Tracking

[Blake]

Realistically I think it comes down to sheer time usage of the power and experience gained per skill per energy. If you have 20 in tracking that is all fine and dandy and it may net you some decent experience (not sure how much) but if each and every experience point matters then why go tracking at all?

You are honestly better off using a wraith and/or a human thrall to locate Lionelli (If you're even that high a level) and putting the extra stats in to something like hacking (Which will benefit from the high skill and intel which most NPC slayers have a decent amount of seeing as both skills help in fighting NPCs) and make even MORE experience and money at the same time.

It's like I've said countless times, the exp/energy ratio on certain skills is utterly abysmal and is going to make certain skills never get used. This is true for Tracking, Rituals and (to an extent) weapon crafting. I think it's just a matter of opinion and this is just mine. Hope it helps shed some light on things.

EDIT: Tracking affecting loot is just a no. I will be honest and say that it seems like instead of adding little bits and pieces to skills to make them more effective maybe a nice (and apologies for this) overhaul of the less used skills might be a good idea. Obviously they're not working and a 'quick fix' isn't going to work quite as well in the long run as well as a good think, discussion and rehashing of the skills will work. I know there is plenty of input to be had on each and every skill so why not start a discussion thread on each skill, get opinions and go from there while we're still in beta? After a month or so of people voicing opinions make a decision based on community thoughts and feelings mixed with the aspect of making a fair and balanced game.

If it is obvious that certain skills are preferred over others then look in to WHY those skills are preferred and maybe try to make the other less used skills equally appealing in a less hasty and 'I want people to use this skill now' kind of way.

Also, if we're going to be having drastic changes to skills (yes, I would count tracking affecting loot as a drastic change) then perhaps it would be time for restats to be able to purchasable for in game cash once again.

[Phoenix]

I think the uselessness of the skill is evident in the breadth of its actual use. I don't know anyone with a character with over 10 tracking. I wouldn't put points in tracking.

There are tons of things that people don't do which they really should if they want to level up faster or beat other players or get ahead in various other ways. I really don't think what the majority of players have caught onto yet is a good indication of usefulness. Popularity, yes, but not usefulness.

Having said that, the skill is only really useful to fighters (pvp / pve), so I might consider having it boost the quality of loot that people find, or something similar.

It's not that people haven't caught onto a good thing. It's that the thing isn't good, which I laid out pretty succinctly (which you seem to have ignored). Having it boost loot quality won't make it any more appealing because it's not worth the levels put into it.

The point is, if I have a stam of 20, walking around vs using the tracking skill and wasting ooc time to do all the things Nix said, isn't worth it to me. So an extra two steps at .1 a piece isn't nothing when I have energy coming out my butt.

>.>

Yeah I understood your point, but some people like to level up faster than others, even if that means more real time spent.

Point that I elaborated above: tracking does not actually improve leveling in any way. Going on tracking being for PvP/PvE players...

If at a low level: I want to be better at killing things, I want to put my stats into FA or MA and attributes that aid those. Not tracking. Why do I care if I can find something if I can't kill it?

At mid-level (once MA/FA are maxed): I probably have a wraith or human thrall to scout for me at this point, so I'll shift my focus to something that will gain me extra exp (hacking or B&E). Especially since there's no real benefit until tracking 20, whereas I get immediate exp benefit by having skills in hacking or B&E.

At high levels (Nix): nah, not worth my time as a player (+other reasons, see above), I have my wraith/thrall. I don't need tracking and would rather focus on diversifying than dumping levels into a skill with no real return.

There is literally no scenario where I benefit with tracking.

[Doc]

If at a low level: I want to be better at killing things, I want to put my stats into FA or MA and attributes that aid those. Not tracking. Why do I care if I can find something if I can't kill it?

This^^ Is why I restat'ed Doc and got rid of tracking. I maxed FA and MA and then I thought with Mechanics I can at least make stuff.

At mid-level (once MA/FA are maxed): I probably have a wraith or human thrall to scout for me at this point, so I'll shift my focus to something that will gain me extra exp (hacking or B&E). Especially since there's no real benefit until tracking 20, whereas I get immediate exp benefit by having skills in hacking or B&E.

And I had to quote this too.. because honestly thats why i with with Mechanics on Doc at the time.

[Sundial]

I agree that as a whole tracking is useless. The ONLY use I have for it is to track wraith guides with one of my charry's wraiths or thrall. That does gain great exp for low energy output. I got rid of all tracking stats a long time ago & haven't seen any fallout at all from doing so.

[Alexandrea]

I agree that as a whole tracking is useless. The ONLY use I have for it is to track wraith guides with one of my charry's wraiths or thrall. That does gain great exp for low energy output. I got rid of all tracking stats a long time ago & haven't seen any fallout at all from doing so.

Also ditto on what Doc said.

[Remington Rothfelder]

Does tracking effect loot drop rates or are people talking about something else?

And I think what most everyone is talking about in general is the choice to spend a stat/skill point is more likely to be applied elsewhere because the net benefit of adding to tracking is minimal when compared to the other stats/skills. For example, if you want your character to be good at fighting, you're more likely to, once you've maxed MA/FA, you're more likely to either put into a secondary specialization such as hacking or metalworking. Or you might add to something like mechanics because it not only lets you make traps, and gadgets, and guns, but it also lets you pick up traps, and pick locks.

Mechanics is hugely useful by comparison to tracking from a purely gaming perspective.

While that's not exactly what people are saying, that's what I'm getting from it?

[Every]

I think I remember that with like, the junkyard, the higher tracking you have the better items that you'll pick up? o.0

[Alexandrea]

I think I remember that with like, the junkyard, the higher tracking you have the better items that you'll pick up? o.0

I'm 93% sure you are correct.

[Sundial]

The only item that I think would be worth the trouble to track for with main is source codes and I'm pretty sure they're not in the junkyard.

[Mordechai]

i have some tracking stats on one char, and he uses it...but in mordies case... his other skills are were they need to be to do what he does...for me to get a 15 in tracking, for it to be effective...using the number david gave...it will take me about 19-20 months, putting every level into tracking, increasing none of his core skills towards a 20 max ...and not sure it is worth almost 2 years of grinding.....to get the benefits it may give