Curse

Genos · Jun 17, 2005, 11:29 AM // 11:29

Okies, this is basically a couple ideas relating to the ranger class. More in fact with my one small gripe-

Every weapon we have requires marksmanship. Yes it’s logically sound, but as a result, to have decent background damage (say if I'm speccing in Expertise/Beastmastery/Earth) my character is forced to spec in to marksmanship to be able to use a decent bow - whether it be for some nice modifiers or such...

So I purpose two maybe 3 new weapon types, or at least variations

Feral Bow/Feral Fang - obviously a weapon that requires beast mastery to use. In the case of the bow, marksmanship would still increase its damage as per usual, but its requirements would be for beastmastery.

The slightly more unique idea here is the Feral Fang - this would be a dagger like weapon, looking as if it was based off an animals tooth or such - of course it would be melee... although we could have all sorts of fun with throwable Feral Fangs. Once again requires beastmastery to use - and possibly may have bonuses to beastamastery

The other concept is this -

Druids Bow/Blowpipe - quite obviously a weapon based of wilderness survival. Same deal as above.

And finally, although I'm not sure on this... Snipers Bow - this weapon would require expertise, and maybe could have the special property of cant be blocked/evaded? Could be dodged though - no guided arrows o doom. however to keep things fair, it would be a long range, low arch, slow fire speed - so while your nearly guaranteed to hit - you gonad do it slowly.

The main reason I brought this up is that it has been raised before, but mostly in other fully fledged threads and thus its been a background idea.

What do you guys think? (And apologies for being vague about things)

Willy Rockwell · Jun 17, 2005, 11:36 AM // 11:36

I am still waiting for the Ranger weapon KillEmAll, which deals -600/sec to all enemies seen or unseen.

Genos · Jun 17, 2005, 11:41 AM // 11:41

Intersting =P. but not need methinks. to many people who dont know hwo to play this calss playing ti already.

Tactical-Dillusions · Jun 17, 2005, 12:10 PM // 12:10

Rangers are a fantastic class when it comes to interrupt and support. I do agree that weapons could be a little more varied for the ranger (especially crossbows

), to give them a little more, err, respect from other classes.
It would need to be done carefully so not to make the ranger overpowered or alot of teams would contain alot of rangers. Teams full of rangers, although not to knock them, wouldn't stand up too long against the enemies in later missions.

Epinephrine · Jun 17, 2005, 01:31 PM // 13:31

I prefer the idea of ranger foci for the Beast and Wilderness lines; an expertise bow might be good, but that has been mentioned before.

Silmor · Jun 17, 2005, 01:38 PM // 13:38

My issue with an expertise-based bow for rangers would be that I'd expect a strength-based weapon for warriors as well, just to keep things equal. It would create more potential for diversity, but I'm not sure it would be balanced.

Epinephrine · Jun 17, 2005, 01:46 PM // 13:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silmor

My issue with an expertise-based bow for rangers would be that I'd expect a strength-based weapon for warriors as well, just to keep things equal. It would create more potential for diversity, but I'm not sure it would be balanced.

No, each line for warriors has an item - three types of weapon (hammer, axe, sword) and two types of shield (strength and tactics)

Each line of Elementalist has both weapon and focus, excepting energy storage (which only has a small number of skills) - fire, earth, air and water all have foci and wands, as well as staves.

Each line of Monk has an item associated; Divine favour and smiting each have staves, healing and protection have foci, smiting and I think DF have wands.

Each line of Mesmer has an item, excepting fast casting (which has only one skill); Domination and illusion have wands and staves, inspiration has a focus; I believe both domination and illusion also have foci.

Each line of Necromancer except Soul Reaping(which has no skills) has a staff and a wand, as well as a focus - there are staves for all three lines, wands for at least two of them and foci for all three.

Rangers have one line with a weapon, and none with a focus. Giving them a focus in Beastmastery and in Wilderness survival, as well as a weapon in Expertise would match them with the other professions. I started a thread about the foci, they could be off hand items that have bonuses to armour and energy, up to a maximum of +8AL and +6 energy, sitting in the halfway point between a caster's item and a warrior's item. This would be attractive to casters with ranger secondary, as it gives some of each, as well as to rangers using a wand and one of these lines. An expertise bow fits right in with the Divine favour staff - nobody complains that monks get another staff, even though they already have a smiting staff. Marksmanship is still required for any non-ranger to use a bow, but it makes primary rangers a bit more flexible, allowing them to invest in a line other than marksmanship if they find a good expertise bow (less common, like strength based shields are less common than tactics shields) and keep their expertise high enough. It isn't necessary though, but a focus for BM and WS would be really handy.

Captain Marvel · Jun 17, 2005, 02:00 PM // 14:00

I have been following these ranger weapon threads in a number of forms.

There are a few issues on both sides.

As my good friend Phaedrus said in another thread, ranger weapon selection is actually quite varied if you look at the differences in bows concerning speed, range, etc.

I do agree that variety is the spice of life however.

Many of these idea's are shamelessly purged from other threads (which seem to rapidly reproduce).

- machete: weak melee weapon that is dependent on expertise (or wilderness?)

- The ever popular druid staff: dependent on beast mastery or wilderness

- Spirit/Animal totem

ff hand focus, beast mastery dependent

- Actual throwning charkra: (I would totally make me a Warrior Princess) throwing weapon based on expertise

It is a tough comprise to make, since rangers do straddle (uhhuhuh) the line between caster and warrior how to make a weapon set that doesn't pigeon hole them into the rampant wandering machine gun (not that that isn't awesome).

As an aside, I could have sword I have seen a mesmer weapon that requires fast casting, could be mistaken though.

CM

Epinephrine · Jun 17, 2005, 02:11 PM // 14:11

I really wish people wouldn't try to bring in stuff that isn't needed -

A new ranger bow or focus or staff stays within the game.

A machete/throwing charkra doesn't. If we are trying to tweak ranger to make it equivalent it makes sense to use what's in game. New animations and new combat mechanics is not a good thing.

Silmor · Jun 17, 2005, 02:58 PM // 14:58

Hmm, I see your point - there's also the issue of the Chimeric Prism (for European preorders) that functions as an armour/energy focus based on expertise. Getting an obtainable equivalent for that would be nice, although I agree bows would closer fit the nature of expertise.

I guess the lack of wilderness survival/beast mastery focii means ArenaNet wants to somehow coerce primary/secondary rangers into using bows, but I see no reason to restrict them in this fashion.

Striker Shardale · Jun 17, 2005, 04:49 PM // 16:49

ah, I had made a team of 6 rangers and 2 monks and we got to HoH after 2 PvP matches. We rocked them, but we did not plan well enough for HoH so we got our butts handed to us. A team of 5-6 rangers and 2-3 monks can easily go to HoH and possibly beat it, the only thing is you have to know what you are doing.

Genos · Jun 17, 2005, 11:20 PM // 23:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Striker Shardale

ah, I had made a team of 6 rangers and 2 monks and we got to HoH after 2 PvP matches. We rocked them, but we did not plan well enough for HoH so we got our butts handed to us. A team of 5-6 rangers and 2-3 monks can easily go to HoH and possibly beat it, the only thing is you have to know what you are doing.

@.@ what are you going on about? i full well knwo rangers are good, my main is a lvl 20 R/E and i love playing every moment of him. - im just asking that we dont have to spec into marskmenship to use a decent weapon.

the ideas raised above seem quite good - a druids wand/staff and focuses would be a great idea, and would really lend themsleves to more unique ranger build. the one possible consdieration is hwo would the Wilderness survial perperatiosn work in with it? i can see how they would work with a druids bow/blowpipe - but what about if we are using staffs? (then again, if your fully speccing in wilderness your proably after the traps)

R F O X · Jun 18, 2005, 09:38 AM // 09:38

I am a R/Me and,
I would have to disagree with everyone here.

I think that all bows should still be based on markmanship req. why b/c it is a bow.

I also think that rangers should not get a offhand item b/c it takes 2 hands to shoot a bow that would be very unfair to the other classes that have 2 handed weapons.

But what i do they they need to do for rangers to stay with the ranger class is provide Quivers that has all the varations like all the other off hand items you find, but would also boost the other ranger attributes as well with ranger req. like BM,expertise,WS, ext......

Genos · Jun 18, 2005, 10:08 AM // 10:08

thats not the point though - we need a primary weapon which is NOt dependt on one stat - every other class has one, rangers dont. thats what i, and other people are requsitng

R F O X · Jun 18, 2005, 11:26 AM // 11:26

true true that would help out alot if they did make bows that req different types of ranger req

since they nerfed us from the get go

no offence arena net