What are bards?

[Bassist]

I just want to know what bards (troubs and dirges) are supposed to be now?  The poll up front says people raid or solo, but troubs don't add much to either with LU24 except for some PoM and Jesters every now and again.  At least in terms of things that can't be done by using auto-follow.  I'm asking because I still have some spells/skills to upgrade and I want to make the correct choices.  I don't want to upgrade an always up buff (Aria's, for instance) and then have it turned into a special occasion buff.So, what is our intended role?

[J]

<DIV>What are bards?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Buff Bots.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>AFK Always.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Bored.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Quitting.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Oops, you were asking a serious question.  Don't worry though, I didn't mess anything up. Your post said bards, and thus is destined to not be answered by anyone knowledgable.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>=D</DIV>

[Bahann]

<P>I would have to say that bards/troubador are mostly a support class.  Although they can dps good if they have good stats/eq.</P> <P>Where as solo is concerned... I can somewhat solo with my troubadour.  But with nerfs happening all the time it will come to a point where soloing is harder and harder.....</P> <P>There are too many nerfs being done in the game in the name of "balance"... that's my point on things... Some are needed but most of what they are changing in my opinion should be left alone.</P> <P> </P>

[SeregWethrin]

dps good what the [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] are you smoking.  Troubs rank alongside healer dps when comparing people will similar eq and spells.  Sure we can hit warrior dps maybee even scout/wizzy dps with all masters and fables but thats not important.  Troubs are literally one of the lowest dps classes out there.  we are nowhere near where SOE has stated our dps should be for the class though.<div></div>

[Gharik]

Horrible dps, horrible avoidance, no stances, no poisons. Seems they are intended to be effective only in groups. Fine, but it makes it hard to complete much of the solo content. <div></div>

[Nevari]

Easy, I want to be in the role the official class description outlines. That is not given.Now I dare to go that far that I say I speak about the class description pre-DoF.... ok forget it. That's even more of a dream than getting any dev response at all but still....I understand there is the need of closing a topic some point. In my opinion the combat changes sucked, big time. Feels like other games from the brand SOE without a direction and small tweaks going to be blown up to a full scale revamp of a working system. A system which needed tweaks, yes but no full revamp either.Answer me one question please. If you were unable to get it right the long development time of the game itself before it went retail, how are you supposed to get it done now? No, don't tell me experience of the live state as you didn't get it right obviously even with this "experience". You just changed it.Anyway to close the circle, I want to be there I do feel and am important to a group and raid. Right now a Troubador is mandatory at best. A nice addon but nothing more. Nothing world breaking really. Other classes are key classes for raids at least. Now it was claimed you wanted to get rid of this? Well again you failed, sorry to say.Ok this time really back to topic but I hope you do see and understand that these comments show clearly the bad mood of one hellof upset player.I do hope we get some consolidated thread again on the Troub class forums like we had in the past. Which would be the only valiable option to give any actual game mechanic relating feedback.Nevertheless as I do not know what my class is today nor that I know what SOE is thinking my class should be, I fail to answer this question myself. Nowdays I just cope with the changes as good as possible and strive hard to be last known Troubador world wide (yes, that was sarcasm really).This all doesn't change one fact... you treated bards for a too long time like a unwanted stepchild. Now this reflects on your fame as whole, for the game and the brand. Your turn to make us know better and make us drop our jaws to the floor and genuflect you apologizing BUT DO IT!<div></div>

[Ravensbelly]

<DIV>i tend to solo pretty well, i made it to 55 in a month on my dirge with only a few groups. but yeah. we are pretty much buff bots/debuff bots. i still love my dirge though even though soon to be i wont have any damage at all and alot of my buffs will more then likely be nerfed into oblivion.</DIV>

[Emerix]

<DIV> <P>/quote</P> <P>I would have to say that bards/troubador are mostly a support class.  Although they can dps good if they have good stats/eq.</P> <P>Sorry youre wrong .  Thanks to soe we cant do much damage . our crowd control will be completely *censored* up and uhm ...</P> <P>/follow</P> <P>/afk</P></DIV>

[Lordviperscorpian]

<div></div>Bards are due for a serious revamp.  SoE has been chipping away at the bard class for a while and i think LU24 will be the straw that breaks the camels back.  They needs to seriously look at all the spels/buffs and revamp most of them.  By revamp i mean remove concentration costs on some bard buffs such as:  Tombs, DR/PR buff, and the self buff.  That would be a great start.  Then they need to look at AA's, who cares about making our HO refresh faster!?  Not me.  I cant believe it once buffed parry and then they changed it to the worthless PoS it currently is.  Who thought that one up!?  Id take more parry any day.  I really do think that bards need a way to have more concentration slots than others, maybe incorporate those into AA abilities? 1 more slot for the first one...then maybe remove that Group invis and put another one there.  I dont know...something needs to be done with bards and NOW.  Everytime another class whines about a skill they have bards get nerfed.  Why?! Becuase bards do EVERYTHING.  So when ever someone cries about not being able to mez, charm fear, CC, Dmg, what ever....we get nerfed.  Its stupid.  Whats the point of being a bard if they keep taking everything away that makes a bard a bard....oh...and there is absolutly no reason why bards should not be able to 100% cast all the songs/spells on the run.  Thats what makes a bard a [Removed for Content] bard.  GET REAL SOE.<div></div><p>Message Edited by Lordviperscorpian on <span class=date_text>05-17-2006</span> <span class=time_text>05:28 AM</span>

[Lordviperscorpian]

And i guess this is a bad time to ask about instruments.  Doubt we'll ever see those, and if we do we can always count on them being nerfed <span>:smileysad:</span><div></div>

[Geekyone]

<DIV>As a 20 Troubadour, I was out damaging the 23 ranger that was in our group last night.  All the while, doing my group wide buffs to enhance everyone's effectivness.  I didnt' see the ranger doing that. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV>

[SideshowBob]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Geekyone wrote:<BR> <DIV>As a 20 Troubadour, I was out damaging the 23 ranger that was in our group last night.  All the while, doing my group wide buffs to enhance everyone's effectivness.  I didnt' see the ranger doing that. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Personally, I see little differece in most toons under level 30 aside from the type of armor they wear and the fact that some can heal  :smileywink:</P> <P>Where you will start to see the major differences between the different scout archetypes is when you reach the 40's.  From there on out, you will continue to see that chasm widen into the 50's 60's and up to 70.  </P> <P>I can tell you first hand that there is no way on god's green earth that my level 68 Troub could ever even dream of breaking 1200 dps in a group situation - just as my boyfriend's 68 Ranger did a few days ago (I actually think he was 65 or 66 at the time - I saved the screenshot so I'd have to go back and look). Heck, I'd be happy to break 400 in the right situation. At the higher levels we're in now, his Ranger could one-shot my Troub. I don't know since I'm too afraid to duel him (I know better).</P> <P>Sure, he doesn't bring as much utility in the way of buffs to the group as my gimped Troubie, but groups will snatch him up anyway because of his massive DPS, and the fact that just about every other class provides similar buffs that the Troub does, but with more overall group utility/desireability in the way of DPS/healing/cc, etc.</P> <P>The main thing is: enjoy your Troub while you still can  :smileyhappy:  Hopefully by the time you reach your 50's and get your mez and charm, they will have been nerfed to oblivion by then, so you won't miss what you ever knew to begin with.</P> <P>Me personally, I moved my Troub to another account in preparation for her forthcoming inaguration into /autofollow /afk buffbot-dom  :smileysad:<BR>In the event that these changes don't go live (I hope, I hope, I hope!) then I will at least have the option of playing two fun toons at the same time. </P>

[Vulking]

<P><EM>I have petitioned to have my Troubs name changed to Mooncake or Ohfopa, or Nolnehl or Egnaha.  My first choice is Mooncake since this was a notorious bot name on one of the servers i play.  The others are just as suitable being as they are random names, much like the names chosen by botters for thier toons.  </EM></P> <P><EM>One should look and feel the role you play, should one not??</EM></P> <P><EM></EM> </P> <P><EM>j/k..</EM></P> <P><EM></EM> </P> <P><EM>not.</EM></P><p>Message Edited by Hammarus on <span class=date_text>05-17-2006</span> <span class=time_text>01:32 PM</span>

[Jaimster]

<DIV><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Hammarus wrote:<BR> <P><EM>I have petitioned to have my Troubs name changed to Mooncake or Ohfopa, or Nolnehl or Egnaha.  My first choice is Mooncake since this was a notorious bot name on one of the servers i play.  The others are just as suitable being as they are random names, much like the names chosen by botters for thier toons.  </EM></P> <P><EM>One should look and feel the role you play, should one not??</EM></P> <P><EM></EM> </P> <P><EM>j/k..</EM></P> <P><EM></EM> </P> <P><EM>not.</EM></P> <P>Message Edited by Hammarus on <SPAN class=date_text>05-17-2006</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>01:32 PM</SPAN><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE>LOL... I don't think anyone really knows what Bards are anymore.  Although mine is now my harvester=).../cry<BR></DIV>

[Jooneau]

<blockquote><hr>Geekyone wrote:<DIV>As a 20 Troubadour, I was out damaging the 23 ranger that was in our group last night.  All the while, doing my group wide buffs to enhance everyone's effectivness.  I didnt' see the ranger doing that. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV><hr></blockquote>Our group wide buffs, especially at low levels like 20, are effectively worthless. As for you outdamaging the ranger, at level 20, that has more to do with the quality of your weapons and the rank of your spells than the class.

[Loki_d20]

<div></div><div><blockquote><hr>Geekyone wrote:<div>As a 20 Troubadour, I was out damaging the 23 ranger that was in our group last night.  All the while, doing my group wide buffs to enhance everyone's effectivness.  I didnt' see the ranger doing that. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></div><hr></blockquote>And is also extremely subjective to what you were fighting, what the ranger was doing, your spell and equipment differences, and so on.  Once you get to 35+, it becomes much easier to see what your class begins to play out as.  I started in January after a long hiatus and thought playing to 20 would give me an idea of the classes and what I like in them and their strengths.  I was pretty wrong about that for half of them as I'm finding that as I get them to about level 25-30, they're starting to evolve into something totally different than expected.</div><p>Message Edited by Loki_d20 on <span class=date_text>05-19-2006</span> <span class=time_text>10:49 AM</span>