Ranger: Rangers: self-serving or perfect enemy managers?

[FMArthur]

Everyone knows that, as whole, the Ranger classes are weaker than the others in terms of damage output. Their MST is always poor, and while RAmarls are toted as being good gun/tech users, they still have the third lowest non-android MST in the game, and RAmars have the lowest. That is not a good thing. Then the problem of ATP arises, and I'll admit that it's a little more complicated. Rangers aren't all that far behind the Hunters in ATP, and the RAcast even beats the HUnewearl, as far as the stat itself goes. Ranger weapons, unfortunately, are not typically geared toward damage, which does significantly reduce their physical attacking power as a comparison to their Hunter counterparts.

Instead, the weapons availible to Rangers seem to focus on safety as a primary goal, and all other things secondary. Notice that Rangers are not lacking in the defensive areas. They're made to protect themselves; the nature of their weapons lets them stay almost entirely out of harm's way, and are not pumping out high damage, like Hunters or Forces, and their defenses are generally above the average. Nothing about this formula seems to be as helpful to the team as the alternative classes. They're not taking the blows, they're not competent at casting anything but S&D (and, early-game, resta), and they're not taking down enemies especially fast. Is this okay for a team? I feel selfish whenever I play my Rangers, and I don't really have anything to offset that with. The Ranger class is a bystander, simply put. Great for surviving in single player, but worth far less to the team than any other type of character.

But the flip side of the coin is that, with weapons like Shots and Rifles, Rangers can specialize in managing the enemies carefully, and a Ranger is really at its best with powerful status effect Shot-type weapons, like Demon's, Hell, Arrest, etc. That's managing the crowds well. But is that it? Leading enemies into patterns that make them easier to deal with for the Hunters? Is there more to being a team-helping Ranger than that? You can't crank out the damage, you can only leech the EXP off the kills other are able to get, and it's depressing. Does this improve, or do I have to waste hours finding Spirit Vulcans to work my way up to what is only normal attack damage for Hunters?

[Neith]

Crowd control/enemy neutralization should be a RA's primary duty- killing enemies comes after that. If a Ranger isn't supporting, then it makes it harder for the HU/FO to deal with.

Solo play as you want, but especially in areas like Control Tower, RA of any kind should be support.

That's my opinion anyway, but I know a lot of people use them as damage-dealers.

[KojiroAK]

The ATA of Rangers overcompensates their lack in ATP.

Ranger can use Hard, Hard, Hard on areas where Hunter have to go for Normal, Hard, Hard or even Normal, Normal, Hard (and still have misses)

So in the end the Ranger deals out more damage, while he does less damage per hit.

A Ranger with a Red Mechgun or a Spread Needle can clean out a room in a matter of seconds.

But yes they do also a good job in support.
Place a RAcaseal in front of a Forcer, while the Forcer buffs the RAcaseal and debuffs the enemies and you will see how good they fit.
Even if RAcaseal was for some reason not attentive enough, you still can free the Forcer from a mob just by Shots or Spread Needle.

[burning_card]

I don't know, rangers aren't too bad. I don't think they're weak in any sense. As Kojiro said, RA's can deal heavy attacks in the full three set and hit every time, and with a mechgun type they can do the same and hit every time or rarely miss any. Their HP is insane in comparison to other classes, so give them something like the Vice mech guns and the health damage special, their ATA is high enough where they don't even miss too often with that, and they have enough health to where it won't kill them in a few shots. (And a RAcaseal can genrally use them, and feel somewhat safe when her health is lower because of the high DFP)

But they are also great as a support. RAmarls seem better suited for a team support IMO, then a damage dealer. Her techs are okay, but they aren't high enough to force or something, and her damage output is a little low, but not too bad. Put her with a RAcast-RAcaseal, or any FO or HU class and she gets to pick off the last few hits AND heal while the HU's are breaking them down. It never seems like the rangers are pure support, sort of even between a hunter/ranger mix. Hunter goes in, hunter swings a few times, and while the ranger either freezes the group with a trap, or S&D and heals, then they pick off the enemies from far away, and out of the way. Seems like easy pickin's when i play. (My wife has a lvl 97 RAmarl that i use sometimes, she's great for support, but rifle type weapons are damn strong and take things out. Get a devil's lazer and you can knock down the health and destroy the enemy in a few shots...or a hells lazer or something with on hit kill on it and pick off high HP enemies in a few shots if you miss with it, way before the hunter or even force gets to it)


I think it's "fair" for a ranger to be backup...use them right and HU's won't get a chance to even get near the enemy. Forces may have a chance, long range techs can do damage, but that's the same thing as a force not nuking a room...it's not fair http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wink.gif

[Bezmor]

On 2007-01-22 17:51, KojiroAK wrote:
The ATA of Rangers overcompensates their lack in ATP.

Ranger can use Hard, Hard, Hard on areas where Hunter have to go for Normal, Hard, Hard or even Normal, Normal, Hard (and still have misses)

So in the end the Ranger deals out more damage, while he does less damage per hit.

A Ranger with a Red Mechgun or a Spread Needle can clean out a room in a matter of seconds.

But yes they do also a good job in support.
Place a RAcaseal in front of a Forcer, while the Forcer buffs the RAcaseal and debuffs the enemies and you will see how good they fit.
Even if RAcaseal was for some reason not attentive enough, you still can free the Forcer from a mob just by Shots or Spread Needle.



I voted offense lol
As for spread neelde and red mechs thats exactly how i play cept i also have frozen shooter/demons lazer/ yasminkov 3000R but anyways it totaly owns.
Rangers may not have power but with say a pair of Yasminkov 9000M , a high lvl ranger 120+ can own because with 15 shifta its about 1000+ a little ATP and with 9 shots a combo and rifle range hunter dont even get to hit the enemies. (thats with a RAmar anyways) I think you mis judge rangers. but if thats your opinion your entitled to it.
As for support a Ranger with a Fomarl supporting him/her--> now thats the way to go.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Bezmor on 2007-01-23 00:13 ]</font>

[BlueKnight]

My Ranger's can handle any thing that comes at them.

I have a RAmar lv 196, RAcaseal lv 189 and a RAcast at lv 200.

I have no problem helping and owning any thing that gets in my way.

I say thay have no problem doing any thing.




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: BlueKnight on 2007-01-23 12:12 ]</font>

[metatime]

Rangers are too overpowering in this game. Give them a charge mechs and arms with hit, spread needle, yas 9k, Frozen shooter, hell laser with hit, etc and they can solo all areas. In fact the hardest area in the game is easiest with a RA (PW4) Any other class will have a hard time beating this quest.

Play PSO more and you will see how it is.

[BlueKnight]

I have no problem beating the game. All I need is a par of Guld Millais or L&K 14 Combat's and spread needle or Frozen Shooter.

I think the Rangers are the best in the game. That is my thots.

[mattae]

I'd have to agree with knight. Rangers just seem to get better and better. I'm sure once you attain a higher level ranger you'll see how good they really are.

[FMArthur]

Okay, thanks for the tips, everyone. I haven't been able to get to the level of finding special weapons or any really good ???? weapons, so that's probably the root of my Ranger issues. It seems very boring starting off as one. I see a lot of guides suggesting the use of a Saber-type to Rangers, and that seems like a fun enough way to work my way up to the good Ranger weapons.

Berserk/Charge/Spirit weapons are great for increasing power, but taking into account that not just Rangers are using them, the gap between Hunters and Rangers would seem to stay the same. Is this true?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: FMArthur on 2007-01-23 14:39 ]</font>

[Banish]

Well, Hunters will tend to deal more damage, but miss.

Rangers, can do moderate damage, but in good amounts (ie: Charge Vulcans)

[Splash]

Power means absolutely nothing if attacks can't hit to begin with. Thus accuracy has a better potential for a Ranger since their ATP is just a slight lower than the hunters.

Given this, if there was a Ranger and Hunter at the same level, both using Charge Vulcans (assuming no hit% on them), Ranger will kill an enemy faster than a Hunter can because Ranger's high ATA allows them to actually hit the enemy and rarely occur a "miss". Not to mention moderate ATP, so it does just as amount of damage as a Hunter can, only a slight fewer damage.