At level 99 ranger get's a very potent recycle trait by default, which you can further enhance with merits. The base value at lvl 99 is 55%, and each merit will increase it's activation rate by 5%, up to 25% with 5 merits for an 80% activation rate. The recycle cap is 90%, so you would then only need 10 more points in equipment to cap out, and even without that's 4/5 shots that you take which won't consume ammo. The current ammo to use at 99 is the Adlivun arrow which you can purchase for delve points at an exchange rate of 99 arrows for 5K plasm (50 plasm per arrow) after you defeat either the T4 or T5 Delve NMs in Foret De Hennetiel (the oboron is way easier than the crab), or the high quality Achiyalabopa arrow which you have to defeat Duakuwaqa to purchase and will cost 300 plasm per arrow. The relic cap gives a 25% recycle rate boost by itself, and once you get the +2 version and finish the dynamis experience trial it enhances recycle by adding a static 1 tp per merit to each shot you get (this is independent of store tp; it's a direct increase), so 5 recycle merits plus the relic cap increases your tp return by 5 for every shot recycle activates on (9 out of 10). I have 5 recycle merits and I use the cap to create a tp build that can hit 100% tp in 3 shots 80% of the time given my recycle rate and the save tp trait ranger also gets by default (25% activation rate plus the light belt I weaponskill in is a total of 33% save tp). Additionally, a lot of rangers prefer to melee to build tp rather than shoot on most things, so they'll be using a dagger build to get tp as well.
Long story short, ranger isn't dead. It's just very ammo independant at 99, and plays completely differently from it does during the level up phase in which it is very ammo intensive.
Edited, Jan 9th 2014 8:50am by Melphina
____________________________
[ffxisig]56619[/ffxisig]
There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.