> I subscribed to this mailing list a few days ago and so far have just
> seen postings that talk about the higher levels. I've also noticed that
> many of the posts sound unsatisfied with the bard character.

One thing you'll notice on this (or just about any other mailing list or
message board) is that people tend to be more vocal with their complaints.
When things are going well, mum's the word.

Case in point: a recent patch had two Bard-related changes. The first gave us
meditate at level 10 which allows us to memorize our songs much much quicker.
Before this, going from dead to ready seemed to take forever. It allowed us
to memorize during battle if necessary. It was something bards have been
asking for since day 1. There was one post praising the skill.

In the same patch, the animation of a Bard was changed when we play an
instrument and run. Now, instead of surfing along the ground, we waddle along
like Charlie Chaplin at the end of CITY LIGHTS. The number of posts was
staggering with complaints and cries of "Verant doesn't care!"

All in all, a Bard's life changes from level to level. The changes can be
staggering, more so than just about any class. For example, I died at level
22 probably more than any other level. At level 23, I didn't die at all. My
advice to you is to play your bard until it becomes tedious rather than fun.
Then switch to something else. Hate the poor melee? Try a warrior. Hate
running 15 zones to get to your corpse? Play a caster. The Bard isn't for
everybody. Hopefully, you'll stay with our ranks...it's a fun ride!