Guild Wars 2

Hello fellow GW2 fans! I am have a bit of a problem deciding between Guardian and Ranger. I have played all classes, mostly in hotjoin PvP and these two have been my favorites. However when it comes to PvE I want ONE character to focus and maybe someday an alt but normally I do not enjoy playing alts.
I will list some questions and as well some things I enjoy about each and hopefully those of you well versed in either profession can help me out.. ^^
Guardian:
I really enjoy the fact that they can wade into the thick of battle and not only survive but be very useful at the same time. Not many professions can withstand prolonged engagements without either dying or having to back out, for the guardian this is a non issue unless you spec very very glass cannon.
While the damage pales compared to many other professions it is still pretty good and as well they bring a ton of support while doing, again this is nice and a fair trade off.
So I enjoy the hybrid nature of support and dps while being able to handle yourself in full on battles without the need to flee or simply get blown up. I enjoy their versatility and the fact that they do not rely on very specific combos or abilities to function.
What I dislike is the damage while still good and more so considering what else they bring also feels lacking at times when compared to other professions. I also worry that in more structured play or hard dungeon runs you would be regulated to a more purely support or defensive role rather then the hybrid style I enjoy in hotjoin pvp.
How does the guardian do in;
Structured PvP?
What is their main role or job identity in structured pvp?
Dungeons?
What is their main role or job identity in a dungeon run?
WvWvW?
How do they perform there with their more limited range options? How do the compared to other lvl 80s in full exotic gear? Goes damage pull ahead of mitigation and support which is often the case once you reach top end?
The Ranger:
I enjoy the overall theme of the ranger and their ability to be highly effective as an archer or a melee fighter. Like the guardian I find that a melee ranger is one of the few professions that can really do well in a full on battle and still put out very respectable damage. I enjoy the acrobatics of their melee options as well.
Pets are a mixed bag for me….
I like having them and the variety of them and look forward to new ones in the future and their various abilities they bring.
I dislike that so many classes also have pets, Thieves can have 3 or 4 thief pets, mesmers have tons of phantasms and illusions, ele’s have their elemental pets, necros have a variety of pets, guardians have spirit weapon pets. I feel that is cheapens the whole pet idea and mechanic when most professions have them. Sure a rangers is a bit different as it is a companion but when you get down to brass tax they are similar, to much so.
I also dislike some of the responsiveness issues. Im OK with ranger pets being a large portion of ranger damage but not when they suffer from many issues that I as a player do not suffer from. Example would be today using a wolf pet and using it’s F2, a fear, and having the enemy simply run off a bit and ruining my entire skill. This is due to long cast animations and the pets being rooted during them, very easy to counter them. SO if rangers have less damage and gain that damage and utility from their pet, they why on earth should a ranger suffer so badly due to them being clunky?
How is the ranger in;
PvE Dungeons?
What is their main purpose or role?
From what I understand the pets are nearly worthless which bothers me since again so much of the ranger is built around them….how does this work out?
Structured PvP?
What is their main purpose or role?
What I have gotten from playing the ranger is that while fun and versatile they have a bit of an identity crisis which worries me.
TO recap?
I like the guardians support and survival but worry about what area they get forced into specializing when it comes to more structured play. I also am at times a bit dissapointed with the more minimal damage output.
I like the rangers theme, acrobatics and versatility. I do however question what the real point is of the profession and with that lack of identity I have perceived where do they fit into more structured play? I also have some issues with pets and pet mechanics.
Thanks!@

Opposed to the consensus I think that one or two rangers make a great addition to a party.
The most obvious asset a Ranger can bring is the Water field that’s up one half of the time, and if you trained traps you can bring a decent Fire field and afaik the fastest recharging Frost field. If you fight trash mobs pets serve as an extra body foes can hit on, and some even can provide a Poison field. Against bosses you can either switch to ranged pets or pets with group buffs.
The Ranger itself can buff the party further with Call of the Wild, and as long as there’s not other character in your party that massively inflicts Bleed a flanking Shortbow Ranger has one of the highest single target DPS in the game.

Apart from the fact the two classes have NOTHING in common, they are very similar, yes? lol.

I had a similar case as the OP. Rolled a Guardian, thinking he’d be a boon to a party providing support while being a powerhouse. Unfortunately, in large groups the lack of ranged attacks is frustrating, to the point that I took to using a staff for all large group dynamic events. Ranger….is fantastic. The dps is unmatched against single targets and they’re viable ranged or melee. Yes, pet are a big buggy right now, but I think Anet is working on that. The utility they bring is fantastic, anything from party-wide boons, to CC skills, to combo fields. And the variety gives Rangers more choice than most other professions get from their unique mechanic. As for group support, Call of the Wild, pet howls, combo fields, CCs, traps…no shortage. I’m loving my Ranger.