Suggestions for the Scout Archetype [Archive]

View Full Version : Suggestions for the Scout Archetype

Thay

04-15-2005, 05:42 PM

Issue: Scouts are touted in your marketing literature as having many useful utilities that enhance groups. This is not the truth. Path finding is the only group “buff” or utility that is in any way useful. I’d mention disarm trap, but with wards, and heals, it’s a moot point, and I address that separately later on. I am not complaining. I am making constructive suggestions you may choose to implement or not. Solution: Scouts were hired to PREVENT troops/settlers from running into dangerous situations due to their superior knowledge of the land/flora/fauna of their regions. They have learned best how to travel it safely without attracting the wrong kind of attention. Scouts should have a group hate reducing buff that allows travel through hostile regions without agro for up to 5 levels above them. (and solo use as well) Issue: Scouts, by their very nature, are true denizens of nature. No class spends more time in the field than Scouts. No class should know more about the various mobs out there than scouts. However, we cannot currently see any red con mob at all on our tracking screen. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Solution: Scouts should be able to see ANY red con mob up to 10 levels above themselves in the tracking window, and selecting the mob from the list on the tracking screen should show a window with: Level of Mob Hit points and Power pool level of Mob “Weakness” of Mob – which weapons work best against it Resists of Mob (piercing, slashing, etc) Buffs the mob has in effect (concentrations) CAs the mob likes to use You may restrict its use to non-epic mobs, but we all know Scouts, during their many varied travels throughout Norrath have learned information like this, and have passed on this information to each other. It’s part of our tradition as an archetype. Why isn’t it implemented here? Issue: Remove the /poke and /ponder /wave exploits and allow scouts to do their scouting job. Scouts should be relied upon to find out which mob is up or not. Those exploits are NOT scouting. Anyone can do that. This means no one truly needs a scout to see if a mob is up. Solution: REMOVE the exploits! Once a Scout has cleared the map of any Zone, (s)he should be able to pull up his/her map and see which mobs are up. This includes named and epic, and all RED con mobs up to 10 levels above him/her! Scouts have, over time, created many friends, like guards or settlers, who tell them the latest events and gossip in the region concerning mobs, so there should at least be a way for the Scout to query the guards or settlers in the zones to see which named mobs are up without having to run all the way across the zone to find a single mob. Issue: We all know scouts were used to help travelers move through unfamiliar territory faster. Without a seasoned guide, groups always took longer to reach their destination. Donner party anyone? Yet this is not implemented in the game. Solution: If you are traveling in a part of the map still blacked out, (i.e. you are clearing a new zone on your first trip to EL/Zek/Nek/wherever) your movement speed is 95% of normal. If traveling in an area you have cleared, its 100% normal. If a scout in the group, path finding should be 5% faster than it is now. Issue: Scouts are masters of the environment they live in, having lived off the land. They know it better than anyone. Anyone. Yet, they are as clueless as Nathan Ironforge when it comes to resources. Solution: Scouts should stand a better chance at finding rares and uncommons than any other class. We LIVE out there in the field, living off the land, so it is only logical that we and we alone know best where the rare items are. Increase our chances of finding Rares by 5% and uncommon items by 9%. Issue: Chests are broken. We all know it. There are rarely any that explode with sufficient force to make opening them a true danger. Darned near anyone can ward themselves, or receive a ward, and open a trapped chest with FEW, if any consequences. This reduces the need for a scout-type in a group. Solution: If a chest is opened without first being disarmed, there should be a 40/60 chance that the contents are utterly destroyed. ALL master chests should be 70/30. If you want to give us a useful skill in disarm traps, then implement a penalty for NOT using it! Additionally, allow us to create traps that debuff mobs or damage them when they are pulled to a group. Issue: Evac. It is an interruptible spell. I learned this the hard way. It is specifically designed to allow escape so why doesn’t it? Solution: Make it uninterruptible and increase the range by 5 meters. Nothing is worse than seeing 5 of 6 health bars appear and waiting for that 6th only to see the “*$%#&!” in the group chat. <div></div>

Thay

05-06-2005, 07:14 PM

feedback requested bump <div></div>

Zeijandi

05-06-2005, 07:31 PM

I really like your ideas and would come up with some more of my own when I have the time. I'm a 47 Ranger and would love a bump to harvesting rares. I also think pathfinding is too slow and should be significantly increased. A new expansion is coming out in the fall with 10 more levels. Hopefully instead of just upgrading everyone's arts they can find something new and very useful to give all the classes, most importantly, Rangers. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> <div></div>

TerminalVelocity

05-06-2005, 07:43 PM

I like the idea about 'disarm trap', it would make scouts mandatory in groups and raids (which is nice :smileywink<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> As you mentioned, scouts utility is practically zero as you level. Everybody gets evac at some point. On this point, I do think it would be useful for scouts to be able to set an evac point when they enter a zone, which would differentiate scout's evac from other classes that get the skill. Scout's being able to harvest rares better than other classes would create an imbalance. It's down to luck, pure and simple. with bot farmers (on the decline, but still there), this would be exploited to the point where no rares exitsted for other players to find (although I admit I do not know the mechanics behind what determines where/or if you find a rare is). I also think the tracking window should display mobs which are aggro to you. Would make sneaking far less hazardous.

jarlaxle8

05-20-2005, 03:01 PM

Absolutly great ideas! They somehow would make perfect sense looking at the standard definition of 'scout'. I especially liked your ideas of 'knowing what lies ahead'. We're scouts, so it should be like that (especially Rangers :smileywink: ) Tracking now is a nice-to-have, but looking at your ideas, I find THAT'S how I would see a 'scout'. The point with the 'weak spots' is an absolutly great idea. Disarm trap is another thing where you're right. When I'm in grp, it seems most people don't know or just forget that there would be a scout around and just go ahead and open the box, get smacked a bit and are in 10 seconds full health again. Make em NOT forget what we can do I say :smileywink: The rares: nice idea, but I think that would really upset the others. Perhaps the ability to toggle nodes on track would be something 'scouty', without unbalancing too much. In general I love your ideas. But some probably can't be implemented with such power, without making us too good compared to others. But I sure hope some things could be done in the direction of making scouts feel more like 'I know the enemy territory like my livingroom' :smileyvery-happy: --------------------------- Ryilan Wood Elf Ranger 23 Craftsman 19 Riverwind Alliance Runnyeye ---------------------------

xandez

05-20-2005, 03:25 PM

<div></div><div></div>Ranger should be a guy / gal who likes to wander and scout unexplored wilderness, can manage harsh situations etc, craft own weapons / arrows (is provided), etc... you name, my point is: Now, we can NOT use WOODEN WEAPONS! Except bows of course, but not melee ones, eg. 2h staff, which imho is kinda silly... Im not asking give us abliity to use any 2h weapons or any bludgoning types, just wooden ones eg. staffs / clubs / batons Imho, that would make sense... Then again, just my silly 2c <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> ++Xan (lvl 44 ranger on Oasis)Message Edited by xandez on 05-20-2005 02:26 PM

MrNamehasalreadybeentaken

05-20-2005, 04:02 PM

Issue: Scouts are masters of the environment they live in, having lived off the land. They know it better than anyone. Anyone. Yet, they are as clueless as Nathan Ironforge when it comes to resources. Solution: Scouts should stand a better chance at finding rares and uncommons than any other class. We LIVE out there in the field, living off the land, so it is only logical that we and we alone know best where the rare items are. Increase our chances of finding Rares by 5% and uncommon items by 9%. <DIV>no, that should be an equal thing amongst everyone, since it effects everyone almost the same.</DIV>

HerrReins

05-25-2005, 07:51 PM

Nice Post Testicleese! It would be awesome if SOE would give us just a couple of these abilities. :smileyhappy: But i really don't count on it! :smileymad: With every update they made the game easier and better for solo players. So why should SOE make a scout important for a group?! :smileysad: I started playing a ranger because the description in the manual made a total different picture of this class to me. I am Lvl 50 for a couple of weeks now. Finally i can say: I am just a medium damage dealer with a lousy speedbuff, evac and a slow motion stealth. Ranger is a class with a big potential. But there is a lot of work to do for Sony. Keep this thread alive! Maybe a Designer will take a look into it... So long... Ventural of InnovationMessage Edited by HerrReinsch on 05-25-2005 08:57 AM

HerrReins

05-25-2005, 07:52 PM

<DIV> sry..doublepost</DIV>Message Edited by HerrReinsch on 05-25-2005 08:58 AM

Teksun

05-25-2005, 08:43 PM

I love your ideas!! I disagree with the harvesting bonus (and yes I have ONLY harvested one rare in my life - so I know this hurts <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> ) I like the idea of tracking reds, but think there should be a 'few' that are better at covering their tracks than we are at finding them <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> For your MOB knowledge area, I would settle for that information available while targetted, not tracked. I really like the rest of your ideas (ESPECIALLY the traps), and hope that SOE takes interest <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> <div></div>

Sunjaguar

05-26-2005, 11:54 PM

<DIV>Thanks for taking the time to make this post. I hope that they devs look seriously at scout (especially Ranger) group utility especially in the 40+ range that's where I think we've lost out a bit. Just wanted to add my post for numbers sake because I think what you are saying is great.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ajacks</DIV>