THE BASIN
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For some, the end-all be-all of Star Wars: Galaxies is high-level
hunting. This persuit can be highly lucrative and exciting when
executed properly. However, few things are more disappointing and
disheartening than a big hunt gone awry. This guide will attempt to
provide aid in preventing the types of mistakes and miscommunications
that can turn what should be a fun gaming session into a total
nightmare.
Roles for hunting:
There are a number of roles that can and usually should be filled
during a high-level hunt. Traditionally, the hunt has tanks, ranged
support and medical personel. These are their primary duties:
Tanks - The general purpose of a tank is to use some means at
their disposal to prevent damage from coming to other party members
that are less apt to be able to deal it. In Star Wars: Galaxies, this
generally means that the tank is a melee character with signifficant
defenses. Tanks are also generally in possession of the strongest
armor available. There are multiple approaches to the tanking role
that can be taken as well.
Some choose to have their tanks in the position to deal out as much
damage as possible while doing their best to avoid incoming damage.
Typically Heavy Swordsman or Pikeman are chosen by these classes for
their weaponry. Both classes have access to weapons with Armor
Piercing Values of 2. This is critical to those interested in doing a
good amount of damage to any higher-level target. Both Pikeman and
Heavy Swordsman suffer from relatively low defense values when
compared to their faster counterparts. For this reason, they sometimes
choose to take skills from other classes to suppliment their offensive
power with defensive capabilities.
Other tanks prefer to take the defensive/evasive approach. Generally
this is accompanied by the ability to introduce more state-modifiers
(e.g. Stun, Dizzy, Blind) to their targets. Fencer and Teras Kasi
Artist are the experts here. Both classes benefit from a tremendous
boost to primary defenses (melee defense and ranged defense) as well
as state-modifier defenses. These two classes also have the fastest
attack speeds and generally are very accurate. Their ability to cause
the Dizzy effect as well as change the posture of or knock down a
target is of particular use against humanoid opponents.
Both schools of thought sometimes take Master Brawler. This skillbox
provides a stronger Intimidate skill as well as some minor bonuses to
speed, accuracy and defense. The long-venerated Warcry2 is also
available in this box, but it has since been rendered less effective
than it once was and is now largley a defensive skill.
Both approaches to tanking are valid and the decision between the two
is largely based on style and personal preference.
Ranged Support - Typcially while a tank is focused more on
avoiding and preventing damage, those in this category are concerned
with causing as much damage as possible. There are a number of
potentially powerful ranged classes and differing approaches to those
classes in Star Wars: Galaxies. Just as there are multiple ways to
play a tank, there are multiple styles of playing a Ranged Support
character. The key here is that they are ranged attackers.
Against high-level opponents, their job is to avoid being close to the
target. They are there to apply pressure to the target and keep a
consistent flow of damge going.
Some styles are focused more on target-control and personal stability.
Carbineers excel at the former and are quite capable in the latter.
Pistoleers are the reverse. They have fewer control skills than a
Carbineer but they are skilled in avoiding attack. Both are on the
lower end of the ranged damage spectrum with Carbineer edging out
pistoleer in terms of sheer weapon power. A Pistoleer fires weaponry
at a faster rate, but the Carbineer has the only weapon between the
two classes with medium armor piercing. Smugglers are also
pistol-wielders that can fit here. They, like Carbineers have a ranged
knockdown attack as well as the strongest damage per shot pistol
special available (Last Ditch). While some Smugglers strictly keep to
the Smuggling lines, it is not uncommon for a Smuggler to pick up some
Pistoleer or Teras Kasi skills to enhance their defensive and
offensive capabilities. They do have Panic Shot as well. While this
skill certainly isn't the force it once was, the ability to delay
all targets on which the party is not firing and do so from
signifficant range shouldn't be overlooked.
The other approach is the artillery approach. Commandos and Riflemen
are placed here. Both carry some of the most devastating weapons
available. Commandos are a mixed bag. They have consumable weapons
that can be fired from signifficant range. These weapons have some of
the highest damage numbers and armor piercing values in the game.
Unfortunately, these also tend to suffer from accuracy problems and
are at times prohibitively expensive. Commandos also have the Heavy
Acid Rifle and Flamethrower. These weapons can be used to deadly
effect but carry some risk. Their specials have a maximum range of 16
meters. This means the Commando has to incur some risk when they
attack. When safely executed, the Flamethrower attacks in particular
are devastating. They not only provide tremendous damage in a single
blow but they also add on a damage over time (DoT) effect that, while
not as powerful since the last few patches, is still very effective.
The biggest advantage to the Commando is that they are able to do
almost every type of damage in the game wielding a weapon that has
considderable power.
Riflemen are their own breed. Riflemen have the only non-consumable
weapon in the game with a heavy armor piercing value - the T21. This
particular weapon also tends to have tremendous damage statistics.
When a Rifleman reaches Master status, they can fire these weapons
faster than most other professions can fire their own weaponry. For
this reason, Riflemen are highly-prized in high-level hunting.
Riflemen also have access to a very rare and generally quite useful
damage type - Stun damage. Many many targets can possess high resists
to many damage types yet stun remains an option. The Jawa Ion Rifle is
quite useful in these cases.
There one remaining class is Bounty Hunter. These are a very unique
group of people. Their carbine skills have some of the best state-mods
in the game. Their pistol skills enable them not only to apply
multiple *types* of DoTs but also to target the mind pool of an
opponent. They also possess the Light Lightning Cannon, the only
non-consumable heavy weapon with armor piercing. All of these put
together along with some of the best speed mods can create an
offensive powerhouse. Unfortuantely, they also suffer from a dangerous
lack of defense. Fortunately, they can bring a tank along with them
and not have to worry as much about that danger.
Medical Personnel - There are yet again a few categories here.
The most obvious of roles is the Doctor. Doctors are the only
characters in the game capable of reviving someone that is slain on
the battlefield. They also have the ability to remove poison, disease
and state-effects from a combatant. In cases where the target uses
powerful effects such as dizzy, stun and intimidate, those abilities
become invaluable. Doctors are also very helpful even before
the hunt with their ability to use enhancement packs (buffs) on the
party. If they bring a droid they're able to keep safe, they can
even reapply these as they begin to wear out during combat. Buffs will
be further discussed in the preparations section.
The other major profession for providing medical aid is the Combat
Medic. Combat Medics are among the most valued members of a hunting
party for their ranged and area healing effects. Combat Medics have
the unique ability to heal damage from great distances and
higher-level medics can heal most or all of a party with a single
"throw". While they lack the additional medical abilities of
a Doctor such as buffs and statepacks, they are also able to apply
DoTs in the form of poison and disease. While these are primarily
useful in PvP, every bit of damage helps. Combat Medics also have
their own Terrain Negotiation mods and as such are able to move about
more freely than some other party members that have elected not to
work Scout skills into their build. The Combat Medic has another very
valuable skill in the ability to heal the mind pool during combat.
Both elite medical professions as well as Master Medics are able to
apply "first aid" to a bleed victim in order to slow or cure
their bleeding. Typically bleeds aren't a terribly big threat to a
buffed fighter; but there are some exceptions where multiple powerful
bleeds can be applied to a party member and cause massive damage in a
very short time.
Typically it is best to try and keep some form of medical skills on
one's own character as well to alleviate stress on the part of the
Medical Personnel in the party. Generally the ratio of fighters to
medics is heavily weighted toward the fighters. As a result, the
ability patch up the occasional big damage hit on oneself can be very
helpful.
Unique Cases - Creature Handlers are a very unique form of
combatant. Creature Handler is a profession that can be combined with
many other professions to great effect and few Creature Handlers are
identical. Generally, the pets of a Creature Handler are used as
tanks, but that may not be the case of the Creature Handlers
themselves. Creature Handlers can actually appear in any of the other
groups as some choose to combine Medical, Ranged or Melee with their
skills.
Squad Leaders are also a difficult class to group and really deserve
their own section. Squad Leaders can affect the outcome of a battle
without ever firing a shot, swinging a blunt or sharm object, or even
applying medical aid. Their passive bonuses to group mods like
Melee/Ranged Defense and Terrain Negotiation are very helpful tools,
particularly to those that don't have signifficant numbers of
those mods built into their builds. Squad Leaders can also mass-cure
certain negative state-modifiers as well as add temporary boosts to
accuracy. An effective Squad Leader can be a very big boon to combat.
In particular, a Squad Leader should communicate with their group
regarding just how much "leadership" that group wants. This
is particularly relevant to the controversial Volley Fire ability.
Putting all the Roles together - At all times, the tanks should
be in front. Some mobs will wind up moving around in a very chaotic
fashion. It is the job of the tanks to remain attentive to battlefield
positioning and to keep themselves as close to the target as possible.
Hopefully a tank will be able to heal themselves of minor-medium
damage via regular Stimpacks. In the event of some form of grievous
wound, the Medics should make sure the damage is healed as soon as
possible. As fall the tanks, so falls the rest of the party. If
somehow the entirety of the tanking portion of the party is
incapacitated or dead, the chances of survival are signifficantly
reduced. If a tank is capable of dishing out damage, so much the
better.
Ranged Support characters should do their best to remain at a safe
distance from the actual target. This way if a powerup needs
refreshing or a food needs consuming, they don't have to worry
about being blindsided by something big and scary. Range modifiers
aside, 30 meters is typically the closest a ranged character should
be. The exception to that is if a Commando or Bounty Hunter is
primarily using their Heavy Weapon specials (FT, HAR or LLC) at which
point, they want to stay as close to the 16 meter requirement as
possible and go no closer. Riflemen generally live at the edge of
possible hitting due to the way their accuracy mods work. Carbineers
frequently do this as well. Typically Pistoleers or Smugglers with
Pistoleer skillboxes don't have to worry too much about accuracy
and as such can float about the safe zone where they feel comfortable
so long as they are not getting close enough to cause themselves to be
in unneccessary danger. The ranged character's job is to maintain
a constant flow of damage on whatever is being attacked.
In both cases, tank and ranged alike, it is very wise to examine a mob
to determine which weapon would be best to use. In some cases, a mob
will have a lower resist to kinetic versus blast for example. In this
case, that giant hammer would best be set aside in favor of a kinetic
sword.
The Medical team will be the ones with the greatest difficulty.
Primarily, their job is to make sure the tanks are kept alive.
Following that, they should then make sure the Commandos and
LLC-wielding Bounty Hunters are safe. Then they should pay attention
to the rest of the group. The Medical team can also be in the most
peril as they approach an endangered tank. Being a Medic in a big
party hunting dangerous mobs is a role that requires tremendous
dedication and bravery. Always thank your Medics. If multiple Medics
are in a party, it is wise to have them pick either a certain group
(tanks or ranged) to persist in watching or certain individual
players. Combat Medics can help alleviate this due to their extra
skills in ranged healing.
Squad Leaders can aid the Doctors by using their Form Up ability to
remove certain state-mods. Beyond that, they should use whatever
remaining skills they have. Generally, these are ranged party members,
but not always.
Finally, Creature Handlers should make sure their pets behave as tanks
as best as possible. If the Creature Handler also has conventional
combat skills, those should be put to use in whichever category they
best fit. The owner of a pet should bear the bulk of the
responsibility for its welfare. Few non-CH Medics carry Pet Stims and
as such, may not be able to handle the healing needs of some of the
larget pets. It is best to communicate with the Medics beforehand
about how the pet should be handled. If a pet is beyond the ability of
the CH to repair or if the CH is otherwise occupied, it's best to
send a message to groupchat that the pet needs to be healed.
Preparing For The Hunt -
Now that we've outlined potential roles, let's look at what to
do before a hunt.
It goes without saying that equipment is they key to success for a
fighter. With that in mind, it is best to make sure one has as much
useful equipment as possible for any given hunt.
Weaponry - One thing that is very crucial is to make sure that
an effective range of damage types is covered. If yours is a class
that is able to do effectively deal out Stun, Energy and Cold damage
(Rifleman) bring a weapon for each type. Now, there are some weapons
that are either useless or redundant. Weapons such as the Striker
Pistol may be useful for solo combat, but in a group with tanks,
Kinetic damage is best left to them. Typically, one weapon for each
type is sufficient. However, some people prefer to have both a
heavy-hitting weapon and a fast-hitting weapon for their primary
damage type. This can be noticed especially among Riflemen carrying
their Laser Rifles as well as T21s or Pistol-wielders carrying both
Scout and Republic Blasters. Keep your weapons in good repair and use
the best equipment you can reasonably afford and use.
Armor - Armor plays a critical role in Star Wars: Galaxies.
Even an average suit of armor can reduce damage by up to 75% (assuming
a 50% score in the relevant resist). More powerful armor such as
effectiveness-sliced Advanced Composite with at least a single stun
layer, can reduce most damage by up to 95%. When dealing with the
nastiest of nasties, nullifying damage is a very helpful thing. As
with weapons, wear the best stuff you can afford and keep it
well-maintained. If an armor bit breaks in battle, that could spell
doom. If, for example, a chestpiece breaks, that means that there is a
gaping hole in its owner's defenses. Where before 10-15 hits could
be sustained, that number could be reduced to 3 or less.
Severely-damaged armor is not only more difficult to repair but can be
a liability to the entire party.
Strong armor and weaponry are the cornerstones for successful combat
in Star Wars: Galaxies.
Powerups - Powerups can be a signifficant aid to both melee and
ranged party members. Powerups, particularly ranged powerups, can add
a wide variety of effects that will enhance a weapon. These effects
can be increased accuracy, range and damage as well as a reduction in
HAM costs for using specials. Beware. Powerups will cause a
weapon to decay signifficantly faster simply by using them. If
purchasing or repairing weapons on a regular basis isn't something
you'd like to do, it's probably best to avoid using powerups.
Otherwise, try to carry a crate or two of useful powerups into every
major hunt. Make sure to have a number of them out and ready to use
before combat. Crated items do no good once the battle starts as
they cannot be retrieved until their owner is no longer in combat.
Medical Supplies - Carrying medicine isn't just for Medics.
Even with only Novice Medic, the popular Stim -B- can be used to great
effect. Always try to have at least three to four packs of Stim -B-
out in your inventory. If possible, keep a crate onhand in a backpack
or primary nventory. For Doctors and Combat Medics: You're going
into battle against the best this game has to offer, break out
"the good stuff". Be sure to have useful statepacks such as
Dizzy, Stun and Intimidate as well as Poison and Disease cures.
Don't forget Resusitation Kits. These are critical in areas
of extreme danger. Combat Medics should be sure to carry both
Ranged and Area stimpacks. Some types of pets don't get caught
underneath the umbrella of AoE stims and need to be specially
targeted. It's helpful to actually hotkey the item in order to be
sure which stim will be used at which time.
Food and Spice - Following the Chef Revamp, an explosion of new
and potent foods became available. There are many types of useful food
out now. One can purchase food that will increase defenses or xp gain.
Food can be used to reduce damage taken and incap time. Food can even
act as a powerful boost to character stats. The very popular Vasarian
Brandy is an example of just how strong new food is. Be sure to check
it out before you go on that big hunt. Even with full buffs, food is
still a major help. Since those new foods have come into the market,
Spices have been less popular. This is largely due to their short
duration relative to comparable foods as well as their downer effects.
Still, it can be helpful to have at least one or two hits of Muon
Gold, Neutron Pixie or Booster Blue at the ready as a sort of
"Panic Button". As the downers for Spice cause the exact
opposite of their bonuses, Spice shouldn't be taken on a whim.
Reserve it for extreme need only as the downer can be both a liability
to you and your party.
Combat Macros - The macro system in Star Wars: Galaxies is a
very deep and potentially useful system. Popular macros include a
repeating Center of Being macro or an armor equip/de-equip macro.
There are many others. This guide isn't focused on macros and as
such won't be mentioning any but all players are encouraged to
learn more about what macros can do for them. Set these up in advance
for a big hunt, they can be very helpful in chaotic situations where
every second counts.
Buffing - Buffing is an almost neccessity for high-level
combat. The ability to negate the cost of specials as well as absorb
more damage is paramount to the success of any dangerous hunt. Doctors
can enhance primary health and action pools as well as their related
substats by 2,000 points or more for 2.5-3 hours or even longer.
Dancers can double a mind pool (or more than double if they possess
skill-enhancing attachments) and Musicians can double the substats for
mind. This always lasts for two hours. In some cases buffing can not
only mean the difference between life and death but can even mean the
difference between being able to wear armor or not. Always seek
buffing before a hunt. When arriving late, arrive buffed if at all
possible.
Leadership - Some groups prefer to have a designated leader
while others just "go with the flow". This should be decided
up front and before the hunt's target is onscreen. Some prefer to
have Squad Leaders present and let them handle orders while some Squad
Leaders simply prefer to provide their unique abilities and let
someone else do the leading. The (L) next to the name of the group
leader is essentially meaningless unless otherwise discussed.
Establish who's calling shots and adhere to it as much as
possible
Looting/Harvesting - Looting can be a controversial subject. In
general, the Basin's stance on looting and loot distribution can
differ from that of the average "pick-up hunt". The Amazon
Basin's primary concern with loot is to make sure it is
distributed fairly. To that end, all people involved in a hunt should
not worry about who actually does the looting. Trust those closest to
a mob when it dies to be honest. In general, when a mob is killed, any
tank standing over it is in the best position to pick up the loot and
should do so. However, in order to properly prepare for a hunt,
the group should communicate their intentions as to whom should be
looting what and when. Also of great importance is that decisions on
potentially controversial loot and its intended recipients should be
made in advance of the hunt. If the party is heading out to acquire
loot for a particular person, group or any other reason, it should be
communicated beforehand. Communication regarding creature resource
harvests should also happen before combat. If a particular
resource is desired, it is generally focused upon by those with Scout
Harvesting skills.
More On Communication - What should be said and when is
something that also bears mention here. If a "leader" is
chosen, they may want to keep the group chat less active in order to
maintain control of the situation. Talk all of these things out before
going on the hunt. Desired locations and behaviors for various combat
roles should be communicated. and In particular, Medics should
communicate the way they do things. A Medic can quickly become annoyed
when people persistently shout for aid. If the Medic does want
persistent reminders, that is fine, beyond that, respect a Medic's
wishes about how often, if at all, they want to be reminded of
something. Everyone in the group should make sure they're heard
regarding how they want things handled. Barring a major objection,
those with experience in the hunt's intended location should be
listened to for advice. It's best to have at least some feel for
how a battle will play out before it's entered.
Know The Location - An unprepared or ill-informed party can
quickly become a dead one. If at all possible, try to have some idea
of what the party will be facing. Will the party need a certain type
of damage? Does the party have enough healers to handle the amount of
damage likely to be inflicted per blow? Knowing the strength of the
targets and the speciffics of the objectives involved in any hunt can
be a priceless piece of information. Doing a little homework before
heading into battle can have a big payoff.
Arrange In Advance For Travel - Whenever possible, it's
best to make sure the party has all tickets needed for the hunt
in-hand. It's even better to have the party assemble at the
desired location but this is not always possible. If a lot of
planet-hopping is to happen, return tickets are also encouraged.
While On The Hunt -
Moving As A Group - While there's certainly no reasonable
expectation for group members to move in unison, having some general
outlines of who's doing what and who should be moving more can be
very helpful. Typically, it is best to have the tanks in sections of
the group where their ability to avoid and absorb damage is best put
to use. This can mean keeping all tanks in front or sometimes having
one or two mixed in or on the sides of the group, depending on terrain
and location. The "point" position is of key importance.
This is the person that is first in a door, first around a corner and
most likely to draw aggro (become attacked) from anything that may be
waiting to attack. They should be one of the strongest tanks in the
group. Whenever possible, they need to be up front. This is of
particular importance in places where quarters are close. Thus far,
all of the new dungeons (as of this writing they are The Warren, The
Geonosian Laboratory and The Corellian Corvette) added to the game
have involved a lot of close-quarters indoor fighting. The
"Pointman" has his/her work cut out for him/her as going
through that one door can spell doom for the party if care is not
taken. Strict formations are certainly tedious and rarely serve much
real benefit. The key here when the group is moving about is to
minimize the threat level to the party by taking care when walking
through places.
Pulling - Pulling is a very tricky term to describe. Basically,
a "puller" is someone designated to "pull" a mob
toward them and away from more vulnerable members of the party. In
SW:G, this typically means a tank that then stands firm in front of
the mob while their backup helps to bring it to the ground. Some more
experienced pullers can actually look like very unskilled players to
the untrained eye. It can seem as though they are diving headlong into
what appears to be an unescapable and highly-threatening situation.
They can, at times, have 5 or more mobs attacking them in any given
instant. Some tanks are actually capable of killing all of these
attackers by themselves. Sometimes the opponents are too much and need
to be vanquished as quickly as possible. All of this depends on the
party, the location and the strength and skill of the tank. In some
particularly dangerous areas (e.g. The Corellian Corvette, The Kwi
Halls in the Geonosian Lab or the Nightsister Dungeon) multiple
pullers may be desired so as to prevent the first from being
obliterated. In some cases this call is situational, in others, it
becomes a definite.
Positioning - Positioning can, at times be a very
important part of the hunting process. If a ranged attacker gets too
close to a mob, they can be wiped out very quickly. If the tanks
aren't properly co-ordinated, the mobs can quickly overwhelm them.
When entering a room, as many tanks as possible should go in first to
try and secure aggro away from any more-vulnerable party members.
After this is accomplished, the rest of the damage-dealers should come
in and begin taking out the enemy. Healers should be last unless an
emergency arises. When a particular threat has been neutralized, tanks
should be the first to reposition and reengage. After the tanks are
back in combat, the ranged combatants should follow suit. Unless first
discussed, a ranged attacker should never be the first one to
enter combat. The only exception is of course if they themselves were
attacked by the enemy, in which case such an incident wasn't
avoidable. Ranged combatants should try to remain at least 30 meters
away from their targets unless terrain prevents it. At that point, the
maximum safe distance allowed by various obstacles or other mobs
should be preserved.
General Strategy - There are a few varieties of general
strategy that can be employed to great effect. Of course, any strategy
should be tailored to fit the group members. In some cases, a group
may have a lot of members capable of damaging the same particular pool
(e.g. a lot of Riflemen and Heavy Swordsmen or a lot of Carbineers and
Pikemen). In this case, it is best to have all attackers use their
pool-targeting attacks. In cases where the group possesses one or more
Commandos or is made up primarily of Fencers and/or Pistoleers, it is
best to have those that can target the health pool specifically do so
and the rest use their most powerful standard attack (usually a hit3
for brawlers or something such as Crippling Shot for a Carbineer).
Typically these standard attacks favor the healthy pool and it will
deplete faster.
Another point to observe is how the group wishes, if able, to control
the target. Are there party members that can Intimidate, Stun, Blind,
Dizzy or even Knockdown the opponent? Coordinate these efforts. If a
Master Brawler is in the party, they should be using Intimidate 2. If
not, all other brawlers should simply refresh Intimidate at a
reasonable interval when possible. The remaining state effects can be
added on to the target as many times as possible without fear of
overwriting. Anyone capable of applying a bleed in the pool of choice
should also do so. There are two exceptions to these theories -
Knockdown and Posture Changes. Only one party member should be
designated to perform these manuvers. Both Knockdown and Posture
Change are effects that have a timer relating to how often they can be
successfully applied. Also, any time a Posture Change is applied to a
target that is already in a state of changed posture, the target will
be forced back to standing. This is also the case for Knockdown. Once
that target is hit with a second Knockdown, they are back up and
immune to the effect until the timer wears off of them. The party
member with the highest chance of success should always be designated
for the assignment as it can be very helpful and important.
An item of particular note is the current bug involving ranged area
attacks. If such an attack is fired it will not stop when it
hits a wall. This means that targets on the other side of said wall
will engage the combatant who fired the attack. This also means that
the tanks will have to divert their attention from their current jobs
to try to protect the newly-endangered party member. This is of
particular concern for Riflemen as their strongest attacks are all
AoE. Riflemen should select another attack to use or discuss this
situation with their party before getting involved. Riflemen also
should observe that some of their attacks come with a Posture Up
effect. This should be avoided if possible to prevent Posture Down and
Knockdown attacks from being nullified.
Knowing your limitations is also key to group survival. If you are not
capable of tanking a mob allow someone else to do the job. If you
require specific help, makes sure that is communicated and
available.
Just as knowing limitations is very important, so too is sticking to
your job or assignment. If you are the Medic of the group, be the best
Medic possible. If you are the tank, be a tank. Someone that decides
to do someone else's job can be both aggravating and very
detrimental to the survivability of the party. A Medic that is busy
trying to do damage, add state effects or do much of anything
involving a mob instead of a player is not being a Medic. A tank that
decides to run over and heal the Rifleman, while bringing the mob with
them, is not being a tank. They are also endangering not only the
Rifleman but the entire party. Everyone has their characters designed
in a way as to accomplish desired goals, when they abandon those goals
for something at which they are less-effective, bad things happen.
Trust your groupmates to do their jobs and let them know they can
trust you to do yours.
The leader of the group needs to be a leader. Communication is your
primary role. At the same time, if you are not the leader you need to
remember that and follow. Suggestions are fine but they are best made
before or after combat, not during. The leader that was chosen at the
outset of the hunt needs to be the one that is leading. When multiple
people are giving orders, the chances of conflicting orders can cause
major problems. First, there's the chance that the group will be
divided among those following one order and others following a
conflicting order. Second, and signifficantly worse, is a power
struggle. Your way may work for you, but if you didn't wind up as
the group leader for the hunt, you need to set that aside and do
what's best for the group.
Having a back-up and/or escape plan is essential. Primary plans can,
and do fall through. Having a contingency can mean the difference
between regrouping and succeeding or winding up in the Cloning Center.
If the primary tank falls, there needs to be a backup tank to help him
or her out while he is ressurected or the group simply needs to
run.
What To Do If you Are Seriously Hurt - Tanks should do whatever
they can to avoid leaving the front line. If there are multiple tanks,
this becomes more flexible. Remember, the Medic's first
responsibility it to make sure the walls stay up. Trust your Medics to
get up and heal you. Running away from combat is likely to just get
more folks into trouble if you get dropped in the middle of your
party. Ranged attackers should also do what they can to either stay
put or make sure a tank knows they need to try to pull aggro off of
them. In most circumstances, it's the Medic that does the big
legwork here. Unless a general retreat is called, a lot of running
about is only likely to cause a further breakdown of the situation. If
there is only one Medic extra patience needs to be had when it comes
to waiting for heals. If and only if the situation is safe
enough to permit that you walk toward the Medic without getting hurt,
then do so. Generally, it's your job to pay attention to the mobs
and the Medic's job to pay attention to you. If going into an area
where mobs like to fire off a deathblow instantly, this simply means
Doctors are a neccessity. Panic will get people dead in a big way.
Avoid panic.
The Retreat - It is always best to have a plan for this in
place before it happens. Here are a few guidelines on how to impliment
this very important part of group strategy. First, know what is
possible. If it is not possible to heal an incapacitated member of the
party in a reasonably safe and fast manner, do not do it. One
incapacitated fighter is better than two or three. If you are that
incapacitated fighter and someone does heal you, get up and
leave. Do not resume combat after a retreat has been called. Do
not attempt to be that emergency healer if it is not your job. If the
Medic is still standing, let them do it and let both members get out
of the danger area. If the Medic is the one in need of rescue, the
person with the second-best medical skills should be the rescuer. Do
not attempt this on low life. Heal up before you go in to save the
day. If your party cannot get you up safely, wait out the incap and
then bolt. Nobody wants to leave their friends behind but there are
sometimes no other options. Accept this as a part of dangerous
combat.
Once all members are capable of departure, retreat to the nearest,
most safe location. It is possible that some mobs will persue, but
likely some will choose to not follow. Do whatever is possible to
secure the retreat location and then heal up as best as possible. If a
party member is either slain or falls incapacitated and was not safely
recoverable, they should wait and be patient. When the group is
capable of rescue, they should do so and not an instant before.
When a dangerous rescue is mounted, efforts to secure the location of
the rescuee should be made. If these are not possible, an escape route
should be maintained if at all possible. At this point, the last few
people need to heal up before the actual hunt is resumed.
Between Fights - After a particular area has been pacified, the
group should stop and make sure everyone is okay before moving on.
This can include stopping any DoTs that were not cured during combat,
removing or waiting out any negative status effects, curing wounds and
damage or reapplying temporary or long-term buffs.
It is in this area that the Entertainer class can be of very strong
aid even during a hunt. While brawlers with the Teras Kasi skill
Master Meditation can cure all of their own wounds, the rest are not
so fortunate. A high level of wounds to the mind pool or its related
substats can prove catastrophic in the next round of combat. Dancers
and Musicians also have the unique ability to be able to rebuff an
entire party all at the same time. Combat Entertainers are a rare but
very valuable commodity in dangerous situations. Some classes depends
on buffed mindstats for sustained combat and being able to refresh
those buffs without leaving the combat zone is something of great
aid.
Make sure the party is prepared before moving onward.
After The Hunt -
Loot Distribution - This is likely one of the most
controversial topics to come up in any high-level hunt. Who gets the
loot? How is it divided? While some arrangements can be made in
advance (who gets Krayt Tissues, Scales, etc) there are some things
that cannot be planned. As this is a Basin guide, the theory here will
focus largely on Basin ideology.
In general, it is best to distribute loot based on who is most likely
to use it. If a Pikeman is in the party, they should be given first
considderation for any good Pikes or related weaponry. If a Doctor is
present, they should probably get first shot at Janta Blood. Loot is
best when used, not when left rotting in a storage backpack.
Unexpected Krayt Tissue or other various loot that is used as a
component in the crafting process becomes more tricky. Clearly,
it's a Weaponsmith that uses the item. However, the
end-result of the crafting process is likely to wind up in the hands
of a combatant. Therefore, it is probably a better idea to divide up
this special type of loot based on the assumption that whomever gets
it will then request it be inserted into an item for their own
personal use. If four identical Krayt Tissues are looted, likely they
should go to someone that can make good use of them in a Rifle or
Carbine.
Bear in mind that on some hunts, creature resources may be the
"loot" and as such should also be distributed just as
fairly.
Also, unless an arrangement has been made beforehand, loot should be
given to those on the hunt. Beyond that, loot should be given
out based on those wanting reasonable amounts of it. If nobody on the
hunt wants or will use the loot, it can certainly be preserved for
associates of the hunters and given to them based on the reasoning
listed above.
Payment, Repairs And Other
If someone's services were contracted for the hunt, they should be
paid at this time any remaining fees (monetary or otherwise) that are
still outstanding. The remainder of things that should be done post
loot can all be viewed in the preparations section. If armor was
signifficantly damaged, it is best to repair it as soon as possible.
Weaponry should also be fixed under similar circumstances. Trust the
advise of your local crafter as to whether or not the equipment should
be repaired. If training is neccessary and wasn't available due to
chaotic situations during the hunt, now is a good time to see to that.
Essentially, the idea is just to make sure to replenish any supplies
consumed or severely depleted during the hunt.
After all of that, congratulate yourself as well as your team mates.
High-level hunting is one of this game's most challenging and
rewarding processes when done properly. Hopefully all went well. If
not, now's the time to analyze what went wrong in order to prepare
for next time.
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