Confusion: Archer to Bard? Where is the Ranger Job?

[Mardel]

After reading through many posts, I have only seen a handful of logical ones. The rest of them are usually angry archers.

As someone said around pages 5-8, Ranged Melee DPS has been flawed in just about all modern MMOs.

The trend is this:
1. NEW MMO made.
2. Many people pick the bow using class
3. The bow class is op because of kiting, ranged skills, high dps, and LOW RISK.
4. DEVS nerf the ranged class because they realized the lack of risk is not proportionate to the dps
5. people cry
6. people cry some more
7. they buff them a little
8. the class is still lack luster but people have accepted it
9. overall nothing was really done

So, why is archer not becoming a ranger? Because they would not get anything relatively new. Let us think. What would you give ranger BESIDES similar abilities that are stronger? Outside a new weaponskill it would just encounter the same issue that caused it to be nerfed.

What will likely happen is... in the future you can become a musketeer, gunner, marskman or whatever you want to consider it that uses a gun with elemental bullets. Heck, you may even get to be the beastmaster of this game later on. Also just so people know... FFXIV is following the job trends of Final Fantasy Tactics/Advanced/Advanced 2

So ranger may become a Hunter in the future, capture/tame monsters, cause them to de-aggro, temporary charm, or possibly become an incapacitation specialist of sorts. A flat out boost in DPS, I do not see in Archer's future. Sorry.

[Bahn]

After reading through many posts, I have only seen a handful of logical ones. The rest of them are usually angry archers.

As someone said around pages 5-8, Ranged Melee DPS has been flawed in just about all modern MMOs.

The trend is this:
1. NEW MMO made.
2. Many people pick the bow using class
3. The bow class is op because of kiting, ranged skills, high dps, and LOW RISK.
4. DEVS nerf the ranged class because they realized the lack of risk is not proportionate to the dps
5. people cry
6. people cry some more
7. they buff them a little
8. the class is still lack luster but people have accepted it
9. overall nothing was really done

So if every MMO screws up this ranged DPS trope, where can we find a game where ranged DPS IS balanced? Does it even exist? Or are you saying it's impossible to balance and ranged DPS classes will always be an afterthought that all people except the most stubborn of players will stop using?

I know obviously you're speaking from experience from the tone of your post, but at the same time I just find it puzzling that no MMO has gotten it right - it seems like a complete waste of time and effort for MMOs to even make a ranged class if that is the case.