Taken from
http://web.archive.org/web/200111061...ML/000340.html
-Rangers-
Rangers were the most complex class we looked at during this evaluation. Rangers were clearly lacking in their ability to tank, and also proved to be doing slightly less damage than was desirable. After evaluating several possible solutions, we made upgrades in both of these areas. Keep in mind, rangers are an offense-oriented hybrid, giving up the ability to tank well in exchange for doing similar damage to a warrior.
In order to put rangers in the right place offensively, we made two changes.
First, we upgraded their Double Attack skill cap from 235 to 245. Additionally, we gave rangers an innate offensive bonus beginning at level 55, and increasing until level 60. This has the net effect of allowing them to double attack a bit more often, and hit harder on successful attacks. These two changes put the ranger exactly where we want him, doing approximately the same damage as a similarly equipped warrior.
Part of the balancing factor of the ranger is the inability to tank well. This penalty will remain, though we are making some changes to lessen it. Prior to this patch, rangers were taking more damage than we desired. After these changes take effect, rangers will tank better than they did, but not nearly as well as the knight, bard, and warrior classes.
We are raising the Defense skill cap for rangers. This increase begins at level 51, increasing a few points each level until it caps at 220. We are also raising the ranger’s Riposte skill cap to 185 starting at level 51 and scaling up to level 60.
This hints at an increase in attack as there was no other way to increase damage at the time and falls in line with the Innate AA added in SoL Hunter's Attack Power