Greetings Brothers

Bows to all in attendence.

I was hoping to open up a little discussion for some of us rangers who are more green than we are young. I can't seem to find information on some of this stuff, and maybe your wisdom will help.

Stalking
I've gotten my stalking up to 35 levels but still can't seem to stalk my own shadow. I'm fairly confident that I must be doing something wrong. At 35 ranks that's a req for 25th circle so I assume that I should be able to stalk almost any critter I can kill, but that is most definately not the cast. I fail to position myself to stalk just about everything. I've even tried to the extreme of attempting over and over until my aim timer kicks out and I have to re aim. Still nothing. Of course my stalking mind state seems to do quite nicely, but who cares at this point I'd like to stalk something and poach it. And before you ask about bonus and where I'm trying to stalk. I only venture into town to cash in pelts or to go to the bank. Ocassionally the Bazaar I'm talking 10 - 20 minutes RL total max. I have the whole go to shed go to bank exchange deposit go back to guild thing on a script and it takes less than a minute to complete. And on occation when I need a hiding bump I'll stakeout the bank for 1/2 an hour. But this stalking problem is constant.


Anyhow heres my technique maybe you could point out the flaws:
Hide
Load
aim
stalk
You fail to position yourself to track criter RT6
stalk
You fail to position yourself to track Critter RT4
Stalk
You fail to position yourself to track critter RT5
You think you have the best shot
Poach
You must be stalking the critter to poach (somethign like that)
Fire

Lores
What are the Lores? Obviously Mech Lore and Animal Lore but what else?

Survival
And what are the survival skills that are used in the average?

Beseech the sun to dry
Does this work with herbs? I read somewhere that I can dry herbs in my palm with something, and I thought it was this beseech. I may very well be off my rocker though.

The missing lore is appraisal. Once you've about 10 ranks of that, you can start learning by appraising creatures, especially in combat.

I seem to remember that recently a change was made that would allow some stalking to be learned from engaging a creature while hiding. Also, different critters teach different levels of stalking.

I hope this helps!

Phayren


Sometimes the key to happiness is not assuming it is locked in the first place- Ziggy

A journey of a thousand SMILES begins with a single step- Ziggy

Thanks for the help.

I'm not really worried about training stalking. My stalking is one of my top 5 stats. Probablly because I've been working so hard to poach. I just want to successfully stalk things, so I can poach them is all.

Stalking was made infinetely easier to learn a few weeks ago when they instituted the stealth check on advancing while hidden. I was having the same problem as you were trainging it, with about 40 ranks, and my hiding was soaring way ahead. With the changes, the best way to learn stalking after ~30 ranks is to advance on critters while hidden. Works like a charm, I tell ya. Try this:

Start at missile range
Load
Advance
Aim
Hide
Stalk
Poach or fire, depending on if you successfully stalked them.

I don't know your other skill ranks, but I gained about 10 ranks in stalk in jackals down in Shard in less than a week after they released these changes. Could also try the badgers and poths out the North Gate of Xing.


-Treshan

A. it appears I'm advancing before I hide? Is that right?

Yep.

B. I'm firing at Melee here I suppose?

Probably, depending on your RT for hiding.

C. Hide Round time in your senerio (mines 10 sec not sure if thats standard or if you can train that down) is simultanious with the Aim so when My hide RT's up I should Have my best shot? Is there more damage from melee than missle?

Good question. Recently the answer was given that bows were "best" at missile range but I've talked to Rangers who swear they hit harder at melee with certain bows.

Which brings me to another question.
D. My best shot. How legit is this. I've One shot killed cougars with out waiting for the best shot. And Never done while waiting. Is this just a prompt or is it legit?

Aimed is better than snapshot, but there's a pretty substantial random factor in there that can push a snapshot higher than the "base" aimed shot. From what I understand.

E. What exactly does the stalking skill acomplish. If it follows the critter if he leaves the room... ala "You position yourself to follow the cougar if it moves" Then it's the same as tracking (scouting) right? Or DOes it just inhance your to hit chances or just turn on poaching and sniping (later I know everything is always later in this game). How do we use it to our advantage?

Stalking a critter when it leaves the room is instantaneous. You just follow it like being in a group with a player. Currently, tracking the same critter one room away will take 30 seconds or more and is likely to fail (depending on your skill). Stalking does not increase the accuracy or potency of your shot (I don't think) but, yes, is required for poaching and sniping later.

Hope that helps and that I'm not horrendously wrong with any of that.

Arcelebor

Also be aware, that if you hide first, and then advance (after you are hidden) and succeed the skill check, you will learn better stalking. Even better is if you can hide at pole range, and then advance and succeed the skill check (much more learning from this).. tis fun to hide, advance to melee, retreat, then advance from pole.. then attack it however you wish (as you can aim from hiding too..)

Just an idea.. not sure if I missed someone else posting that or not..



Yuoree