EVENDEL
New(ish) Player, Rogue/Ranger Hybrid?
12/21/2017 09:43 AM CST
Alright, I haven't played GSIV in years and I'm only looking back into it because I get a winter invite back or something. I vaguely remember playing way back when it was still GSIII and my dad was playing, so of course I wanted to play too. I know that I started up my own account years later and have thought about it off and on ever since. I remember that I initially got hooked on the Rogue for the idea of lockpicking and was drawn towards ambush hunting...though I don't think I knew what I was doing at the time, never likely trained in Ambush, and just leapt out of the shadows at rats in Wehnimer's Landing. I'm older now and have way more strange or interesting (though not necessarily effective?) ideas for characters harbored in old games of D&D in college and video games and fantasy stories. So at the core of my conundrum here is this...how easy is it to play a Ranger as an ambush hunting Rogue capable of disarming and picking his own boxes while still achieving an animal companion? I mean, I realize that it's 630 so if I'm understanding correctly even if I had the points to train in research every single level after character creation I would still be 30 before I could even consider getting a companion, but would building a character like that be initially such a grind as to burn out a very casual player? I've always liked the idea of certain characters having an animal companion, specifically owls (I blame Labyrinth for that one). But I don't even know if it's possible to have a pet that doesn't confer the same kind of benefits that a Rangers Animal Companion does?
So I think that about does it...is it likely to be fun to play a Ranger as a Rogue just so that I can have an Owl? Or is it possible to get that, minus benefits, without being a Ranger in the first place?
OM1E5GA
Re: New(ish) Player, Rogue/Ranger Hybrid?
12/21/2017 10:23 AM CST
<So I think that about does it...is it likely to be fun to play a Ranger as a Rogue just so that I can have an Owl? Or is it possible to get that, minus benefits, without being a Ranger in the first place?>
Well, there's no special training needed for a ranger to get a companion, so that's a plus. The problem will be more with adding lockpicking skills to any sort of ranger build (esp an ambushing one). The short answer is that it is certainly possible, but you'll never be near as good at lockpicking as a rogue is and you'll likely have to make enough sacrifices to your hunting abilities to make hunting extremely difficult, esp as an inexperienced player.
I would recommend choosing whether lockpicking or a pet owl is more important to you and picking the appropriate profession for that. Once you've gotten comfortable in the game, you can always reroll or start a second character if you still want a lockpicking ranger.
If it makes a difference, there are various types of pets sold or given out as prizes at various events that any profession can use and interact with (they don't have the functionality of a ranger companion, but they can be interacted with in various ways and some have ambient scripts). I don't know if an owl is one that has been or will be released, but my warrior has an albino bat and I've seen folk with mice, cats, dragons and a few others that aren't immediately coming to mind.
Starchitin
PS My warrior might even be willing to give her bat to a young rogue if they REALLY liked it....
A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.
Well, there's no special training needed for a ranger to get a companion, so that's a plus. The problem will be more with adding lockpicking skills to any sort of ranger build (esp an ambushing one). The short answer is that it is certainly possible, but you'll never be near as good at lockpicking as a rogue is and you'll likely have to make enough sacrifices to your hunting abilities to make hunting extremely difficult, esp as an inexperienced player.
I would recommend choosing whether lockpicking or a pet owl is more important to you and picking the appropriate profession for that. Once you've gotten comfortable in the game, you can always reroll or start a second character if you still want a lockpicking ranger.
If it makes a difference, there are various types of pets sold or given out as prizes at various events that any profession can use and interact with (they don't have the functionality of a ranger companion, but they can be interacted with in various ways and some have ambient scripts). I don't know if an owl is one that has been or will be released, but my warrior has an albino bat and I've seen folk with mice, cats, dragons and a few others that aren't immediately coming to mind.
Starchitin
PS My warrior might even be willing to give her bat to a young rogue if they REALLY liked it....
A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.
VERSIN
Re: New(ish) Player, Rogue/Ranger Hybrid?
12/21/2017 02:45 PM CST
Rangers are good pseudo-rogues. The good news is that now you get until level 20 to mess around with your skills, so you can mess around with different play styles and get a lot closer to level 30.
EVENDEL
Re: New(ish) Player, Rogue/Ranger Hybrid?
12/22/2017 09:15 PM CST
I might have to consider two characters...again, probably points prohibitive, but maybe scrap the picking and do a polearm ranger so I can try out one-handed spears and shields with ambushing since two-handed polearms can't be ambushed with, right? Or I could just experiment with ranged since I never really tried using a bow when I played. It's good to know that if I play around to level 19 I can tweak whatever I want skills-wise. Or is it 20 and at 21 your skills get locked? And I forget how the leveling works, do you just automatically tick from level to level with real experience or would I sit at 20 until I went to an Inn or something?
OM1E5GA
Re: New(ish) Player, Rogue/Ranger Hybrid?
12/23/2017 12:02 AM CST
<do a polearm ranger so I can try out one-handed spears and shields with ambushing since two-handed polearms can't be ambushed with, right?>
It's my understanding that only one-handed polearms can be used when ambushing from hiding. You'll still swing a two-handed polearm if you ambush from hiding, but you won't aim at a body part, get the other perks.
<Or I could just experiment with ranged since I never really tried using a bow when I played.>
Ranged is def doable and fun as a ranger, mine was an archer for her first 40ish levels. I would be slightly hesitant to recommend that route to someone with limited experience in GS though. Without access to CMAN VANISH, it might be a bit too frustrating for a novice (unless you fire from the open... but then you give up the main benefits to ranged), if you have your heart set on it, though, go for it.
<And I forget how the leveling works, do you just automatically tick from level to level with real experience or would I sit at 20 until I went to an Inn or something?>
Back in GS3 you had to go to the inn to level up, but since the switch to GS4 it happens automatically. You can still check into the inn to increase your skills if you want.... or save your silvers and type GOALS anywhere to increase your skills on the WEB.
Starchitin
A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.
It's my understanding that only one-handed polearms can be used when ambushing from hiding. You'll still swing a two-handed polearm if you ambush from hiding, but you won't aim at a body part, get the other perks.
<Or I could just experiment with ranged since I never really tried using a bow when I played.>
Ranged is def doable and fun as a ranger, mine was an archer for her first 40ish levels. I would be slightly hesitant to recommend that route to someone with limited experience in GS though. Without access to CMAN VANISH, it might be a bit too frustrating for a novice (unless you fire from the open... but then you give up the main benefits to ranged), if you have your heart set on it, though, go for it.
<And I forget how the leveling works, do you just automatically tick from level to level with real experience or would I sit at 20 until I went to an Inn or something?>
Back in GS3 you had to go to the inn to level up, but since the switch to GS4 it happens automatically. You can still check into the inn to increase your skills if you want.... or save your silvers and type GOALS anywhere to increase your skills on the WEB.
Starchitin
A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.
