<-Agent's Thoughts for Improvement->
Hello all,
I have been on Rubi-Ka since its very first days of being open to the public. I remember the weeks of crashes, disconnects, lag like you wouldn't believe, and just basic pandamonium. As I have played AO I have seen it grow and mature. Anarchy Online has some 300k members now and probably is still growing. We are the only MMORPG with a ARK system of players helping players. I love AO and the only reason why I don't have a 200 level character yet is cause I just don't have the time with RL coming in and interposing. I have had to take month breaks before faithfully returning. With that said, here is the wisdom that i gleamed for Agents out there and a course for our imporvement.
First off, I did play back in the day of pre-nerf. It was a very interesting time when a level 20 agent could kill a red with an aimed shot. Or a aimed shot doing perhaps 4k damage. We were very powerful and main damage dealers at times. I say do not flame and rant to return to these days, but look for ways to improve. Aimed shot does not function properly now. I currently am a 70 agent using a ql 114 Cat and only get 1k aimeds at times... usually only 500 damage on the average. I belive an aimed shot should be what it is meant to be. A assasination atempt at a target. Where time and concentration are necessary to produce not only a aimed shot but critical damage to your target. When I think aimed shot I think for a head shot an instant death shot. This is currently not the case. We agents would gladly endure some type of penalty to allow us the ability to function as an agent and take out a target easily.
Secondly, when one thinks about an agent they think about stealth. Conceal has been greatly improved but still need alot of work. I am able to hide from all of my team mates almost all of the time and can see people who try to had most of the time. Though I am not able to hide from most monsters. They always see me when I try to aimed shot. Though they do not argo on me. Conceal needs to be rethought yet agian. It works but it does not work properly. Agent should be able to go completely unoticed at times by all creatures alike when sneaking.. of course that depends on levels and perceptions. It just doesn't work properly.
Third, our own line of nanos are poorly lacking. Agents get short changed when it comes to special nanos for our profession. Yes it is true we can use the nanos of all other profs. We were limited in what we can use though. This is good for balanceing but needs to be rethought but that is for another post. Agents have Roots... very poor DOTs... which for the Nano skills needed to cast them they do not do enough damage and by the time you are able to cast them... there damage will hardly affect the mobs you face.... Rifle buffs.. which are good... damage buffs... crit buffs now.. which were a very nice addition... and the infamous False Prof lines. I believe the the nanos of the agent need to be rethought. When you think agent you think of cool toys and gadgets from James Bond. We have no nanos that make use useful to others of our own. We must rely on other profs to be helpful and this reduces us as Agents. I love being able to cast the nanos of other professions don't get me wrong. But I think agents need special cool nanos of there own.
Fourth, healing. This is something I think all professions need. Yes I totally believe a doc is need for any good team. But when you solo or your team is lacking a proper doc you need some way to heal yourself. Heal nanos of some type should be made for all professions. They definately should not be as good as doc nanos. Adv and MAs have such nanos but i am thinking why does an agent have nanos that only increase damage. If I know about anatamy to kill someone I should be able to know enough to heal myself or someone. The same goes for Soldier/Enf. If they were out in our real world they would have some way of a emergance med kit and training to patch themselves up. All Prof need this in some shape or form. Just some way to heal other then a stim. I know it might not work but thoughts on this would be nice.
Fith, MAKE AGENTS THE WAY THE DESCRIPTION SAYS WE SHOULD BE. Taken from the Funcom description of agent when you select it.
Agent. A profession focused on excellence in espianage and subterfuge. The agent is primed with skill advancements in concealment and stealth as well as distance weaponry and martial arts. With a combination of nano programs and expert training this profession can gain access to covert areas and stay concealed for as long as necessary. Agents also have access to special nano formulas that enables them to run programs normally only available to other professions.
Sounds cool doesn't it. Sounds like we would be dressed in all black sneaking into Omni or Clan territory to raise hell. But its not true. It takes alot of IP to be able to hide for anything let alone try and solo kill something. What covert areas can we get into. I cannot hide from a guard and my conceal is 600 with all my buffs on-740 with my cloaking device on. Make agent the way the discription says we should be.
These are my thoughts. I have been playing an agent for a long time and will continue to play. I just would like to see us fixed as well as all other professions. Please add your own thoughts. You can correct mine as well. But be kind. An exchange of information instead of just putting me down. Thanks for your time and see you on Rubi-Ka.
