Ranger Changes

[Syban]

Ranger Enhancements

When Han Solo, Chewbacca, Ben Kenobi, a boy and two droids made their way from the Mos Eisley cantina to Docking Bay 94, a darkly clad figure in the shadows pointed in the direction to the same docking bay. Shortly after, 30 stormtroopers tried to stop the heroes of the rebellion from escaping!

Set in a science fiction landscape, the Ranger Profession is being seen in the light of an exciting new vision. Rangers are being migrated from a resource harvesting profession to a clandestine spy-ops themed profession. To this end, various changes are being made to the ranger skills as well as the currently prerequisite Scout profession.

Changes to the Scout Profession:

In preparing to re-envision the Ranger profession, there have been some changes made to the Scout Profession and the existing Ranger skills:

# Scout skills and modifiers have been redistributed throughout the scout skill trees to reflect the needs of the new profession. In addition many of the Ranger abilities have also been moved into the Scout profession.

# All Ranger skills related to "tracking" have been removed from the game.

# The Foraging skill has been removed from the game since they didn't play a strong role or have strong benefits.

# The Rescue skill has been removed from the game as it is no longer applicable in today's SWG.

# Rangers now use Reconnaissance armor instead of Battle armor to reflect their needs to be mobile and stealthy.

# The Rifleman's Cover ability and a Jedi's Force Cloak now adhere to a common rule-set that falls in line with the new hiding/stealth system introduced with the Ranger revamp.

# Terrain negotiation skill modifiers have been distributed throughout the Ranger skill trees.

A New Beginning

The new vision for Rangers is a bold and exciting new move for the profession. These new Rangers are geared for stealth and combat, able to hide and conceal themselves in both urban and wilderness environments. They can set special traps and create potent new explosives and traps.

The new skill lines for Ranger will be "Hiding & Concealment", "Stealth & Subterfuge", "Anti-Personnel Devices & Traps" and "Pursuit & Countermeasures".

Let's take a closer look at the new skill set:

Hiding & Concealment

Planet specific Camouflage-Kits will remain in the game, working in conjunction with the camouflage skills in this new skill line. As one cannot walk about in urban environments wearing a twig hat to blend in, we have made a distinction between urban and wild environments for concealment purposes.

Urban environments are defined as areas where there is a certain level of structural density and anywhere that is specifically designed as a city region. Wilderness environments are every else.

Camouflage skills only concern themselves with stationary concealment. Concealed movement is available in the Stealth & Subterfuge skill tree. Concealment is always subject to detection, taking into consideration skill modifiers of the person hiding and the person seeking.

Certain actions will automatically reveal a camouflaged (hidden) Ranger (like moving about, for instance) and some actions will not be possible at all under camouflage, requiring the Ranger to first reveal themselves. As the Ranger's skill in Hiding & Concealment improves, their camouflage skills will advance as well, relaxing some of the restrictions of the lower hiding skills.

Skills:

# Camouflage Self: (Camouflage Skill Mod) This skill uses a planet specific camouflage kit to conceal the ranger in a wilderness environment. Movement not allowed, however posture changes are.

# Camouflage Ally: (Camouflage Skill Mod) This skill uses a planet specific camouflage kit to conceal an ally of the ranger in a wilderness environment. Movement not allowed, however posture changes are.

# Conceal Device: (Camouflage Skill Mod) This skill does not require camouflage kit. It allows the ranger to hide an anti-personnel trap or motion sensor. Concealed devices are only visible by the Ranger who placed them.

# Blend In: (Camouflage Skill Mod) This skill allows the ranger to disappear in a crowd of humanoids in both Urban and Wilderness environments without the use of a camouflage kit.

# Various planet specific camouflage kits are granted throughout this skill tree.

Skill Modifiers:

# Camouflage: This existing skill modifier determines the outcome of camouflage abilities and is used to determine how likely the Ranger is detected when an opponent uses the Detect Camouflage skill.

# Burst Run Efficiency: This existing skill modifier gives the ranger a much needed boost of speed if they are uncovered at an inopportune time.

Schematics:

# Holographic Environment Projector - At the Master Skill Box of the profession, a ranger is given a Holographic Environment Projector schematic. With it, the ranger can craft a device that allows them to become invisible and move about in an urban environment. This projector does not work in the wilds, as there is too much random visual noise in nature that the electronics of this device cannot anticipate sufficiently to provide an adequate optical illusion of invisibility. Crafting this item uses the Camouflage skill mod for both assembly and experimentation.

The H.E.P has a power source with a maximum capacity determined by one of the experimentation lines. The power rating essentially determines how many seconds the H.E.P functions before shutting down. Once the device is shut down, it instantly recharges the power cell. When this happens, the maximum power level is permanently reduced by a small amount. Eventually the H.E.P power cells become degraded to a point where they can no longer power the device and it must be replaced. Shutting down the device before it is completely drained will preserve more of the power capacity than if one were to allow the cells to drain completely.

The second experimentation line for this device determines the effectiveness of the H.E.P. The effectiveness of the H.E.P is compared to the effectiveness of a Chaff Flare that might be deployed around a stealthy ranger in an attempt to uncover him. More effective H.E.Ps will stand up better against Chaff Flares, but will last for shorter periods of time.

Stealth & Subterfuge

Stealth skills will facilitate concealed locomotion at a reduced movement rate (IE sneaking). Stealth attempts have a higher chance of failure if the Ranger has not been previously camouflaged. If you have not been previously camouflaged, a camouflage kit is required for being stealthy. The exception to this rule is stealth in an urban setting, which is facilitated by a Holographic Energy Projector. (See above).

During stealth, periodic checks are made that may render the ranger visible. Thus, caution must be exercised when one moves about. For instance, sneaking into a building whilst disguised as a tree (as one is, when camouflaged) would immediately expose the ranger, for example.

Various planet specific camouflage kits are granted throughout this skill tree.

Skills:

# Wilderness Stealth - This skill modifier allows the ranger to move under concealment in the wild. This skill requires either the "camouflage self" skill or the use of a camouflage kit.

# Urban Stealth - At the Master Skill Box, this skill modifier trains the ranger how to be stealthy while moving about urban environments whilst under the cover of a holographic environment projector. This skill requires the use of a H.E.P, which can only be activated in an area void of humanoids. The optical illusion of the H.E.P. device isn't perfect and if a human were to watch someone become "invisible" they would easily be able to detect the small visual inconsistencies the device produces.

Stealing - With this Stealth skill modifier, Rangers may attempt to steal from any humanoid that they could attack under normal circumstances. The Ranger must be camouflaged or in "stealth mode" to attempt any theft. A botched stealing attempt will, at the very least, cause the Ranger to be revealed and to lose a measure of faction, if applicable. A successful stealing attempt will net either cash or loot items. Stealing objects from an NPC does *not* modify in any way the loot/cash the NPC drops when slain under normal circumstances. PvP stealing is supported by the system, but it is limited to only specially marked "steal-able" items. Steal-able items are clearly marked and currently only take the form of special mission and/or event objects. Steal-able objects are issued to players under the similar circumstances as other PvP events/missions/quests. PvP stealing is only possible versus players that one could already attack (factional enemies for instance) under existing rules.

# Various planet specific camouflage kits are granted throughout this skill tree.

Skill Modifiers:

# Stealth - This modifier decreases the likeliness of being detected and increases the likeliness of successfully stealthy movement.

Anti-Personnel Devices & Traps

This skill line provides schematics and skill modifiers that allow the Ranger to set traps aimed at NPC humanoids as well as other player characters in a PvP setting. Traps can be placed on the ground and are visible to everyone (unless they are concealed using the Conceal Device skill). Traps have a limited life-span and will be removed from the game at the end of their lifespan. Also, only a limited number of traps may be placed in a given area. Traps may never be placed within city limits.

Concealed devices can be detected and disarmed with the Detect Camouflage and Disarm Device skills from the Pursuit & Countermeasures skill line.

Anti-Personnel devices are either detonated remotely, via timer or proximity trigger. Device bodies and triggers are combined in the inventory (drag & drop) to create a complete trap.

These traps are technologically advanced "smart" traps that can be programmed and shaped to deliver their payload in various ways. Once successfully triggered, a trap will deliver its payload to all attackable targets in the surrounding area. Traps can also be "shaped and targeted" at one specific person, using a Bio Signature Sample (see the Pursuit & Countermeasures line).

All trap bodies and triggers use the Anti-Personnel Traps skill modifier for both assembly and experimentation. Trap bodies have a "Power" experimentation line that determines the power of the trap effect. Triggers have an "Accuracy" experimentation line that determines the reliability of the trigger to detonate the trap.

Schematics:

# Timer Trigger - detonates a device after a certain amount of time. The Ranger may adjust the length of the fuse.

# Proximity Trigger - detonates a device once an attackable humanoid comes within range. Proximity triggers can be tuned with a bio-signature to target the trap against a specific individual. The ranger may adjust the trigger distance of the trigger.

# Remote Detonation Trigger - At the Master Skill Box, this trigger detonates a trap from a distance using a remote control.

# HX2 Mine Body - Basic explosive mine. Does 100% Kinetic Elemental Fire damage (mitigated by armor & Personal Shield Generators).

# Kaminoan Dart Trap Assembly - Bio Toxin darts that are delivered as a Poison Health DOT (Damage-Over-Time).

# Flash-Bang Body - Combat Slow & Stun.

# Spring Loaded Caltrop Assembly - This is a very effective movement Snare.

Skill Modifiers:

# Anti-Personnel Traps - determines the effectiveness of a trap, and how difficult the trap is to disarm once it has been set.

# Tactical Expertise - Determines the speed at which traps can be armed/set (decreases windup).

Pursuit & Countermeasures

This line contains skills and schematics that aid the Ranger in ferreting out other Rangers as well as detecting and disarming anti-personnel devices. Detecting concealed persons/objects is determined by checking the conceal skill vs. the detect skill + a slight random factor to ensure that no conceal/detect is 100% certain.

Skills:

# Detect Camouflage: Searches the area for camouflaged persons/objects.

# Disarm Trap: Attempts to disarm a trap. A failed disarm attempt focuses the entire force of the trap against the disarming Ranger, multiplying the effects of the given trap.

Schematics:

# Chaff Flare: At the Master Skill Box, the Ranger will receive a schematic to create a device that deposits small reactive filaments in the surrounding air in an attempt to disable any active Holographic Environment Projectors.

# Tracking Beacon: Uses a Bio Signature to locate a target using Imperial tracking satellites.

# Bio Sensor Probe: Used on an attackable humanoid to gain a bio signature sample - used to "shape and target" a trap, filter Motion Sensor Beacons and key Tracking Beacons to a specific humanoid.

Bio sensor samples decay within a short amount of time. The length of time that a sample is preserved within the probe is determined by the crafting process.

# Motion Sensor Beacon: Set up in the world to alert the ranger of humanoid movement in an area. When used in conjunction with a bio signature sample, only the targeted humanoid will set off the beacon.

[Martok]

Now this sounds pretty neat

[Sei Teirson]

Deffinitly awesome!! .. although one thing buggs me.. the "PvP Stealing" and "PvE Stealing" .. shouldnt that be a Smuggler trait

[Dement]

thats what i was thinking Sei

but its still cool

im glad they added in stealing to the game i always loved that in UO

[Jadeynn]

OMG!!! Why did I drop ranger!!!

[Chris]

*eyes the respec option*

*thinks back to when he was a rifleman/ranger*

[Syban]

Was NEVER a fan of stealing in UO, it was only a griefer tool pure and simple, now stealing from an NPC ok... player NO. Got tired of sitting at the Bank and loosing half my inventory before I could call the guards.

One reason why I only equiped half a smelly stick.

[scruffy9]

they took out forageing?

[Corellon]

I'm thinking it's about time they do something with a blah class, this has always been a favorite class for me, but nothing there to do really. Now with these new additions and changes I may consider heading to this class.

BTW I'M NOT 60!

[scruffy9]

I'm thinking it's about time they do something with a blah class, this has always been a favorite class for me, but nothing there to do really. Now with these new additions and changes I may consider heading to this class.

BTW I'M NOT 60!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sure

[Dement]

i can see how you would think it was a greifer tool but i had fun playing a thief in uo. nothing more exciting than running up to somebody and staling a silver power katana and GETTING AWAY before they could kill me.

[Syban]

BTW I'M NOT 60!

So'kay man we know denial and all...

[Sei Teirson]

BTW I'M NOT 60!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So'kay man we know denial and all...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Be nice Syban .. not like your 18 ..

[Syban]

BTW I'M NOT 60!

So'kay man we know denial and all...

Be nice Syban .. not like your 18 ..

SO! /shifty

Back on topic though, it seems you can only steal 'specific' items. May be kind of fun in a capture the datadisk kind of event. Would be HELL if you could snag say pearls or general weapons.

[Sei Teirson]

If that were the case I would have all 4 of my accounts active and sit macro stealing at Theed , Bastine, MOP, and Coronet lmao!!

no but seriously that would REALLY suck.

[Corellon]

Since I'm an OLD GUY, I can say this, grow up!

[Sei Teirson]

Sorry Grandpa ..

[Corellon]

does anyone know if this goes into effect today? They are taking the servers down for 8 hours. Either they are putting in Pub 24, or they are resetting the servers to go back to pub 4

[Syban]

Nah those changes are 'still in development' right now so it will be a few months before they hit.

[Corellon]

Rats was hoping it would be soon, may have to make a career change.

[Corellon]

I wonder if a MBH Ranger would work?

Or maybe a Ranger merchant?

Or maybe. . . A dancer ranger!! oooooh that sounds awsome!

[Syban]

Stop spamming or ELSE!

[Narbis Kentrol]

I got a char on Eclipse goin' fer Ranger

anyways, I'll be back in a week or so and able to get back into SWG again. SO, look forward to seeing me ingame

i lub u peoplz ::eyeshifts::

[Jadeynn]

WOOTY WOOT!

[Paintballer1305]

wow stealing thats 1 step closer to my real life proffesion gansta pimp foo where my hoes at were my hoes at come on sei yo my ho