a caster pet for $14.99/month

[okanfa]

<div></div><div>that is how I feel as a troub, and I need to pay to be someone's pet buff totem. Dev, you need to relook into this class and give some loving, give some us 'totems' some strong hands and legs to kick the mobs around abit. It is not like group buff is anything special at all in EQ2, hell the fighters get group haste etc. If you could do a nice job on giving fighters some group friendly abilities then why can't you make troubs a little more special instead?</div><div>What exactly is your 'vision' for troubs?</div><div> </div><div>Edit- and no thanks to response like 'oh it is great when you hit lvl50 mezz/charm/kiss miss'. In today's MMORPG you dont need to get to [Removed for Content] lvl50 for things to get better. You also KNOW SoE's track record, god knows how long your mezz/charm specials will be online...it my not coincide with their 'vision'. in the future.</div><div> </div><div> </div><p>Message Edited by okanfall on <span class="date_text">02-23-2006</span><span class="time_text">07:20 AM</span></p>

[Bassist]

To be fair, the "vision" started his own company <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />I don't think anyone has said soloing is easy with this class.  Some people do have fun, and it does become easier at 50.  We can even take on mobs that others can't, it just takes a god-awful long time.  I take it as a challenge.  Look at the description for the class at character creation:"Troubadors inspire and protect their companions with songs of bravery and heroism.  By infusing music with magic, Troubadors embolden their allies into performing outstanding feats of courage against their opponents.  The Troubador's songs are particularly popular with spellcasters."We are designed as the caster buffer.  We hit their design pretty head-on.  If I'm in a caster group they can rip through things they were barely getting through before.  Troub's get to go to the hard stuff every time, because people have learned that with a caster-heavy group you can add a troub and damage flows from their pores.  Yes, it's hard to do solo stuff while lfg.  I'm rarely lfg for more than a few minutes.It is fun, it is challenging, and you just don't progress as fast as others while soloing (in wealth or power).  The last seems to be the crux of the biscuit.  I feel differently about playing this game:  I'm in here to have fun, not beat everyone.  I know others feel differently, I'm related to a whole bunch of 'em.  I really don't think this is the class for people who need numbers to tell them how good they are at playing a game.  I don't know what else to say.  But, I'm sure I'll say more anyway.<div></div>

[Haeli]

Bassist is my hero.<div></div>

[Grimme]

<div></div><p>Im going to have to.. umm.. disagree with you there.</p><p>And agree with Bassist.</p><p>The troub seems pretty much as intended.</p>

[KX88]

<div></div><p>I have to admit there have been times when I have felt a bit like the OP. Then I read a  post like the one above and it reminds me what a great class the Troubadour actually is. You just have to realize if you want to solo alot this is not the right class for that.</p><p>To Bassist, very well said.</p>

[Rounl]

<div>I'm a story teller and my one man band, all the girls dig me, and I like to play ping pong naked.</div>

[WooTast]

I look at the bright side -- I can do other things at home while raiding.  Debuff...debuff...debuff...cast our 20 second spell proc once in a while...thats about it.Helping with mezzes for certain encounters is fun when not enough 'chanters are in the raid.Other than that I can browse the 'net on my laptop or watch tv etc during raids.<div></div>

[Jehannum]

<div>Bassist - it's sort of nice having another relatively calm person hereabouts who's just in it to have fun and realises it's not about the bigger better bang but about having fun with what you do.  The fact that I have <strong>more</strong> fun when we're dying, developing strategies and finally beating raids is simply a personal path to nirvana.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  Fortunately, coming up with strategies is easy with a self-buffed int over 400 <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  It's nice, though, that I get to see your posts and realise that I'm not alone in being unworried that the greater part of our contribution is attributed to others.  I don't mind that Precise and Dissonant notes belong to the player who procs them, because I - and they - know if I weren't there, there'd be none at all.  I don't mind that many don't notice the rise in hit % and corresponding dps parse is due to dove song or Zander/Kian, because those who DO pay attention love having bards along.  I guess in a sense I'm also fortunate in that my guildleader/raidleader used to play a bard in EQ1 - so he's also got a full appreciation for the kind of incremental nudging a troub (or dirge) can do to push a marginal raid or group fully into "Kickass" mode.</div><div> </div><div>Of course, I can't win a freakin' lotto to save my life, so my guildies have been getting an earful of "I've seen 8 ^%*#%# Droag hides drop and you (*^#$%T^ haven't given me any yet!!!"  But that's different <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></div><div><blockquote><hr>Rounlin wrote:<div>I'm a story teller and my one man band, all the girls dig me, and I like to play ping pong naked.</div><hr></blockquote></div><p>Ahem.  I'm not entirely sure I needed to see this...  Bad mental image of a smashed ball.</p>

[Jak]

I need to remind Bassist, that Troubadors were not designed to be caster buffers until last September when LU13 came out.  Therefore, saying that we should be happy in our role as caster bots because afterall that is what we selected, is only true for new Troubadors.  I for one deeply miss the old Swan Song.  To have SS taken from me and replaced with the new SS does not make me happy one bit.I have noticed that all our buffs and debuffs can be done better by other classes.  The only difference is that our buffs are for the group and not single targets.   Our best debuff decreases slashing crushing etc... for 28 at master 1, but swashies can do the same thing for 40+ (cant remember the exact number).  Yes they stack, but swashes get great dps to go with their debuffs, we dont. Add that to the fact that RoR was nerfed.  PoM was nerfed.  Our Hate Reduction line was just nerfed.  Aria line was nerfed.   Lets not even discuss the songs that reduce the targets power by a tiny bit even after the mobs were changed to have endless power.  What have we gotten in return for all these nerfs? Umm a 34 percent run speed, which I still use, but no one else in my group ever uses because they have a 40% carpet. Now, I still play  my Troub and will until I quit eq, but please dont tell me I signed on for this and therefore I should be happy about it.  Troubadors were the only class to have their role totally redifined a year after  the game went live.  I for one would have rolled a Dirge if Sony had given any indication that they were going to force this casterbot role on me. In short, me and every other Troub who started when the game first went live have every right to complain endlessly.  Even if it does no good because devs never read Troub forems or threads. <div></div>

[WooTast]

The old Swan Song, and having Raxxyl's buff agi, made us much more exp group friendly.  It didnt matter to me for a long time once I hit 60 and exping was over, but now that the expansion is out I can't tell you how many times Ive been told that the group needs 'better dps than a troub.'  Yeah we can take a 6th spot in a well-balanced group, but otherwise it's hard to find good work these days.<div></div>

[Bartimaeus]

<div>Well, I can understand the whole soloing issue, I absolutely detest TRYING to solo, because we suck so much. I do love though the way that we can turn a good group great. Last night our group had 2 troubadors and a dirge. . (which is highly unsual) Along with a fury monk and berserker we were killing stuff faster than I ever have. All those buffs really [Removed for Content] out the group, and I believe thats how we were intended to function as a class.</div>

[Bassist]

As the server-wide first bard, I understand the cry against the LU13 changes.  I cried as well (and I'm man enough to admit it!).  I did other things for a while, since I could only solo at the time due to family constraints (the littles need food at night!).  But, we were buffers from the beginning.  It was great being an all-around buffer.  Here's the description of the pre-LU13 Troub:"Troubadors play music that inspires strength and courage in the hearts of their companions.  They lead their allies into the deepest dungeons, raising their spirits with songs of victory"My point is that while we could solo pre-LU13, it still wasn't in our class description.  Since we were all there pre-LU7 (the soloable additions to dungeons), you remember what it was like even going into a dungeon solo.....shudder.  Yes, EQII was supposed to be more easily soloable than EQ1.  Everyone was supposed to be able to solo.  We really couldn't from the beginning, had a boost at LU7, then a crash at LU13.  I hated losing that extra attack timer in LU13.  After a few months I adjusted and was able to go on.  Then I could start grouping and I guess I don't see the issue.  I have no trouble getting a group, even after KoS.  Maybe people understand troubs on my server more?  I can't answer why people would have trouble getting groups as a troub, but there is plenty of solo content out there that we can do.No, we can't do the heroic mobs for heroic quests.  Some other classes can.  The other classes are breaking the design, if you ask me.  Should the design be changed?  Maybe.  I've grown to like the challenge, and love logging in even when I don't have time for a group and want to progress quests that are designed for the solo player.  Are there creatures out there that don't match the con for us?  Heck, ya!  That dang uncharmable bull crocodile gave me tons of trouble until I brought a friendly croc into the match with me.  And, yes, then I hit 50 and had a better time of it.  Look at my equipment, it's no-where near the best.  Heck, my bow is grey.  Yet I find ways, and that is the fun in the game for me.I agree that you can have complaints, but I say that if you try some new things you can have fun in the new system.  The complaints should also include ways to fix the troub in the new role.  I feel like an SOE fan-boy, but I really do enjoy this game now.<div></div>

[Nevari]

Very well said <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I sure complained a lot and heck that right to do so was covered as well allready in this thread heh.Only point right now which is really outstanding, is that it doesn't seem we get any feedback or can give any actual feedback. The threads giving input and consolidating the community wishes, input, critic and suggestions went unheard cept a lone reply once.Anyway Bassist you summed it up very very well imho <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> That's all I wanted to say right here and now <span>:smileytongue:</span><div></div>

[Jehannum]

<div></div><blockquote><hr>WooTastic wrote:The old Swan Song, and having Raxxyl's buff agi, made us much more exp group friendly.  It didnt matter to me for a long time once I hit 60 and exping was over, but now that the expansion is out I can't tell you how many times Ive been told that the group needs 'better dps than a troub.'  Yeah we can take a 6th spot in a well-balanced group, but otherwise it's hard to find good work these days.<div></div><hr></blockquote><p> </p><p>Wierd.  When I log in with every intention of doing some provisioning, or harvesting, or killing hooluks or darktalons, I invariably get a message that some guildie needs me to bail 'em out in the Palace or the Sanctum or some such... Well, it shows up as "has invited you to a group in XXX" but we all know what that really means.  They need us.</p><p>I was highly in demand for my pulling/parking skills in the Breeding Grounds, for my named-tracking prowess in the Palace and Sanctum, and was absolutely crucial in the Palace for mezzing ^^^ Palace Sentinel adds, as well as hitting nuke, debuff, mez on Nimclaw and re-targeting to throw a DoT on the active target group.  I look forward to mezzing adds on subsequent floors of the Palace too, once our tanks are more uniformly leveled.  The sick thing of it is, though, I'm often the second person invited.  Tank invites healer, then me.  Once we have that group core, we can <strong>already</strong> go and take any content we could with a full group.  Just about any 3 dps classes will allow us to <strong>easily</strong> take yellow content and <strong>comfortably</strong> take orange.  The right 3 classes make orange a snap.</p>