Rangers, Dungeons, and Kiting...

[DarumaRanger]

<DIV> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>Hello, all,</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>I’m desperately trying to figure out which subclass I wish to be; Swashbuckler or Ranger.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>The answer isn’t as simple as “Play which one you think would be most fun or appeals to you.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>The problem is, being a mediocre RP’er... they BOTH have great RP appeal and I think I’d enjoy both... so I have to figure out other means by which to narrow the field.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>So... that brings me to the topic of this thread.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>Pre-Revamp I would have gone Swashbuckler hands down, no question.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>Why?<SPAN>  </SPAN>Well because from all I’d read, Rangers were GREAT at solo’ing, (once they got into upper 20’s low 30’s and picked up more of their Ranger Bow CA’s), mainly due to their ability to kite.<SPAN>  </SPAN>I’d read more than once that they didn’t fare quite as well in dungeons since they didn’t have the room to kite... nor did they fare as well in outside zones if they didn’t have kiting room.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>However, if they had the room to kite... WATCH OUT CAZIC THULE !! <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>Now with LU 13 out and kiting reduced, (I understand kiting is still possible, just not AS possible/easy), I’m wondering if the sentiment above, about Rangers not faring well in dungeons or enclosed areas, still holds true?</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>I want a character that can solo well ANYWHERE.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Not one who can solo ok in some places and greatly in other places when they can kite.<SPAN>  </SPAN>This may “average” to “solo well everywhere” but I’d rather simply “solo well EVERYWHERE” then “solo great in someplaces and mediocre in others.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>If that makes sense?</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>If the answer is that now Rangers solo perfectly fine in enclosed areas/dungeons... well... then I guess I’m back to square one, LOL.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>However, if they really still need a lot of running room then I’ll go Swashie... uh... unless of course folks come on here and say that Swashies too need kiting room and don’t do well in dungeons, LOL.<SPAN>  </SPAN>Not sure what I’d do then <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></FONT></P> <P><FONT face="Courier New" color=#ffffff size=2>Thanks all for your time.</FONT></P> <P><SPAN><FONT color=#ffffff>Take care.</FONT></SPAN></P></DIV>

[Zutan]

I dont personally Kite with my ranger but I suppose you could do that.. I do pretty decently solo at lvl 31 in open spaces or dungeons with certain restrictions.. 1) Heroic mobs dont stun so you cant backstab.. so they must be quite a bit lower than you to handle without that extra damage. 2) "grouped" encouters (even solo ones) are *more* difficult for a ranger that cant kite. They also are difficult to backstab since many creatures hitting you at once will break stealth before the backstab fires. <div></div>

[Zholain]

<font size="2">Kiting no longer exists in it's previous form....meaning there is no more running around backwards in a circle whittleing away at the mob.  Oversimplified, the typical solo encounter goes something like this:  Snare...fire multiple high damage bow attacks...if mob is still alive when it get's to you, start HO...Cheap Shot to stun the mob, either move behind mob or take a few steps away or both....backstab/bow attack...mob dead.  In dungeons, cheap shot is just that much more valuable. Interpret that as you will...but rangers are a very good solo class now. </font><div></div>

[jarlaxle8]

<DIV>kiting has been nerfed, but i say: GOOD RIDDANCE! never liked that i had to kite to be any good.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>we can now solo without having to kite. we may still need a bit room so you can cheap shot - back up - shoot em full of arrows. but it's way easier now and doable very well in confined places.</DIV> <DIV>before i had to kite my way through splitpaw arena (and never could kill the champion). that was no fun, kiting in that place. now i went through the arena in a blast, no kiting involved, just good use of cheap shot with bow CAs/back- and stealth-stabs. and i killed the champ :smileyhappy:</DIV> <DIV>been in mines of zek, killed some miners, no problem.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>ok, i have to say, you have more air to do your stuff when there are no walls around you. but keep in mind that in upland zones you have mobs all over the place. if you don't watch out, you may back up into a group of nasty mobs.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>in general, the way you pull, and where to, is a big success factor. anywhere.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>it may be harder in dungeons where you have really narrow, twisty corridors. but i can't say it is like that, never been in the situation.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>hope this helps a bit. can't say anything about swashy. i just know we are at top end of dps (with assassins and sorcerers) :smileyvery-happy:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>--------------------------<BR><A href="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/en/pplayer.vm?characterId=383113204" target=_self>Ryilan Nightbreeze </A><BR>--------------------------</DIV><p>Message Edited by jarlaxle888 on <span class=date_text>09-30-2005</span> <span class=time_text>04:17 PM</span>

[Armeng]

kiting is just as easy to me, tho different I havent had a big issue with dungeons, still do good dps there even when having to keep other eye tuned for roamers the ranger class imo got a big bump up with the combat revamp and i am loving mine more than even now oh and i hate to solo <div></div>

[TaleraRis]

<DIV>I can't speak for higher levels, but I've gone from 16 to 24 since the CU without kiting and I only grouped twice with some guildies for my AQ1. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I solo better than I ever did. </DIV>

[Mary the Prophetess]

<P>I am a solo player.  I always have been, and probably always will be.  My play schedules, and personal preferences dictate this.</P> <P>I have always played a Ranger, or a Ranger-Type, for that reason.  </P> <P>I am currently approaching my 40th season.  I have soloed it all the way, with the exception of some epics needed for Heratige Quests.  Solo Rangers advance slower than grouped Rangers, but they still advance.</P> <P>I can solo, and solo well, both inside and outside.  I also still bow kite too; both inside and outside.</P> <P>It does take a lot more finesse now than it used to.  You must know your target, know the area, and know how to make and use macros (especially for melee), but it is really not that hard after a little practice on low level greyed-out opponents.</P> <P>Many instanced dungeons are solo-able.  Because opponents do not respwan, the 'open'  areas in a dungeon start to allow greater flexibility as you work your way slowly through them.</P> <P>I have found that you do not necessarily need to run in large circles to kite either, tight circles can work just as well.  You get hit a bit more, but not as much as in melee.</P> <P>You will also need to be selective on what opponents you take on.  After LU-13, some previously 'do-able' encounters are just plain suicide.</P> <P>I was one that bemoaned the combat changes after they went in.  I felt that the solo game had been taken away from me, but after playeing a bit, and reading and following the advice I recieved here on these boards, I realize that my first reaction was totally off the mark.</P> <P>Generally, what SOE took away from Rangers in LU-13, they more than compensated for in what we recieved.  Our combat style is more versatile now, I think, than it used to be.  It takes a little more skill and finesse than it did before, but once you get the hang of it, it really makes encounters a lot more exciting and less 'cut and dry' than they used to be.</P>

[Jay]

<P>Given that you say you're interested in the RP aspects, I'm suprised you're not looking more at the different concepts for each class and the roles they play. But given that your question was about soloing... <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <P>Really, nowadays, if you give me four or five feet between me and the mob, it will die.  A lot. I would say that our soloing is less dependent on room to run now, b/c we don't have to do the old 'run in backwards circles' routine. </P> <P>That said, soloing with a ranger is probably more high-maintenance than soloing with a swash. I don't know for sure, I don't play a swash, but they do more frontal damage and they aren't as dependent on conditional attacks (ranged, flanking, rear, etc) as we are. They don't get the same amount of DPS, but they do have more utility and are generally going to be better at adapting to different roles. </P>

[DarumaRanger]

<P>Thank you all for the responses thus far.</P> <P>As for the RP aspects, (REF: Jay42's post), oh BELIEVE me I AM factoring that in... and I can come up with equally fun RP/Concept/Vision stories etc for each:</P> <P>The woodsie, soldier/defender of nature, at home in the woods amongst the animals, relying on range and stealth to take down his enemies etc etc Ranger</P> <P>and</P> <P>The care free, devil may care, flamboyant roustabout, rules are made to be broken, Swashbuckler etc etc <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <P>From that point of view I'd have equal fun with both.</P> <P>I'm probably leaning more towards Rangers which is why I've been posting questions here about perceived downsides of the Ranger class... but they're turning out to be unfounded, (the need to kite and stay out of dungeons and the cost; see my other thread).</P> <P>Hmmmmm... Much to ponder... much to ponder.</P> <P>Thank you all.</P> <P>Take care.</P>

[Jay]

Just roll a ranger. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[DarumaRanger]

<P>ROFLMAO !!</P> <P>Ok... Ranger it is... probably a good thing too since the face, hair, shroud options I chose for my Wood Elf fit a Ranger more than a Swashie anyway, LOL.</P> <P>Ok... So... Rinwen my lv 8 Scout will be a Ranger <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <P>Thanks all for the help.</P> <P><wanders off to roll up another Scout to be a Swashie> <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P>