I have like 1600+ items in my bard email folder and keep going there
thinking that I will delete them. But each time I find some 'gem' and
decide to just keep them for a while longer. Here is a clip that might
amuse some of you:
(begin paste - names removed to protect the guilty)
> Sent: Thursday, June 24, 1999 12:55 PM
> Subject: [eqbards] high level bard suggestion
> Can't stop thinking about weak bards at high levels, haunted with the
> premonition of myself sitting in the entrance of some dungeon,
periodically
> calling out I need to join a group, no answer, finally logging out after a
> long night without having done a thing. Had an idea, though, tell me what
> you think.
I think you'll find that at higher levels, the players DO appreciate a bard,
and actively seek them out, if there's not a regular one in their cadre.
By that point, the newbie curse of the bard has worn off, there's no
confusion in the upper level players mind about what a bard can do.
And, by default, if you've taken a bard to the 40's and beyond, you have
"proven" yourself to be skilled in bardic ways and a good social animal as
well.
Not to mention that not only do you have an active support role, you have an
active combat role as well, and neither requires you to sit on your duff for
10 minutes after each fight, staring at a spell book. And, when you're
along, of course, you minimize that for others as well.
As far as boosting bardic power, it's already done. At 45th level, (or
pretty much any level after you get Hymn, for that matter) you DO see the
health bar move at an appreciable rate, as well as the mana bar, when a bard
is along. A single bard in a group of 6 can flat outheal a cleric over
time, doing around 1200 hp per minute per person in the party. The offensive
powers of a bard are subtle, but still very potent. DDD was added to give
them a bit more rapid firepower in limited situations, for there are times
when nuking is handy.
Anyone who thinks a high level bard is weak has a serious perception or
education problem. There's been an ongoing debate internally for months now
about bards being, if anything, too powerful, and nobody internal, even the
staunchest bard advocates, have ever claimed they were weak, not since phase
2 (before that point, many classes, including the bard, were in a much more
unfinished state).
Personally, I think one of the defining moments for a bard is when they find
themselves no longer memorizing Bellow, even when solo. I won't expound on
that, when that time comes, you will know.
So, fear not, unless you've done something of a personal nature to make
others hesitant to group with you, you'll not lack appreciation for what you
bring to the table.
(end paste)
Make of this what you will. Personally, I think that the first poster turned
out to be a bit more correct in his predictions than the guy who answered
him. And the scary thing is that the guy who answered him has since shed
his "guise of the deceiver" and is now a VI employee. I really like the
part about bards being able to heal more than clerics <snicker>. It just
does not work that way in how this game gets played. To be fair - he may not
have had much experience beyond level 45 at that point and with only "old
world" zones - certainly does not seem to consider the current use of a main
tank and complete heal that most everyone uses in combat.
Sylly
p.s. 1500 of the 1659 items are from June, July, August & September of '99 -
the "good ole days."