIV>