>heh, the bard's flexibility only increases up to about level 52. once you
start
>fighting
>52+ mobs, you lose the ability to crowd control with charm. so you made it
all the
>way to 31 and make sweeping generalizations about the flexibility and
effectiveness
>of a bard?
Yeah I made it all the way to 31. Too bad I have a life. My fleibility is
nowhere what it was at level 18 even.
At 09:57 AM 10/11/00 -0600, you wrote:
>I think the 'at some point' means when they are working on EQ2. It was
very
>apparent that nothing that is related to bards is even remotely 'high
>priority'. Bards are at this point pretty much 'one hit wonders'. If it
>were not for manasong the only groups we'd be getting into would be those
>with our friends. Bards have become the most 'group oriented' kiting
>enabled class imaginable. Every reason I had for playing a bard in the
>beginning has been systematically taken away, other than the role-playing
>aspect. But hey! my druid can hold a mandolin as well as anybody!
>ummm, by this standard you would never be getting into groups since you
don't
>have manasong. but taking a step back and looking at all the classes,
outside
>of clerics and enchanters, what class has an ''in'' to get into a group
over all other
>classes? none.
Wow, bingo! The only groups I get into are with guildmates/friends! I
spent 3 hours in Mistmoore looking for a group, there were 3 groups of lvls
28-25 and none of them wanted a bard once they found out I didn't have
manasong. One guy in the 34-35 group said I was too low, while a different
one in the same group replied that I was too close to a hell level and he
was afraid I'd fall back into it if I joined them. Both after learning I
wasn't 32nd yet. Rangers are highly desireable in any dungeon for Snare,
warriors for their superior tanking ability.
>Seriously though. I played a bard because of the tactical flexibility.
>There was actually a choice of which songs to use in which circumstances
and
>at what times. When was it better to Lullaby, when to Chords? When was it
>better to Anthem, and when Psalm? Those days have gone by as each and
every
>and you really have all those choices still at level 31. as far as i know,
chords,
>anthem, and psalm, as well as hymn, charm, fear, etc all work just fine.
i've
>never had the problems with pixie that other bards complain about. i was a
>mezzing machine in solb on beetles and ldc's at level 50ish.
Well you must have a different client than everyone else then. I would take
my experiences plus Kaearia's (John Kim) data over your supposed never
having problems in a heartbeat. Psalm is never useful enough to be the song
of choice. fear is suicide, a run away tactic at best in a group. Anthem
is useless if there's an enchanter in the group, and since they are so
necessary there nearly always is, especially with 3 in my group of
guildmates/friends.
>tactical option is deleted or made unusable. I never Chain unless alone
>snare is now far better and only level 1! I never Lullaby unless it's to
>you never chain unless alone? maybe you just don't understand the
flexibility
>of a bard then.
that's a good one. that your best debating technique? I do understand the
flexibility and 12 seconds of inferior snaring is nowhere near as good as a
first level druid or ninth level ranger spell, SNARE. Not even close. It
doesn't stack with Largo's and Largo's doesn't break Snare like it does. I
cannot remember the last time I was in a group without a ranger or a druid.
>help some newbie, and even then it's pretty pathetic. I've given up trying
>to Pixie anything, better to just charm it and be 'protected' when the
spell
>goes off. Verant has successfully taken 90% of the things I loved about
>bards and killed them. All because of some 'balance' issue that never
>90%? heh, nice exaggeration. i suppose if the ONLY things you liked about
>a bard was snaring and crowd control this might be true. i personally like
a lot
>more things about my bard. just as a side note, what is your cha and do
you
>use a wind instrument when using pixie?
Generally I don't use a wind instrument since it makes zero difference on
the resist rate, as tested extensively by myself and John Kim. My charisma
can be 153 or 119 depending on gear. I liked doing more than just laying
DoT's with instruments and playing Hymn.
>existed. If bards were so powerful, how come we've always been among the
>rarest classes in a game that's all about power???
>because our power is nicely masked. you have to be a good player and
understand
>a lot about our songs and the way the game works and other classes before
you can
>be that superpowerful bard. most people either don't stick with it long
enough or
>don't have enough knowledge to really master the bard class.
More of that good debating technique? I disagree with you so obviously I am
incompetent? Our power is not nicely masked. We can reduce downtime. We
can make other classes more fun for them to play. Of course the fact that
we can do most of this without ever doing anything but standing in a corner
the casters can run to when they need our song must be the mastery part you
mentioned. <sarcasm intended>
Is our class useless? No, neither is any other class. Does our class
really have anything that defines it? No, we just run real fast and twiddle
our fingers a lot.
Maybe the one without knowledge is you? I can play my druid who is several
levels below my bard and take on the same mobs. Get into a group? No
problem, everyone loves SoW. My druid can still solo yellows without
kiting? My bard can try that with charm, but one bad lag spot and it's the
poor man's Gate for me. My druid group regularly slaughters reds that my
bard wouldn't touch since the resists would be too high for him to be
effective. My enchanter is even more of a joke. I get begged to be in
groups. I have to turn people down all the time. Not to mention I can
actually feel like I pulled my weight.
If I'm the most cynical pessimistic person you have ever met you don't get
out enough.
Kit
> Kitasi, lvl 31 tailor, retired bard
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