Ranger - SamsaraDevs/samsaraJunk GitHub Wiki
The Survivor of Delirium "I've seen things you'd go mad even imagining. And I've blown those things up."
##Ranger history Ranger comes from Quake. A special forces troop sent to investigate legions of eldritch soldiers spewing out of their slipgates, Ranger has gone from techbases full of zombified once-comrades, to castles filled with giants with chainsaws and grenade launchers instead of arms, to runic temples where even the walls are alive, and serve only to thwart you. Along the way, he has left a trail of sulfur dioxide and blood, with his signature being the scorch marks from his trusty rocket launcher. Even the Elder Gods themselves are not safe, as Ranger demonstrated so readily to Shub-Niggurath. Quite literally a force beyond the Eldars, can one still call him human?
Quake was a groundbreaking game in many aspects. For one, it was the first FPS to feature truly 3D architecture, and to use 3D models for almost everything. It defined multiplayer FPS gameplay, and still lives on today, in a small but fervent Quakeworld community. On a less objectively good note, it also started the brown'n'grey trend for video games, as id bounced between a Doom-style techbase shoot-em-up and Lovecraftian FPS/horror hybrid.
Gameplay-wise, it was a fast-paced game, both in coop and in deathmatch. With weapons quick to fire and lightning-quick to switch out, items that turn the tide of a match in one iconic chime, and the Quad Damage itself to provide surefire death with an electric guitar riff to all who stand in its wielder's way, Quake was not a thinking-man's game. It was, and is, adrenaline given intelligence.
##Ranger in Samsara Ranger is the Artillery of Samsara. While he can do close-range, he's not most comfortable there; instead, he's better off sitting in the sidelines, blasting away at his enemies with his rocket launcher, oh-so-quick at closing the gap between Ranger and his target. His nailguns are no sniper's weapon - there's a lag between firing and hitting which makes long-range a tricky deal at best. However, he can buffet targets from a distance, and in times of emergency, call up on his small-but-potent lava nail and multi rocket supply to extricate him from any situation that proves too sticky.
He also has mobility on his side. Ranger takes half damage from his explosions, and has a slightly lowered gravity, meaning that at the cost of 50 or so health, he can launch himself out of harm's way in an instant. The lower gravity makes up for the lack of Quake air physics, and allows him to bunnyhop and reach blindingly fast speeds - but only in Zandronum, due to how air physics work there.
Unfortunately, he's a bit frazzled these days. Soulspheres and megaspheres slip through his fingers in minutes at best. Health bonuses he has a better time holding onto, but he's still no champ at getting to the superhuman levels everyone else can muster. With 100 health being Ranger's general max, he can only tank for a small window of time - and even then, don't expect him to last very long.
In Deathmatch, Parias is his hard counter. His main weapons are purely explosive, of which Parias only takes a quarter damage. Unless Ranger is quadded, he's liable to have any damage he does to Parias simply healed away, and end up meeting the axe - and even then, he still has to worry about the Wraithverge, which strikes fear in anyone's heart.
Chexguy also gets off fairly easily, taking only 60% damage from his rockets and lightning. That won't be enough for him, though.
Strengths: Ranger can hit hard. Really hard. Plus, his reduced gravity allows him to rocket jump to places everyone else would die trying to get to, as well as get to blinding speeds. Weaknesses: Ranger can't go above 100 health for any decent length of time. Plus, meet him in close range and his explosives - his main tools - become a liability. Main Weapons: Rocket Launcher, Super Nailgun
##Weapon loadout
Axe If you're using this weapon, you either have a death wish, you're extremely cocky, you're fighting zombiemen, or all of the above. Doing a measly 40 damage per second at a piddly range of 64 units, this is truly a desperation weapon. While better than some other starting melee weapons - the bootspoon and staff - this is still not a weapon you want to touch, even when Quadded.
Mjolnir Can someone please give some data on the Mjolnir? This section is blank, and for a chainsaw replacement, this sure is an interesting weapon.
Shotgun Out of all the floppy clown shoes you get to kick Cyberdemons in the junk with, this would be the steel-toed pair. Dealing 24 damage per shot and almost guaranteeing a pain flash on any monster fully hit with it, it's definitely the most reliable of the starting weapons, with the magnums of the Security Officer making a close second. However, unlike the magnums, you don't get to dual-wield shotguns. It is still a desperation weapon in coop, although it can be used to deter a hunter on your tail by knocking off a quarter of his health per shot. Regardless, find better weapons as soon as possible.
Double Shotgun Don't be fooled, this is no super shotgun. Dealing, on average, 64 damage in coop and 56 in deathmatch, this is not a weapon to charge with in the slightest. Its spread makes it terrible for long range, and its low damage puts you far behind the Doomguy's super shotgun. The only thing making this a slightly useful weapon is its fast firing speed and its only using 1 shell. Where does the other shell come from? My arse.
Regardless, if you are stuck with this, you can defend yourself with this... kind of. Its effective range means that Doomguys with super shotguns will just laugh as they swat your piddly shotgun away with their claim to fame. Duke will laugh just the same, as he blasts you away with his explosive shotgun, and the Security Officer, dual-wielding shotguns that fire almost as fast and do more damage to you, will make easy prey of you. In deathmatch, it is easily the worst slot 2 weapon in Samsara. In coop, it can hold a bit better, but still, it's a fallback weapon.
Grenade Launcher In coop, you can use this at close range as a faster version of the rocket launcher. Cluster grenades thrown into hordes will tear them apart, albeit not as well as they do in 0.27 (before they were rebalanced). Not having any shells to fuel this beast, you'd best use it wisely before you find rockets in coop and invasion. Take advantage of its arc and lob it into the middle of hordes, and you'll be rewarded with a much smaller horde in no time.
In deathmatch, the grenade launcher is still a decent weapon. While it doesn't explode on contact when it isn't moving, its 3-second fuse can deny areas for just long enough for you to swoop in, take what you want, and leave. It's also a prime anti-camping weapon; while the laser cannon can reach more in one shot, it also gives the camper a chance to retaliate before he dies from laser spam. One grenade, however, and he's toast.
In either mode, it's at least a good way to get rockets. That's good, right?
Nailgun It's no sniper rifle, no doubt. Its nails travelling at a respectable, but not lightning fast, 75 units/tic, mean it's more effective at medium range kills and long-range bombardment. Against a still or slow moving target, feel free to snipe; most targets aren't like that though. Dealing a guaranteed 9 damage per nail (10 in coop), there are better ways to kill enemies, but remember, you also have a small but potent reserve of lava nails. Dealing 13 damage in coop, and ignoring armor in DM, they're a great way to cut someone down to size. Too bad you only get 100 of them at max, 200 with a backpack.
Rocket Launcher This is definitely your main weapon. No other rocket in Samsara goes as fast as the ones flying out of the barrel of this rocket launcher, at a speed of 50 units/tic. Dealing 128 explosive damage and nothing else (it deals 20 impact damage in coop). Against everyone it's a guaranteed one-hit kill to them if they're freshly-spawned, giving Ranger a very strong edge in that regard.
Should the situation get too rough for normal rockets, he also has a supply of 20 multi rockets at most (40 with backpack), which allow him to deal a hefty 192 damage to a target, and make it somewhat easier to aim as well! In coop, each of those rockets deal 5 impact damage as well, hitting for a devastating 202 damage per shot.
While the stats on Duke's and Doomguy's rocket launcher look more impressive, Ranger's still wins out in deathmatch. In that case, it's best to go Duke - his rockets might not go as fast, but they go fast enough, and you only need to get one direct hit.
Super Nailgun If you're not holding the rocket launcher or thunderbolt in your hands, you're most likely holding this. This is double the nailgun in basically every way: double damage, double ammo consumption, double utility. While it eats through ammo like a kid on Halloween eats candy, its dealing 18 damage per nail (20 in coop), having lava nails to back it up with a whopping 40 damage per lava nail in coop, and ignoring armor in DM, as well as a solid fire rate of 10 nails per second make it a great way to take out lone targets from any range, save extremely long ranges. Its fast, pinpoint, and deadly nature easily make the super nailgun a staple weapon.
Quad Damage Hoo boy. While it only (hahaha) lasts for 30 seconds, those 30 seconds will consist of you tearing through absolutely everything. Your shotgun becomes an infinite ammo death cannon; your double shotgun bests even the super shotgun in every way; your nailgun tears through people in only a few shots; the grenade launcher sends the gibs of your opponents flying across the room; the rocket launcher turns anything and everything in its way into a fine red mist; the super nailgun can take down a freshly spawned player in simply two nails; the thunderbolt kills fresh players in one tap of the trigger.
When you get this thing, you are allowed to abandon all survival instincts - everyone will likely be running in fear from the source of the electric guitar riffs (you). When you do line someone up in your sights, you likely only need to shoot once and watch them either fall to the ground instantly or become another layer of paint on the wall behind them. The shotgun, while normally useless, becomes extremely useful - it usually takes two shots to off someone, but the range it can do this at makes it truly fearsome. Even Doomguys will not be able to stand up to your double shotgun while you're quadded - laugh as they try to take you down with their coup de grace, and you slaughter them with your black sheep of a shotgun.
All in all, this is a tool of mass destruction and death. Make the most out of the 30 seconds you get, as you likely won't get a second chance.
Thunderbolt This is an oddball in Ranger's arsenal. Literally unable to do anything past medium-range combat with a range of 512 units, it is nevertheless devastating where it can hit. Dealing 30 damage 12 times per second, it's a great way to keep Doomguys the hell away. It only takes a third of a second to cut everyone down to size - half a second for Chexguy, but that's no big deal, right?
Laser Cannon For being a berserk replacement, it sure has utility. Use it to flush out enemies around corners with the bouncing mayhem the shots can cause. Dealing a respectable 14/20 (DM/Coop) damage per shot, this might not be the best way to burn your cells, but given that you'll hardly be using them anyway, feel free to let loose. The four damage difference compared to plasma is made up for with range and bouncing. Just be sure not to hit yourself with it - that actually is a big deal.
##Trivia