To the higher lvl ranger crowd: Do you find bow delay to be a hinderance to using ranged exclusively in combat? Since rangers/assassins are considered a damage class, does bow delay put you at a disadvantage compared to the melee based assassins, since you would have to attack with your bow, advance to melee range, back out etc?
I find bow delay to not be that big of an issue at this point. If you can afford to fire 20 arrows per mob, you might prefer a lower delay so you can squeeze off an extra 2-3 per mob... but really, being that hardly anyone can afford to buy 30-40 stacks of arrows (Iron+... Tin are crap) per XP level it would take to notice a difference in bow delay, I don't think the impact is that great. What does matter to me is minimum/maximum damage and extra stats on the bow. Arrows play a nice role in damage as well.
Thanks for the reply Ravi. As a follow-up, I'd like to ask this: Most special attacks for the ranger are ranged-based. Most special attacks for the assassin are melee-based. Since, from what I have read in posts here, most rangers do not rely solely on their bow - are rangers at an inherent disadvantage DPS-wise compared to assassins, simply because rangers are required to move back and forth between ranged combat and melee combat, while the assassin can sit comfortably within melee at all times?
Well, I should clarify that I am only Ranger 20. Just got it last night. But I have been using a bow from the second I could do so. I really don't see how a Ranger, at these levels, can afford to go 100% ranged, even with Makeshift Arrow Adept 1. I realize that Makeshift arrow will alleviate the cost a bit... Now, I am going to pull out my crystal ball for a second... I really do think that Ranger will be the king of DPS if it is played to 100%. It may not have the big hits like a Mage or Assassin (who knows?) but in sustained DPS, I think Ranger has it going on. The only disadvantage I see Rangers having is the cost of ammunition. But, play your cards right... spend time and invest it into your character.. anyone can overcome that. A quick tip - I see a lot of predators missing this... There is a sweet spot. Oh yes. This is where your DPS can skyrocket. After the initial stealth attack and mob debuffs, take 2 generous steps behind the mob and activate ranged attack. If you hit a melee macro and it says that you are too far away, take a small step forward. Once in the sweet spot, it is possible to hit with melee specials and also ranged attacks without moving a step. Many times you will simply fire a quick arrow in between 2 other melee specials. Only do this if you can afford the arrow drain this will cause. I only do this if the group gets an add or we try a tough mob. Eventually though, I think we will make enough coin to keep up with our arrow consumption. Anyone else that has more Ranged abilities notice a downside to bow delay?
