Emancipation of the Bard

[barber2006]

You wouldn't hear that if your DD were better than the other people's. Suck it up.

Putting a full usu, full meritted black belt mnk(or insert properly geared relic DD) on brd during dyna/ein is a crime. Putting an AH war or sam with dusk+1 and maybe speed/velocious belt on brd is not. I've gone BRD or COR to my shells events plenty on my main, even given I had fully geared/meritted WAR and DRK.. guess why? The other DD were better. Now that I've got a respectable MNK and SAM, it shifted. (Protip: I'm the leader, and I don't like BRD. Sup dynamics.)

This only works if you are a DKP linkshell though. Otherwise the guys who come melee will always get the gear first since that 'helps the shell'. Meanwhile, the guy that has War but it always on bard is always picking up the scraps and the gulf between the haves and the have nots is widened even if both are contributing equally.


Well, I shouldn't say 'it only works'. I should say 'its only fair'. It's a different debate entirely, but the War/Brd who comes to 225 consecutive events Bard should have the same lotting rights to War gear that a War/Brd who has come to 225 events War.


Anyways, March III would be nice at 90+ even if it was only 1% over March II. Bard already has such small ways to differentiate themselves. It would be a crime if a 90 Bard giving march/march was only marginally better than a 75. No other job could perform near optimally 15 levels below the cap, but depending on how it shakes out its very possible this could be the case for bard.

[FailureMidgard]

Anyways, March III would be nice at 90+ even if it was only 1% over March II. Bard already has such small ways to differentiate themselves. It would be a crime if a 90 Bard giving march/march was only marginally better than a 75. No other job could perform near optimally 15 levels below the cap, but depending on how it shakes out its very possible this could be the case for bard.

Level 80 bard gets haste.
Level 82 bard gets cure4.

I'd much rather see more unique effects/songs than I would March 3, personally.

As for other jobs performing near optimally 15 levels below cap, I strongly disagree with you here. I think any support role can in a lot of situations. Obviously not in solo/etc, but if you assume Ein is still worth doing at 90 (It seems to be at 80, at the least...), then a bard gains more going from 75>80 than a white mage IMO.

[Onorgul]

Level 80 bard gets haste.
Level 82 bard gets cure4.

I'd much rather see more unique effects/songs than I would March 3, personally.

As for other jobs performing near optimally 15 levels below cap, I strongly disagree with you here. I think any support role can in a lot of situations. Obviously not in solo/etc, but if you assume Ein is still worth doing at 90 (It seems to be at 80, at the least...), then a bard gains more going from 75>80 than a white mage IMO.

Bard gets Haste, White Mage gets Accession or Convert... I think they're actually on pretty even footing, honestly.

I agree, though, Bard needs something other than a Haste song to distinguish itself. Before Corsair, it was sufficient in that it brought a host of wholly unique buffs, but now it's March and Elegy forever whilst Corsair can bring a host of both unique and substantially more powerful options, albeit somewhat variable.

[Midnightjade]

This only works if you are a DKP linkshell though. Otherwise the guys who come melee will always get the gear first since that 'helps the shell'. Meanwhile, the guy that has War but it always on bard is always picking up the scraps and the gulf between the haves and the have nots is widened even if both are contributing equally.


Well, I shouldn't say 'it only works'. I should say 'its only fair'. It's a different debate entirely, but the War/Brd who comes to 225 consecutive events Bard should have the same lotting rights to War gear that a War/Brd who has come to 225 events War.

Not sure where the assumption is coming from that everyone wants to play melee but some are forced to play BRD or COR. Kind of has the subtext of a gay porno flick - bigger guy gets to give it, other guy has to take it LOL. Am I missing something?

I wouldn't level a straight melee if you paid me - I find playing those jobs kind of boring. Happy to keep going BRD to events (or WHM once I finish it).

I'll also lot the gears I'm eligible for within a points system, be they for BRD, WHM or BST. If that means lotting against a WAR for a piece of melee gear for my BST, then that's fine and they have to accept it. It is part of the system.

[Garota]

Fuck that, what bard really needs is an ability to pair with Pianisimo, so you can stand back by your Red Mage or White Mage, or army of Mages, and cast songs like Marchx2 on your party members and when the spell hits the player, it generates an AoE around them, so you don't have to sacrifice your Ballads making MP regain no longer a nightmare.

Thank you Shenrien for agreeing with me... I think SE fucked up by making Etudes SINGLE TARGET SONG and also adding Pianissimo to begin with! Now I can't sing Etudes to a group. Well, how bout these cookies? Fortissimo would be the job ability you're describing. It's something I've had on my mind as well. Love the way you described how it would work though. This could create dual bards in a black mage party efficient, one bard sings ballads and another sings etudes. Heck, even a single bard with multiple rangers getting double preludes.

[Scritch]

RNGs need Preludes? (otherwise, yes, the Etudes thing would be nice)

[Onorgul]

RNGs need Preludes? (otherwise, yes, the Etudes thing would be nice)

Double Preludes, no, but if you're in a synced bird party with a pair of Rangers or a Ranger and a Corsair who likes to use his gun, it can get a little obnoxious casting twice. Worse still if you have a full party of Rangers for something like Einherjar or Dynamis, but there's frankly no reason to need the Ranged Accuracy there when food can adequately cover it.

[Julian]

Not sure where the assumption is coming from that everyone wants to play melee but some are forced to play BRD or COR. Kind of has the subtext of a gay porno flick - bigger guy gets to give it, other guy has to take it LOL. Am I missing something?

That's not how gay porn works..

[Mathayus]

The new spells BRD got are a let down. I don't even think I'm going to buy them. My hopes are still up to get massacre elegy in the next cap increase. If it becomes one of the new merit abilitys at 99 that would a bit disappointing.

[Onorgul]

Get Paeon. If you get nothing else, Paeon is a really important spell to have around. Anyone who doesn't know this is not playing Bard well.