A little over a year ago, I purchased an 1988 Ford Ranger XLT, with an AT and 2.9 V6. Since then, it has been nothing but trouble. It has an abnormally high idle--somewhere between 1500 and 2000 RPM. Occasionally, it dies while it's idling.

The main problem I have, is this strange little ticking sound the engine makes. The ticking increases as I accelerate. I've heard that this ticking isn't rare with the 2.9 V6, but what is going on with my vehicle? And how do I fix it?

that what you are hearing is the sound of a valve with too much lash clearance.

If that engine has hydraulic lifters (very likely) one or more of the lifters may have partially collapsed. Replacing the lifter is the only cure.

If the rocker arms have adjusting nuts, the lash can be set to the factory specs which should cure the "ticking" noise.

Both of these should be done by a trained technician. Only a highly skilled shadetree mechanic should attempt these repairs.

One other possibility is a "leaking" ignition wire arcing to ground. This also should show up in your radio as a background noise that rises and falls in pitch with the speed of the engine. Tune your radio to the AM band to test for this.
You might also be able to see the blue arc if you open the hood with the engine running while in dim light, such as dusk.