Ranger Paths

[Magnus]

Unless I'm mistaken the changes to Ranger Path level spread (from 1/5/9 to 2/7/12) are in some ways not optimal - in that you can get most of these feats way earlier by just taking them outside of the path.
I'd suggest that if you're playing an archer ranger or a dual weapon ranger you want your rapid shot or your improved 2 weapon fighting feats as soon as you can get them. Not just for build optimisation but because, well, that's your base character concept.
The idea of ranger paths are nice - guiding your ranger to be focused as a RP element - but the execution might need looking at here.
If I can make a *better ranged or 2 weapon character (as my based concept) outside of the path - then I probably will. And the whole RP concept behind the paths is made redundant.
Maybe I'm missing something but the paths as they are no longer seem that appealing?

*better being subjective but a human rogue or fighter with the right dex, for example can, get point blank shot and rapid shot at level 1, and this seems better base for an archer melee concept that you could still build up in a 'ranger' like way than "my ranger has studied the way of the archer to be the best at what he does! see he he gets point blank shot at level 2 and has rapid shot at *checks notes* level 7!"

 

[Richord]

I don't know what the idea behind the paths was since I am not a dev. But I'd assume that you're given these feats later than you'd otherwise be able to unlock them because you're not only gaining them for "free", it might also be to make multi-class builds less attractive.

 

[Khaine]

They are intentionally not 'optimal,' as Richord guessed correctly, to make multiclassing dips less appealing. That philosophy has been spread right across all classes so that there aren't cases of 'X, Y and Z class are no longer dippable, but I can still abuse ranger' because if there is a single abusable class for dips, people will flock to it and build their roleplay concepts around it.

But the logic being used to contest it is flawed regardless. If you want to get a quicker spike towards a particular style of fighting, because that aspect of how you fight is integral to your character concept, then fighter should absolutely be your go-to class. It's all they can do, after all. Meanwhile, rangers get an animal companion, favoured enemies, spellcasting and not only more class skills but more skill points to spend them on. It's only fair that their fighting style progresses (for free, without using feats for it unlike fighter) at a slower pace.

If you want something a little more freeform with a similar idea/concept but where you have to use feats to get to the peak of that fighting style sooner, you could potentially opt for Scout instead.