Why no directional info when tracking raw materials?

[sjbbook1]

Hello friends,

I forage a lot, and have invested in the 50M Tracking skill. I've also managed to combine the track with a look for Fine Materials, as well as Ammo Jacket Materials (I like to make ammo).

Now...the track comes back with a distance (if material is found in the vicinity), but there's no directional reference. For example, a track may simply say "23 meters", but doesn't add a direction. This is very frustrating since it's almost impossible to orient myself in the direction of the deposit. Even if I can manage to scuttle within 1M or so of the tracked deposit (before my Focus runs out), it's still hit-and-miss to actually find the deposit successfully.

You foragers out there know what I mean.

So, my question to fellow players is: is there a better way of "seeing" the tracked deposit (am I just plain missing the obvious)? Or are we all just shooting in the dark?

My question to the developers is: is there any chance you guys can add a directional marker to the foraging "track" skill so that we poor desparate foragers can actually find what the heck we're looking for?

Thanks!

[fitzrpg]

Originally Posted by sjbbook1

Now...the track comes back with a distance (if material is found in the vicinity), but there's no directional reference. For example, a track may simply say "23 meters", but doesn't add a direction. This is very frustrating since it's almost impossible to orient myself in the direction of the deposit. Even if I can manage to scuttle within 1M or so of the tracked deposit (before my Focus runs out), it's still hit-and-miss to actually find the deposit successfully.

You foragers out there know what I mean.

So, my question to fellow players is: is there a better way of "seeing" the tracked deposit (am I just plain missing the obvious)? Or are we all just shooting in the dark?

My question to the developers is: is there any chance you guys can add a directional marker to the foraging "track" skill so that we poor desparate foragers can actually find what the heck we're looking for?

Thanks!

I'm sure this is in by design.

If you get the expanded angle prospecting skills, this becomes less of an issue.

As for the finding in the first place, its not too tough.

Fitz

[echowave]

follow this system, it's a mock coordinate system. once tracking starts... start walking in a compass direction that causes distance to decrease. once you get to the point where distance stops decreasing and starts increasing again, get to the lowest point along the line you've been walking (a straight one). then, test moving 90 degrees right or left, to see which one gets you closer... then, when you find out, go in that direction, and it will take you directly to the source.

[ayne31]

i tried this today and the tracking led me twice to a source somone was just harvesting - PLEASE tell me thats a bug and not "works as intended"

Anyway it is a useless skill as once you have upgraded range, angle AND the skills to prospect certain materials you wont need it anymore.

[echowave]

Originally Posted by ayne31

i tried this today and the tracking led me twice to a source somone was just harvesting - PLEASE tell me thats a bug and not "works as intended"

Anyway it is a useless skill as once you have upgraded range, angle AND the skills to prospect certain materials you wont need it anymore.

Just wait, you will =)

[ozric]

Originally Posted by ayne31

Anyway it is a useless skill as once you have upgraded range, angle AND the skills to prospect certain materials you wont need it anymore.

Up to lvl 100, range is a max of 20m.....

[ayne31]

Originally Posted by ozric

Up to lvl 100, range is a max of 20m.....

Its just that if I am in a halfway crowded area tracking leads me right onto other prospectors deposits and out in the wilderness even at lvl 50 I could not risk just running after the tracker - I had other things to watch

Maybe this skill will be quite usefull later in the game but up to my current lvl its near to useless

[shiatan]

ahh, but if you get a spec like blade material spec, you can search for just blade materials within a 250m range or whatever your skill is. tracking isnt meant to find any resource. your meant to use it to find a single specific one.

[lyrah68]

This skill is WAY too sp pricey to get as a Fyros until after you leave newb land, Fyros get a visual clue as to where to harvest (Freckles on the ground, at low graphics settings it is brown, at higher settings they are a pretty pink and green.) Trykers get the jellyfish, but they are harder to see.

Other races I can see needing this as your clues are too hard for me to find, IF you even HAVE any.

But this skill is not functioning as I would like it to. I would like it to work similar to tracking in EQ. Click it on, and follow a node to the spot with 10 m north, 5 m north etc. NOT 10 m, 12 m 7 m, 15 m. With the current lag issues, tracking is not worth using, in my opinion.

I would be willing to pay SP for a skill the pops up nodes on the compass within a certain range. THAT would be worth roughly 60 SP to me.