Guild Wars 2

I get tired of how vitriolic this forum is. First I want to address the question – is the ranger a good class? It’s difficult to say. I don’t think class balance is too horribly off in this game, and I feel like rangers can do most of what other professions do. They might need damage increases in certain areas, but that’s about it. They certainly are not horribly broken suddenly because Shortbow range was nerfed by 300 yards. I think the biggest problem with the ranger is the pet design. They comprise too much of a ranger’s damage and either go down or miss targets too easily. Some pet damage needs to be shifted to the Ranger so that the pet can be more utilitarian, and that would fix a lot of ranger issues, even though those issues are blown out of proportion.

My bigger point in this post is this – I think A LOT of people who are on here screaming about rangers simply have a misconception about both the ranger class itself and class design in general in this game. They constantly bring up the “unparalleled archers” thing acting like it basically means that this class is equivalent to WoW’s hunter (a terribly designed class within a terribly designed class philosophy), but it isn’t.

In this game, there is no real distinction of “melee class” or “ranged class”. The classes just aren’t designed that way, and it’s good that they aren’t because it’s stupid and pigeonholing. You should not pick a Ranger expecting it to play exactly the way WoW’s hunter plays, never doing anything but planting yourself at a safe distance and sniping targets for massive damage. The designation of “unparalleled archers” does not mean they are more powerful at range than every other class, merely that they have greater versatility at range than other classes, which they do. No other class uses both shortbows and longbows, and they have the axe as well. The Shortbow is intended as a skirmishing weapon, not a sniping weapon, and it was being used as the latter so they changed it. It’s that simple. The Longbow is also much better than it was.

Like every other class, rangers are designed to fit a variety of play-styles, and to make the most of them you have to gasp mix it up a little bit, move around, and alter builds and skills based on tactical needs.

To me, what seems really odd about the ranger is that appears that any build that crosses the “viable” threshold also crosses the “OP” threshold.

I haven’t been able to figure out why but I have two theories. The first is that because pets are not reliable, they don’t make an unviable build feel viable. That is, the extra damage for the pet fails too often, is too random. However, if you find a build that’s viable without the pet, then the random pet damage makes it OMG OP.

My second theory, is that the addition of the pet is much more significant in PvP than it is in WvW or PvE. Take a 5 on 5 match. The addition of the Ranger pet makes if more like 5 on 6. Therefore, if the Ranger is effective at all, it seems OP. For example, the pet is in the enemies face, while the Ranger is kiting. Suddenly your opponent has to deal with two threats instead of one.

TooBz.3065:

To me, what seems really odd about the ranger is that appears that any build that crosses the “viable” threshold also crosses the “OP” threshold.

I haven’t been able to figure out why but I have two theories. The first is that because pets are not reliable, they don’t make an unviable build feel viable. That is, the extra damage for the pet fails too often, is too random. However, if you find a build that’s viable without the pet, then the random pet damage makes it OMG OP.

My second theory, is that the addition of the pet is much more significant in PvP than it is in WvW or PvE. Take a 5 on 5 match. The addition of the Ranger pet makes if more like 5 on 6. Therefore, if the Ranger is effective at all, it seems OP. For example, the pet is in the enemies face, while the Ranger is kiting. Suddenly your opponent has to deal with two threats instead of one.

I actually think both of those assessments are accurate, which ties into what I said in my post about the pet design causing most of the problems of the ranger class.

If the pet is going to be a major source of DPS, then it needs to be able to supply that DPS very reliably and consistently in a way that the Ranger can balanced around, which is not the case currently. If the pet’s contribution to a fight is going to be somewhat random and inconsistent, then it needs to play a smaller, more utilitarian role. Personally, I actually think the latter makes more sense and I think that Anet simply made a mistake in deciding that the pet should carry so much of the weight for the ranger’s combat capabilities.

Yes I’m hoping for the fabled 90:10 damage ratio between the ranger and the pet, or maybe even 80:20. And then have the BM traitline to rescale the ratio in favour of the pet.

Just as Ensign said before, this patch is a good start. What’s more important is that the devs actually pick up from where they left off and not do things half-heartedly.

To Einlanzer <knucklebump>

Couldn’t agree with you more bro. Couldn’t agree with you more.

Just want to point out, most people aren’t expecting to play like a World of Panda Grind hunter, they’re expecting to play like a Guild Wars 1 ranger. Or they’re believing the website, and the character creation screen, and all the pre-release media.

Essentially, every piece of information about the ranger you get, including past experience playing GW1, says that it’ll be primarily a bow wielding archer with a pet, who can swap to melee. It actually states flat out we’re the best at wielding a bow (which isn’t true, at all).

It isn’t surprising that when they discover that not only is ranged damage crappy throughout the game, but that rangers aren’t even the best at the ranged damage, they get upset.

With the current run of nerfs (they killed SB, halfed barrage damage in a undocumented nerf, decimated pet damage) it is no surprise at all that people are upset.

Add to that the truth that the entire game is balanced around it’s least played aspect, pvp, and you’ve got a playerbase that started out deceived about the class, then gets lied to by the devs, nerfed for the sake of pvp, then lied to and nerfed again. I’m not surprised at the anger – I’m amazed that anyone still plays the class.

Einlanzer.1627:

I get tired of how vitriolic this forum is.

You sure seem to post a lot though…

Einlanzer.1627:

Like every other class, rangers are designed to fit a variety of play-styles, and to make the most of them you have to gasp mix it up a little bit, move around, and alter builds and skills based on tactical needs.

And of course, all that retooling and regearing, etc, potentially funnels money into their store, doesn’t it?

Makes you wonder. But, of course, that’s just conspiracy kitten, right?

stale.9785:

Add to that the truth that the entire game is balanced around it’s least played aspect, pvp, and you’ve got a playerbase that started out deceived about the class, then gets lied to by the devs, nerfed for the sake of pvp, then lied to and nerfed again. I’m not surprised at the anger – I’m amazed that anyone still plays the class.

From the player perspective though, this is the real issue, not where the profession may or may not be at this particular moment in time.

The root of the problem lies in the complexity of the ranger profession itself. If you consider what every new player expects from a ranger and then look at the end game results, they vary dramatically. Also, as a new player, the perception of what a ranger does is quite linear: pew pew pew from a distance, command your pet to do your bidding, trying hand to hand combat when necessary. It is quite a shocking reality to realize the incredible versatility that a player needs to go through in order to master the potential of the ranger.

If you begin as another profession prior to ranger, then your perception is biased depending on what you begun as. This is due to the fact that you can accustom yourself to a different play style, or to the play style of other rangers that you interact with. This does not however shadow the fact that most new rangers expect a lot of heavy DPS pew pew action, whereas the reality lies in the versatility that rangers are about.

In order to truly master a ranger, you must embrace the profession’s flexibility and adapt quickly to many situations. This is where the problem starts, in adapting. Nothing seems to be quite linear, to choose signets, to choose traps, pet selection, survival skills, etc… how do these work together for an optimal combination? Well in time all rangers find that adapting to PvE play is way different to PvP and WvW play. Confusion emerges, frustration and many re-rolls. If you happen to manage more linear progress with other professions then of course, ranger will be going down in your list.

I can continue to add more arguments regarding the level of depth that there is into mastering the profession, but I can say this for sure: To truly appreciate the ranger, you must give it time. In my opinion, ranger is the most complex profession out there. It may not seem like it, but mastering it is no joke. If you take the time to look into the forums, patch balances, fixes, nerfs and buffs put together, it took the community around 6 months to find builds that where considered solid ranger builds. I myself am acknowledged as the top ranger in my guild and it took me easily months to fully master the profession.

Now there has been improvement in the profession as of late, but many who face the wobbly road of mastering the ranger will inevitably find frustration, simply because it is not bloody easy nor linear. Let’s also acknowledge the fact that in order to master any profession you must experience every aspect of combat in the game with an open mind. That goes for all professions, however for the ranger, due to its limitations and prior lack of synergy between viable builds… I find it the trickiest to master and to be great with.

Edit: Forgot to mention, aside from all the above ranger is my favorite one, I have threaded the long road to mastering it and it’s very rewarding. I do feel bad for those who struggle and rage/quit, they have the right to do so, but for those who enjoy the ranger the best: don’t quit on yourself. Find guilds that will help you improve in all aspects, and remember that no one is omnipotent in this game, everybody dies, just die trying hard.

If you think rangers only need a damage buff, you are looking at this game with a severely limited view of the mechanics that make the other classes so much better in design.

Few combo fields
No variety in combo finishers
Need to trait to use most reliable AoEs
No group support skills without traiting
No true condition cleansing outside of heal (passed off to pet)
No pet scaling with your own stats (as much a boon for bunkers as a bane for non bunkers)
Little utility in dungeons
Lack of support on numerous tiny, easily fixed, bugs
Too much reliance on NPC
etc etc

Say what you want about “ranger being ranged”. I honestly have no more interest debating about that, so I won’t go there with fellow players. However, you need to take a big step back and look over a few of the things you mentioned in the OP. This class is amazing at healing. It is amazing at not getting hit. It is unbelievable at allowing for easy-mode PvE. It is lacking just about everywhere else – a farcry from needing merely a damage buff.

The problem with this class isn’t only the damage. The problem with this class and the reason so many people are upset about its state is due to the severe lack of group utility and the insane reliance on npc pets. It’s a class completely built around “me” in a game where you are severely limited in your options for gameplay if you aren’t viewed as viable in a group.

While the reactions on the forums are definitely blown out of proportion, it’s unfair to toss it all into the trash as “reactionary nonsense”. You’re basically saying to the many players, with very legitimate and constructive complaints about this class, that they should suck it up and deal with it.

Faux Sheaux.6179:

If you think rangers only need a damage buff, you are looking at this game with a severely limited view of the mechanics that make the other classes so much better in design.

Few combo fields
No variety in combo finishers
Need to trait to use most reliable AoEs
No group support skills without traiting
No true condition cleansing outside of heal (passed off to pet)
No pet scaling with your own stats (as much a boon for bunkers as a bane for non bunkers)
Little utility in dungeons
Lack of support on numerous tiny, easily fixed, bugs
Too much reliance on NPC
etc etc

Say what you want about “ranger being ranged”. I honestly have no more interest debating about that, so I won’t go there with fellow players. However, you need to take a big step back and look over a few of the things you mentioned in the OP. This class is amazing at healing. It is amazing at not getting hit. It is unbelievable at allowing for easy-mode PvE. It is lacking just about everywhere else – a farcry from needing merely a damage buff.

The problem with this class isn’t only the damage. The problem with this class and the reason so many people are upset about its state is due to the severe lack of group utility and the insane reliance on npc pets. It’s a class completely built around “me” in a game where you are severely limited in your options for gameplay if you aren’t viewed as viable in a group.

While the reactions on the forums are definitely blown out of proportion, it’s unfair to toss it all into the trash as “reactionary nonsense”. You’re basically saying to the many players, with very legitimate and constructive complaints about this class, that they should suck it up and deal with it.

The cliff note version of the above post is:

1)Rangers Lack verstaility
2)Rangers Lack viability
3)Rangers Lack Synergy
4)Rangers lack dmg
5)Rangers class mechanic hinders the actual classes ability.

All in all – I’m not so sure I agree with the class not being totally broken at this point in time in the pve environment.

We truly do not have a place in PvE. Any other current class in game can offer more to a group in every aspect then we can.

PvP is a mixed bag. Some of the changes were needed but some went a bit to far.

Azreell.1568:

Faux Sheaux.6179:

If you think rangers only need a damage buff, you are looking at this game with a severely limited view of the mechanics that make the other classes so much better in design.

Few combo fields
No variety in combo finishers
Need to trait to use most reliable AoEs
No group support skills without traiting
No true condition cleansing outside of heal (passed off to pet)
No pet scaling with your own stats (as much a boon for bunkers as a bane for non bunkers)
Little utility in dungeons
Lack of support on numerous tiny, easily fixed, bugs
Too much reliance on NPC
etc etc

Say what you want about “ranger being ranged”. I honestly have no more interest debating about that, so I won’t go there with fellow players. However, you need to take a big step back and look over a few of the things you mentioned in the OP. This class is amazing at healing. It is amazing at not getting hit. It is unbelievable at allowing for easy-mode PvE. It is lacking just about everywhere else – a farcry from needing merely a damage buff.

The problem with this class isn’t only the damage. The problem with this class and the reason so many people are upset about its state is due to the severe lack of group utility and the insane reliance on npc pets. It’s a class completely built around “me” in a game where you are severely limited in your options for gameplay if you aren’t viewed as viable in a group.

While the reactions on the forums are definitely blown out of proportion, it’s unfair to toss it all into the trash as “reactionary nonsense”. You’re basically saying to the many players, with very legitimate and constructive complaints about this class, that they should suck it up and deal with it.

The cliff note version of the above post is:

1)Rangers Lack verstaility
2)Rangers Lack viability
3)Rangers Lack Synergy
4)Rangers lack dmg
5)Rangers class mechanic hinders the actual classes ability.

All in all – I’m not so sure I agree with the class not being totally broken at this point in time in the pve environment.

We truly do not have a place in PvE. Any other current class in game can offer more to a group in every aspect then we can.

PvP is a mixed bag. Some of the changes were needed but some went a bit to far.

Back in the days of yore, some 250 years in the past (in GW1, basically), I predicted that pets would prevent rangers from being as good as the other classes. Based on the AI, inability to swap out specific skills for your pet, and lack of control over it (you had tons more control over heroes in GW1). Now I’m simply appalled…the entire combat system is designed around evasion and blocking, and most pets can do neither. Even those that can evade can only do it once every 20 seconds or so, and don’t appear to time it very well.

Faux Sheaux.6179:

Few combo fields
No variety in combo finishers
Need to trait to use most reliable AoEs
No group support skills without traiting
No true condition cleansing outside of heal (passed off to pet)
No pet scaling with your own stats (as much a boon for bunkers as a bane for non bunkers)
Little utility in dungeons
Lack of support on numerous tiny, easily fixed, bugs
Too much reliance on NPC
etc etc

The problem with this class and the reason so many people are upset about its state is due to the severe lack of group utility and the insane reliance on npc pets. It’s a class completely built around “me” in a game where you are severely limited in your options for gameplay if you aren’t viewed as viable in a group.

Faux, that’s probably the best way of approaching why we are angry. Thank you.

GW2 from inception to now has always promoted the concept of ‘grouping should be easy’, ‘no one is penalized for more people participating’ and ‘everyone gets to be a big happy band of adventurers and all get equally rewarded’. Ranger isn’t matching that marching line because they are Me-First and Me-Only in design. We don’t play well with others because everything revolves around our interaction with our pet instead of with the people we are playing with, which makes us less welcome than others when it comes to participation in these fun activities.

A damage boost, to be frank, is the last thing we need. We need our mechanics to work – pets and spirits – and we need to be able to focus on synergy with our allies instead of focusing on synergy with our pet companion… that should come naturally

Azreell.1568:

1)Rangers Lack verstaility

I think Versatility is probably the one thing rangers are not lacking in. However, of all the things we can do other classes can do better. I think ranger is one of the few classes that with the recent patch can work with all their weapon choices. Some classes just don’t use certain weapons. Our axe offhand and lonbow may not be the center of many builds, but with the latest patch new builds are coming that will utilize that. Our utilities are another matter, still not many people run spirits as them being easily destroyable makes them a very situational tool to use, and not worth building into.

I find it funny you criticise WoW class balance and praise GW2 class balance when WoW has far less class discrimination in PvE than GW2. I also find it amusing that you rant about complaints yet your own criticisms (pet DPS and general usefulness) generally echo every post ever written about the GW2 ranger since the beginning of time.

People didn’t pick the class thinking it would be the hunter, a lot of them picked it because they liked bows and wanted to use them, only to find that bows were sub par weapons from the get go and have either been getting considerably worse (crossfire DPS nerf, shortbow range nerf) or been getting incremental improvements (longbow) which don’t make them competitive. Bows need buffs, not nerfs.

nagymbear.5280:

I think Versatility is probably the one thing rangers are not lacking in. However, of all the things we can do other classes can do better. I think ranger is one of the few classes that with the recent patch can work with all their weapon choices. Some classes just don’t use certain weapons. Our axe offhand and lonbow may not be the center of many builds, but with the latest patch new builds are coming that will utilize that. Our utilities are another matter, still not many people run spirits as them being easily destroyable makes them a very situational tool to use, and not worth building into.

It’s hard to consider a class versatile when they’re specifically weak in every area that punishes reliance on minions (and, in fact, are the only class which can’t overcome this limitation).

Pedra.4381:

And of course, all that retooling and regearing, etc, potentially funnels money into their store, doesn’t it?

Makes you wonder. But, of course, that’s just conspiracy kitten, right?

Might be the first time I’ve somewhat agreed with you, Pedra. While I don’t think this is necessarily on purpose, it’s a little bonus they get for not doing their jobs.

Shiren.9532:

I find it funny you criticise WoW class balance and praise GW2 class balance when WoW has far less class discrimination in PvE than GW2. I also find it amusing that you rant about complaints yet your own criticisms (pet DPS and general usefulness) generally echo every post ever written about the GW2 ranger since the beginning of time.

People didn’t pick the class thinking it would be the hunter, a lot of them picked it because they liked bows and wanted to use them, only to find that bows were sub par weapons from the get go and have either been getting considerably worse (crossfire DPS nerf, shortbow range nerf) or been getting incremental improvements (longbow) which don’t make them competitive. Bows need buffs, not nerfs.

Oh, I didn’t say anything about the balance, I was talking about the class design philosophies and how WoW’s is bad because the classes are designed from a gamist perspective rather than a conceptual one. This leads to excessive restrictions in the way each class can be played. A good example is how Hunters literally can’t melee and Warriors and Rogues can’t use ranged weapons, which doesn’t make any thematic sense and is a total waste of the talent system.

Customization is king in an MMO, which is why Anet is trying to improve build diversity rather than restrict it. To what degree they are achieving that can be debated, but that was the purpose for a lot of the changes that have occurred recently.

Also, the Shortbow was originally designed as a 900 range weapon and then increased for some unknown reason, but it is still a good skirmishing weapon and Rangers are still better than other classes with a bow. The problem with the Ranger is that they are too dependent on their pet for DPS, and end up being extremely kitten in situations where their pet can’t contribute adequately.

Well the good thing about rangers is they can be effectively played both melee in range but as another poster pointed out, any viable build found seems to cross the OP threshold.. somehow.. someway.

It’s no secret our pets are broken in more ways than one, so I don’t know how Anet justifies reducing most of the pets damage 25% across the board. I also don’t know how they justify putting them on a shorter leash. This short leash has caused me to get killed several times during the last WvW due to my pets inability to knock down the enemy at a safe distance.

Then there is the Short Bow. This was never a problem before, nobody ever hinted at it being a problem, so I don’t know how they justify reducing it’s range. It’s still usable, but not nearly as effective as it once was. This one just baffles me.

Then there is the Long Bow. It’s great they increased the speed of both rapid fire and auto attack, as it is a noticeable difference; however, it’s still not quite where it needs to be. Then they took a giant step back by reducing barrage’s damage by around 50%. Because of Barrage nerf, it’s actually more effective to run up to a group with our nerfed Short Bow and just spam 1 while hitting tab repeatedly.

I like that the rangers are versatile and can be effective in both melee and ranged, but people are flying off the handle when both their melee and ranged abilities are on the receiving end of the nerf bat.

Unholy Pillager.3791:

nagymbear.5280:

I think Versatility is probably the one thing rangers are not lacking in. However, of all the things we can do other classes can do better. I think ranger is one of the few classes that with the recent patch can work with all their weapon choices. Some classes just don’t use certain weapons. Our axe offhand and lonbow may not be the center of many builds, but with the latest patch new builds are coming that will utilize that. Our utilities are another matter, still not many people run spirits as them being easily destroyable makes them a very situational tool to use, and not worth building into.

It’s hard to consider a class versatile when they’re specifically weak in every area that punishes reliance on minions (and, in fact, are the only class which can’t overcome this limitation).

I believe the issue lies in the disconnect that is found within our versatility, something that we can see the devs trying to improve… which they have done minimally, but I can tell they are trying to make changes to better solve this issue. For instance, I like how a necromancer and elementalist have synergy throughout their abilities. They can mix and match different builds and make something that can stand at a decent level. Where as a ranger you find yourself pretty much having to jump from one setup to another with unwanted drawbacks or simple limitations. This of course can be seen in stressful situations, but it is something I hope to see improved. So far my ranger setup is the closest that I’ve found works well, but I am still stuck to that setup… at least it is a setup I can be proud of.

Faux Sheaux.6179:

If you think rangers only need a damage buff, you are looking at this game with a severely limited view of the mechanics that make the other classes so much better in design.

Few combo fields
No variety in combo finishers
Need to trait to use most reliable AoEs
No group support skills without traiting
No true condition cleansing outside of heal (passed off to pet)
No pet scaling with your own stats (as much a boon for bunkers as a bane for non bunkers)
Little utility in dungeons
Lack of support on numerous tiny, easily fixed, bugs
Too much reliance on NPC
etc etc

Say what you want about “ranger being ranged”. I honestly have no more interest debating about that, so I won’t go there with fellow players. However, you need to take a big step back and look over a few of the things you mentioned in the OP. This class is amazing at healing. It is amazing at not getting hit. It is unbelievable at allowing for easy-mode PvE. It is lacking just about everywhere else – a farcry from needing merely a damage buff.

The problem with this class isn’t only the damage. The problem with this class and the reason so many people are upset about its state is due to the severe lack of group utility and the insane reliance on npc pets. It’s a class completely built around “me” in a game where you are severely limited in your options for gameplay if you aren’t viewed as viable in a group.

While the reactions on the forums are definitely blown out of proportion, it’s unfair to toss it all into the trash as “reactionary nonsense”. You’re basically saying to the many players, with very legitimate and constructive complaints about this class, that they should suck it up and deal with it.

So I have to disagree with a few points here.

-In terms of combo fields, Rangers are actually fairly average at fields, maybe even above average. At least in terms of variety they have roughly the same variety and access to fields as Thieves. And they have arguably better ones than Thieves in terms of duration, and what finishing the field provides(in PvE). Rangers have more and better fields than Guardians, Warriors(Warriors have access to a superior fire field, at least in terms of duration relative to cooldown, but the warrior has to use full adrenaline to get the most out of it, which likely extends the cost and true cooldown of it), and Mesmers. Necros have more variety in fields, with Dark, Light, Poison and Ethereal fields, but these fields all range from mediocre to ok in PvE.
Further, Water and Fire fields are easily the strongest fields in PvE, and Rangers have access to both, and specifically the best water field in the game.

-Combo finishers could be better, specificially the lack of blast finishers hurts, but Mesmer and Necro are probably worse in this regard. Necros have better access to blast finishers but have no leap or whirl finishers, and mesmers only have 1 blast finisher on a virtually unused weapon.

-No group support skills is a definate exaggeration, Rangers can give somewhere around 98% party uptime on Fury with Warhorn and Crimson Moa pet, assuming perfect timing and without traiting(Probably closer to 90% taking into account cast times). Healing spring, without traiting, gives group regen and condi cleanse. Spirit of Frost gives a basically permanent 10% damage buff if you can keep it up(I may be wrong on this, the wiki states it gives an average of a 3.5% damage increase, but using it in game I see the buff up constantly, but it certainly has usability issues regarding it being stationary and easy to lose without good placement). If Stalker pets didnt have such a long cast time for such a short duration on their Mighty Roar, Rangers would actually be fairly decent at might stacking as well.

- Ranger condi cleanse is on the weaker end, but its arguably better than warrior’s access to condi cleanse, with a lot of passive condition removal being available.

The rest of the points are fairly accurate, but I think Ranger would actually be at a fairly ok point in PvE if some of the reliance on pets were reduced, since a number of boss mechanics and fights tend to make the pet far less useful, and results in a ranger not being able to fully contribute in certain dungeons.

ShadowLordX.5148:

Faux Sheaux.6179:

If you think rangers only need a damage buff, you are looking at this game with a severely limited view of the mechanics that make the other classes so much better in design.

Few combo fields
No variety in combo finishers
Need to trait to use most reliable AoEs
No group support skills without traiting
No true condition cleansing outside of heal (passed off to pet)
No pet scaling with your own stats (as much a boon for bunkers as a bane for non bunkers)
Little utility in dungeons
Lack of support on numerous tiny, easily fixed, bugs
Too much reliance on NPC
etc etc

Say what you want about “ranger being ranged”. I honestly have no more interest debating about that, so I won’t go there with fellow players. However, you need to take a big step back and look over a few of the things you mentioned in the OP. This class is amazing at healing. It is amazing at not getting hit. It is unbelievable at allowing for easy-mode PvE. It is lacking just about everywhere else – a farcry from needing merely a damage buff.

The problem with this class isn’t only the damage. The problem with this class and the reason so many people are upset about its state is due to the severe lack of group utility and the insane reliance on npc pets. It’s a class completely built around “me” in a game where you are severely limited in your options for gameplay if you aren’t viewed as viable in a group.

While the reactions on the forums are definitely blown out of proportion, it’s unfair to toss it all into the trash as “reactionary nonsense”. You’re basically saying to the many players, with very legitimate and constructive complaints about this class, that they should suck it up and deal with it.

So I have to disagree with a few points here.

-In terms of combo fields, Rangers are actually fairly average at fields, maybe even above average. At least in terms of variety they have roughly the same variety and access to fields as Thieves. And they have arguably better ones than Thieves in terms of duration, and what finishing the field provides(in PvE). Rangers have more and better fields than Guardians, Warriors(Warriors have access to a superior fire field, at least in terms of duration relative to cooldown, but the warrior has to use full adrenaline to get the most out of it, which likely extends the cost and true cooldown of it), and Mesmers. Necros have more variety in fields, with Dark, Light, Poison and Ethereal fields, but these fields all range from mediocre to ok in PvE.
Further, Water and Fire fields are easily the strongest fields in PvE, and Rangers have access to both, and specifically the best water field in the game.

-Combo finishers could be better, specificially the lack of blast finishers hurts, but Mesmer and Necro are probably worse in this regard. Necros have better access to blast finishers but have no leap or whirl finishers, and mesmers only have 1 blast finisher on a virtually unused weapon.

-No group support skills is a definate exaggeration, Rangers can give somewhere around 98% party uptime on Fury with Warhorn and Crimson Moa pet, assuming perfect timing and without traiting(Probably closer to 90% taking into account cast times). Healing spring, without traiting, gives group regen and condi cleanse. Spirit of Frost gives a basically permanent 10% damage buff if you can keep it up(I may be wrong on this, the wiki states it gives an average of a 3.5% damage increase, but using it in game I see the buff up constantly, but it certainly has usability issues regarding it being stationary and easy to lose without good placement). If Stalker pets didnt have such a long cast time for such a short duration on their Mighty Roar, Rangers would actually be fairly decent at might stacking as well.

- Ranger condi cleanse is on the weaker end, but its arguably better than warrior’s access to condi cleanse, with a lot of passive condition removal being available.

The rest of the points are fairly accurate, but I think Ranger would actually be at a fairly ok point in PvE if some of the reliance on pets were reduced, since a number of boss mechanics and fights tend to make the pet far less useful, and results in a ranger not being able to fully contribute in certain dungeons.

actually if you choose to be stupid enough to abuse a certain bug, you can get 95% warhorn #5 uptime…..wouldnt recommend it though, might not go in your favor in the long run.