I'm writing this post because I feel many citizens on Rubi-Ka don't really understand what it's like to be an agent. It's understandable that you don't understand--I'm not ranting. Neither do I think agents are any more "special" than any other profession.
However, there are a few unique aspects to being an agent that I *really* wish my team-mates understood.
First, agents rely on a team to level. Simply put, we are TERRIBLE at soloing. We die quickly because our skinny opifix behinds can't take much damage. Still, I solo all the time because I can really *be* an agent when I solo. I can do missions my own level and almost always survive. (I root and run a lot, but hey, it works!) I get tokens, but very little xp. My choice.
For leveling, I must team. And when I'm teaming, I want to make a contribution to the team. Agents don't have a lot of buffs to offer our team. We aren't a tank, we don't heal. What we DO ... is DAMAGE. And how we do the MOST damage is with aimed shot.
Every agent I know *loves* making an aimed shot. It's usually our only special attack. I can't get off an AS every battle (refresh is a few minutes) but about every other battle I can do an average of 5k per aimed shot (from 1.4k minimum to 10k maximum). When you see the lifebar on a mob drop 50%, it's very satisfying.
And now ... (drumroll) here is the purpose for this post. Our heavenly fathers (funcom) have made it very difficult for us to level without a team, they've ALSO made it difficult for agents to use aimed shot in a team!
Here's why: an agent needs to be concealed to make an aimed shot. We can lag behind the group while we creep up to the battle that's just begun, but if *any* nano enriches our NCU while we are concealed, we stop sneaking. Engineers have some *great* aura nanos that refresh *very* often (less than 20 seconds). This means agents and engineers make *terrible* partners! Capt. Sweetkate is my best friend on Rubi-Ka, so this is upsetting to me. (Still, we managed to team effectively because she has an agent alt and knows how we need to work.) Adventurers have pack fighter nanos that refresh once every 2 minutes, so they are not really a problem (conceal will break only every now and then.) Some doctors chain-cast Team heal nanos. This breaks concealment as well.
Now ... here's the difficult place it puts us agents in. If we complain about any of the above, it makes it seem as if we care more about getting off an aimed shot than we do about the team getting healed, or the team getting a great AC buff from the engineer. <sigh> We do care. We are just hoping that we can contribute to our full potential. Sometimes it is a totally bad idea to turn off these aura nanos as the benefit they offer the team is far greater than the benefit of the agent's occasional aimed shot.
I am going to post this elsewhere too, as a feeble attempt to get Funcom to perhaps fix this aspect of agenthood (I'm betting they won't). But mostly I just want everyone to *understand* that when an agent must sacrifice using aimed shot, it is very discouraging to us. I was just in a team where I brought this up and everyone on my team jumped down my throat because they seemed to think i didn't care about the best interest of the team. On the contrary, I *do* care, and that's why I'm discouraged. I'm not able to contribute my best.
Without aimed shot, I feel like a doc would feel if he couldn't heal. Or how a Trader would feel if she couldn't calm. So ... I shut up and shoot. bang bang bang. <yawn>. But it is best for team and I know it. It just kinda stinks. : )
So when you see "Rickdeckard has vanished". Realize that if you cast a team heal, you just messed me up. (Note: I am not suggesting you let people even come *close* to dying.)
Monolog completed. : )
Colonel Rickdeckard
Mercury Dragons