Bard ~ Job Manifesto

[Leonlionheart]

I really believe a lot of Bards will retire the job if Massacre Elegy is limited to Gjallarhorn exclusively. What point would there be to continue playing the job otherwise? Knowing this playerbase, you and I know exactly what will happen if a Bard tries to get into an event without it. I could transcribe it word for word, but that isn't necessary. You're reading it in your mind as you read this post.

One thing I'd like to see is a more diverse array of enfeebling songs (Requiem, Elegy, and Threnody isn't quite active enough for my liking). A Terror-based song, maybe? Confusion?

Why would anyone quit just from losing out on a song that they've lived without for years? I think the community is getting kind of spoiled, I mean we really got about half of one level cap raise's content every year previously. You just didn't notice you were getting next to nothing because the content took you forever to do.

[Zirael]

I really believe a lot of Bards will retire the job if Massacre Elegy is limited to Gjallarhorn exclusively. What point would there be to continue playing the job otherwise? Knowing this playerbase, you and I know exactly what will happen if a Bard tries to get into an event without it. I could transcribe it word for word, but that isn't necessary. You're reading it in your mind as you read this post.

I doubt it will be any worse than being a TH3 Thief in your endgame linkshell back at lv75.

[detlef]

Yes this will be terrible for non-ghorn brds who will be forced to raid on a different job. I really, really feel for you guys, having to come on BLU one day, WAR another day, NIN another day... But not me! I get to come BRD every day!

[Flionheart]

Skill needs to be relevant. What's the point in releasing AF3+2 when the skill on some of the pieces is effecting 2 songs only, and 2 situational songs at that.

Assuming they're not just pandering to people who are too lazy to get skills at cap that is.

[Covenant]

Not to not pick, but I thought this was a discussion about "manifesto" not necessarily gear choices. But, if career bards are arguing the merit of one over the other I can understand the importance. However, no one commented on my "atma" song idea, where bards could give multiple effects with a single song(maj/minor effects). Is it a crappy idea? Overpowered? Ext icing possibility?

I'm not a career bards, but feel like the single buff path is lame. No matter how strong it is...it will always overwrite itself.

[Glamdring]

Not to not pick, but I thought this was a discussion about "manifesto" not necessarily gear choices. But, if career bards are arguing the merit of one over the other I can understand the importance. However, no one commented on my "atma" song idea, where bards could give multiple effects with a single song(maj/minor effects). Is it a crappy idea? Overpowered? Ext icing possibility?

I'm not a career bards, but feel like the single buff path is lame. No matter how strong it is...it will always overwrite itself.

Sorry Cov, the gear comments is because I was commenting on 2 posts at once, I was saying I support the devs choice NOT to address the issues on brd through gear but by actually adjusting game mechanics.

In response to your Atma-type song, I simply feel that it is too unwieldy. Also, bard songs do not overwrite eachother, they stack, hence why you always see the comments about "double March" or "Ballad x2" and the like. The arguments actually come up when you try to use 2 different songs instead of doubling whoever's fav song.

[Retsujo]

It's not so much a bad idea as it is a dev actually responded so people want their ideas heard.

In my opinion, your idea would be pretty beneficial but would be unfair because all other effect enhancement abilities and spells across the other jobs won't get the same treatment.

Now if these tier 3 songs that might be coming out do what I think they're going to do, then I think it might be a little of what you're talking about. I'm thinking if tier 3 songs come out they'll be just as good as tier 1 and 2 combined, and cannot be stacked with the other tiers. That basically gives two buffs in one song, granted it's the same buff.

[Covenant]

I'm going to throw fake numbers out... If Mage ballad does 1 mp and II does +2 mp...having both gives +3 mp. Or you could mp +2 AND intelligence song...

My suggestion..why not song X that gives +2mp WITH intelligence or other combos. Yes Mage ballad X would be cool by itself, but as we proceed towards lvl 99 ...I think "godmode". The game has already "coded" Atmas, and multi effects spells(Bluemage) why not expand in the final 10 lvls for bard. After all this bard above all other jobs lends itself to party effects.

I think the multi effect paths would make bards once again more desirable...mostly oustide of Abyssea AND bard solo'n.

[detlef]

While we're on this topic, why do Lullaby merits not affect Foe Lullaby II?

[Asanarama]

If you decide to give us the option of making single-target songs into AoE songs, please don’t do it by adding another job ability. I don’t have room for another macro. Make a smart pianissimo (you might want to change its name) with no cooldown that switches an AoE song to single-target or switches a single-target song to AoE.

I was also thinking how I don’t like that you need a “wait” between pianissimo and your song if you decide to put them in the same macro. This just popped in my head and I haven’t thought it through, but what about ammo-slot equipment that goes with bard instruments? There’s probably a whole bunch of stuff you could do with that, but what I’m thinking is replacing pianissimo/fortissimo with this ammo slot gear. One /equip line instead of a /ja line and a /wait line.

It also occurs to me that if they made preludes and etudes AoE, they’d want them to have longer casting time. On the other hand, then maybe we should have shorter casting time when using pianissimo. In the long run, things would probably be simpler if all buffs were AoE, with one job ability making them single-target (and maybe reducing the casting time). It would take some getting used to, but I think once we did get used to it, it would be much simpler. You’d just have to ask yourself , “Do I want single-target or multi-target?”, without adding, “Okay, then what is this buff like normally and do I need to modify it?”