by http://forums-tl.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?t=51077
Great news, guys! We are close to getting the Ranger revamp out to the TestLive servers. Similar to what we had done with some of the previous revamps, we decided to get a bit of a preview out to you guys to familiarize yourselves with these changes before we open the gates.
Keep in mind this is a very extensive revamp (and many changes are intertwined), so please take the time to dig into the entire post before making comments.
Overview
When we went through and compiled all the feedback we received about Rangers, we saw a trend emerge where the feedback could be generally traced back to fundamentals of how the class played and felt on the battlefield, rather than any specific power concerns with this or that feat (that couldn’t be similarly traced back).
Therefore, we embarked on a very thorough revamp that touched a lot of the core elements of the class, as doing anything less than tackling these core issues wouldn’t really address the feedback given by you guys, the players. Here are the major points we pulled out of the feedback:
* Create more tactical choice during a fight (especially in the “heat of the moment”).
* Increase the Ranger’s mobility during fights
* Reduce the number of weapons the ranger needs to collect and use (aka the “Weapon Swap” issue)
* Empower melee, without detracting from range and players who didn’t really use melee
There were a lot of changes, both large and small that were made in the spirit of this feedback. In very high level terms, the revamp does the following things:
* Fundamentally changes how combos work for the ranger
* Replaces the static concept of a “stance” with a more dynamic mechanic called Advantages
* Expands the options and opportunities afforded to Rangers with traps.
* Unifies many of the weapon types, and some of the combos (where it made sense).
Bow v Crossbow
As part of the revamp, the first thing we looked at was the differences between bows and crossbows, and how those differences impacted the build and spec choices for Rangers. We decided, for a number of reasons, to go ahead and remove the gameplay differences between bow and crossbow. This includes normalizing the weapon speed and animations so they are the same, and also abilities that previously required a bow or crossbow may now be used with either. Buffs that buff one, will also buff the other. The first thing Rangers should notice is that this greatly increases build options, and the usefulness of cross-tree feats.
One big piece of the feedback we received from the community was that Rangers felt they didn’t have enough weapon slots to accommodate all the different weapons they cared about. So this change was also made as part of addressing that feedback.
Also interesting to note that in itemization terms, the Ranger is the only class with combos and abilities for ranged weapons. Given that bows and crossbows need to drop from encounters, it’s pretty apparent that having half the class care only about one or the other creates a situation of extremes where there would either be loot rot, or the ranger would never see the weapon type his spec used. Removing the difference between bow and crossbow also increases opportunities for rangers to see useful drops, and also raids and groups to see more drops get used.
In general with the Revamp, we felt there was more interesting ways to tap into character customization and creating meaningful differences based on feat and build choices, rather than weapon type.
Trap Enhancements
We felt traps were a core part the Ranger identity. Therefore, we have added a number of feats in both trees that improve the various aspects of traps, or add additional effects to all traps. Given the buffs to traps that players can obtain in the trees, we decided to move Leghold Trap to be a feated ability (low in the tree) rather than an innate ability. This is simply to represent its power at a “maxxed out” state. Fire trap is now the innate trap.
New Mechanic - Advantages
Advantages are abilities that confer a short term buff and share a cooldown. This creates the effect of being entirely exclusionary. There are feat options to improve all Advantages, as well as feat options to pick up new ones. Because they share a cooldown, we were able to make them quite powerful because of the Ranger can’t simply click them all at once. We designed them to deliberately be situational, and this creates a choice and the Ranger can then use them to be responsive to what’s going on during his fights.
Since we removed the stances, the overall power increase attributed to the stance was moved to either being innate or rolled up into the budget for the Advantages
New Mechanic – Upper/Lower Attack Bonus
As I mentioned in the overview, as part of the revamp we fundamentally changed the way combos operate for the ranger. To this end, we have created a “build your own combo on the fly” style behavior for Ranger combos. We felt this creates the best, most tactical, most mobile, and most fun experience for Rangers given how players interact with the class.
Here is how combos will now work for the Ranger:
* All combos granted to the ranger are now “naked finishers” (0 stage combos)
* Upper and Lower directional attacks now apply an Upper Attack Bonus or a Lower Attack Bonus buff, that is “read” by the combo.
o All Upper directional attacks (UR, UL, U) apply the Upper Attack Bonus
o All Lower directional attacks (LR, LL) apply the Lower Attack Bonus
o These bonuses are the same regardless if whether they are applied by a melee or ranged directional attack.
o The Attack Bonus buffs last for 6 seconds after striking a target, to prevent pre-loading.
o Upper and Lower bonuses do not stack with themselves. (they merely get re-applied). This means at most, a Ranger can have one Upper Attack Bonus and one Lower Attack Bonus active at any time.
* When a combo is performed, it “reads” the presence of these buffs to create improved damage or additional effects on the combo.
o Note this means a ranger can perform directional attacks before he chooses the finisher to apply.
* Finishers can be applied after 0, 1 (Upper or Lower) or 2 (Upper and Lower) directional attacks
So as an example, consider the combo Bleeding Puncture. It is offered to the player as a simple click combo with no stages. When it is activated, it checks (and removes) any Upper/Lower Attack Bonus buffs present on the character. The Upper Attack Bonus increases the duration of the bleed. The Lower Attack Bonus increases the damage dealt by the bleed. Other combos have different bonuses for the Upper and Lower Buffs.
So, a player can simply press Bleeding Puncture and it fires. Or, a player could swing is sword with LL (applying the Lower Attack Bonus buff), swap to his bow and hit Bleeding Puncture. In this case the Bleeding Puncture removes the Lower Attack Bonus buff and its bleed does more damage.
In short, any combination of melee/ranged directional attacks (up to 1 Lower and 1 Upper buff present at the same time) may be used to power any melee or ranged “combo/finisher.” And this is how the Ranger can build his own combos on the fly.
This system applies to all “combos” the Ranger may obtain, and anything in the section below noted as a “combo” implies the above system is used.
Feats and Abilities
Core Combos and Abilities
If it’s not in the list below, it’s been removed or merged into one of the following.
Core Ranged Combos
* Armor Ripper – Debuffs target with -10% Invulnerability to Slashing/Piercing/Crushing/Poison damage types. Upper Attack Bonus adds a physical torment effect. Lower Attack Bonus adds a damage debuff effect.
* Bleeding Puncture – No significant changes from Live. Upper Attack Bonus increases the duration of the bleed effect. Lower Attack Bonus increases the damage dealt by the bleed attack
* Penetrating Shot – This is a high DPS shot. Upper Attack Bonus decreases the cooldown. Lower Attack Bonus increases the damage dealt.
* Pin Down – No Significant changes from Live. Upper Attack Bonus increases the duration of the snare effect. Lower Attack Bonus increases the power of the snare.
* Quick Shot – This is a “quick” low cooldown DPS shot. Upper Attack Bonus and Lower Attack Bonus both increase the damage dealt.
Core Melee Combos
* Cripple – No significant changes from Live (it roots the target). Upper Attack Bonus increases the duration of the root effect. Lower Attack Bonus increases the damage dealt
* Deft Stabs – This is the core DPS melee combo. Upper Attack Bonus and Lower Attack Bonus both increase the damage dealt.
Other Core Abilities
* Advantage: Focused Fire – No change from Live, other than buffs melee in addition to range. Focused Fire is now in the Advantage System.
* Fire Trap - No significant change from Live (we increased in the duration), and its now innate
Trap Feats
In this section I have pulled out the feats that either grant a trap, or buff all traps in some way.
Waylayer
* Ability – Booby Trap (Row 4) – No change from live
* Rapid Trapping (Row 6) – Reduces the cooldown of all traps
* Exhausting Traps (Row 7) – Trapped foes lose mana and stamina over time.
Sharpshooter
* Master Trapper (Row 3) – Trapping a foe grants the ranger a short term boost in damage.
* Ability – Leghold Trap (Row 4) – No significant changes from Live (other than it’s now a feated ability). Points invested increase the duration.
* Clever Trapping (Row 6) – Increases the number of targets affected by the ranger’s traps
Advantage Feats
In this section I have pulled out the feats that either grant an advantage, or buff all advantages in some way.
Waylayer
* Furtive Attacks (Row 3) – After using any Advantage, the ranger's attacks generate 10% less hate for a short time
* Ability – Advantage: Shattering Attack (Row 5) – Empowers the ranger's next attack to deal extra damage to their target. If the target is affected by the Physical Wrack effect spreads the effect to other nearby enemies.
* Ability – Advantage: Absolute Precision (Row 5) – No significant change from live, except now it also adds Hit Rating in addition to Penetration Rating. Also, is now an Advantage.
* Ability – Advantage: Recuperation (Row 6) – Restores stamina to the ranger's team.
* Rending Strikes (Row 7) – After using any Advantage, the ranger's attacks inflict bleeding wounds on their target
Sharpshooter
* Vigor (Row 3) – After using an Advantage, the ranger recovers a portion of their stamina
* Ability – Advantage: Fire Attack (Row 5) – The ranger’s next attack deals extra fire damage and applies 2 stacks of Blistering Wounds
* Ability – Advantage: Sharpened Weapons (Row 5) – Increases the ranger’s Armor Penetration and Penetration Rating
* Ability – Advantage: Misdirection (Row 6) – Reduces the ranger’s threat towards their current target
* Shred Armor (Row 7) – After using any Advantage, the ranger’s attacks have a chance to apply a Physical Torment to their target
Other Feats
These are the remaining feats, not listed above.
Waylayer Tree
* Puncture (Row 1) – Adds a chance of inflicting a bleeding wound to all melee and ranged attacks
* Ability – Concussive Blast (Row 2) – No change from live
* Scatter Shots (Row 2) – Improves the Penetrating Shot combo by damaging foes in the area between the ranger and the target
* Rapid Stabs (Row 3) – Decreases the cooldown of all melee combos
* Close Quarters Combat (Row 3) – Increases the damage done from all melee combos
* Evasive Action (Row 3) – No change from live, other than moved from row 7
* Piercing Wounds (Row 4) – Improves the bleeding wounds inflicted by the Puncture feat
* Barbed Arrows (Row 4) – Increases the damage dealt by the Bleeding Puncture damage over time effect
* Quick Shots (Row 4) – reduces the cooldown of most ranged combos
* Improved Evasive Action (Row 5) – No change from Live, other than moved from row 8
* Ability – Pitch Pot (Row 6) – Throws flaming pots of pitch that explode and burn the area for a few seconds
* Heavy Shots (Row 6) – Increases the damage of Quick Shot, Penetrating Shot, and Linebreaker, and increases the damage over time of Bleeding Puncture
* Ability – Marked Target (Row 7) – No change from Live, other than it now affects both ranged and melee (so this feat now includes the old Marked for Death). Also, moved from Sharpshooter tree.
* Adaptability (Row 8) – Ranger has a chance to gain the Lower Attack Bonus effect when performing the Upper Attacks.
* Survivalist (Row 8) – Increases the ranger's Dexterity by a percentage of the ranger's Constitution.
* Combo – Linebreaker (Row 9) – Minor changes from Live. Upper Attack Bonus increases the power of the knockback effect, and Lower Attack Bonus increases the damage dealt
* Combo – Immolation (Row 9) – Minor changes from Live. Upper Attack Bonus increases the duration of the fear effect, and Lower Attack Bonus adds a fire DoT.
Sharpshooter
* Weapon Specialization (Row 1) – Increases damage with ranged and melee weapons
* Inner Focus (Row 2) – Increases the duration of the Lower Attack and Upper Attack Bonus effects.
* Eagle Eye (Row 2) – Increases the range of bow and crossbow attacks
* Combo - Shield Bash (Row 3) – This is a melee shield combo. Upper Attack Bonus adds a knockback effect. Lower Attack Bonus adds a snare effect.
* Stealthy Strikes (Row 3) – Reduces hate generated by attacks
* Master Sniper (Row 4) – Increases the damage of most ranged combos
* Fancy Footwork (Row 4) – Increases Hit and Critical Damage ratings whenever the Ranger or a member of the Ranger’s team evade an attack or resist a spell.
* Precision (Row 5) – Increases the ranger’s Hit and Critical Damage Ratings
* Ability – Sulfurous Blast (Row 6) – This ability reveals any hidden enemies in the area, and places a DoT on them.
* Deadeye (Row 6) – Passively increases Critical Rating and Fatality Rating
* Swift Stride (Row 7) – Passively Increases ranger’s movement speed
* Ability – Marked for Death (Row 7) – For a short time the ranger’s successful attacks grant a damage bonus which can stack up to 5.
* Double Attack (Row 8) – Ranger has a chance to gain the Upper Attack Bonus when performing Lower Attacks
* Nimble (Row 8) – Increases the ranger’s Dexerity by a percentage of itself.
* Combo – Flame Barrage (Row 9) – Ranged combo that deals fire damage to the target. Upper attack bonus causes fire damage over time to the target and nearby foes. Lower Attack Bonus increases the damage dealt.
* Combo – Incendiary Shot (Row 9) – Ranged combo that does fire damage and applies a fear effect to the target. Upper attack bonus increases the duration of the fear. Lower Attack Bonus adds a fire damage over time effect.
