Some factst about ranged spec. It is quiet interesting and usefull if you smart enough to use it. It needs fast fingers or good scripting. But it can give you more tactical advantage then other spec. It is unique.
1. Shoot costs 15 move points. No more, no less. Actually.. arm costs 15 move points.
2. Successfull quickshot - 60 move points. failed 30.
and move points gain for any class and any race is 6-7 mv per level. We start with about 100-150 moves (wish not to create a check-char). So at the hero you will have
7*35=245+150=395 moves.
It is about 26 shots or ... six quickshots.
As any weapon bow(crossbow) needs mastery. You have to master at least weapon skills - bow/crossbow and accuracy and quickshot.
But you will never do this. One of the hardest spell to master is animate dead. Yes you can sit in guild mastering it. But still it costs 100 mana.
But 24 level necromancer can gear up for 800-100 mana - 8-10 cast attempts and he have trance/meditation skills. Also there is a "wine trick" everybody knows it, but moderators will not allow me to describe it
24 ranger/warrior have 290 moves (aprox). He can make 19 single shoots until he will need to rest. Or 4 quickshots.
"wine trick" will not help when learning bow/crossbow skill. And there is not trance/meditation skill for moves.
DEAR IMMS!
It is just a math and facts. Now a bit of phylosophy and rumors.
Players think that ranged spec is completely crap. It is not true. But at hero rank, when you have none of your spec-skills mastered - any spec will be a crap. Any.
This movement-cost problem turns ranged-spec into some kind of very rare used system. And noone wish to waste spec point for it.
On other hand. Mount system and ranged spec are the things that make Solace unique. And as for me it is very important to pay attention on unique sides.
Actually ranged system is bugged, very bugged. I will not describe how and why. Some of it's bugs are used now but players. But many still unknown
Do not ask me in private guys. I just do not use them and will not tell you.
Immortals can just remove it from game. But as I said - it is unique part of Solace.
OR
Immortals can fix it and make more usable.
Here are few... ideas.
1. Allow people to fight with a bow in close combat. Like a staff. Did you see Legolas in LOTR Movie? Not so much damage. But can use some skills like shoot. And grow his bow/crossbow skill. Or just add another skills that will cost mana, not moves. Like poison arrow or flaming arrow, or something. I know it is from "Hunter" ranger spec. But...
2. Shoot costs arrows and time...Decrease moves cost. Or make it... mana cost. Or.. mana and moves but less. Let us say that shoow cost 10 mana and 5 moves.
3. Quickshot is one of the main ranged spec skill. It can land a kill to fled runner. It can hold one who chase you. It is the base of ranged spec main idea - distant combat. And this skill is spoiled. The idea of the qs - hit move hit. You can be weak, you can be wounded, but if you fast - it does not matter. qs is for a dex char and agile players. But it does not work at all. Because it "eats" the same resource that moving around.
What you can do.
a) QS can cost mana. It is logical. Go and try bow shooting. Make 10 fast shoots (no matter did your arrow hit the target) and then try to move. Can you walk? I bet you can. Only if you did not shoot self in the leg.
b) You can add special resource for the ranged skills. Let us call it concentration. Let it depend on dex and int. Sniper must be agile and smart, yeah? You allready added presicions parameter, why not add another one?
c) Reduce cost of QS.. With... mastery...or with levels.
d) Add meditation like skill for resource that is used for ranged skills.
All this ideas will definetly lead us to annoying idiots who abuse ranged system in all it sides. Again I will tell you that I had one of the first char who used ranged spec in old solace. I know how abuse it. And I teached some of new players how to use some tricks of it. And all players are using it now.
But most of those tricks are unknown, mostly becaise ranged spec is underused. I understand that when you fix it many all this abuse will be well known. But it is a long way and it was always that way. First lich. First outcasts. etc. They all were overpowered, buggy and annoying.
But we will help you!
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