Ya, losing the forum website was a bit of a blow to some of these details.

The ranger uses a lot of attacks that they can apply to themselves as a buff that will ONLY fire when the ranger has the corresponding charge ready to use.
The last batch of patches I did I made it so the ranger could generate their own charges while the initial buff is active, on top of giving more charges for activating the buff in the first place. Basically you auto attack a monster. You activate your sweeping strikes buff. It gives you sweeping strike charges. Everytime you hit and the cooldown isn't cycling the sweeping strike procs a second attack through your attack, and reduces a charge. It also now has a chance to add charges while striking enemies.
when the buff times up, or the recast timer cycles, recast it to add more charges. The charges can only be used while the buff is active on your character, and they degrade if not used or added to over time.

I understand that bit, what I mean to ask is "what does each unique form of charge do."

Like I have no clue what nature charges do for example.

would like to second this. its not clear what any of the charges do.

Ah I missed these replies in my in box, I apologise for that.

The rangers charges are specifically tied to individual skills.
When a ranger casts the sweeping strike it applies an affix to the player.


[AFFIXES]
<INTEGER>AFFIXLEVEL:1
<STRING>TARGET:SELF
<STRING>AFFIX:RANGER_COMBAT_ADD_SWEEPINGSTRIKE
[/affixes]

this affix does 2 effects.


[EFFECT]
<STRING>NAME:RANGER_COMBAT_SWEEPINGSTRIKE
<STRING>ACTIVATION:DYNAMIC
<STRING>DURATION:INSTANT
<STRING>TYPE:SET STAT
<FLOAT>MIN:3
<FLOAT>MAX:3
<FLOAT>CHANCE:100
[/effect]
[EFFECT]
<STRING>NAME:RANGER_COMBAT_SWEEPINGSTRIKE_PROC_1
<STRING>ACTIVATION:DYNAMIC
<STRING>DURATION:20
<STRING>TYPE:CAST SKILL ON STRIKE
<BOOL>EXCLUSIVE:true
<FLOAT>MIN:100
<FLOAT>MAX:100
[/effect]

First it sets the amount of charges to 3, regardless what they were at previously to casting it. if you had 0 you have 3. if you had 10, you have 3.

second effect will happen every single time the player strikes an enemy it has a 100% chance to use a proc of sweeping strike for the next 20 seconds.

the proc is another skill, internal, and completely separate from the skill you cast that gives you the 20 second buff. <<these internal skills are why respec potions can mess up your character btw>>

.....

So you have a buff on you that has 3 charges, and procs on strike.

That proc now does the following.


[EFFECT]
<STRING>NAME:RANGER_COMBAT_SWEEPINGSTRIKE
<STRING>ACTIVATION:DYNAMIC
<STRING>DURATION:INSTANT
<STRING>TYPE:ADD STAT
<FLOAT>MIN:-1
<FLOAT>MAX:-1
<FLOAT>CHANCE:100
[/effect]

once the graphics are generated, the damage shape is formed and unleashed and the damaged and any effect it has is done, this effect removes 1 charge from your sweeping strike pool.

This proc has one more trick ... it has a statwatcher. If this statwatcher returns as false, the proc will NOT fire. IE if you have 0 counters, even with the 20 second buff on yourself, the proc simply can not engage and damage the enemy..

[STATWATCHER]
<STRING>STAT:RANGER_COMBAT_SWEEPINGSTRIKE
<STRING>PRIMARY_TARGET_TYPE:SELF
<STRING>SECONDARY_TARGET_TYPE:VALUE
<STRING>WATCH_TYPE:GREATER THAN
<FLOAT>SECONDARY_VALUE:0
[/statwatcher]

and so...

all of the skills that have counters for them, simply will not ever do their effect unless that counter is available for the ranger to use.

This is why the last bunch of balance changes the ranger gained more starting counters, and the ability to generate more counters while that 20 second buff is active.

Personally the ranger is probably my favourite class I have made. It is a constant rotation of casting those buffs and auto attacking with fast weapons and attack skills. But unlike the paladin which the buff is always on once its on, you need to fuel it continually. its a very active playstyle class. But also unlike the paladin the ranger can hit some insanely good alpha strikes when its charges are all up.