I play a (recently) 60 ranger on blue, so my entire ranger career has been after the hybrid xp penalty was removed, but I can tell you I have no regrets having a ranger as my main from more or less the get-go.
On Blue at least, people seem glad to invite a ranger into a group. Sure I've been passed over for a rogue sometimes, but when those groups later ground to a halt when their tank left, I bet they'd wished they'd picked up a class with more utility.
Rangers may not do the most DPS hut they can keep groups going that would otherwise have to stop and look to fill specific roles. Even in my late 50s in the Hole it wasn't uncommon to go from pulling to DPS to ghetto CC to ghetto tank role all in the same night.
If you build a reputation as an attentive player who knows how to make himself useful you'll get invites and keep groups going long after they would have otherwise had to stop.
Also, raid bumping is super fun
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Long story long, I love rangering, and vote you ranger too if that's what you want to do
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