The minor buffs in different skill proficiency don't actually do a ton to add to character flavor or function where as I think changing how certain abilities function depending on favored enemy or what spells can be accessed during character progression would add more depth to each favored enemy option and therefore to the ranger class as a whole.
I’m not saying it couldn’t be better, but I’m actually pretty happy that the starting FE abilities aren’t underwhelming, but are about right for low level rangers. Depending on other choices you make about your ranger they may or may not be useful (e.g. I can’t see that True Strike is going to be particularly helpful if you don’t have two-weapon fighting at level 2, particularly if/once hand crossbows are fixed), but I think they all have use cases and I find working out what they might be fun.
I also think the approach currently strikes the right balance between giving your character a flavour while not railroading you into a specific vision of a ranger driven by your FE. You can decide to double down on the suggested character histories and seek synergies with your FE by picking related spells and so on as you level up, or treat them as in the past only and forge your own different path. I can see the temptation of having your favoured enemy affect more than it currently does, but I worry it would be too inflexible.
The FE skill proficiencies are all INT based, so I agree that rangers aren’t likely to be great at these even with a two point bonus, but they give a bit of a boost that makes your ranger slightly better at conversation and environmental checks that align with their FE which I think is good for flavour without being too much. Rangers aren’t meant to be skill monkeys, and other classes would get jealous!
That said, I will be interested to see what Larian has planned for FE improvements at higher levels (6 and 14 if they align with 5e, I think, and if we get that far). Will they let us pick additional FEs from the current list (presumably minus the skill proficiency bonuses, and with different explanations) or have new things we can pick? On consideration, I’d prefer it if we had the option either to diversify and pick a new FE bonus that increases the breadth of our ranger’s skills OR one that builds on our previously selected FE(s) (I agree relevant spells not available to rangers who hadn’t got that FE could be a good thing to offer here).
That’s all about FEs of course. Slightly off topic again, but the Natural Explorer bonuses do seem more unbalanced to me. I don’t find the Wasteland Wanderer options compelling, though perhaps they’re more tempting for power gamers. But it’s fun that every ranger (even non beast masters) can get a pet via Beast Tamer, and I think familiars are situationally useful and give flavour without being balance breaking, though I suppose the ability could afford to be made per short or long rest rather than infinite. And yes, a ranger can get an extra class proficiency by picking Urban Tracker for Sleight of Hand, but they need to sacrifice the chance of a familiar - or elemental resistance - to do it. That’s not something a ranger is likely to want to do unless they’re very definitely going to be a rogue-replacement in their party and possibly not even then, given they could choose Urchin or Charlatan background instead and still get their pet/hardiness, but it’s nice that we can decide to go more all in on a rogue-like ranger. Again, I don’t think we know what Larian are planning for their home brew, but I believe 5e lets rangers pick new NEs at levels 6 & 10, so I can see some of the ones that are less tempting at level 1 being more interesting later in the game. Or perhaps we’ll get some more options in the full release!
