My Ranger Simply can't Do Splitpaw or anything else alone

danceonfi · 08-02-2005, 08:19 PM

Hi;

I've been having a never ending problem playing my ranger SOLO unless Im willing to pay a PLAT for heavy duty buff potions & poisons. I do great damage from a distance or behind but have no ABILITY to actually ROOT a monster like in EQ1. This ability would be a simple fix & would allow me to be able to atleast survive a blue or a small group of greens. As Ive played a tank & a healer in EQ2 as well I know for a fact that my ranger is grossly underclassed in combat. I love playing a ranger, don't get me wrong but I do think this should be addressed. Ive even gone on to live support that after my question just seemed to go dead like he went for lunch or had no clue how to answer me.

TSR Mark S.: Hi, my name is TSR Mark S.. One moment please, while I read your question.
TSR Mark S.: How may I help you today?
You: Ive sent a cs ticket on this as well & never gotten responces
You: I simply can not play the splitpaw saga as it stands
You: My ranger dies to quickly
You: As a class we simply have no power except from behind or at a distance
You: & we have zero skills that allow us to utilize this alone
TSR Mark S.: Unfortunately we are not allowed to give you advice or hints on in-game quests and areas.
You: Im not looking for hints or cheats, Im suggesting rangers be given a root skill like in eq1
You: this would effectively allow us to use our distance & stealth attacks
You: I can't even kill the first gnoll in harclave
TSR Mark S.: The best place to post constructive feedback about the Ranger class would be on the EQ2 forums, that's where the developers get their feedback.
You: I die trying & that is a BIT rediculaous
You: True enough but also don't you feel its rediculous that I payed $8.99 for something I can't play
You: The splitpaw areas are tempered to level
You: As we are a grossly underclassed group, we need a less harsh environment
You: There for I believe that it shouldn't be based on LEVEL but on CLASS as well
TSR Mark S.: I haven't played the zone or the Ranger class so I am not familiar with them, but the developer that reveiws the Ranger forums is.
You: I quit playing EQ1 because it had ZERO soloable stuff
You: Ive done ok in most cases, but SPLITPAW is rediculous!
You: I will post in forums if thats your suggestion but I would appreciate you sending something along
You: I guess ive taken up enough of your time,,, but it is disheartening when no one seems to take your simple solution seriously

You: Are you still there?

As you can see the only ones who really seem to care about us rangers are us ourselves....

Hugs;

Willowwish

Bromious · 08-02-2005, 09:00 PM

What level Ranger are you? I know you probably don't want to hear this but I don't have any problems with Splitpaw. I've leveled pretty much from 46-50 in the Splitpaw zones. Granted it took me a few tries to beat the Pit Champ and I had to hone my solo tactics (never once had to "whittle" down a group by killing one then breaking the encounter) for the other instances. I haven't had any of the serious issues you mention in your convo with the CSR Rep. Some questions to maybe improve how you go about Solo fights:

What kind of poisons/debuffs are you using? ( T5 Transluscent poisons/potions generally run 2ish gold per, rares roughly 8g per, will vary by server of course)

Is any of your armor grey? ( Can get fully outfitted in Imbued fulginate for waaaaaay under a plat)

What kind of CA rotation do you use during combat, which do you open with, do you use your debuffs constantly? I can generally have 2-3 of my debuffs up constantly if the mob stays alive long enough.

I'm an average player at best and I don't mean to suggest you aren't playing your Ranger well. Maybe some folks here on the boards will be able to suggest some more stuff. Unless we know how you play it's hard to know what to suggest.

Ulta · 08-02-2005, 09:08 PM

There's not much a CSR can do in this sort of case, suggesting you post to the forums is actually the best answer. As for soloing in Splitpaw, what level are you? And which skills do you use when soloing? My ranger (around level 45, no rare skills or equipment) can do fine in Harclave as long as I watch out for adds, pulling that first gnoll with a ranged attack and running back to the room near the zone in usually works fairly well. I had some problems in the very first Splitpaw zone (the pre-order one accessed through the terraporters) - those groups of 4 gnolls which keep stunning and silencing are pretty nasty. They are in Harclaves as well, but only after you've got the buff I think. The trick with those is to go for the casters first - if you can get them killed quickly then they can't silence you, or heal the others. Then the scout/fighter ones are pretty easy to kill. One other thing to do is to kill one or two of the group, then if you're getting low on health, yell to break combat and run away. Once you've healed up, you can go back and kill the remaining ones in the group, which should be easier to take on than a full group. Soloing is not too hard outside Splitpaw either, even without roots - hit the mob with a few ranged attacks to start with, melee for a while using HOs and also using cheap shot/stealth to get in your best backstab, and then kite with some more ranged attacks to finish it off. As long as you watch where you're running and don't get any adds it works pretty well.

Sural_Argonus · 08-02-2005, 10:03 PM

Rumor has it that after you "Gain the trust of the Gnolls" there's an ability for Scout Types called Trick of the Hunter that you can buy off of some vendor in the instance. Requires level 20, and one of it's features is Rooting....

http://eq2.ogaming.com/db/abilities/TrickoftheHunter.php

I haven't really messed with Splitpaw much to verify this myself....but from what it says....You should be able to pick this up.

Jay · 08-02-2005, 10:24 PM

danceonfire wrote:

You: Are you still there?

Awwww!! That must have been pretty discouraging. But he does have a point, the CSR's don't make design changes.

Okay. We can solo. It's not easy, but we can. What level are you? How long have you played your ranger?

Those of us here in the ranger forum can help you learn what you need to do in order to improve your chances when soloing, but it will be up to you to decide if you want to put the necessary time and effort into developing those skills, and if you enjoy soloing enough to make that a significant part of your game-time. (Personally, I can solo adequately, but I tend to avoid it unless I'm doing so for a particular purpose b/c it's just too slow and repetitiive for me.)

Anyway, I'll try and hit the main points as I can't write a huge post atm - the others will fill in with plenty of info. SMILEY

- Kiting is currently pretty much required for the solo ranger. Turn the auto-face options off so you can run forward and still fire at the mobs chasing you. Use your slows and snares. Open with a Back Shot skill whenever possible. Make sure you have plenty of room to move without aggroing other mobs.

- Make sure you use the appropriate poisons at all times. Try stacking one that debuffs poison resist with a high DD poison, all player-crafted of course. If these are costly on your server, seek out an alchemist and try for a bulk or ongoing deal. Offer to harvest if that helps.

- In melee, string those HOs together like there's no tomorrow. Make sure you coin-flip to get your Ringing Blow in as often as possible; the Swindler's Luck buff lasts a good 5-6 mins so you just don't need it very often.

- Learn and use the stun > back / flank attack maneuver. Cheapshot > melee off > move to back > rear attack. Some talented rangers actually stealth and get in a full backstab; I haven't practiced it enough to get that good myself.

- Keep your gear upgraded, especially your weaponry. If you're planning on soloing a lot, invest in an imbued rare chest piece so you can get that healing proc.

- Use your buffs. Probably goes without saying, but it's easy to forget some special-purpose buffs like the Adroit line. Use Honed Reflexes if you have it (if not, get it on the broker once you're 35), the Adroit line when stuck in frontal melee, etc.

- If you haven't already, complete your Axe from the Past heritage quest and get the Polished Granite Tomahawk. That proc will make soloing much easier for you.

That's all I can think of right at the moment, but some more info about your character, playstyle, and general situation would help us help you. See ya soon.

Bromious · 08-03-2005, 01:29 AM

Jay42 wrote:

Anyway, I'll try and hit the main points as I can't write a huge post atm - the others will fill in with plenty of info.

- Kiting is currently pretty much required for the solo ranger. Turn the auto-face options off so you can run forward and still fire at the mobs chasing you. Use your slows and snares. Open with a Back Shot skill whenever possible. Make sure you have plenty of room to move without aggroing other mobs.

- Make sure you use the appropriate poisons at all times. Try stacking one that debuffs poison resist with a high DD poison, all player-crafted of course. If these are costly on your server, seek out an alchemist and try for a bulk or ongoing deal. Offer to harvest if that helps.

- In melee, string those HOs together like there's no tomorrow. Make sure you coin-flip to get your Ringing Blow in as often as possible; the Swindler's Luck buff lasts a good 5-6 mins so you just don't need it very often.

- Learn and use the stun > back / flank attack maneuver. Cheapshot > melee off > move to back > rear attack. Some talented rangers actually stealth and get in a full backstab; I haven't practiced it enough to get that good myself.

- Keep your gear upgraded, especially your weaponry. If you're planning on soloing a lot, invest in an imbued rare chest piece so you can get that healing proc.

- Use your buffs. Probably goes without saying, but it's easy to forget some special-purpose buffs like the Adroit line. Use Honed Reflexes if you have it (if not, get it on the broker once you're 35), the Adroit line when stuck in frontal melee, etc.

- If you haven't already, complete your Axe from the Past heritage quest and get the Polished Granite Tomahawk. That proc will make soloing much easier for you.

That's all I can think of right at the moment, but some more info about your character, playstyle, and general situation would help us help you. See ya soon.

All excelent suggestions. The easiest way I've found to pull off crippling blade when soloing is Cheapshot>Melee off (Auto Attack and Surveil are side by side on my hotbar)Surveil>Crippling Blade.

I use my mouse when I play, I know pretty [Removed for Content], but the way I have my hotbars set up it works best for me. When I fire off Cheapshot I immediately hit auto attack then put Surveil in queue before Cheapshot even lands. Surveil is up by the time I get turned behind the mob and off goes Crippling Blade. I find with the buttons side by side I can get off crippling blade off 70-80% of the time. It makes a huge difference getting an extra 600-1200 damage in on a mob.

Another thing I like to do is use the stun to get extra bow attacks in. If you know you have a little space behind you use cheapshot to stun him, and immediately have a bow CA rdy to go (queue it as soon as Cheapshot starts casting), The game doesn't check if you're in too close when you fire off the Bow CA, only when it completes its cast so you can be backpeddling a on the cast and get the shot in in only a few steps.

Anyway just a few more tricks I use when I have to solo. Good Luck!

08-02-2005, 09:00 PM	#2
Bromious Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 43	What level Ranger are you? I know you probably don't want to hear this but I don't have any problems with Splitpaw. I've leveled pretty much from 46-50 in the Splitpaw zones. Granted it took me a few tries to beat the Pit Champ and I had to hone my solo tactics (never once had to "whittle" down a group by killing one then breaking the encounter) for the other instances. I haven't had any of the serious issues you mention in your convo with the CSR Rep. Some questions to maybe improve how you go about Solo fights: What kind of poisons/debuffs are you using? ( T5 Transluscent poisons/potions generally run 2ish gold per, rares roughly 8g per, will vary by server of course) Is any of your armor grey? ( Can get fully outfitted in Imbued fulginate for waaaaaay under a plat) What kind of CA rotation do you use during combat, which do you open with, do you use your debuffs constantly? I can generally have 2-3 of my debuffs up constantly if the mob stays alive long enough. I'm an average player at best and I don't mean to suggest you aren't playing your Ranger well. Maybe some folks here on the boards will be able to suggest some more stuff. Unless we know how you play it's hard to know what to suggest. __________________ Gretz Guildless Innothule--------->Crushbone? 60 Ranger 50 Provisioner

08-02-2005, 10:03 PM	#4
Sural_Argonus Loremaster Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Argonia Posts: 122	Rumor has it that after you "Gain the trust of the Gnolls" there's an ability for Scout Types called Trick of the Hunter that you can buy off of some vendor in the instance. Requires level 20, and one of it's features is Rooting.... http://eq2.ogaming.com/db/abilities/TrickoftheHunter.php I haven't really messed with Splitpaw much to verify this myself....but from what it says....You should be able to pick this up. __________________ Professional Lobber of Arrows Sig unavailable

08-02-2005, 10:24 PM	#5
Jay General Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,137	danceonfire wrote: You: Are you still there? Awwww!! That must have been pretty discouraging. But he does have a point, the CSR's don't make design changes. Okay. We can solo. It's not easy, but we can. What level are you? How long have you played your ranger? Those of us here in the ranger forum can help you learn what you need to do in order to improve your chances when soloing, but it will be up to you to decide if you want to put the necessary time and effort into developing those skills, and if you enjoy soloing enough to make that a significant part of your game-time. (Personally, I can solo adequately, but I tend to avoid it unless I'm doing so for a particular purpose b/c it's just too slow and repetitiive for me.) Anyway, I'll try and hit the main points as I can't write a huge post atm - the others will fill in with plenty of info. - Kiting is currently pretty much required for the solo ranger. Turn the auto-face options off so you can run forward and still fire at the mobs chasing you. Use your slows and snares. Open with a Back Shot skill whenever possible. Make sure you have plenty of room to move without aggroing other mobs. - Make sure you use the appropriate poisons at all times. Try stacking one that debuffs poison resist with a high DD poison, all player-crafted of course. If these are costly on your server, seek out an alchemist and try for a bulk or ongoing deal. Offer to harvest if that helps. - In melee, string those HOs together like there's no tomorrow. Make sure you coin-flip to get your Ringing Blow in as often as possible; the Swindler's Luck buff lasts a good 5-6 mins so you just don't need it very often. - Learn and use the stun > back / flank attack maneuver. Cheapshot > melee off > move to back > rear attack. Some talented rangers actually stealth and get in a full backstab; I haven't practiced it enough to get that good myself. - Keep your gear upgraded, especially your weaponry. If you're planning on soloing a lot, invest in an imbued rare chest piece so you can get that healing proc. - Use your buffs. Probably goes without saying, but it's easy to forget some special-purpose buffs like the Adroit line. Use Honed Reflexes if you have it (if not, get it on the broker once you're 35), the Adroit line when stuck in frontal melee, etc. - If you haven't already, complete your Axe from the Past heritage quest and get the Polished Granite Tomahawk. That proc will make soloing much easier for you. That's all I can think of right at the moment, but some more info about your character, playstyle, and general situation would help us help you. See ya soon. __________________

08-03-2005, 01:29 AM	#6
Bromious Loremaster Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 43	Jay42 wrote: Anyway, I'll try and hit the main points as I can't write a huge post atm - the others will fill in with plenty of info. - Kiting is currently pretty much required for the solo ranger. Turn the auto-face options off so you can run forward and still fire at the mobs chasing you. Use your slows and snares. Open with a Back Shot skill whenever possible. Make sure you have plenty of room to move without aggroing other mobs. - Make sure you use the appropriate poisons at all times. Try stacking one that debuffs poison resist with a high DD poison, all player-crafted of course. If these are costly on your server, seek out an alchemist and try for a bulk or ongoing deal. Offer to harvest if that helps. - In melee, string those HOs together like there's no tomorrow. Make sure you coin-flip to get your Ringing Blow in as often as possible; the Swindler's Luck buff lasts a good 5-6 mins so you just don't need it very often. - Learn and use the stun > back / flank attack maneuver. Cheapshot > melee off > move to back > rear attack. Some talented rangers actually stealth and get in a full backstab; I haven't practiced it enough to get that good myself. - Keep your gear upgraded, especially your weaponry. If you're planning on soloing a lot, invest in an imbued rare chest piece so you can get that healing proc. - Use your buffs. Probably goes without saying, but it's easy to forget some special-purpose buffs like the Adroit line. Use Honed Reflexes if you have it (if not, get it on the broker once you're 35), the Adroit line when stuck in frontal melee, etc. - If you haven't already, complete your Axe from the Past heritage quest and get the Polished Granite Tomahawk. That proc will make soloing much easier for you. That's all I can think of right at the moment, but some more info about your character, playstyle, and general situation would help us help you. See ya soon. All excelent suggestions. The easiest way I've found to pull off crippling blade when soloing is Cheapshot>Melee off (Auto Attack and Surveil are side by side on my hotbar)Surveil>Crippling Blade. I use my mouse when I play, I know pretty [Removed for Content], but the way I have my hotbars set up it works best for me. When I fire off Cheapshot I immediately hit auto attack then put Surveil in queue before Cheapshot even lands. Surveil is up by the time I get turned behind the mob and off goes Crippling Blade. I find with the buttons side by side I can get off crippling blade off 70-80% of the time. It makes a huge difference getting an extra 600-1200 damage in on a mob. Another thing I like to do is use the stun to get extra bow attacks in. If you know you have a little space behind you use cheapshot to stun him, and immediately have a bow CA rdy to go (queue it as soon as Cheapshot starts casting), The game doesn't check if you're in too close when you fire off the Bow CA, only when it completes its cast so you can be backpeddling a on the cast and get the shot in in only a few steps. Anyway just a few more tricks I use when I have to solo. Good Luck! __________________ Gretz Guildless Innothule--------->Crushbone? 60 Ranger 50 Provisioner

08-02-2005, 08:19 PM	#1
danceonfi Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 3	Hi; I've been having a never ending problem playing my ranger SOLO unless Im willing to pay a PLAT for heavy duty buff potions & poisons. I do great damage from a distance or behind but have no ABILITY to actually ROOT a monster like in EQ1. This ability would be a simple fix & would allow me to be able to atleast survive a blue or a small group of greens. As Ive played a tank & a healer in EQ2 as well I know for a fact that my ranger is grossly underclassed in combat. I love playing a ranger, don't get me wrong but I do think this should be addressed. Ive even gone on to live support that after my question just seemed to go dead like he went for lunch or had no clue how to answer me. TSR Mark S.: Hi, my name is TSR Mark S.. One moment please, while I read your question. TSR Mark S.: How may I help you today? You: Ive sent a cs ticket on this as well & never gotten responces You: I simply can not play the splitpaw saga as it stands You: My ranger dies to quickly You: As a class we simply have no power except from behind or at a distance You: & we have zero skills that allow us to utilize this alone TSR Mark S.: Unfortunately we are not allowed to give you advice or hints on in-game quests and areas. You: Im not looking for hints or cheats, Im suggesting rangers be given a root skill like in eq1 You: this would effectively allow us to use our distance & stealth attacks You: I can't even kill the first gnoll in harclave TSR Mark S.: The best place to post constructive feedback about the Ranger class would be on the EQ2 forums, that's where the developers get their feedback. You: I die trying & that is a BIT rediculaous You: True enough but also don't you feel its rediculous that I payed $8.99 for something I can't play You: The splitpaw areas are tempered to level You: As we are a grossly underclassed group, we need a less harsh environment You: There for I believe that it shouldn't be based on LEVEL but on CLASS as well TSR Mark S.: I haven't played the zone or the Ranger class so I am not familiar with them, but the developer that reveiws the Ranger forums is. You: I quit playing EQ1 because it had ZERO soloable stuff You: Ive done ok in most cases, but SPLITPAW is rediculous! You: I will post in forums if thats your suggestion but I would appreciate you sending something along You: I guess ive taken up enough of your time,,, but it is disheartening when no one seems to take your simple solution seriously You: Are you still there? As you can see the only ones who really seem to care about us rangers are us ourselves.... Hugs; Willowwish

08-02-2005, 09:08 PM	#3
Ulta General Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 21	There's not much a CSR can do in this sort of case, suggesting you post to the forums is actually the best answer. As for soloing in Splitpaw, what level are you? And which skills do you use when soloing? My ranger (around level 45, no rare skills or equipment) can do fine in Harclave as long as I watch out for adds, pulling that first gnoll with a ranged attack and running back to the room near the zone in usually works fairly well. I had some problems in the very first Splitpaw zone (the pre-order one accessed through the terraporters) - those groups of 4 gnolls which keep stunning and silencing are pretty nasty. They are in Harclaves as well, but only after you've got the buff I think. The trick with those is to go for the casters first - if you can get them killed quickly then they can't silence you, or heal the others. Then the scout/fighter ones are pretty easy to kill. One other thing to do is to kill one or two of the group, then if you're getting low on health, yell to break combat and run away. Once you've healed up, you can go back and kill the remaining ones in the group, which should be easier to take on than a full group. Soloing is not too hard outside Splitpaw either, even without roots - hit the mob with a few ranged attacks to start with, melee for a while using HOs and also using cheap shot/stealth to get in your best backstab, and then kite with some more ranged attacks to finish it off. As long as you watch where you're running and don't get any adds it works pretty well.