I've been told Devs are interested in ways to adjust this skill - specifically, how to present the information differently. Right now, non rangers just get a list of mobs in no order (technically its spawn order) that they have to hunt and peck through. It's very 1999 and incredibly annoying to use. As well, everyone including rangers has their list cluttered with mercs and pets that cannot be filtered out (only rangers can reorder their track screen). Regardless of class, track just gives a vertical list with a ton of names. its really not user friendly, and doesn't lend itself to quick use. What are some thoughts on showing tracking information.
The devs wanted this? Since when? Last I heard track sort going to anyone but rangers is impossible without a lot of work, as in it's probably never going to be done. Why would someone ask for other ideas here?
Tracking is a bit better for non rangers than you think, OP. For non-rangers, you still get the advantage of having the most recently spawned mobs in the tracking range listed on top of the tracker. That can tell you loads of information as long as you know a bit about what you are trying to track. Can't see why after 13 years there would be a need to change tracking.
My understanding is that tracking is deep legacy code that Dev's don't ever want to touch because they have forgotten how to work that code.
Honestly, about the only change that I would like ot see with tracking is ... more AA's to increase the range of Tracking.
I brought up this issue specifically to the programmers. They stated that there is zero problem with giving druids and bards the ability to sort track results. It is a Dev decision. A decision that I am very unhappy with and I feel has no justification. I've been meaning to write out my point of view on this issue but have not gotten to it. The Devs said they consider being able to sort track results as a ranger class skill. Yes, that is correct, only rangers know the alphabet, other classes can not sort track results alphabetically because they never learned their ABCs. No TV on Norrath means no Sesame Street. This is a UI function that somehow became a class skill. Being able to sort track results by color or name is a UI function. It is NOT a class skill. You know what a class skill is? Rangers having a higher tracking skill cap than druids and bards. That is a class skill. You know what a class skill is not? Having a UI that means you don't have to struggle with the results of tracking because it won't sort them. Rangers already have the ability to track better than druids and bards. Which is how it should be. But being able to sort the results is not something only rangers should have. It is a UI function.
Last post about tracking by Elidroth, in regards to track sort, was basically.... We have no idea how hard it would be to give track sort to anyone that plays a class not named Ranger. Where did you see differently?
As an aside, the list of mobs is not in no order. There is some strange order which puts close by named mobs up near the top and shoves most non-named NPCs down near the bottom. I agree that non-rangers should have sort (see my post above). I also do not understand why pets and mercs and such show up at all. They have a ":" in front of their name, you would think that they could just filter out the results that have ":" so we don't see it...
I specifically asked the Coders of EQ. At SOE Live. JChan and SKlug and the others and they just about laughed in my face at the idea that the track sorting restriction to rangers was a code issue. I also brought up the old EQ forums post that you mention, and again, they blew it off as ridiculous. So, unless they were lying to me, there is no code issue at all. Whoever posted that is misinformed. Or else JChan and SKlug, the lead programmers for EQ, are wrong. They flat out told me that it was a Dev decision and that if the Devs changed their mind it would be no problem. Yes, they would have to change a line or two of code. But it is no problem at all. It is not some vast undertaking that involves chanting at midnight at Stonehenge with a virgin sacrifice. If the Devs say change it, it will be changed.
Hit track, pop a familiar, tell me if the familiar pops up at the top of the list now. It should be track sort normal, which puts newest spawns at the top of the list.
I am not certain of this, but would strongly suspect that the earlier Dev comments about how hard it would be to give sortable tracking to druids and/or bards was in response to request to do so via AA. Just giving it to them as an innate skill -- no problem with coding, but lots of complaints from rangers or just doesn't fit The Vision(tm) (or current incarnation thereof.) Giving it to them as an AA -- lots of work. As a ranger, I like having the most useful tracking skill in the game, but I don't consider it to be class-defining. It wouldn't really bother me to see track sorting given to druids and bards, particular if it was part of a larger revamp of the skill.
I've played shaman since about the time EQ started, and I've always wished to see some development of the lore of a spirit based tracking for shaman, with a lesser skill for cleric, similar to the ranger/druid setup. I know this is slightly off topic from OP, but maybe it will plant a seed for some future expansion. Call it Sense Spirit or something
This. If the developers refuse to change this on some warped principle, yet allow beastlords to feign death, we can't take very much of what they do and say seriously. If anyone is going to laugh in anyone else's face, it ought to be us @ them.
Except a beastlord is part shaman and part monk, both of which can FD. So this doesn't even make sense.
Shaman can FD now? What the hell. We've had beastlords since, what, 2002? It took this long to decide that they should be able to FD. That's cool, but if the devs are open to changing things up now, why is bards' and druids' tracking skill still artificially neutered after 15 years of development? Having a terrible UI does not fit into any special lore.
Actually it looks like everyone might be able to fd with an item now. However as for tracking I have no idea, people had asked for years and what I posted was the last response. Did Elidroth mean that it was nearly impossible to add as an aa? Or just to add to anyone else? I have no idea, ask him.
