Alright, it's done. That was one of the worst experiences I've ever had. Awesome role, crap class, crap cabal. There was little I enjoyed after level 35 and after being inducted. Animists rock until the other classes start getting third and fourth attack, then you have zero chance of competing.

Animist Rant: You can't land a spell, it takes TOO long to cast a spell, then they save and you have to wait again. I can't count the number of times I lost my concentration on spirit howl and then while I was standing there looking like an idiot I got pummeled. I did that infront of Ravon once and he cast a sleep spell on the wrong person and then on me before I recovered from the lost concentration. I've also spent 900 mana trying to deafen someone and it only work once, maybe twice, and then it lasts just an hour or two, maybe three. But Zorran would just sit there and wait it off. By the time you FINALLY get a spell to land, primordial vengeance or cloud of wasps, your two spells, they just flee.

Aside from that, you have NOTHING to do in combat. A spell that does mediocre damage would be nice in the early stages. But losing ALL those skills aren't even near compensated for the crap you get. I would have been happier if I had had charge. Then I could charge, flee, ambush and at least stand a chance of maybe making someone bleed a litle. Spirit Guardian COULD be useful if it didn't take 24 hours to recast, which means you can't use it in most areas because the terrain changes every other room OR you have to stand still for 24 hours.

But being a mountaineer was cool. Boreal wind has the potential to be a good spell. I could anhialate something that was a slightly lower level and weak to ice. The two times I used Boreal Wind in a PK it did DISMEMBERS and that sucks from yet another 50 mana spell. Sure footing was cool. Endure cold did little to help against iceneedles. The natural felar-like cold resistance mountaineers get seemed to do more. Too bad I didn't get to see what bearcharge does as a mountaineer since I didn't have it. My next ranger will DEFINATELY have that skill since my last two didn't.

It was impossible for me to even face up to an invoker. And that time I had 120-140 pounds and the quicksand STILL sucked me in 5 times I was pissed. I did NOT have a web on me either. The only mage I had a good chance of killing was a conjurer. Transmuters I stood somewhat of a chance of killing provided they kept trying to neuro me. Warriors I had a zero chance against, anti-paladin's brutal lashing would tear me apart in every form imaginable. I lost my weapon 9 out of 10 times. That last lashing Vanakton gave me did 3 things to me, I have no idea what, I died from cloud of wasps lag. But a skill that dispels, lags, disarms, AND maledicts AND does a lot of damage just makes me feel like I'm a nothing with my crap skills. I challenge your ridiculous skill + charge gathering ability with my call messenger spell! Against an assassin it was 50-50 depending on if they broke my wrists hard or not. As long as I could still use a shield, I might make them flee. At least bards couldn't kill me. That tribunal bard is the only one who killed me without a basher beside them and it was my first death at level 37 going up against a damn fiend.

Also, my enemies were Scions an Empire, two things I could do nothing against during a raid. I also could BARELY defend the fortress. It would be nice if the outer guardian area was mountainous. Then maybe you stand a chance.

The Fortress has zero leadership, no guidance from the imms, it's a bunch of loners running around. There's no heirarchy of leadership and the leaders the fortress DOES have take a passive role in actually leading... if they are ever around. I spent about 100 hours caballed and not ONCE did I ever find out if I was doing good or bad. I have to assume bad since I didn't get to be a maran. And since I dislike immteraction, I should have known better than to go for a cabal that requires it. It really makes me feel like you have to be sleeping with an Imm to get any kind of luvins. But if it wouldn't be asking too much for an Imm to say what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong, I'd like to know.

I liked Soayel, Deyriaras, Fobrin, Swaewren, and Klyndenstrom. I wish I had logged that interview thing I did with Swaewren, that was a good one.

I did NOT like Niheriva, you're a lousy leader, you bark orders and are never around and that's all I'm going to say. Pesawwkt, you REALLY irked me that day you looted my kill before I recovered from the ambush lag I killed him with. Granted it was just gold, but you didn't even ask me if I wanted it. I asked you to share with Swaewren and out of 16 gold, you gave him 4. Aside from that, I guess I liked you. I liked Eyrndayia at first, until I realized she was a level-sitting gear-whore.

Of my enemies, I liked Sebath. Sebath was the only one that came without a hoarde behind them. Zorran would do the same sometimes, but it was an unfair matchup. Jhuutr would come, then by the time I got there, he would be gone. Not that I could beat him. A single impale made me lose my weapon. The rest only came when they had overbearing oppressive odds and for that you all suck!

Awe.....I agree with a lot of things you are saying, except the ranger stuff because I have no experience with it, and I'm not going to get into specifics about the other points.

You were my favorite, out of everyone in the Cabal, I had the most interaction with you, found your RP to be very good, and thought you would make a very good leader, both because it was obvious you knew what you were doing and you were the most willing to meaningfully interact with me.

I used to play a lot more, years ago, had a number of successful Marans, one in particular with Shokai's tat and title. The fortress really doesn't feel the same any more. Maybe it's partly my fault, as I'm not making it into what it should be, but my playing time is restricted and my skills are decidedly rusty.

Anyways, I hope to see you again, shoot me an email at zachzen@gmail.com, I'd like to talk with you further about some things.

Swaewren

Sorry to hear that it didn't work out like you'd hoped. I got the feeling from our conversations that you were not happy with Animists. I didn't see this coming though. You sounded like a real experienced player who had a lot to offer. Hope your next is more to your liking...

See you around

I haven't really played much since Marigue, so the experience is still fresh in my mind.

(Disclaimer, never seen you in action, dont take anything personally)

Marigue was an arial mountaineer hunter maran. As an AMHM (as it shall henceforth be called) I had a few difficulties with wilderness time, and the subsequent detriment that my duties had on it. So my first tip will be STAY IN THE WILDS WHEN IDLE. Doing so will help pretty much all of your rangery skills. Alot. This can be especially useful for caster rangers, as their rangery skills consist of many non-passive abilities that lag you.

Boreal wind was pretty slick. As an AMHM, I was pulling off oblits to anhs (high int, but craptacular wildy time. I lost fastcreep/camo). Now stack animist spellcraft, and you have a rather lovely cabal defense tool. So I guess my next tip would be to PICK A RACE THAT ACCENTUATES YOUR RANGER PATH. Going arial would've meant a bit of a hit to your hp, but your mana will be pretty amazing, and you get permaflight (though this nerfs sure footing *grumble*).

On maran'ing, my only tip is... Well, hell. Have fun with your role and go to town. You are a ranger of the light for cripes sake! Act like one!

...to what you say about Fortress leadership. Its the curse of leadership. Once you are given the 'responsibility' to act. It then becomes less of a thrill to do so.

But then I say, 'Why not do something about it?' I've watched soooo many people just hunt, kill, retrieve, repeat....for so long. And just expect to get Maran'ed. You didn't suck, you just didn't SHINE.

Corrlaan followers are NICE. With a capital NICE!

As in, what is expected to be done in your duties. Im not what 'shine' you are looking for.. but I think people should be rewarded with maranation if they are doing what they came to the cabal saying they were going to do.

If you are going to dedicate yourself to the repeative boredome of the cabal raids and constantly do so and succeed. Why not give them cabal powers beyond the 'squire' mantle?

You didnt suck, you just didnt shine... sounds like an excuse not to title/leader/give edges etc. But not to give cabal powers for doing what your cabal is dedicated to do?

I expect Maran's and Acolytes to be doing MORE than just what is expected of their Duty. They are the ideal, the example. I expect them to be thinking, living, breathing entities that are injecting soul and passion into their Duty...inspiring others to do the same. You got inducted to do your Duty. You get the promotion if you do it exceptionally well and with style.

Thats the way I've always seen it, and always will.

Corrlaan followers are NICE. With a capital NICE!

Seriously. Best post explaining it ever.

I did a forum search for: Getting Maran'd but found nothing. Can you post the link?

I have had 4 Marans over the year (one of whom was captain) and three acolytes, and 2 squires. I find that people who join the Fortress because they want to be able to forge weapons are going to be in for a disappointment. Fortress to me, was about being in Fortress, and not being a maran.

That said, I think that perhaps "shining" as a standard to meet is impractical at best. There are only so many original ways within the confines of a text based mud that has limitations in its game mechanics for interation and variable role play. Also, the longer you play this, the harder it is for people to shine, because one person's play, though original and different from him, might have been played by Storm Giant Paladin #42 three years ago.

You can "shine" by just playing an archetype very well. Its not as difficult a task to repeat as you might think.

sdfg

Personally I thought that last battle with you and Klyndenstrom was very interesting. I had absolutely no preps and was actually aiming the lashing for Klyndenstrom and then I guess I got lucky. I'd like to think we had some even matched fights (the ones outside the Fortress comming to mind).

I was thinking of going animist with a future char aswell. From the looks of things maybe I'll move that down the list of projects though.

Good luck with your next one.

n/t

First off you took on the iron vuln without going Woodelf. That is nerfing yourself in more way than I can explain.

Doing anything other than a Woodelf animist is for the brave or especially creative (Jagaub). If you don't understand why, play a woodelf druid and then play a human druid.

Now to comment on your post:

>There was
>little I enjoyed after level 35 and after being inducted.
>Animists rock until the other classes start getting third and
>fourth attack, then you have zero chance of competing.

A GNOME MARINER Animist went something like 35/4. Maybe you are just bad.

>Animist Rant: You can't land a spell, it takes TOO long to
>cast a spell, then they save and you have to wait again. I
>can't count the number of times I lost my concentration on
>spirit howl and then while I was standing there looking like
>an idiot I got pummeled.

In the MUD Carrionfields, all spells and abilities take variable amounts of time to use. Animist spells are no exception, nor is the associated time exceptional. If you are having problems with loss of concentration, perhaps you could practice the spells in question enough to get them to a higher skill %. This also, often, will increase the difficulty of saving against them.

>I did that infront of Ravon once and
>he cast a sleep spell on the wrong person and then on me
>before I recovered from the lost concentration.

Please see above INRE: Lost concentration.

>I've also
>spent 900 mana trying to deafen someone and it only work once,
>maybe twice, and then it lasts just an hour or two, maybe
>three. But Zorran would just sit there and wait it off. By the
>time you FINALLY get a spell to land, primordial vengeance or
>cloud of wasps, your two spells, they just flee.

You have other spells, some of which are exceptionally debilitating. It should also be noted, that by not being a woodelf you made at least one of the above, probably both, harder to land.

>Aside from that, you have NOTHING to do in combat. A spell
>that does mediocre damage would be nice in the early stages.
>But losing ALL those skills aren't even near compensated for
>the crap you get. I would have been happier if I had had
>charge. Then I could charge, flee, ambush and at least stand a
>chance of maybe making someone bleed a litle. Spirit Guardian
>COULD be useful if it didn't take 24 hours to recast, which
>means you can't use it in most areas because the terrain
>changes every other room OR you have to stand still for 24
>hours.

If the rest of your post is any indication, having charge or bearcharge or whatever would not have helped you much. You have options for doing damage, some inherent to the class, some device based. Entangle, notably, is just what you are looking for. Again, if you were a woodelf, you would find that entangle is a decent damage, low lag, low mana cost spell. It is also horribly mean, generally. By choosing Mountaineer you cannot use scrolls, but you retain staves. There are some fine offensive staves in the game. Additionally, if you had stuck with your character and attained full maran-ship you would have been able to lightforge staves, which in an animists hands might indeed be a nice ability.

>But being a mountaineer was cool. Boreal wind has the
>potential to be a good spell. I could anhialate something that
>was a slightly lower level and weak to ice. The two times I
>used Boreal Wind in a PK it did DISMEMBERS and that sucks from
>yet another 50 mana spell. Sure footing was cool. Endure cold
>did little to help against iceneedles. The natural felar-like
>cold resistance mountaineers get seemed to do more. Too bad I
>didn't get to see what bearcharge does as a mountaineer since
>I didn't have it. My next ranger will DEFINATELY have that
>skill since my last two didn't.

You did yourself a favor by not having bearcharge. If the rest of your post is any indication, you would have simply lagged yourself with it and accomplished nothing. Perhaps in the future you will be able to take advantage of abilities like Bearcharge, but right now you need to worry about other things than lag.

>It was impossible for me to even face up to an invoker. And
>that time I had 120-140 pounds and the quicksand STILL sucked
>me in 5 times I was pissed.

Potions of flight are commonly available for a meagre 1-500 copper or so. I believe you were a Squire in the Fortress. Focusing on your rp and pk a bit more might have also given you access to the improved mantle of the phoenix which would make quicksand much much less of a threat.

>I did NOT have a web on me either.
>The only mage I had a good chance of killing was a conjurer.
>Transmuters I stood somewhat of a chance of killing provided
>they kept trying to neuro me. Warriors I had a zero chance
>against, anti-paladin's brutal lashing would tear me apart in
>every form imaginable. I lost my weapon 9 out of 10 times.
>That last lashing Vanakton gave me did 3 things to me, I have
>no idea what, I died from cloud of wasps lag. But a skill that
>dispels, lags, disarms, AND maledicts AND does a lot of damage
>just makes me feel like I'm a nothing with my crap skills. I
>challenge your ridiculous skill + charge gathering ability
>with my call messenger spell! Against an assassin it was 50-50
>depending on if they broke my wrists hard or not. As long as I
>could still use a shield, I might make them flee. At least
>bards couldn't kill me. That tribunal bard is the only one who
>killed me without a basher beside them and it was my first
>death at level 37 going up against a damn fiend.

See above for general comments about your pk abilities. Warriors should not be horribly owning you, for a variety of reasons, at least in the woods.

>Also, my enemies were Scions an Empire, two things I could do
>nothing against during a raid. I also could BARELY defend the
>fortress. It would be nice if the outer guardian area was
>mountainous. Then maybe you stand a chance.

A fortress ranger is always going to have this problem. Next time, choose a race and cabal which compliment your abilities, rather than hinder them. Windwalk and woodelf would have solved many of your above complaints. Incidentally, the refuge is wilderness, unless that has been changed since the last time I was in outlander. You never know, with a chaotic imm running the show.

>The Fortress has zero leadership, no guidance from the imms,
>it's a bunch of loners running around. There's no heirarchy of
>leadership and the leaders the fortress DOES have take a
>passive role in actually leading... if they are ever around. I
>spent about 100 hours caballed and not ONCE did I ever find
>out if I was doing good or bad. I have to assume bad since I
>didn't get to be a maran. And since I dislike immteraction, I
>should have known better than to go for a cabal that requires
>it. It really makes me feel like you have to be sleeping with
>an Imm to get any kind of luvins. But if it wouldn't be asking
>too much for an Imm to say what I was doing right and what I
>was doing wrong, I'd like to know.

Sometimes I give Zulghinlour a little cuddle cuddle, but I assure you I am not on amorous terms with any of the imms. Every time I have tried, I have made Maran in under 90 hours on the character. I even was a fortress leader once. I'm not very good at PK, ask anyone. Maybe you are the problem here, rather than the imms.

>I liked Soayel, Deyriaras, Fobrin, Swaewren, and Klyndenstrom.
>I wish I had logged that interview thing I did with Swaewren,
>that was a good one.
>
>I did NOT like Niheriva, you're a lousy leader, you bark
>orders and are never around and that's all I'm going to say.
>Pesawwkt, you REALLY irked me that day you looted my kill
>before I recovered from the ambush lag I killed him with.
>Granted it was just gold, but you didn't even ask me if I
>wanted it. I asked you to share with Swaewren and out of 16
>gold, you gave him 4. Aside from that, I guess I liked you. I
>liked Eyrndayia at first, until I realized she was a
>level-sitting gear-whore.

By your own admission, your character was a failure, so perhaps rectify that before you give people like Pesawwkt and Eyrndayia advice on how to play their characters.

>Of my enemies, I liked Sebath. Sebath was the only one that
>came without a hoarde behind them. Zorran would do the same
>sometimes, but it was an unfair matchup.

You had options against Zorran that no one else in the fortress did. Perhaps you should have used them rather than spamming Boreal Wind on him, or whatever it was you did.

>Jhuutr would come,
>then by the time I got there, he would be gone. Not that I
>could beat him. A single impale made me lose my weapon. The
>rest only came when they had overbearing oppressive odds and
>for that you all suck!

Jhuutr is a minotaur, and therefore fearless. Of course he came. If a single impale made you lose your weapon, perhaps some gear that lent you strength, or a light weapon would have aided your cause. The Bronze Belt in the Goblin Village has some STR on it, and a very light sword can be requested in Aldevari at a low level!

>The rest only came when they had overbearing oppressive odds and
>for that you all suck!

Really?

n/t

My intention was to compete with Llorenz who had quite the forum name. Help some people realize how to save against him. See what pks I could get for myself. I tried to be an asset. I'm sorry I did not want to hero. Regardless, I enjoyed what time I had with you. I do wish you would have not been so rushed to hero and instead had some fun while it appeared you were enjoying yourself. Get a few edges. Get a record. The game doesnt start at hero. At the end I was trying to level some. Nothing ever really got going far on the mountain, however.