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So I'm building my Ranger to be a Trapper with a robust defensive Animal Companion concentrating on medium range combat with a short bow.
Impossible Volley: I don't want to use volley weapons, marginally fits my concept.
Improvised Snare: This is ok, I guess. I tend to plan out my resources really well, so I find it kinda meh, but at least it fits my concept.
Shadow Hunter: Forces me to take Camouflage. Not interested in sneaking about and sniping, so doesn't fit my concept. Further it would prevent me getting Hazard Finder at reasonable level which does fit my concept.
Triple Threat: Forces me to get Double Target and Shared Target which don't really fit my concept, but if I don't get it I have no capstone ability at all.
Conclusion: Ranger needs more options. It needs at least 1 capstone ability that has no specific prerequisites so that builds unrelated to stealth nor multi-target hunting don't feel under-powered and lacking in choices.
Thoughts?
Well, I think the problem is that your concept of Ranger doesn't fit with the Devs concept of ranger.
Classes now have a lot more built in flavor to them than they did in PF1.
I think you might be better off as a Fighter than picks up an bonded animal (though it definitely wont be as strong as a ranger's animal companion).
Stealth and traps are part of the core flavor of the class this time around. For better or worse.
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I have no problem with having to make some adjustments and concessions, which I'm already doing a lot of, but if the focus is making the classes have more customization then in this case it's only half-baked.
Here's where I'm coming from. The idea here is that each class has it's core feature. These are the classes core flavor, as Claxon put it. If so, then Paizo is saying that the essence of a Ranger is is about hunting, moderate combat expertise, and traversing nature.
The class feats, thus, are supposed to be the less universal aspects of a Ranger. Not all Rangers have a companion animal. Not all Rangers are trappers. That's the reason these are options. It's basically a form of built-in archetypes.
This would be fine if you could actually follow through with each line as far as you want. But that is missing here and I suspect it's missing in other classes, too.
These are the class feats I settled on:
1: Animal Companion (1)
2: Favored Aim (2)
4: Snare Savant (4)
6: Full-grown Companion (6)
8: Quick Snares (8)
10: Hazard Finder (8)
12: Incredible Companion (12)
14: Distracting Shot (12)
16: Specialized Companion (16)
18: Greater Distracting Shot (16)
20: Powerful Snares (16)
Having all those repeated lower level feats at higher levels that only offer options I don't want feels like I'm under-powered and missing out on better options.
If I choose the stronger options, then I'm pushing mu character farther away from my desired concept.
Partially, this all comes back to not having the same default class features I used to have. Partially, it's a problem of presentation. You don't mind as much taking a weaker feat at a higher level when it simply has no level prerequisite. But when you see that Level 1 label in a 10th level feat slot you kinda feel like your Ranger is chump for taking it at all.
I really miss the old Skirmisher abilities, too.
Many of the other classes have way more feat options it seems.
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I feel like this problem is endemic with PF2 in general. There's no space for you to color outside the lines.
I feel like this is a slightly unfair assessment.
It's true enough at this time, but we only have a small amount of material to work with compared to PF1. I certainly believe that as PF2 gets more material released more and more class feats will be available that will allow for more custom tailoring of your character.
Though I think the OP would be out of luck, because I think Paizo is really pushing the flavor of a stealthy hunter nature warrior for the ranger. Which means snares, stealth abilities, etc that don't fit the concept of the OP's character.
From the description the OP has given, it strikes me much more as a fighter with an animal companion, than a ranger. Though currently there isn't an option for fighters that would give them as strong a companion as the ranger's.
I actually see this as a benefit. Mostly because now you don't need to worry about someone picking up a feat that could be combined in unexpected ways to be vastly more powerful than you original envisioned.
But basically making all the real powers into class specific feats you can curate who has access to them, and thus can limit it's ability to be combined in unexpected and overpowered ways.
Also, things don't have to be restricted to a single class. Take sudden charge as an example. Both Barbarians and fighters have access to it. In this way class feats are what really make characters unique.
I rather like the approach, though I'm looking forward to seeing the options expanded.
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Even when there was just the core book, I feel like PF1 gave you a lot more choice in how to customize your character. Yeah, some classes were more restrictive than others (if you were a ranger, your five bonus feats could only be related to two-weapon fighting or ranged combat) but at least you still had your ten general feats to take whatever combat feats you wanted.