Production: Range fight skill tree

[khyle]

4. Cartridges (new concept)
Instead of using the left hand to select and use your ammo stacks, you will now use cartridges, which are displayed in a new window that you have to keep open when you use a range weapon. There are 3 cartridges in this window (AKA 3 ammo "slots"). The intent is to assign different types of ammo in each slot in order to quickly and easily switch from one kind to another (there is still a loading time involved). There will be a maximum quantity of ammo that can be put into a cartridge; i.e. you can't put a whole stack.
When you empty a cartridge, it will automatically refill if you have more of the same type of ammo in your bag (with a loading time).

The cartridges concept sounds interesting, yet a few thoughts come up with it:

• will one be able to refill each cartridge at will, i.e. after fighting off an opponent, will I be stuck with one shot left and have to wait for the cartridge to auto-refill (with a loading time), or will there be an option to "refill cartridge" when I want to?
• will the current idle animation of fiddling with the gun be used while refilling the cartridge (or even another new, distinct animation)?
• will it be possible to switch cartridges using keyboard shortcuts or a macro function, or both?
• will it still be possible to use the various racial ammunitions with every gun, or would I need say, a Tryker gun to use Tryker ammo?
• will the different damage types be easily discernable? Currently I was going to craft various damage types as different races' ammunitions, eg. slash/Matis, pierce/Fyros, smash/Tryker, for easy identification, as it is a PITA to see which is which if all are of the same colour...

[bman42]

Well it seems that most of the things that I had to say have been covered already.

I believe though, that some of these changes may be to entice players who dont like or use RANGE into using this tree, and others may be harmful to homins who have been using it all along.

I do like alot of these proposed changes to the skill, but at the same time I thought that it was fine when we had to reload after every 24 shots. The Launcher weight/bulk issue is also fine the way it is. Its the most powerful weapon in the game, and needs to have restrictions on its usage. Although I really do like the idea of 'training' rounds that are weaker, smaller, and lighter.

If they are going to put enchantments on ammo, then to maintain some balance, they should require many more mats to craft them.

Most importantly, I do not like that the rifle would do the least damage/second.

[petej]

3. Stanzas


Along with changes on weapons, we are adding new action bricks that you can learn at different levels of the skill tree. The names aren't final yet.


• Options

- Activate the Effect (a different stanza for each effect). You need to use it if you want to trigger an ammo effect when shooting.
- Focus Shot: it increases the damage of your weapon. It requires no extra credit, but adds a higher "casting time" to your action and inflicts a large malus to both your dodge and parry. If you move while shooting, you break the action.
- Accurate Attack
- Hit Rate (already in game)


• Credits (counterparts)

- Range
- Focus
- Stamina (already in game)



Focus ? , are the German and French languages short of terms ? , why do you keep reusing the same ones for different things ? its realy annoying , for instance when people talk of Quality it can mean three things -Level (1-250), Material Grade (Basic-Supreme) or Plan Type (Low-High) , it only adds confusion

Focus Shot = Sniper ?

Maybe you realy are thinking of using the Focus Stat ? ,looking at the Credit options above but that seems strange as the "Focus Shot" Stanza needs no Credit , if so it would make Range over powered being the only branch to be able to draw Credits from three Stats -Health/Stamina/Focus *confused*



Fun ? , the fun part of Range for me has always been its mobility , I love Kiting (Shoot n Scoot) , adding Casting Time (while stationary) to Launcher n Auto takes this away and will make them both into leeching skills to lvl -if you can find a team that will let you join them and pull mass agro while causing little damage... *sad*

If you realy have to nerf Launcher n Auto in this way please make the Training Ammo have no Area_of_Effect Damage and hit only one Mob/Target



Magic Damage ? , I was hoping Elemental Damage would be added in at some point but come from using the Racial Weapons ( Burning/Poison/Waving/Electric ) , balanced by causing less physical (Range Type) Damage so both the normal and Elemental Weapons had a role , that would mean youd have to add Craft Plans for the types not ingame atm though -mmmmm more Craft Plans *big smile*

[bf649ztp]

DISLIKES

"magical" damage or effects, leave that to the arm waving spell chuckers, bullets should be physical with maybe poison option.

Agree with this, but they did say it was an effect and not an actual spell, but still splitting hairs maybe. I can work out shockwave damage from the sheer velocity of a bullet, and obviously poison, not sure how to explain Elec or Fire though. But still, this has got me interested enough to take up range anyway. Probably not launcher the same as everyone else though, but Rifle and Pistol definately. This looks to be the sort of deep improvement in the core of the game I have been looking forward to for a long time. Good one GF

Kodel.

[kaetemi]

not sure how to explain Elec or Fire though

It would be as if the bullets were enchanted. You know, magical bullets and all that... ^^

[fadebait]

are the German and French languages short of terms ? , why do you keep reusing the same ones for different things ? its realy annoying , for instance when people talk of Quality it can mean three things -Level (1-250), Material Grade (Basic-Supreme) or Plan Type (Low-High) , it only adds confusion

Seconded

And for all those who say it will make it hard to solo, try soloing heal, or DA.
Ryzom is not designed for solo hunting. its a social game, be social and find a group.

[kayak]

first off i'm by no means a range expert. I'm still level 21 after 2 years of playing . i tried it out a few times but never really liked it in part because of the animations.

a few weeks ago i was trying out a game that had archery as one of the skills and i loved it. how difficult would it be to keep bow pistol the same (mini crossbow) but revamp the bow rifle into a full on bow and arrow. all the stats could be the same just the look of the weapon and the animation would change. also since it would be a slower velocity you could add the arrow's to the game and see them flying through the air.


with the effects it would make much more sense to limit these to the 4 racial magical spells

fire: flaming arrows/bullets
shock wave: explosive shots
electric: statically charged amunition (mmmmm tasers)
poison: poison tipped darts

these all make sense but i don't see how a bullet could cause a madness effect (unless it was linked to the poison effect). or how it could cause rooting (unless the bullet contained some sort of super plant growth hormone added to 'aim at feet'). you say these are 'effects' not magical spells. try making them realistic effects and not just spells disguised as effects.


this focus credit I'm not sure i understand correctly. will it use up focus (like with digging/crafting)? or is it a separate credit that would be more like the time/range credits on magical actions?

[kaetemi]

you say these are 'effects' not magical spells. try making them realistic effects and not just spells disguised as effects.

We speak about "effect" and not "spell" as they will be triggered through the range fight skill.

I think they mean that they still are some kind of magic (that's how Atys works mostly), but they just don't call them "spells", because they're "effects", since you don't directly cast them as an action, but just use them in another action.

[flat75]

Just a few random thoughts on ranged:
- when you compare ranged against other skills (especially damage output) your comparisions should be made with melee instead of elemental for the following reasons:
1,. they use the same stanzas (eg. elemental cost WAY more in SAP and HP than ranged in HP and STA)
2,. Unlike melee, you have some significant costs (ammo) but also unlike melee, you have significant adventages (opponent may not be able to hit back, you can attack several opponents, even when they are not in active combat with you)

Several reasoning include "ele does not cost anything". Well it does. It cost at least a healer to be able to ele continually.
If the damage capacity of the ranged would be upped to match ele, it would present a situation when a single player with a mektoub would be able to dole out several times more damage than a single player with ele.

Also mektoubs: anything/anybody able to attack the mektoubs owner should be able to attack the mektoub too. No more running thru op fights with invulnerable mektoubs pls. AoE effects of ranged should always include all friendly targets too (including the gunner and his/her mektoub, too)

my 2 cents

[corval]

Seconded

And for all those who say it will make it hard to solo, try soloing heal, or DA.
Ryzom is not designed for solo hunting. its a social game, be social and find a group.

It might be that Ryzom is not designed for solo hunting but launcher and autolauncher are designed for it. They are siege weapons no team weapons.
Have you ever seen an artillerist in a team going to hunt down a named or boss mob?
Or a mage spelling bombs while leveling on one mob?
Rangeweapons need ammo und the siege weapons need multiple "adds" to be effective.
So please don't compare apples to cherrys.