Now i understand that some scouts like to use shield while soling. But on end game mobs is just silly, Avatard loot table has them Drinal 4 well has it think some others do but can't think at this moment. No raider use them.& doubt any raider will with current way MA flurry CB has gon, Bonus from sword board will never out way dual wield - not to mention how bad some of them are compared to other drops on the same tables all it does is make you want it to drop on the Avatard kill some scrub guild was able to get on and kill
Yes, at least at some points it is pointless. No scout of mine used a shield anyways (even have to option to loot high lvl raidgear shield... no never used one). But then, a mate of mine, ranger, does use the shield (never asked why, i know he does most dmg via bow ^^) and he does a real great job (dps wise).
There are raid encounters where scouts are asked to add-tank, however briefly. Honestly, scouts should be asking for more of that requiring flexibility type thing. There are 7 scouts, and if the only yardstick you're measured by continues to be DPS output and the occasional threat transfer, then a few of you will continue to be strictly superior to the others.
The fact that he's a ranger is exactly why he is using or can use a shield, they lose dps if they use Melee auto attack, so if you're using ranged auto attack 100% of the time, whether you're wielding 2 weapons, 1 weapon and a shield, 2 fish, or a cabbage patch doll in your primary and secondary slots, as long as what you're using has the best stats for you, it's not hurting you. That being said, that's one class which most raid guilds have 0 on the roster, or 1 at most, so it really shouldn't be dropping in the quantities that it does.
if at any time a scout is to ot adds then it is easy - Troub all day no need for shield VoN + AV + RO so no control effects while charging and mages tear them apart. if you can't kill the adds during the 22 seconds of VoN you have no right pulling the mob in the 1st place. i know that seems harsh but just been honest. That's side tracking from the actual point.3 shields alone on end tier game for what a one ranger per guild - if any ranger tbh
I don't like shields on scouts...never use them, except for one scenario. I use them on my raiding dirge for song of shielding in main tank group.
Pretty sure I have 2 rangers on my hardcore roster, and 3 on my softcore one. Personally on ranger I prefer a shield secondary. I never intend to stabby stabby things, so if I have the same stats from a shield and can pick up avoidance as well, I see it as a small bonus. Should scout shields drop as much as they do? Probably not, but I wouldn't want to see them removed entirely.
TBH they need to reduce the darn drop rate of scout shields from raid...I can see the need to occasionally have them drop for scouts that do use them (rare but okay) but when I have 10 healers and 5 tanks on my roster waiting for shields to drop and the darn scout shield keeps dropping well, Houston we have a problem.
Yup, if all stats are equal, shield is better for a ranger. And I'm so glad you allow rangers on your roster.
I use a shield on my troub, but I play ranged, do as much dps and often times more then any meelee troub, and I get more avoidance for song of shielding. Simply because YOU see no reason to have one, doesn't mean there isn't one, and there are more then viable methods of using one without losing DPS, you just have to know what your doing.
Even if all scouts potentially used scout shields they still drop too often, never mind if only a few select scouts might use one.
I find the distribution of loot drops is pretty off in general. Lately I have seen items dropping in high quantity when the amount of classes that can or would use it is quite low. Scout shields are one example, dropping what seems to be like much more than 25% of the time even when 25% would be too high. Brawler/beastlord weapons are another I see far too many of. This also beings up the matter of EQ2's loot system. We are completely at the mercy at is what is at least perceived as one of the worst RNG's in MMO's. With no apparent version of smart loot in place and no currency to simply buy the loot at a definite time. A token system for example where killing drinal 4SW gives you 1 token, and after you get say 20 you can simply buy a piece of loot that is on his loot table if you haven't looted it already. The stories are diverse and plentiful; guilds attesting to getting an abundance of one type of item while another is at near non-existence, and another guild experiencing almost the exact opposite. There needs to be a way for the players to have some sort of impact on what loot they get. Even if it's just looting items and hanging on to them to lower their drop chance or having to save up a ridiculous amount of tokens to buy the item they want. Having to save up currency from 100 kills on one mob to buy one item off its loot table in addition to the current drop rates and amounts would be HIGHLY welcomed. Heck even having sets of loot chests taking equal turns dropping on a set rotation would be a HUGE improvement.
EQ2 did have a variation of smart loot in TSO, and they implemented another variation of it for under lvl 20. TSO's smart loot, when it worked was pretty good, when it worked, unfortunately most of the time you simply had people holding onto a ton of unneccesary gear, and loot drops in their banks JUST to keep that item from dropping in abundance, and while it was nice to have the effect, individual banks and vaults felt the impact. I do agree whole heartedly that there does need to be SOME way for us to have some kind of impact on what we get, anything would be better then our current streak savvy RNG.
I'm sure people would have NO problem clearing out a few slots just to make certain loot stop dropping. All my random appearance gear and DM items would find themselves quite suddenly trashed. Heck I would blow DKP on looting items just to stop them from dropping.
I don't doubt that, I know we did that quite readily during TSO, and we have ALOT more room in our banks and vaults now then we did then.
