Guild Wars 2

I’ve had my fill reading the issues we all have with the profession. So I thought it would add some flavor to ask others what they like about the Ranger.

So, despite its flaws, why do you still play your Ranger? Do you do it souly for thematics? Or is there more to it?

I think it’s just as important for A-net to know what they’ve done right as what they’ve done wrong.

I enjoy being hated for simply existing, Ranger stigma too strong.
Any pet class in a game will always get my attention, whether it is a hunter or summoner archetype

I know pets get a lot of hate, but that’s what drew me to the class and keeps me playing it.

I think the class is also getting consistently better to play. Our trait lines all have a purpose, and each line is useful somewhere. Traits like Quick Draw and Remorseless also make for much more interesting game play than we’ve had in the past. I love that the devs have enhanced our pet interactions through changes to “we heal as one” and traits like the one that casts “call of the wild” on pet swap.

When I heard that our specialization was going to be a healing spec, I was pretty disappointed, but I’ve had some fun with incorporating Druid into a dps spec.

I love the look of celestial avatar.

In general, I love how versatile our class is. I can play condi, healer, power, tank. I can roam in wvw. I can pvp without feeling like I’m starting at a disadvantage.

But ultimately, it all comes down to the pets for me. And the more the devs create interesting interactions between our characters and their pets, the more I love the class.

The constant pain of nerfs in pvp, im a masochist who enjoys darksouls, wich at this point is easier to play then ranger in pvp

There’s no other class I would really need to use my brain to actually go into the difficult calculations or brainstorming and requires much more awareness instead of mechanical ability sequences (while still having some).
Most of other classes are just way too comfortable and I felt like being carried by the class, not my experience (P.S. I love engineers for PvE).

It keeps me mentally “active”.

2k range. It’s not the safety (well I do like free casting) its the ability to hit anything anywhere without having to run to it first. Makes target switching smooth.

Range and pets, while still having modest damage overall.
I do severely dislike Druid and the fact that it’s become a necessity for groups, though.

I always liked playing the archer archetypes… and that iv invested far too much into my ranger to switch to another class (been feeling the warrior/guardian lately but I cant just give up my ranger)

oh, idc if wyverns suck kittens, they’re too sexy to pass on atleast in pve

Ranger has become my second-favorite profession lately. (I’ve mained a Necro forever — back before Reaper, when Necros suddenly became cool.)

I like the the pet options, managing/swapping pets, and the variety of weapons. Right now, I swap between Longbow and Axe/Torch. Other professions may have mechanics that end up working like pet management, but somehow it has a great feel that adds some complexity and choice, but doesn’t feel too fidgety.

Druitt.7629:

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I like the the pet options, managing/swapping pets, and the variety of weapons. Right now, I swap between Longbow and Axe/Torch.
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Rampager / Sinister WvW build, by any chance?

Nature bow theme class, and pets

Definetly the pets for me first. Baiting a mesmer around a corner into a pet attack is gold.

After that its probably the freedom of movement. Combat as a ranger just feels so SMOOTH to me. And when things go well it always feels like your slipping through the cracks.

Second is the smoothness of setting up combos. Tricking a mesmer into looking at me while my bristleback revs up its spike barrage behind it is amazing. Or using your pet to force cooldowns while setting up your own burst. Or landing two seperate bursts from two completely different directions and forcing hte enemy to pick which one he wants to get hit by.

That kind of thing.

Quick Draw is the most fun trait in game.

Does having everything unlocked along with maxed crafting count?

I like how far I’ve gotten as a Ranger. I have played it so long I feel I have mastered most techniques and builds (still making new ones). I love supporting in WvW against fight guilds while still dishing out damage. The CC that I am capable of spamming is quite fun. I just enjoy being useful again.

I like my hair. Long golden locks of lovely hair blowing every so slightly by the wind as I release arrow after arrow…

Seriously, no bull kitten Jimmy.

The archer archetype. Though I would swap to DH if I wasn’t so invested in my ranger : P .

Pets, staff healing, and easy access to speed.

And I get a really huge laugh out of a brown bear/wolf in
the new content. Keeping both pets up, and sneaking in
great sword damage while soloing champs is hilarious.
The bear especially, just a ton of laughs with its combat
emotes.

The pet, the wilderness hunter archetype, the stigma. Not necessarily in that order. :p

I like ranger because I can pretty much solo almost everything and my survivability is awesome. Also, and this is jaded, but I love players who tell me I suck (in PvP) while I stand over their corpse.

No one expects a ranger to kick their kitten.

Thematically, I like the idea of this wilderness shaman/skirmisher. I like how I get to throw bees in your face, fly on an eagle, smack you with a bear, and summon spirits.

Gameplay wise, I like the amount of unique support we bring to a party, druid healing is the most enjoyable for me of Healers, and the survivability we can have. And with our reputation, I enjoy people along to group with me again in fractals and sPvP because it means I beat the useless ranger stereotype.

Also kinda funny how every other class feels like easy mode by comparison. Like Dragon hunter I could fall asleep winning with that…

I will say that the unqiue support is actually one of my least favorite parts of the class. Don’t get me wrong its GREAT for getting us into raids. But more often than not its the REASON were brought to the raid. As typically the only build we play is one that provides those unique support mechanics.

Again. Don’t misunderstand me its great for the class. It just sucks for people whos normal build is in a different direction >.<.. Since it often feels like the ranger itself is balanced on the assumption that those mechanics are taken.

Edit: Fixed some awful sentence structure.

As a PvE solo player, I love to have a companion in form of one of my pets, outside of the added meat shield bonus. And I enjoy the visual of the sword dancing Sylvari style when using 1-h swords despite using Greatsword more often. As I’m quite unskilled in gameplay and more than terrible with everyting related to theorycrafting, I better won’t try to stutter about it.

Because there is not a bard. I played a bard in D&D in the 80s and 90s. I played one in EQ. I played a minstrel in DAoC. When WoW came out with no music class, the hunter drew me in with the pet. So when I tried out GW2, ranger seemed like a good first class to try. I like the long bow range and the condi dmg from axe/torch. I love if I’m gathering/mining/chopping in a low level zone, my pet can take out any stray mobs so that I can keep on chopping And perma speed. I like my ele for the perma speed too.

I play glass zerk/marauder Druid with a Longbow in SPvP. I love micromanaging my pet and positioning in order to snipe and control without being touched. I love seeing my matchup and choosing the appropriate pets. Control and burst from afar, and duck out when they’re on to you. Getting top points, without ever stepping foot on a point in some cases, just because you were making plays, is a really great feeling.

I love attriting enemies from afar and them attacking them with multiple assailants when they get close.

Tragic Positive.9356:

There’s no other class I would really need to use my brain to actually go into the difficult calculations or brainstorming and requires much more awareness instead of mechanical ability sequences (while still having some).

I’d say you hit the nail on the head here. For example, I can run in all Leeroy Jenkins on my necro but my ranger requires me to evaluate, think, position, adapt… and it may very well be because of it’s weaknesses but it is never dull.

oh and big puppy dogs (I’m asura and I have a big Drake hound)

My first character in beta was Ranger. I liked how I could attack with relative safety from afar but also dish out some damage in tight quarters. I like how my pet provides a distraction (I like how they survive better now). I like the mythos of adventure with a companion and a broad bag of non-magic tricks. I like hunting and taming new pets.

I find the class basically easy to play but with depth as I learn more subtlety and finesse (hard to master). I’ve enjoyed other classes but I always come back to my Ranger when I explore new content (which is something I most enjoy).

I have to say that i really came to love my pets “wolf & hawk” they´re bugged as “(insert flame here)”, but man how offen did they save my bacon. So yeahh i do love these two.
Altough the fighting with GS / Longbow in combination with the survivalskills feels just amazing.
One more thing – i play most of my time solo and doing stuff alone with ranger and my two trusted pets is just so much easier.
(nop not relaxing on my longbow all day and i’m not using a bear! – don’t deny it i know u just tought it!)

I’m too stubborn to give up on it.

Ranger calls out to my soul.
It is the master of nature and utilizes its power. Living off the land as the wild itself.

Druid is a class that takes me two favorite concepts, aside nature based things my favorite classes are Support casters (Cleric. Mage. Ect.)

Flavor wise, its the reason its been my main forever.

Class wise? I like Druid. But its a struggle to play it and most of Ranger when things like Rev, Ele and Chronomancer are running around..

1. When i win some one i know i was better player and not just playing some op class.
2. Once ranger always ranger.
3. Point blank shot trolling.

Zorpi.5904:

3. Point blank shot trolling.

Ain’t that the truth… Had enough of being blamed for it by default, so now i make sure it is my fault every time. ^^

I play Longbow WvW Ranger.

I like my range, damage output and CC paired with my mobility.
Also, despite being easy to control, it takes a certain finesse to be a good ranger. A good Ranger can carry a blob fight on his own if he knows what he’s doing, specially in chokes. On the downside, it is also an ungrateful job, people don’t notice the work you do.

Unfortunately, to this day I still have no kittening clue why aren’t we allowed to hide our pets permanently. That’s pretty much the one complaint I have.

Pets and bows.

I love (or certainly care about) all animals, IRL and my mum used to do archery, when I was a kid (and was pretty good at it!).

So, it’s nice to follow in her footsteps, in that way, even if it’s only in a game.

Originally, I chose Hunter, in WoW, pretty much totally for the pets.

The bow thing then kind of grew on me, a little later on.

The pet.

The nature theme class.

Because I’m an RPer, and my Ranger is a fun character to play. He’s a quiet, peace-loving, well-meaning, naive dingbat who went out into the world to try and do good, only to realize that good intentions are much harder to make into good actions than they really should be.

Because I love being able to mix and match a wide variety of traits, weapons, and pets for a wide variety of combat scenarios. Seriously, most of our traits aren’t much to write home about because there is so MUCH Rangers can be specc’d to do, so they have to be somewhat generalized.

Because I actually REALLY LIKE Druid staff. It works well paired to longbow for pure ranged combat, or as a solid defensive kiting weapon in its own right.

Because the axe mainhand is a lot of fun to use with combo fields for projectile finishers.

Because traps are still kind of fun.

Actually i like the Ranger because of its mixed melle-ranged playstyle. The pet is useful in some way (but it still needs better controlability and better AI). You are never alöone together with your pet and you feel that you are stronger together. I always had a flare for nature styled classes, thats because i have a ranger main.
At the moment i am dissapointed about the lack of love in the utilities and the lacking synergy between trait and utility.
I would give the ranger even more love if they would improve the utilities a little bit more and make the traitlines even more distinct (eg Boonsharing, Bleed Conditioning , Poison-Conditioning, Trapping, CC, Healing (in the base class not just druid) and an evading heavy Line)

Zorpi.5904:

Once ranger always ranger.

Sadly, yes.

We are so mobile. I really love the mobility. I think the pets look good, I am still looking for more diversity of more pet families. (Wolf, cat, drake, bird etc.) I like greats word despite it being not optimal for damage. It is great because I can stay alive in melee really well and maul looks awesome. I also love their underwater combat surprisingly. It is a very small part of the game, but it is very enjoyable on ranger. I like the bow and arrow class in most mmo’s which is what brought me to ranger. Usually they are the kiting class, which I like. (No tank and spank for me) short bow kiting is really fun on this regards. I do wish that I could have a build to mix short bow and great sword, but they are used in exact opposite builds of condition and power. All in all, great mobility and survivability really enforce the archetype of a ranger.

I enjoy being able to do one of three things in PvP just by dropping a trait line and adding another.

1) Healer
2) Bunker Druid
3) DPS roamer

As much as other people hate them, I really love pets. They add a unique and personal touch to the class. IRL, i have a pet and when I’m in game and no one else is around >.> it’s fun to laugh at what my pet does… some times they have skriit fever and run off and attack a lonely bunny, some times they climb up on impossible to get to locations and you’re stuck laughing wondering how they got up there.

Versatility of builds in pvp/wvw

I got hooked on Ranger after watching a Koroshi Vid on youtube.

Currently I play condi trapper and the meta Druid