Hey folks, I've been gone a long time (10 years to be exact) and I was thinking about picking up a ranger. Not necessarily heroic, just one to level. I can't even imagine what has changed in that time. What does the current day EQ ranger look like? Is he melee dps or ranged? What is the spell line up like? Is there a good site with guides and forums? What are the duties in a raid situation? How is soloing etc. All the good stuff.
EQ Outrider is still your key source for all things ranger. I have a ranger I play but am not the best person to answer your other questions.
Agreed with Gragas, check your own forums for specifics. In regard to rangers vs the pure melee (ie being a bit on topic), rangers don't win burns typically but they're very competitive on longer duration mobs such as WK1 boss, etc. Best dps comes from meleeing, although I'm not sure if the discs make range dps better during that short phase.
Why level up from 1? It is an necessary time sink. the only relevant content is at high levels. I would definitely use the HC upgrade if i were you. Not to mention the maxxing of all AA up to 85... that is an even bigger time sink.
