Which is more fun? Ranger or Gunner?

[Squire Grooktook]

To those who have tried both extensively, which do you find more entertaining to play?

I'm not asking which one is better or more useful. But I'm curious which one is the most engaging/interesting to play.

[Sirius-91]

I find it harder to go back to Ranger. My reason is do to how fast paced Gunner is and how I'm less caring about using launcher and Rifle and caring more on the dps side of the game. Like I'm not trying to kill, but inflict damage enough so my party and teammates can kill faster.

[kyojin]

IMO being a gunner is fun, shooting stuff up while all the mobs hit air is just enjoyable and the fast paced action is the fun part

[pikachief]

I'd say out of which I have more fun with I'd pick gunner. Ranger seems a bit easier to be more efficient with, but gunner is just quick fun fighting :P

[JeyKama]

Gunner is incredibly inefficient. All of its shots root you, which I find ironic considering it is supposed to be a "mobile" fighter. All of its mechgun PAs have terrible hit paths (other than Dead Approach, I guess) and bad aoe range. Chain Trigger only works with your party and is basically impossible to use on moving targets. On bosses though, you can be as clingy as saran wrap without much fear thanks to the air dodge. For levelling though, I resorted to grenade shell spam (which is 33% wider aoe range than Reverse Tap) with a rifle to keep myself from going sick.

on the other hand, seeing how long I can stay airborne with auto -> auto -> grenade shell after getting some levels in PP Restorate is kind of a fun metagame

tl;dr - GU is great at bosses. For everything else (which is 95% of your time at least) it is all style and no substance.


disclaimer - I never bought into the Matrix shenanigans, but I gave it a chance until lv40 and still prefer the much more straightforward life of RA

[Triple_S]

Gunner is far, FAR more entertaining than Ranger. Ranger was fun at first but then it just got so boring...

Gunner has all the involvement of playing a melee class, plus the flexibility of range. It's great! I also love some of the PA combos I can pull off on mobs that don't get instagibbed by {LABEL_PA}. Had some fun with a booster Garongo. Kicked in the air with a charged Aerial Shooting, chain into Satellite Aim (both shots hit) knocking them even higher, then kick them down and mash the PA button for massive damage and lockdown from Bullet Squall. Usually during the first Bullet Squall I'll swap to a palette that has all Bullet Squall just in case the first doesn't kill.

Another fun combo is uncharged Aerial Shooting into Reverse Tap and then finish with Dead Approach. Dead Approach into Reverse Tap is also awesome, but only works from a good wall bounce. Really though, Aerial Shooting is so useful. It's a decent movement PA, it sets you up to get a boost from one of your skills (should you choose to get it of course), and it's so good for setting up PA combos.

...The only Gunner PA I don't care for is Messiah Time. I'm sure it's a great boss killer, but I just don't like how slow it is. I prefer flipping around and doing crazy shit.

[Enforcer MKV]

Ranger is more fun for me, definitely.

All of Gunner's PAs either disappointed or frustrated the hell out of me, and for it being played up as a mobile fighter, I find myself moving around much more as a RA. Your normal attack roots you to the ground, and the majority of your PA's lean more on melee and acrobatics than actual shooting.

Frankly, as has been alluded to in previous posts, I think your appreciation for the class depends on your appreciation of the bullet-time styling. Do you like Matrix like flips and acrobatics? If so, you may find a great deal of pleasure in Gunner. If not, I doubt it'll be your thing.

In the end, I'd say try both regardless. That's the best and most definitive way to know if you'll like it.

[Dinosaur]

GU is way more fun for sure. Twin Mechgun plays like a melee class and melee is naturally more engaging in combat.

[MissMalice]

I'm gonna have to say that Gunner is the most fun for me to play.

Both Rangers and Gunners are pretty efficient in parties, but when it comes to soloing bosses, I find that I struggle with Gunner. Its pretty much because Chain Trigger relies on you constantly hitting the target. And as we all know, bosses don't just sit there and look pretty for you. If the boss suddenly flips around and you can't hit your target, the CT collapses and you have to try again after the cooldown. Granted if the skill is high level, your cooldown isn't that big of a deal, but its still frustrating in a solo situation. That said, Gunners and Chain Trigger don't replace Rangers and Weak Bullet.

However, what I will say about Gunner is that its a really nice change of pace. I found myself up close and personal with my enemies as a Ranger anyways [unless it was a boss], so switching over to the primarily-close-ranged Gunner was an easy transition for me~ The slow-mo actions from the trailer are what reeled me in, but I find now that those are the actions I really use the least. I can't really say that I do more damage overall with either class, but rather I dish out the same amount of damage in a different manner. With parties, Gunner is pretty nice, especially with Chain Trigger. In a group environment, Gunners shine more as a team player, rather than the lone Ranger that steals the show both alone or in a group~ Not that there's anything wrong with that! Like I said, Gunners don't replace Rangers.

Anywho, I personally love Gunners. The slow-mo thing isn't really all the needed, no does it makes sense. But its funny and cool to joke around with! I also can't forsake Rangers. They're only slightly better overall because its much easier to solo bosses as a Ranger.

tl;dr:
Gunners = Rangers with parties
Gunners = Rangers when soloing
Rangers > Gunners when soloing bosses
Gunners more fun/stylish
Rangers more efficient overall

[Shou]

I think gunner is given more credit that it deserves. Launchers do so much more DPS than mechguns. Gunner seems like a gimmick class to me. This has nothing to do with how fun the class is to play.