Does "range" of tracking depend on level of skill ?

[popps]

I have been trying to understand whether the "range" of tracking depends on how high is the skill or not but checking both Stratics and UOGuide I could only find other info, included the formula to track other players but was able to find nothing about the max range possible for tracking NPCs, Monsters, Players.

Does anyone know or is there some Developers' post that gives this info ?

Also, when tracking NPCs or Monsters, is there a limit in the number of displayed targets within the range or do all of the targets, no matter how many they may be, get included ?
Also, is there a way to differentiate NPCs seeked for in "yellow names" and "blue names" and get only as diplayed the ones of choice ?

The reason for asking this, is that I have been trying to use tracking to locate specific NPCs in towns to whom to return lost items. Some Towns which are very large like Yew, Britain, Moonglow, Vesper, are a pain in the neck to locate the NPC because I am afraid that either the range of tracking might be too short, or that the tracking results is "cut out" of some names as too many turn out from the search. Since lost items NPCs are only those with a yellow name, being able to differentiate the search only for those yellow named would avoid (should this be the case), tracking results being left out because of too many results.

Thanks.

 

[Gidge]

I think it based on you vs them regardless of the range. If they are within your tracking range, it rolls your skill vs their skill. If you roll is higher, then you can track them. You can be standing next to someone who has high hiding and can't track them. You could also test by going to the test shard and upping your skill 10 points at a time and test various NPC/creatures and then post the results for us?

 

[EDA_GL]

Unless something has changed tracking works like this:

Use skill tracking
If track attempt is successful, target may or may not appear on track list (remember what form you are looking for; human, monster, animal)
Track itself may be successful but intended target may not be available on selection (their hiding, stealth vs. your tracking)
If target is in range, click on icon
Arrow appears (may be off on Z axis in dungeons or other 'elevated' spots)
If target is close but not close enough you will get the message similar to 'you are too far away to do that/target is too far away'


Range is not based on tracking skill; it’s a set tile range.
Getting the target you want on track is a dice roll.

 

[popps]

I think it based on you vs them regardless of the range. If they are within your tracking range, it rolls your skill vs their skill. If you roll is higher, then you can track them. You can be standing next to someone who has high hiding and can't track them. You could also test by going to the test shard and upping your skill 10 points at a time and test various NPC/creatures and then post the results for us?

I did, and at 100.0 tracking skill it is about 20 paces away which is, to my opinion, way too short a range also considering that all names starts showing the name of the NPC or monster some 18 paces away.

Bottom line is, with tracking as it is (too short a range and CAP on the # of displayed targets), tracking is to my opinion a waste of skill points. Just running around pressing all names will get better and faster results....

Tracking needs some love to make it be worth the investment of precious skill points in it....

The range must increase a lot more, at GM one should be able to at least see a target at like 100 if not 150 paces away. Ideally, if the player using tracking was to stand in the middle of an average size Town like Skara Brae, they should be able to track any and all NPCs wandering all over the town.....
After all, in real life, an expert tracker is able to find targets following footprints and examining footprints (and other signs on the territory) from miles and miles away of a distance..... Allowing a range of 150 paces (which is like just a few screens away...) would be way, but way less then what an expert tracker can track from away in real life.....

Also, the CAP of the returned # of targets reported by the tracking attempt should be lifted completely.
Any and all targets within the range should always be reported by the use of tracking (of course taking into account, if tracking players, of the hiding and stealth skills of the targets) no matter how many they may be.
If needed, this can be managed with multiple windows or sub menus...
For example, there is NPCs with blue names and NPCs with yellow names. It should be possible to track not generically "NPCs" but NPCs with a yellow name or NPCs with a blue name as needed, thus reducing the number of targets displayed.
Regardless of the way, though, no target should be left out from being displayed because of a CAP in the number of displayed targets...

Of course, also the targeting arrow should start working from a far greater range then what it currently does.

Perhaps, since there is in the works a revamping of the Factions system, this could be a good occasion to also reconsider the tracking skill and make it more usefull and a skill worth the points it costs....

That's at least as I see it.

 

[Ru TnT]

Bottom line is, with tracking as it is (too short a range and CAP on the # of displayed targets), tracking is to my opinion a waste of skill points. Just running around pressing all names will get better and faster results....

I'm pretty sure tracking was meant to be used to find hidden people, which it does perfectly fine. Changing it's range would have to be for NPCs only, or it might become a little OP in pvp.

 

[popps]

I'm pretty sure tracking was meant to be used to find hidden people, which it does perfectly fine. Changing it's range would have to be for NPCs only, or it might become a little OP in pvp.

As long as in PvP the hiding player can be protected within limits by having hiding and stealth (as it currently is...), I do not see why an increased range for tracking would affect it....

I mean, if the target has high hiding and high stealth, they would still be difficult to track whether they are close or farther... So, I think that an enlarged tracking range would work fine also in PvP besides PvM.

 

[PJay]

I really don't understand tracking it is the most bizarre skill!

Ive had instances when i can be on my stealther with 100 tracking and have a few attempts and get nothing and a player with JOAT can find people?

Yesterday i had an instance where i tried 3 times to get a player who was visible on tracking and failed?
Now to me if a player is visible you should be able to have a much greater if not 100% chance to track.

It just dosnt seem to make any sense.

 

[Gidge]

The art of tracking is to find the evidence of people. When tracking you have no idea who will be at the end of your tracking. I would like to see the skill work like this.

Start tracking. Footprints show up to give the recent path of people/creatures in the game. you have to follow the prints and use the skill to stay on the trail. It may or may not be the target you were seeking. and get rid of all names

 

[popps]

The art of tracking is to find the evidence of people. When tracking you have no idea who will be at the end of your tracking. I would like to see the skill work like this.

Start tracking. Footprints show up to give the recent path of people/creatures in the game. you have to follow the prints and use the skill to stay on the trail. It may or may not be the target you were seeking. and get rid of all names

I disagree. Tracking should work as it rightfully works now, selecting the target "type" for the tracking and then managing the results obtained and following whatever our individual target might be. Mixing up all possible targets results in between players, NPCs, monsters and animals would just make viewing the results too much difficult to manage. At some point there need to be sub-menues to make it more practical to review the tracking targets.

When talking about tracking, people often think about its use for PvP but tracking can have a whole lot of usability when tracking also particular NPCs or Monsters or even animals for Quests, special hunting, taming needs and so forth.

The only problems I have with the current tracking (which make it a useless skill or close to...), is the current range which is way, but way too limited (it should be increased at least 6 or 7 folds what it is now...) as well as the current CAP in the displayed targets. If there are too many targets to be displayed, the gump currently cuts out all those exceeding the CAP thus making the skill totally useless, what if the target I am looking for IS THERE but is not displayed by the gump because exceeding the CAP ? Having a CAP when needing to track anything is ridicolous, I want to see ALL targets within range and then decide which I want to follow....

I hope that the Devs will decide to revamp Tracking from within the work of the upcoming Virtue vs. Vice new system....

 

[Ru TnT]

I disagree. Tracking should work as it rightfully works now, selecting the target "type" for the tracking and then managing the results obtained and following whatever our individual target might be. Mixing up all possible targets results in between players, NPCs, monsters and animals would just make viewing the results too much difficult to manage. At some point there need to be sub-menues to make it more practical to review the tracking targets.

When talking about tracking, people often think about its use for PvP but tracking can have a whole lot of usability when tracking also particular NPCs or Monsters or even animals for Quests, special hunting, taming needs and so forth.

The only problems I have with the current tracking (which make it a useless skill or close to...), is the current range which is way, but way too limited (it should be increased at least 6 or 7 folds what it is now...) as well as the current CAP in the displayed targets. If there are too many targets to be displayed, the gump currently cuts out all those exceeding the CAP thus making the skill totally useless, what if the target I am looking for IS THERE but is not displayed by the gump because exceeding the CAP ? Having a CAP when needing to track anything is ridicolous, I want to see ALL targets within range and then decide which I want to follow....

I hope that the Devs will decide to revamp Tracking from within the work of the upcoming Virtue vs. Vice new system....

I'm fine with an increase in range for all the NPCs, could even have an extra menu for special quest animals/monsters, maybe it could have a cute little carebear icon.

The tracking of players(plus animal forms) or their pets would need to stay at the same range though. Think of it from a PK's PoV. they could just walk into a dungeon and track, showing everyone in pretty much the whole floor(or floors, depending on location) without having to actually travel through the dungeon. Or from a PvPer's PoV, showing everyone within 7 screens, never have to worry about walking into a trap again. You'd know exactly where everyone is, as well as how many are around. Where's the fun in that? The current range is good.

As someone who has ran a tracker for pretty much the last 8+ years, I'm asking you to please not trammelize the tracking skill in PvP.

 

[popps]

I'm fine with an increase in range for all the NPCs, could even have an extra menu for special quest animals/monsters, maybe it could have a cute little carebear icon.

The tracking of players(plus animal forms) or their pets would need to stay at the same range though. Think of it from a PK's PoV. they could just walk into a dungeon and track, showing everyone in pretty much the whole floor(or floors, depending on location) without having to actually travel through the dungeon. Or from a PvPer's PoV, showing everyone within 7 screens, never have to worry about walking into a trap again. You'd know exactly where everyone is, as well as how many are around. Where's the fun in that? The current range is good.

As someone who has ran a tracker for pretty much the last 8+ years, I'm asking you to please not trammelize the tracking skill in PvP.

I think that a double standard range would be an easy to do thing.

When starting tracking, the very first gump prompts what one wants to track.

The exploded range change to tracking could be applied so that it will come into play only when tracking down NPCs, monsters or untamed animals. When clicking the tracking button for players or for tamed (implying a PvP use for tracking) the range could automatically be the current, shorter one rather then the much exploded newer one for PvM, Quests and such.

I do not see much of a problem in applying a double standard range....