Seeing that there is no new Beta Section up yet I guess I will place this here. I just want to say thank you to the Devs for keeping the game alive while dealing with dwindling resources, pandemics and other worldly crap. Now on to why I am here posting. Looking at the new Ranger spells leaves me less than inspired. There may be two spells that are marginally okay. But neither of them address our long-running concerns of the Ranger Class. Foremost is Mana recovery. Let me show you: Beta Server Data Level 111 Icon Spell Name Spell Effects Mana / End Target Expansion New Dissident Fusillade Hate Override: -16250 1: Cast Highest Rank Known: New Dissident Fusillade Strike 1 2: Cast Highest Rank Known: Summer's Sleet 8805 Single New Reflexive Nettlespears 1: 1H Slash Attack for 1047 (262 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod 2: 1H Slash Attack for 1047 (262 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod 3: 1H Slash Attack for 1047 (262 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod 4: 1H Slash Attack for 1047 (262 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod Recourse: Nettlespear Reflection 382 Single New Reflexive Nettlespears Rk. II 1: 1H Slash Attack for 1099 (275 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod 2: 1H Slash Attack for 1099 (275 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod 3: 1H Slash Attack for 1099 (275 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod 4: 1H Slash Attack for 1099 (275 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod Recourse: Nettlespear Reflection II 392 Single New Reflexive Nettlespears Rk. III 1: 1H Slash Attack for 1154 (289 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod 2: 1H Slash Attack for 1154 (289 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod 3: 1H Slash Attack for 1154 (289 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod 4: 1H Slash Attack for 1154 (289 if PvP) with 1000% Accuracy Mod Recourse: Nettlespear Reflection III 402 Single New Silent Shot Hate Override: 1 1: Decrease Current Hit Points by 61499 2455 Single New Silent Shot Rk. II Hate Override: 1 1: Decrease Current Hit Points by 64574 2553 Single New Silent Shot Rk. III Hate Override: 1 1: Decrease Current Hit Points by 67803 2655 Single Level 112 Icon Spell Name Spell Effects Mana / End Target Expansion New Arrowgale 1: Archery Attack for 290 (202 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: Archery Attack for 290 (202 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 3: Archery Attack for 290 (202 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 4: Archery Attack for 290 (202 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 1318 Target Ring AE New Arrowgale Rk. II 1: Archery Attack for 305 (209 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: Archery Attack for 305 (209 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 3: Archery Attack for 305 (209 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 4: Archery Attack for 305 (209 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 1377 Target Ring AE New Arrowgale Rk. III 1: Archery Attack for 320 (216 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: Archery Attack for 320 (216 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 3: Archery Attack for 320 (216 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 4: Archery Attack for 320 (216 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 1439 Target Ring AE Level 113 Icon Spell Name Spell Effects Mana / End Target Expansion New Wildstalker's Covenant 1: Increase Spell Damage Taken by 13970 (v484, After Crit) 2: Limit Target: Single 3: Limit Effect: Current Hit Points 4: Limit Type: Detrimental 5: Limit Min Level: 106 6: Limit Max Level: 120 (Lose 100% per Level) 7: Limit Max Duration: Instant Spells Only 8: Limit Min Mana Cost: 10 9: Limit Min Value: 1500 (Current Hit Points [SPA 0]) 10: Limit Caster Class: RNG 11: Limit: Different Caster 12: Cast on Max Hits: New Resolution of Flame 13144 Single New Wildstalker's Covenant Rk. II 1: Increase Spell Damage Taken by 14669 (v484, After Crit) 2: Limit Target: Single 3: Limit Effect: Current Hit Points 4: Limit Type: Detrimental 5: Limit Min Level: 106 6: Limit Max Level: 120 (Lose 100% per Level) 7: Limit Max Duration: Instant Spells Only 8: Limit Min Mana Cost: 10 9: Limit Min Value: 1500 (Current Hit Points [SPA 0]) 10: Limit Caster Class: RNG 11: Limit: Different Caster 12: Cast on Max Hits: New Resolution of Flame II 13933 Single New Wildstalker's Covenant Rk. III 1: Increase Spell Damage Taken by 15402 (v484, After Crit) 2: Limit Target: Single 3: Limit Effect: Current Hit Points 4: Limit Type: Detrimental 5: Limit Min Level: 106 6: Limit Max Level: 120 (Lose 100% per Level) 7: Limit Max Duration: Instant Spells Only 8: Limit Min Mana Cost: 10 9: Limit Min Value: 1500 (Current Hit Points [SPA 0]) 10: Limit Caster Class: RNG 11: Limit: Different Caster 12: Cast on Max Hits: New Resolution of Flame III 14769 Single Level 114 Icon Spell Name Spell Effects Mana / End Target Expansion Focused Blizzard of Blades 1: 1H Slash Attack for 354 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: 1H Slash Attack for 354 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 3: 1H Slash Attack for 354 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 4: 1H Slash Attack for 354 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 177 Single Focused Blizzard of Blades Rk. II 1: 1H Slash Attack for 363 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: 1H Slash Attack for 363 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 3: 1H Slash Attack for 363 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 4: 1H Slash Attack for 363 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 189 Single Focused Blizzard of Blades Rk. III 1: 1H Slash Attack for 372 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: 1H Slash Attack for 372 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 3: 1H Slash Attack for 372 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 4: 1H Slash Attack for 372 with 10000% Accuracy Mod 201 Single Level 115 Icon Spell Name Spell Effects Mana / End Target Expansion Arbor Stalker's Enrichment 1: Increase Base Spell Effectiveness by 14% 2: Limit Max Level: 120 (Lose 100% per Level) 3: Limit Effect: Skill Attack 4: Limit Type: Detrimental 5: Limit Max Duration: Instant Spells Only 6: Limit Min Level: 105 7: Limit Combat Skills: 8: Limit Class: WAR, CLR, PAL, RNG, SHD, DRU, MNK, BRD, ROG, SHM, NEC, WIZ, MAG, ENC, BST, BER 1634 Caster Group Level 250 Icon Spell Name Spell Effects Mana / End Target Expansion New Dissident Fusillade Strike 1 Hate Override: -16010 1: Archery Attack for 2420 (605 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: Archery Attack for 2420 (605 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 100 Single New Dissident Fusillade Strike 2 Hate Override: -16811 1: Archery Attack for 2481 (620 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: Archery Attack for 2481 (620 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 100 Single New Dissident Fusillade Strike 3 Hate Override: -17652 1: Archery Attack for 2543 (636 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: Archery Attack for 2543 (636 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 100 Single New Dissident Fusillade Strike 4 Hate Override: -18535 1: Archery Attack for 2607 (652 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: Archery Attack for 2607 (652 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 100 Single New Dissident Fusillade Strike 5 Hate Override: -19462 1: Archery Attack for 2672 (668 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: Archery Attack for 2672 (668 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 100 Single New Dissident Fusillade Strike 6 Hate Override: -20435 1: Archery Attack for 2739 (685 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 2: Archery Attack for 2739 (685 if PvP) with 10000% Accuracy Mod 100 Single These leave a lot to be desired. New Dissident maybe okay. Definitely Arborstalkers will help. Arrowgale and Silentshot is situational at best. Covenant you have to hope for more than two Rangers who are working in unison for this spell to mean anything. What ever happened to a focused arrow spell that left us like two expansions back? What about the constant clamoring from the Ranger Community for some form of meaningful mana recovery that doesn't cripple us when using it? I know I will catch a ration of Fire Giant feces for this being that Beta isn't even out. But I just wanted to make the Ranger Community aware. Hopefully some new abilities may make up for this.
These spells have been the standard for a non-level cap expansion but it is good to see an upgrade for Silent Shot and Reflexive. Those haven't seen an increase since EoK. We also had a Focused arrow spell that came out with ToV, Focused Blizzard of Arrows level 115. While it is disappointing to not see a mana recovery released with beta spells, if they do ever decide to give us something it would probably be patched in as a new AA or new rank to a pre-existing one. I would be happy to give up a spell slot though for something mana related. Fair trade.
And, for the love of all things good in this world, please make Enrichment MGB/TB-able. PLEASE!!! Or, even better, tie it to the unity spell we already have so we can cast it once on ppl who die.
I'm assuming the new Enrichment will go up to 16% since they are "flattening" buffs. Current data of 14% merely matches current Rk3. I like getting a new arrowgale. However, I am sure it will fall flat on its face just like the rest in the line. All the spells on the Focused arrow timer should be same cast time or at least all be focused by the BP. Highly unlikely that it will happen unfortunately. New Dissident won't be an upgrade to damage till Rank 5, again. Won't be worth using over current Dissident till rank 6 due to likely too large of a mana difference. New Reflexive is a nice bump, although still just a drop in the bucket overall. They should add a mana regen line to the HoT portion to be our own little Paragon of sorts. Then it would become an actual tool instead of just a very small DPS button to hit during a burn, the HoT alone is next to nothing especially if your healer isn't straight up dead. Don't hold your breath for mana recovery options. It's been way too long with nothing and no response to ideas about how to implement them ever. I recall 1 of the devs posting during the fade changes how they wanted resources to actually be a "resource" that is important and depletable. Apparently that is only meant to be for Rangers. Druids/Rogues can also have a problem but they do have "something" vs our nothing. Time this beta will be best spent trying to find other avenues in which to mitigate mana loss as opposed to recuperating it.
a simple fix for ranger mana return from an outsider, I'm not sure if its been suggested before or not, but seems like a logical place to have a Mana return/Heal: [50100/11643] Reflexive Nettlespears Rk. III Classes: RNG/105 Skill: 1H Slash (Combat Skill) Endurance: 402 Target: Single Range: 50' Resist: Unresistable Reflectable: No Focusable: Yes Casting: 0s, Recast: 10m, Timer: 19, Rest: 1.5s Recourse: Nettlespear Reflection III 1: 1H Slash Attack for 784 with 1000% Accuracy Mod 2: 1H Slash Attack for 784 with 1000% Accuracy Mod 3: 1H Slash Attack for 784 with 1000% Accuracy Mod 4: 1H Slash Attack for 784 with 1000% Accuracy Mod [50103] Nettlespear Reflection III Target: Caster Group Range: 300', AE Range: 300' Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: Yes Focusable: Yes Casting: 1s, Recast: 30s Duration: 60s+ (10 ticks) Song, Dispelable: Yes 11: Increase Current HP by 12212 per tick Text: Reflected growth pumps through your body. what if they did a new one and added a 3k mana per tick to the ability, the ability is on a 10 minute reuse so class balance is present with all melee abilities being around a 7, 10, 15, 20 minute reuse. they could even go a step further and make the reflection on the new one a self only buff rather then a group buff for 8k per tick. make the player choose if they wanna heal the group or return their own mana. It's my understanding that the Dev's like to incorporate AA / Spells / Abilities that make the player have to decide which route to take VERSUS having a bunch of I win buttons. keep that in the back of your mind going into the Beta / Beta Forums.
Definitely don't read "New Spells!" as a listed feature to an expansion too literally. Alliance spells are the newest spells they've added. That was 4 expansions ago. New spells is receiving upgrades to the usual side stepping expansion spells that already exist in today's EQ day and age. The spells Rangers receive are at least ones we use. There is that at least. It's honestly a pretty hap hazard way to go about things. Here's your cookie cutter side stepping expansion spells you've now been irritated for the last year you didn't receive on your level up. We need spells! We need to offer spells! The players will be so disappointed if we don't give our typical on add feature we just rinse and repeat... Side stepping expansions should just be all about receiving AA's - which was the original reason we even received AA's in the first place. A way to gain power at level 60 without having to grind levels. I'd really like to see the side stepping spells just go away - issue them at level ups. Come up with something better and more enticing than cookie cutter.
Participants in previous beta cycles will still have copies of the Beta Patcher. It's already operating (as is usual a week or two before Beta opening), so the spells_us.txt is available for parsing. It can be assumed that not all spells are currently there. The ones that are there will be in varying degrees of completion mostly depending on how plain their function is.
And for anyone who doesn't already have it installed, the link to download it hasn't changed: http://launch.daybreakgames.com/installer/EQ_Beta_setup.exe
