I made a template for people who want to make scopes but dont want to put too much effort into it.

Here is what the default template makes:
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/9365/exampler.jpg

To tweak the template open up the fill and stroke menu here:
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/2626/1editor.jpg
Select an element, like the background shown , and tweak the property's
http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/6342/3enjoy.jpg

The outside blur is controlled by the gradient editor if you want transparency, otherwise just select a color from the pallet on the bottom of the window, or tweak the "fill" settings.

If an element does not have "fill" settings, tweak the stroke settings instead.

Not the greatest scope, i just tweaked everything to green as an example...

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/6821/4ingame.jpg

To make lines seem thinner lower the opacity a bit. There is no such thing as a pixel, smaller than 1 pixel, when Inkscape says the line is .002, it just fakes the thin line with transparency and AA as much as possible. Sometimes it looks great, other times it looks crappy.

If your texture looks blocky or distorted in game, you need to change your AoS resolution... AOS dose not keep the aspect ratio when it scales, modes like 1024x768 will seem Tall or "pinned" while the 800x720 mode will make it look squished (but will scale AOS so it fits full screen on a 16:9 monitor! woo woo woo!)

Every element can use the master opacity slider, so you do not have to change the gradients for transparency settings.

I use the star tool to make the outer ring ticks... just make like 12 points, and do a path>boolean>difference to cut out a hole in the center.

Get the files here:
http://www.badongo.com/file/25686428

Some tutorials for inkscape.

How to make and tweak gradients:
http://youtu.be/39mJPLl-nno

Distributing , selecting, and grouping... good for gettting things dead center.
http://youtu.be/7vJhffvJZTA

There are thousands of other videos out there for inkscape too.That is why i did not include a basic inkscape tutorial... there are some that are simple, and some that are really indepth... Just do a google video search and find one that fits your timeframe.
Inkscape is a professional tool for all kinds of graphics. It is non-destructive, you can go back and edit every element really easy.
It export .PNG bitmaps under file>>Exportbitmap>>select page if not selected.
If you ever wonder how people make those annoying glossy looking icons and buttons. (AKA aqua, or tango) It is inkscape and adobe illustrator usually.

I use it constantly!! It is really good for laying out maps. Just turn on the grid and the snapping, and you can move your bases, paths and walls around really fast!

Get inkscape here::
http://inkscape.org/

If you guys make something cool, include the inkscape file so people don't have to ask for customization's.. they can just pop in inkscape and tweak the colors, add clan names and other scope elements... whatever :)

For precision graphics, it really is hard to beat inkscape for the Free price!
The only other thing to compare to is illustrator, and that is way out of most peoples price range.