Ranger returing to EQ2 - have things changed?

[theshaneman9]

I was a level 38 ranger, former guild leader, last summer when i quit EQ2. Reason being: i didnt like the way rangers were higher level. Upon asking a 50 ranger how we were at high levels the response i got was "reroll your character - rangers suck past 40". This really dissapointed me, and after having this view confirmed, i wound up retiring my character. I am now contemplating returing to EQ2, My question is - have things changed for us? i know there have been a lot of patches, and a lot of updates regarding rangers since i quit in the summer, and I want to know if we have gotten better. There were a few reasons I quit aside from the high level ranger game being unsatisfactory - i remember it took 12 hours of grinding to get from level 37 to 38 for me. are there now places where you can hunt to get better exp? My final question is have they made any improvements for rangers soloing? At level 38 i have the best gear possible - inculding a PGT among other things, all my equipment is orange, and i remember having a lot of difficulty soloing even cons. Again my 3 questions are:1) have things changed for rangers since this summer?2) does it still take 12 hours to level from 37 to 38 - have they added better exp zones for us?3) have they made improvements for rangers in soloing?Thank you guys for taking time to read this post - i appreciate any response you may have to offer.<div></div>

[Siphar]

<div>1) have things changed for rangers since this summer?</div><div> </div><div>Yes, a lot, now uber dps machines.</div><div>2) does it still take 12 hours to level from 37 to 38 - have they added better exp zones for us?</div><div> </div><div>I made several levels a day all the way to 60. Yes 60 not 50 and i didnt even play that much. It was a mixture of our uber dps and broken vitality. Killing mobs in 2 hits and having perma vitality, and you level fast.</div><div>3) have they made improvements for rangers in soloing?</div><div> </div><div>Improved everything- now uber dps = solo, grp and raid = easy</div>

[Tevilspek]

<div></div><blockquote><p><font color="#cc9933"><strong>1) have things changed for rangers since this summer?</strong></font><font color="#ffffff">Vastly better. We do 5x the damage we used to do, are one of the best DPS classes now (though to be up there with Wizards etc it costs us a fair amount of money).I've had three or four character/classes and easily enjoy Ranger the most. Have one at 57 and have rerolled a new one on a new server just to re-experience it all again.I was the same, I folded my 28 Ranger way back before all the upgrades etc, and played a Warlock through. MUCH prefer Ranger.</font></p><p><font color="#ffffff"><font color="#cc9933"><strong>2) does it still take 12 hours to level from 37 to 38 - have they added better exp zones for us?</strong></font>Xp comes a lot faster now, almost stupidly faster. I've been playing my new Ranger on and off for 4 or 5 days and he's 24 or so already. Questing is big exp now, there are xp potions you get as rewards etc. It's a LOT quicker to level these days.</font></p><p><font color="#ffffff"><font color="#cc9933"><strong>3) have they made improvements for rangers in soloing?</strong></font>It's very easy to solo really, can even solo above ^s etc if you want to take the time to do it (time vs exp it's not very effective, but you can do it at least). I pretty much group with my 57 and solo with my 24. Easily fit into both situations these days.</font></p><p><font color="#ffffff">Of course this is purely my opinion and others may think differently.As far as class improvements go, Rangers are up there with being one of the most improved I think.</font></p></blockquote>

[Zholain]

<font size="2">If you quit back in the summer, there's something not mentioned above that you may or may not be aware of.  LU13 (the combat update) drastically changed the mechanics of the game.  There is no more 'orange' gear, for instance.  It's either red(can't use), white(can use), or grey(you've grown beyond it).  You'll find that most, if not all, of the combat arts that you used before have changed in some fashion.  Rangers in combat are now true archers.  We still have some nice melee abilities, but they pale in comparison to ranged abilities in the amount of damage they dish out.Would you have fun?  Well, I daresay that the ranger is likely one of the most popular subclasses at the curent time.  The biggest thing you'll notice now is that rangers are a desired part of groups and raids.  You'll find yourself being sought after as a primary member of a group and/or raid.  We are no longer just a filler class.If you come back, you'll find that you have a respec coming to you.  I would highly recommend you search these boards for a few hours and read up on the changes before you do that respec.  There is some truly great information that was posted after the combat update.  And don't expect to log into the game and have your old playing style to still serve you well.  Spend some time reading the description to ALL of your combat abilities, then go out and kill some trash mobs to see how they perform in battle.  Chances are that your first thoughts will be something like "HOLY CRAP !!!  THIS IS AWESOME !!!".Good luck to you if you decide to come back.  And safe travels to you.  <span>:womanvery-happy:</span></font><div></div>

[Jay]

<div></div><blockquote><hr>Zholain wrote:<font size="2"> Chances are that your first thoughts will be something like "HOLY CRAP !!!  THIS IS AWESOME !!!".</font><div></div><hr></blockquote>ROFL, very well said.  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Frobus]

I quit EQ2 around the same time and just came back a month ago, so welcome back!1) Yes, yes...yes....According to my parses I'm above and beyond other classes in DPS in most situations.  We do good, DPS and people know it, so groups are pretty easy to come by.2)  I'm not entirely sure on this one...I *think* they've upped exp rate, it just feels faster.  Also your vitality comes back much quicker, so overall exp gain is faster.3)  Yes and no.  If you used to love the easiness of kiting, then no, it went down.  I used to be able to kite yellow ^^s to death for some great exp, and it was amazingly simple.  Now to kite it takes much too long to really be worth it, it's infinately harder, and if you want it to go somewhat easier you can use stun poisons which cost an arm and a leg and run out fast.  BUT if you like killing lots of easier mobs it went up...way up.  Against a single blue (no arrows) my average fight is hidden fire/sniping shot, triple shot, (mob is usually in my face by now), rip, start HO, advance with cheapshot, the flanking attack that stealths you, stealth attack...mob normally dead or darn close by now.  If it's a blue single down (which there are lots of) I've had fights as quick as using just triple fire (I had to laugh my [Removed for Content] off the first time that happen...I checked my DPS parse, and because the fight wasn't long enough to register as one second long, the program got confused and saw that I did lots of damage over the course of zero seconds, making my damage per second infinite <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />).<div></div>

[theshaneman9]

Haha! you guys were absolutely right. came back the other night - i think somewhere along the lines of "HOLY [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] I JUST DID A MILLION DPS" would describe it. nothing cooler than seeing 10 lines of "YOU hit Target for 170 damage". The improvements they have made to the ranger class have made us the way we should have been all along. I have to say....im hooked again.<div></div>