An SoA idea

[chanaho]

  Since SoA has been changed, probably for good with the minimum range requirement, I was wonderinghow it could at least be changed into something with a little excitement that could also solve some problemswith the way it ends now...or the way it doesnt end.  I only had the luxury of using that powerful skill for one week and grew to love it but fortunately I never hadthe time to get addicted.  However the first time after the change I was disappointed. Not because it didnt last long while soloingbefore mobs were on me and it stopped shooting but cause it just sort of ...does nothing.  I fire it off, it hitsmob and they charge at me. Im standing there rooted and im like..Ok, I dont see damage anymore,should I break root and finish off melee or what and watch while my hp bar goes down and their's isnt.It was a quick decision on what to do. Sort of boring.       So I thought of a way to make it more like a normal end to a CA . Although I doubt it would everget implemented I was hoping it would get the creative genious of the Ranger community to add theirown vision and maybe do some healing in the community as well. Who knows, maybe we canget something out of it and satisfy those who feel betrayed by Sony on this one.Here goes (pretty simple) :  Fire off SoA, starts hitting instantly (as done now). Mob runs at you, yourstill firing away. Mob gets within melee range so bow stops shooting. At this point Ranger grabs anarrow and thrusts it  (does a legolas) into the mob for one last 800-1500 damage spike. At that point themob is stunned for 2 secs, ranger is unrooted (ca completed) and free to finish off as pleases..  This would work good for soloers and groupers alike. If mob never gets to you it would end as normal. Ifin a group and you pulled agro..same effect as soloers if time still remains on it.Any other ideas out there?<div></div>

[Fennir]

I think stream is supposed to be a class defining damage spell, like the class-defining stun heals that many priests get.   As it stands, it's already an incredibly high damage skill (just like the stun heals are incredibly high power heals), so giving it an 'ending benefit' would require it to be nerfed in other ways, something I don't want.  And If a tank dies during a stun heal, the healer is still stunned until they turn it off, just like ours.I personally think stream is perfect the way it is, and actually acts the way I always assumed it would when I first saw the skill in pictures of DoF beta.Anyways, what you're asking for can easily be accomplished by turning off stream, cheap-shotting, stepping back 2 steps and letting go with precise shot.<div></div>

[chanaho]

<div></div>Fennir,  your looking at this from a grouping point of view only in which case I agree it works finenow. I'm trying to look at it from a soloer's perspective where the stream does not last long enoughor do enough damage to even bother using it . On top of that you need to stop it to become unrooted.That is their gripe. Why bother shooting off stream?  So how can something be added that makes this CA worth using for a soloer? Thats what I startedthis post for... to get some ideas out there.  I dont see where a nerf would be needed from this. If your grping and fire off stream it would end asdoes now..timer ends, stream stops. If you grab agro it gives one last shot (adds agro) but stuns moband allows to use deagroers and tank to hopefully get it back. But for soloers its adds some damage at theend of stream, which is basically once the mob gets to them,  that they no longer will ever get to see.<div></div><p>Message Edited by chanahook on <span class="date_text">02-07-2006</span><span class="time_text">01:01 PM</span></p>

[Fennir]

Yes, I'm looking at it from a grouping point of view because it's pretty obvious that was the intended purpose of the spell.  There is no documentation or dev quote that states all ancient teachings spells will be effective when solo.  In fact, many are even more useless than ours unless grouped (call of the hero, group feign death, porcupine, etc.)I still use it solo on occasion with stun poisons so it's definitely not completely useless when alone, just reduced in effectiveness.  I wouldn't expect it to be changed again anytime soon.<div></div>

[Jeris Nefz]

<div>I would be happy if it just "woke" me up the moment I took damage.  Instead of it getting free shots on me until I can find my icon or hotbar to turn it off, as soon as I am interrupted or took damage it would "wake me up" so I am free to backpedal away from the mob (or cheapshot it).  Just a suggestion.</div>

[Vacan]

<div></div><p>I find it worthless and have other spells that do better solo. I mainly solo and just got the spell before the update and wish I had saved my money. If it is going to stop damaging when the mob gets to me I should no longer be rooted or stifled.</p><p> </p><p>I'd like to add now that we are not as high DPS we need to have the cost of our DPS lowered a great deal,. Meaning that poisons cost way to much and have way to few uses.</p>

[Nulad]

The only aspect I have an issue with is the ability to cancel SoA, it needs to either cancel when we attempt to move or when we re-initiate melee combat, as it stands it's just stupid.Nul.<div></div>