Okies, I'll go for it. I'll use Verant's general idea of a bard as a start
though, don't want to start that whole why the heck can we wear plate
argument again.
Primary: Group buffs
Secondary: Melee
Tertiary: everything else
Why don't I think this is true currently? Because Verant overvalues the
fact that our songs do not require mana. To make it true would require them
to realize their error. We should be able to group buff a party at 5 levels
or so below what the other buffers can do to make it truly a primary
ability. Currently many of our buffs are so far behind the equivalent buffs
from other classes that unless the fighting is continuous it is better for
the other classes to buff up and med.
Our melee is really too weak currently to qualify as a secondary. I back
this opinion up by this experience. I was grouped at one point with a
ranger and a shadowknight. We agreed to test out our melee skills, letting
the monsters be the judges. None of us cat any spells or used any abilities
except the ranger to snare mobs that had ceased to offer their opinion as
judges. The result? I did not take more than a single attack the entire
night in any fight. In 4 hours of play I took maybe 150 points of damage.
The shadowknight won the contest but only barely. He was attacked 54% of
the time, the ranger 46%. The number of attacks on me was below 1%.
Granted the SK did have a sword that might be slightly more valuable than my
weapons but the ranger and I had an identical combo.
The only reason I put travel as tertiary is we are great errand runners.
Without teleport our travel really isn't up to snuff with druids and
wizards.
The amount of RL finger twiddling that bards do to make their abilities work
is so far above that required by any other class, we might as well be
playing a different game. I had a friend over last week who plays fairly
regularly with me, he's the ranger from the test actually although his
primary is now a druid. When he saw the constant button manipulation
required by bards during combat he was stunned. He had always agreed we
were a little underpowered, but felt all melee classes were. When he saw
what we have to do to make our abilities function he though that anyone who
had to go through all that ought to see some benefit from it that was more
significant than we do. He said he would rather just have mana than go
through all that constant finger waggling.
Kit
-----Original Message-----
From: Sylly Songsynger [mailto:
jgs@...]
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2000 8:05 AM
To:
eqbards@onelist.com
Subject: [eqbards] Bards abilities redefined was: Attack speedups
Here is a blank sheet of "paper". Fill in what *you* think the bard should
be:
Bard
----
Primary:
Secondary:
Tertiary:
Sylly
> From: "Kimes, Dean W." <dean_kimes@...>
>
> I'd have to agree with John here.
>
> Druids: Primary: ?
> Secondary: Nuker or Healer or Buffer
> Tertiary: Melee
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