SimuCon Ranger Seminar - notes as they spoke it

Ssra spoke about Ranged weapons & Fletching 2.0

Ranged Weapons - The new substance system (foraging system) gives more properties for fletching - resonance, flex, hardness, etc. These are attributes that will be part of ranged weapons. Roundtime for ranged weapons will be based on draw weight (based on substance properties/weight) in the future. Stats on bows will be looser. Current bows will be retro-ed (didn't say how) - DR2 has new stats on bows. Composite bow fletching will be a part of Fletching 2.0. Trying to get away from everyone using mistwood (because it's the best) by custom stat-ing things so your weapon can fit your character. More things will be released so that you can find (forage/create) everything you need to make arrows. (More than the current 4 or so critters to make arrowheads, for example.)

Basic tools will be added to the new creation system. Someone can go to the forge and make a scraper or can carve one out of wood.

Arrowheads - look into in the future.

Arrows - Offense is going to be re-examined. Ranged fighting - Should still be one of the more potent forms of attack out there. Aware of the gimping of your defensive abilities associated with being a ranged fighter; But you are giving up defense for power. Lodged arrows will have more of an impact - no more being lodged deeply and continuing to fight for another 45 minutes. Arrow will continue to do damage while lodged (to the point of critical wounds) so it'll be much wiser to tend that arrow away.

Again - Dual wield will be available to all.

Combat terms - Ssra is working on engagement and hangback perks for ranged weapons. (Endless roundtime problem). You can't instantly retreat; looking at things like retreat, hang-back...perhaps adding a delay to retreat once those things are 'fixed'. DR2 - some quick ways to get out of combat. Currently gonna be based on escaping. Flee will be the new verb. Penalty on escaping skill vs attacking. Flee direction or Flee to missile, for example. That will also teach escaping. You will be able to flee over a climbable barrier for example. Some rooms have special code. (Swimming for example.) - Rangers should be better at being able to hangback. Ssra is re-writing ambush. Will teach hiding. Currently teaches nothing. Looking into new (spell/ability?) - Shared with thieves - ambush called snare. You will use a rope or vine, etc. Unlike haraweps bonds - it doesn't poison it. You will be able to hold it down and use it[the critter] (hiding, containment, etc.)

Lots of things have been released since last year. Scout area, trails, tracking wolf, foraging, registers, beseech water to solidify, elanthia to petrify, journeyman has been updated, compost rust metal, new spell - WoP (Paklin is fine with people not knowing what the spell does.) Everything that it does HAS been posted. Paklin doesn't understand why no one has figured it out yet. Main feature - discipline has been figured out. There are some things that it does - based on your skill. The messaging gives some hints. (Paklin laughs.)

Coming up: Nature's Pool: Instead of spirit health for beseeches. Not sure when it's coming out. Proposal has been submitted and approved. Based on your bonus and some other things. You'll have a max that you can have in your pool. When your bonus drops down, your pool will drop. Ranger-y things to increase bonus will bring up your pool. In town - your bonus drops, so, so does your pool. If you couldn't do something in town before - you still won't be able to. If you have no bonus - your pool will be empty. It's only gonna be used with beseeches. When you align - you will pull from this pool. Doesn't see any way to check on this will be released (a la Barbarian chakrel amulets - don't expect any of that.) All beseeches will require an align, even if it's a small one.

Companion re-write: Suggestions from boards have been written down. Companions will be totally different. Hints: Biggest thing will be tiers. At 13/15 - raccoons will be first. Gonna add in a fox after that. Types: starting at 35 - wolf, and 3 tiers/paths - mammal type (wolf, more), bird type (hawk), reptile/insect type (python - "oh, and he'll be cool - Tracy has good ideas"). Starting at level 35 - you can pick one of the three. You can just get one (at a time). So you get the wolf - you raise it and release it...Next level - you can choose...but now if you want to get an insect...you have to go back to the first type and raise and release it before you can get the 2nd tier insect. So - you can choose a path and go from there. You have to work your way from the ground up. Once you get a companion from a certain type - that information is stored with your character. Each companion will have its own 'perks' - they do different things and they do it better. Companions will be able to hunt with you. Your skill will determine how that companion will be able to hunt with you. A wolf would only be able to hunt 'so high' - beyond that - you'd have to get the next tier of companion. They will need healing - they can die. (The dying has not been figured out yet.) You will teach them classes, like horses. So, in order for a companion to be able to do something - it has to sit through the class. (That we can teach them). The fox and the raccoon will not factor into the paths. Currently no way to track whether you have raised and released a wolf - so you will PROBABLY need to get a new, smarter wolf under the new system in order to advance on the companion system. Companions will have colors, sex, decorations, etc..if you get one you don't like - if it runs away before you 'release' it - you will get the exact same thing. You have to raise and release it in order to get a new color/sex/etc. There will be a bond with your companion. You will start off at a certain level and you have to gain its trust. The bond will grow. If you forget to feed it, for example - it won't run off - but the bond with you will go down. If you continually forget to feed it - the bond will go to '0' and it will take off. Animals will have personalities. Cranky, friendly, indifferent, etc. You will receive messaging as to its personality. A grumpy companion will be more difficult to train, but it will teach you better. Personality will be a random factor. Personality is locked into type (if it runs away - your next one will have the same personality.) Companions will not be needed to advance. You'll be able to look/study a companion and you'll recognize who it belongs to. Companions will get hurt in battle and will need healed. Not sure if it will need herbs or an empathic touch yet. Working on being able to teach your companion to recognize another (one) player for basic care. You can tweak your companion to your own playing style. Some of the high level companions will be mountable - like horses. Would like companions to be able to go with you anywhere. (Except in town, of course - they don't like towns. Some companions in town will get you arrested.)

Animal Lore - all guilds. For rangers - primary skillset. (Still remaining in the lore set though.) Will be announced when the change goes live. Animal lore will go primary to rangers when it is released to all guilds. Horses will teach it, pack animals will teach it.

Hot Summer Nights - will not be nearly as big as HWN or last years HSN. Will be about 4 or 5 things. A spell or two, maybe. No hints. Foraging stuff - 50 new items every 6 months or so. Working with Jeremael for the actual items to DO something. More stuff like creating oils to make stuff. More foraged things will have a purpose. Swimming & Climbing - still in the process of evaluating each area.

GM Taiga - still going through and re-evaluating all areas in the game for environmental issues. (Finding wood in the middle of the forest, for example.) BUG those rooms when you are standing in front of a cherry tree and can't find a cherry stick. (Anything on Ratha, Aesry, Ilithi - BUG immediately.)

Scout - Paklin has 3 more things he's like to add to the scout verb. Environment/Foraging type thing JUST for Rangers to scout the area and see what can be found. Another thing (open to all guilds) will be a description of the environment that you are in. (Ex.: You are in a hilly area with plentiful fruit trees with water nearby.) So that 'in this type of area, I can find this.'

New fixes in DR2 - fletching - hand display will update as you go along. Tanning - a bunch of items that you could tan that you shouldn't be able to (like slivers) have been fixed. Blend - you can now type "cast" without a spell prepped and you won't be pulled out of blend. Climbing with ranged weapons/arrows will be okay. Tanning is all up in the air. Harome's poor shield-making is being looked into. They are working on it.

P5 - 'soon' The mother of all Ranger Guilds. You'll be able to use your survival skills in the wild. Nice, big Guild hall - Paglar will be there. Multiple/difficult range methods to get there. There will be plenty of variety - in terms of what you can do there. You'll see the water-slide (Ghisel likes it.) Bunch of hunting areas planned - places to feel challenged in your particular skill sets. Mountaineering is an idea that is still out there - but not near the front lines right now. Ssra is working on something though that will be really spiffy. People are actively building/coding things, so 'soon' is a lot sooner than it's been. It's a huge province.

Thank Towint for Ranger leading during climbs. (People in groups can climb better when a skilled ranger leads.)

New survival skill: blank stares.

Animal Mimicry:

The last two things were brought up but nothing really said about them. These are my notes as I took them so if they don't make sense, I'm sure you can ask and I or someone who was at the meeting or someone who "gets it" can try to answer or give more information. I hope this helps you all!

~Chris, player of Field Medic Nimmi


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