Gods And Heroes: Blog for 06.23.06 - All About Scouts

If left in the hands of some, the Scout surely would have a serious inferiority complex! Is it a traditional hunter-type character? Or better yet, is it a ranger who loves the woods? Well, as luck would have it, our ever-masterful lead designer, Stieg Hedlund, is in control and has a plan! In Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, the Scout is your ranged combatant, and while most people expected this, what they might not have expected to see was the full versatility that we have built into the Scout (think ranger with delusions of being a traditional rogue).

While Stieg is quick to say that what sets the Scout apart from the other classes is that it is a ranged character, some point out that the Mystic could hypothetically be called a "ranged" class as well. A good point if ever one was made. So why pick one over the other? Simply put, while the Mystic is a ranged-damage dealer, in the sense that they can hit targets from a distance, their specialty is multiple target damage, or Area of Effect damage. The Scout, on the other hand, specializes in single target, high-damage output. Even though the Mystic is a powerful damage dealer, their primary focus is that of the magics, whereas the Scout's primary skill is surviving in the natural world.

I like to call the Scout the anti-Rogue for the simple reason that they are of the same heart, but of different schools of thought. The Scout is everything the Rogue is not: they set traps, they summon food and drink (for health and energy recovery) , they craft arrows, they apply global speed bonuses to groups, they are able to detect stealthed players and NPCs, and they have Beast Handling skills. Where the Rogue is the master of poison creation, the Scout is the master of creating cures. While the Rogue is the master of cloaked moment and stealth attacks, the Scout is adept at uncovering the hidden Rogue. Finally, the Rogue is a close-quarters fighter who uses a never-ending wealth of dirty tricks and wicked blades to abate his enemy, while the Scout prefers to keep plenty of room between himself and his enemies and utilizes traps and his bow to cripple would-be hostiles.

So now, what is this beast handling thing? Do Scouts suddenly get pets? What does this mean for the rest of the classes? Well, before everyone panics about the fact that Scouts suddenly get a pet of their very own to run around with, thus giving them one more minion than everyone else, I should say: Don't start worrying just yet! The beast handling doesn't work quite like you're thinking. While, yes, at a certain point in their Feat progression, a Scout can summon a creature to fight with their party, the creature is not a permanent party member, nor is that creature bound to the Scout. It is very much akin to a damage buff from a Priest--it is simply extra DPS for a specific period of time. Afterwards the Scout must summon another beast at the cost of energy. More importantly, Scouts do not get this skill right out of the gate, and instead must learn to soothe various beasts far sooner than they can call upon them to aid in quests.

Scouts are survivors and are designed to be outdoorsmen of sorts. They are adept at utilizing their ranged skills in such a way as to give them the advantage. They often surround themselves with infantry and maybe one or two casters in case of an emergency. They send in the infantry to distract and bear the brunt of the enemy's fury while they sit back, sniping, hiding, and waiting for the enemy to fall into one of their carefully-laid traps. In a pinch they craft their own arrows and prepare for attacks. Scouts are fast, often giving various bonuses to their teammates, and they are deadly for the simple reason that he has the capability to disable most opponents before they can even reach him. Unlike others who rely on energies and magics to heal themselves, Scouts merely have to forage for food and drink to reduce downtime in both health and energy regeneration.

There is quite a bit more Scouts can do, but we are waiting to reveal the extended Feat tree until everything has been fully finalized. Next week we'll talk a bit more about the Mystic class and give away some of the details there. So until then, enjoy the tidbits and like always, I will do my best to keep you updated on any changes and/or additions to the information!

The concept sketches for the Female and Male Scout
(Click for a larger view)
As always,

Deo out.