So you took experience in nature and survival?
Then you don't get persuasion.
Sure. My point is that unlike the 2014 ranger, the 5.5 ranger has choices and can go well outside the traditional if the DM's game is going to be more social than outside in two limited terrain types.
And the old ranger still gets perception, animal handling, medicine, insight against their favorite foe.
Oh! Wow! Against one type of enemy you may never encounter or encounter only rarely! Here come some orcs! I'd better get right on the animal handling and medicine.
Look, favored terrain and favored enemy are kinda crappy since almost everything about them is corner case. That's why they are changing it to make it better for the 5.5 version.
Old ranger gets 4 more expertise, in the right campaign. Plus all the other stuff you dismissed.
Sure. I'll concede that in a very, very highly corner case campaign, the 2014 could be better if the 5.5 ranger doesn't take the skills to be just as good or better than the 2014 ranger.
50% more uses at level 1. That's not marginal.
It really is, since there's a good chance they will be wasted as the 10 minute mark passes, and since you don't have the option to be reactive like the 5.5 ranger is.
I'm not sure how you think 4 uses covering 40 minutes(max) of a 24 hour day is better than 2 reactive uses covering 24 hours. And eventually the 5.5 ranger has more uses of said superior reactive bardic inspiration.
Have you actually tried it?
Have you played the old and new bard side by side?
It's crystal clear that reactive uses covering 24 hours is superior to uses covering 40-50 minutes tops and that have to be used in advance during that time period.
You use it so that the monk can go charging some archers. 20 minutes later when you aren't aware of it you hit a deadly trap and the wizard dies because you couldn't use your inspiration as a reaction to help him make the save.
I used it all the time on scouts and assassins. I'm losing versatility.
Versatility is king. That's the main reason that wizards have historically been so broken.
I get the feeling you would be complaining about how much more powerful the old classes where if these came out if a different order.
You would likely be wrong.