4. Ease of play for learning the game?
In my opinion, there are three really challenging and complicated professions in this game: Mesmer, Ritualist and Assassin. All professions have their challenges and potential to be complicated, but these three have the least amount of straightforward one-shot skills that have noticeable effects, being mostly dependant upon other variables or skills and working behind the scenes. Both Ritualist and Mesmer could be viewed as more about controlling the battlefield rather than eliminating or healing individuals, though they can certainly do the latter, just not as effectively as the other classes can.
The easiest profession for learning the game is by Anet's own admission a Warrior. A Necro Minion Master is another good option as well. Monk is a good starting profession, but it's a completely different type of play style from the rest because one is mostly targeting the party rather than the enemy.
If my very first character had been a Ritualist, I don't know if I'd have stuck with it. Maybe I would have, but the pace and overall approach is very different from any other profession. I remember when I first started how excited I was to try the Mesmer profession right away, but it was really complicated and not an easy way to learn the game, so I dropped it. Later on when I picked it up again and knew the game, I was able to get it and appreciate the Mesmer's power on the battlefield much better.
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5. Secondary profession? (plenty on this from other threads here, but if you want you can comment on this, especially as regards making a character that can be used in any run.) P.S. most concerned with using N or R.
Of those two, Ranger offers more versatility in skill selection and gameplay diversity. Serpent's Quickness is a good alternative to Ritual Lord if one has the Prophecies campaign, but it's not available in Factions. I'd probably be running a Rt/R if I hadn't already unlocked so many Ranger skills with other characters. I changed my Ranger's secondary to Rit and really like what that combination can do. Ranger is probably the most self sufficient profession, and so it complements the Ritualist very well.
The Necro secondary is good for minion boming or a minimal tanking army, but not really much else from my perspective. I ran a Rt/N for awhile and eventually changed it, simply because Blood and Curses just didn't seem to gel with the Ritualist, except for maybe Chilblains for triggering certain Ritualist spells based on conditions. Plus Blood and Curses really need to be high level with runes to be worthwhile, and the Curses line in Factions is kinda lame when compared to Prophecies. When I wasn't minion bombing or toting around a weak Flesh Golem as a pet, the only thing I ever carried was Plague Touch for condition removal, focusing on Ritualist skills almost entirely.
Two other secondaries worth considering are Mesmer and Assassin (o my god, Assassin? what a n00b).
The Mesmer offers energy management skills, interruptions, signets and stances that can support the Ritualist a great deal, not to mention the Echo elite spell. Interrupting skills like Power Drain and Leech Signet can fill up your energy pool while literally saving the party; plus interrupting is something to do during long recharge times, and can actually be more helpful than spiking damage under certain situations.
The Assassin offers Spirit Walk, Dash, Recall and Aura of Displacement without spending any attribute points, allowing the Ritualist to quickly move around the battlefield and position spirits strategically. Many Ritualist skills require touching spirits or party members, or have a very small range of effect (nearby, in the area), so being able to Shadow Step between spirits, foes and allies, or run in quick bursts, actually helps.
The elite skill Assassin's Promise is a great option for eliminating the long recharge times of binding rituals, recharging the entire skillbar when a targeted foe dies and giving an energy boost, and it can be captured before the 6th Mission rather than late in the game. Most of the Assassin skills cost only 5 energy; and one can unlock all skills for both Factions professions with one go through. The issue with dropping items while Shadow Stepping can be a plus if used in the right context, rather than a negative. Taking Assassin for a secondary is a viable alternative, with many options that haven't really been flushed out by the community yet, imho.
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6. Lastly, how does a N/Ri stack up against an Ri/N on the concerns I listed above?
I'd say N/Ri would be more enjoyable and easier to learn and play, especially if you like a faster pace and want to work with minions more than spirits. Soul Reaping is a powerful attribute to have in PvE, as you'll always have plenty of energy when things die. You'll have access to runes, armor and weapons that maximize Minion Mastery to it's fullest.
Spawning Power helps with minions too, but as a Ritualist primary there are simply limits to what you can do with them. Ritualist minions have more health at lower levels, which is good for tanking. It's also possible to use minions as bombs with Death Nova, alongside other skills which cause damage upon a Spirit's death, to lay waste to a battlefield in a single explosion. However that kind of play requires serious micromanagement to pull off well.
If Spirits are your focus with minions as support, then go Ri/N.
If Minions are your focus with spirits as support, then go N/Ri.
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If I may suggest... based on everything you've said here, it might be worth looking at a Necro/Monk Minion Master as your first profession. This is a great starting combination for learning the game, and is a lot of fun to play.
- It's fast paced and easy to get into, yet a challenge to master well.
- Players love a good MM in PvE, so it's not hard to find parties.
- The Monk secondary offers better minion buffing than a Ritualist secondary.
- You can go out solo, or with a modest hench party, and build up an army around you. Plus there are several farming options available.
- When going into an area or mission with few corpses, one can pull from Curses, Blood, Smiting, Protection and Healing to come up with a viable alternative.
- You'll unlock skills from two professions that other players like to have around.
Worth looking into anyway. You can always change secondaries when you get to Senji's Corner after the 4th mission. Just be frugal with skill unlocks before then so they don't get expensive too quickly.
I love the Rituatlist profession, and you'll probably enjoy it a lot. I'm just not sure if I'd recommend it to a new player as a way to learn the game, since it's somewhat of an advanced profession unless one just spams spirits, which they can certainly do but it gets boring fast.
Based on your comments, I'd recommend taking a look at a Necro/Monk Minion Master or a Ranger/Anything before making a decision. If you still want to pursue a Ritualist combo, then consider a Necro/Ritualist, a Ranger/Ritualist, a Ritualist/Ranger or a Ritualist/Assassin. The Ritualist/Mesmer is probably the most powerful combo for a Rit primary, but then you're learning the two most challenging professions at the same time.
Good luck. 
20 Oct 2006 at 13:51 - 4
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Originally Posted by Kali Ma
It can be difficult getting accepted into a group as a Ritualist, unless there isn't a monk around or they want two monks when there's only one available.
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You're not the first sought out, but its not hard either. A RITUAL LORD might have problems, but a Rit can easily replace a Heal Spamming Monk or a Damage dealing caster. Either of those to roles are ALWAYS in demand.
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Originally Posted by Kali Ma
While I really like Ritualist skills, I wouldn't consider them to be viable in any situation. They're energy intensive and very conditional upon spirits, party placement and what you're holding, often with slow casting and recharge times. During timed missions or when the team is in a hurry, it's very difficult to be effective with Spirits because of the long casting and recharge times.
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You don't need a bar full of spirits to use them, and it's actually very easy to have a spirit availble. The Recharges are comparable to other classes except for Binding Rituals, which as I said you don't need a full bar of. The other conditions are not always on the same bar. You can pick and chose your skills, and you dont' always have to have a spirit or an item spell to make them work. A Ritual Lord is only a 1/4 at best of what a Rit is capable of. But with one or two spirits, the duration of an engagement with a mob is not so long as to have to cast them more than once, and it's easily recharged by the time you meet the next one, even in a quickly moving group.
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Of all the professions I've played, Ritualist is the slowest paced with the least amount of action, though this is offset by its deep and complicated skillset and strategy.
Again, it's comparable to other classes. I thought playing a Minion Master was incredibly slow and boring. Really only a Ritual Lord is slow paced. Channeling and Restoration are both on par with other classes in terms of action.
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Originally Posted by Kali Ma
I'd rank the best solo professions without using a farming build as: Ranger, Necromancer, Warrior, Monk, Elemenalist, Assassin, Mesmer, Ritualist. Some will disagree on the order, but Ritualist is in the bottom three for sure.
See, I'd say: Monk, Warrior, Ranger, Rit, Mesmer, Ele, Necro, Assassin. Monk and warriors are the kings of farming. Ranger's, Rits, Mesmer, Ele's, necro's all tied... but only cause the casters can easily use the monk farming tricks with a secondary. Assassin is by far the worst to farm with.
20 Oct 2006 at 14:40 - 5
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You're not the first sought out, but its not hard either. A RITUAL LORD might have problems, but a Rit can easily replace a Heal Spamming Monk or a Damage dealing caster. Either of those to roles are ALWAYS in demand.
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I think this becomes more true the further into the game one gets. Early on it can be much harder to find players who recognize what Rits are capable of.
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See, I'd say: Monk, Warrior, Ranger, Rit, Mesmer, Ele, Necro, Assassin. Monk and warriors are the kings of farming. Ranger's, Rits, Mesmer, Ele's, necro's all tied... but only cause the casters can easily use the monk farming tricks with a secondary. Assassin is by far the worst to farm with.
I don't necessarily equate "soloing" with farming. Some people like to actually play solo with standard, non-farming builds, just for the challenge of it. For farming purposes, I would agree that the Monk and Warrior are hands down the best choices, with all others relying on a Monk secondary to get the job done.
Now a Ranger can truly go solo in the wilderness without a monk secondary or a special "farming" build by using traps, evasion, kiting, nature rituals and a pet. A Minion Master can do it too, if they bring along something to create the corpses quickly, though it's a challenge to get momentum going, and there are certain corpseless areas that just aren't doable.
20 Oct 2006 at 15:04 - 6
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Originally Posted by Kali Ma
I don't necessarily equate "soloing" with farming.
Ah, yes. In that case, Ranger and Necro are at the top.
20 Oct 2006 at 15:22 - 7
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Originally Posted by Windjammer
I'm thinking of making a ritualist as my first time character. I'm going to list my reasons and concerns for this, feel free to leave feedback, corrections, opinions, or flame.
1. Broad enough skill set to adapt to needs of group and be a viable profession in any situation? (I'm very concerned with having a profession that can participate in everything that PvE has to offer)
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Welcome to the Ritualist clan.
While this maybe true (some will argue not), it will take you a while to get to be the true Jack-Of-All-Trades. Groups currently have a stated formula of what they want in the group. At least 1 Warrior, 1 Necromancer (either MM or SS depending on situation), 2 healers (currently many still prefer 2 monks, but that is slowly changing  ), 1 nuker. There are still some people who are ignorant about the powers of the Ritualist, and hopefully you will join us in educating these poor souls that Ritualists is more than a spirit spammer/blind spellcaster. As you see I've listed 5 out of 8, but this is generally what people want to see as a bare minimum (not including solos, 2 - 5 man farms). You can be a healer, protector, and eventually a nuker (that takes the longest to master).
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Originally Posted by Windjammer
2. Ritualist somewhat analogous to WoW shaman? (my favorite WoW class, endgame WoW just gave me a headache)
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I too have not played WoW. The best I've played is War Craft III, but not much of it. Can't help. 
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Originally Posted by Windjammer
3. Soloability?
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There are a few solo builds, so yes, it is possible.
) nothing gave me as much options as the ritualist. So I suggest trying a easier class first such as a n/mo listed ealier and trying the ritualist later.