I had a free AA respec, and the first couple are so cheap, that I decided to try a couple of combinatins. This is purely my observation, but STR / AGI appears to be the better solo / group setup, where AGI / INT seems to be a better raid setup. By moving my STR points over to the INT line, my average raid dps has gone up by a couple hundred points. I now require a str potion to get to str cap when solo, but I'm still well over cap during raids. It is difficult getting used to the longer recast on Rain and Sniper again, but I can not argue with the results I'm seeing. Granted, I'm certainly not in what you would call an uber raid guild, so our raid setup is not ideal, but I still think the INT line is better for a dedicated raiding ranger. If you rarely raid, however, stay with the STR line. You'll be much happier, I think. BTW...our guild assassin just reached raiding level a couple weeks ago and can already compete with me on the parser. I'm much better equipped than her. It's just the state of the game, at the moment. Conjurors / Rogues / Assassins who can play well will out-dps us. Message Edited by Zholain on 08-31-2006 10:16 AM
I haven't gotten Perfectionist yet, but I'm already considering moving the points from the STR line over to INT. Problem is, my existing INT is already so low, I'm not sure it'd provide much benefit. Does base INT make a noticeable difference in the effectiveness of the INT AA line? I'm raiding a couple times a week now, so it's a consideration.
I had the same issue. I was originally Main Tank with my 70 guard and my retired ranger was 60. I gave the MT position to someone who would enjoy it more than me and is a better tank. They already had 3 Rangers and 2 Zerkers .. so staying a ranger or betraying my guard werent really options. So I betrayed and geared up. One of the other rangers betrayed his Guard Alt to zerker, the other switched mains to a Necro and i went assassin. the remain ranger plays her class very very very well and keeps up with everyone on parses. The guild parses 15-22K as a raid, and the top 10 are all over 1K in DPS, top 5 usually over 1500. Its not for everyone, but betraying to assassin both suited my play style.. and made me concistently one of the top DPS. Not top of every fight, but the longer the fight lasted, the higher on the chart i was .. especially on single targets ... mutliple targets it was alot tougher against almsot fully mastered necors, conjs and warlocks .. and expecially the ranger.. she was awesome at AE fights. If your feeling stuck and unwanted as a Ranger .. rather than sit and pray for something to change, when devs have posted that according to their ideals .. the ranger class is where it should be .. take control of your own situation.. change what you CAN change and enjoy the game. someone once said : "Dont whine and succumb .. adapt and over come.".. oh yah.. that was me.. lol
I know where you're coming from in saying this, but it's safe to say that Teksun isn't unhappy with the game or feeling unwanted as a ranger. He and I are both in that apparent minority who actually enjoy the class, but would like a little nudge or two to help us attain those high DPS numbers that our assassin brethren can reach more easily. (No, I don't mean that it's "easy" to be an assassin, but I think we can agree that they are able to put out more damage more easily than a comparable ranger.) Message Edited by Jay42 on 08-31-2006 11:04 AM
Agreed. It's still an awesome class to play, and just a load of fun. And as long as I'm guild and raid leader...ummm...well, let's just say I don't think rangers will be denied a spot. That doesn't mean, however, that I wouldn't like to see them made more viable. I personally don't feel that fighting for one's class to be improved when SOE has stated they're fine is necessarily asking for the 'easy' button. I don't mind doing a LOT of work to get high dps numbers. I'll even do MORE work if they would just make it possible to do greater (read: balanced) dps.
Actually Jay i find the assassin harder to play than the ranger for one simple thing .. while we both have to be behind the mob to do our best damage, i have to be behind it, and close to it. A Slight change in the posture of the mob from punting the tank and I am having to move, realign myself and in the middle of a thick multiple mob fight, thats not easy. on the Ranger it was a little easier to just take a few steps one way the other and still be in range and behind the mob. Switching targets generally meant that i was still in range and still behind the mob even if the next target was a few feet away. As an assassin my icons go red pretty often.. lol. and no sooner do i get into position behind them sometimes than they are dead and i am moving again .. thats why i love the logner single target fights because i can get position and really go to town.
nah BS you only have to be behind it for afew CAs. posistioning isnt even a factor unless you want to count the sweet spot a ranger has to find to maximize both ranged and melee dps. unless you lag alot positioning should never be considered 'skill' knowing what CAs to use and when to use um, I guess that can be. other then that just a bunch of button pounding
I think I could comment better if i understood what you were trying to say.. i'll give it a shot though. If your first statement is in reference to Rangers, then you might wanna look at some of the attacks closer.. you do have a number of them, ranged and not ranged that are positional. Aside from that a lot of them require stealth and the attack that puts you into stealth is positional. Position is important. If your not making sure your in good positon then that can account for lost DPS. Its tough to use the right CA when you think it needs to be used if your not in postion.. so i think positioning yourself is a skill .. especially for rangers in finding that "sweet spot" .. if your one of the rangers who do that then you probably have the same issues I have as an assassin when targets change. still it'd suck to be a wizard and be able to face backwards and still pound buttons
Sure, Xney. I hear ya. Sirlutt... didn't I just say that playing an assassin is not any "easier" than playing a ranger? I think I did FWIW - I meant that assassins can more regularly achieve higher DPS values than a ranger without relying so heavily on Master 1s, Fabled gear, Mastercrafted poisons, and top-of-the-line ammunition. (Oh wait they don't have to rely on ANY ammunition, my bad.) Considering that you and many other assassins just spent 30 pages telling us how rangers cannot hope to achieve the DPS that assassins can, I don't think there's much argument with the above point, yo. Word. Peace out homie.
i was all into your post until the last few lines when i realised its just the crunk and mary j talkin ..
ROFL well yeah g-money... that and the malt liquor... that's just how I roll, homeskillet! /puts Fat Boys "Crushin" in the tape playa and goes skeeza-huntin'
yeah yeah yeah ... cos thats how you roll .. these forums mods are still tryin to catch me ridin dirty..yo. and stuff. *look out belowwwwww!!! falling IQ*
