I totally agree with you, I feel useless as a bard now. Last night in Lower
guk I /ooc'd for a group got a tell saying come to the cav, I made my way
down and they invited me, first thing I see is /g wooohooo, crack etc
I stayed with the group for an hour or so and hit level 37, <cheers> then
joined the sent group, as soon as I join once again I see /g wooo mana
song. During a fight I started playing Celerity and I get /g just play mana
song
Fine, if thats what the want. So I stand there doing pitiful amounts of dmg
with my poor melee skills and provide the mana, is that all we are worth?
I also noticed that I was fighting stuff that conned yellow to me at 37 so
I couldn't even use charm when we got a big pull. I think Verant should
make our level 39 song and upgraded charm that works on mobs upto level
47-49 etc. It's gonna suck loosing one of our best abilities because we out
levelled it.
Madagan Songweaver, Bard of 37 songs <Guardians of Light>
Veeshan Server
Ps, Looking on the bright side my Ykesha now proc's and I traded my Runed
Falchion and 600pp for a Sharkjaw Cutlass last night. Although the stats
are not as good as the RF it can be weilded in either hand so it's better
with my Ykesha in the main hand. =)
Ken Bachman <
kbachman@...> on 10/02/2000 02:32:13
Please respond to
eqbards@onelist.com
To:
eqbards@onelist.com
cc: (bcc: John Senior/M&G)
Subject: [eqbards] Are Bards useful? A diatribe...
From: Ken Bachman <
kbachman@...>
Going back to the hybrid discussion, it is my contention that, by
Verant's definition:
Compared to casters, hybrids should have better melee and worse casting.
Compared to meleers, hybrids should have worse melee and better casting.
We are a hybrid.
For true class balance, the melee + casting component for all classes
should be equal, but the above must at the very minimum be true.
For the cost of a material component and fifteen seconds sitting plopped
on their butts, Necromancers, Magicians and arguably Enchanters have
better melee than we do, for as long as they are able to keep their pets
alive. So we fail the definition automatically.
Verant has specifically made our songs weaker than the corresponding
spells cast by other classes (Lullaby is a prime example) because: a)
they are the other classes' specialties, b) our songs affect an entire
group, and hence our songs are "more powerful" than individual spells,
and c) our songs do not require mana and hence can be cast indefinitely.
And yet, we can keep at *most* three songs going at a time, while many of
the clerics, shamans, druids and enchanters I know are capable of keeping
three (plus) buffs up on all party members while *also* casting combat
spells and healing (and, in many cases, meleeing better). If we can cast
fewer songs/spells than these other classes, and those songs are weaker
than the other classes' spells, and most of these classes are better at
melee than we are (either naturally or via pets), what use are we?
Further, even at level 42, I find my song selection to be severely
constrained because many of our best songs are incompatable with spells
that other classes are casting. And their's are better.
I am frequently invited on guild events with the level 50s, but I
strongly suspect that they are using me as a cheap clarity fill-in.
Especially since they are constantly sending /g Play Mana Song. After
all, a level 42 does not steal very much exp from five level 46-50s, and
clarity is pretty useful *given that small exp sacrifice*, if no higher
level is available to fill slot 6.
What happens when I get to level 50? Can I in good conscience argue that
I am actually a useful party member? It seems to me that the value of a
Bard shrinks as he approaches level 50, particularly if Harmonic is
correct and our MR songs are not really needed in Dragon/Planes raids.
I've been reading a lot of posts on various boards where people discuss
their "ideal" party makeup. Given that we are supposed to be the weakest
solo type and the strongest grouping type (correct?), one would expect a
Bard to be listed in one of the first few slots in most of these lists.
And yet, not one of the lists I have seen included a bard *at all*. Not
even when a list of alternates was given for slot 6.
I suspect that this is, in part, due to the fact that there are not very
many Bards (and why would there be, when there are so many much more
obviously powerful classes to choose from), and that it is in part due to
the fact that many Bards are clueless (at level 42, I am increasingly
surprised at the number of people who don't realize that we can twist
songs, for example). Still, doesn't the fact that nobody who has posted
a list like this has bothered to name the Bard at all suggest something
about class balance? Like, for example, we s**k?
I need reassurance. Wah!
Kenross Cantoforjado, 42 songs, Innoruuk
(bored in New York City, once again)
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