Is Bard a difficult job?

For level 90 optimization, I would put it close to the top in difficulty:

Have to pay attention: BLM/NIN
Have to pay attention but not above: MNK/RPR/DNC <<<BRD goes here
Have to pay attention but not boring: DRG/SAM
Have to pay attention but still boring easy: MCH
Technically have to pay attention: RDM
Don't have to pay attention: SMN

BRD in particular keeps tacking on more and more things as it levels. All subject to change in a few months though.

Difficult is subjective. With Bard, it becomes a lot easier when you start organizing your bars. I do mine like this:

Bar Number [left] <---> [right]

3 - [song and coda related]
2 - [multiple target shots] <---> [buffs and debuffs]
1 - [single target shots] <---> [utilities and movement]

(Duty and Role actions are on a common, shared bar)

Next, think of your songs as party buffs. Get the whole musical idea out of your head. That's just job flavor. There's one sequence for single target and one for packs. Save Pitch Perfects until stacked. Single and multiple target ranged attacks should be easy and fall into a normal "priority" based rotation. Apex arrow!

It's actually rather simple, especially if you level like you're supposed to and get used to each abilitiy as you get it. I could see where many jobs might be confusing if you boosted. Not saying you did, or planned on it. Just pointing it out.

Read a full guide.

my 2nd fav job is bard, i don't find it that difficult to play. only thing i forget sometimes is refreshing the dots with iron jaws lol

BRD being Hard is subective, some will find it hard, others won't, and that all depends on a bunch of different aspects like location, ping, how good said player is, etc. In my own personal opinion, it's not hard, just keep your dots up and remember your priority.

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Originally Posted by VictorSpoils

For level 90 optimization, I would put it close to the top in difficulty:

Have to pay attention: BLM/NIN
Have to pay attention but not above: MNK/RPR/DNC <<<BRD goes here
Have to pay attention but not boring: DRG/SAM
Have to pay attention but still boring easy: MCH
Technically have to pay attention: RDM
Don't have to pay attention: SMN

BRD in particular keeps tacking on more and more things as it levels. All subject to change in a few months though.

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RDM's high end optimization is actually interesting, but the payoff is so small that other than trying to fit an extra finisher inside Embolden, I usually don't really care for it.

I'm fine with gameplay having different levels of difficulty among jobs, but it would be a best case scenario if every job had some sort of high end optimization to aim for. The thing that awards you that extra 5% dps, that probably won't matter anywhere else.

I wouldn't call it hard as much as....annoying. Those arrow proccs can be a bit distracting, if not overwhelming.

Personally, I always hated how the shots are instant but the animations have a 'cast time,' it makes me question my ping, not to mention it's visually jarring.

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Originally Posted by bloodSp3c

my 2nd fav job is bard, i don't find it that difficult to play. only thing i forget sometimes is refreshing the dots with iron jaws lol

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This. I can keep track of my song times, my gauges and the mechanics no problem but by god do I forget to refresh those dots sometimes.

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Originally Posted by bloodSp3c

my 2nd fav job is bard, i don't find it that difficult to play. only thing i forget sometimes is refreshing the dots with iron jaws lol

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Never understood why after disconnecting the DoTs from other abilities they didn't just have Iron Jaws apply the DoTs. Maybe in a future update they'll streamline that. It made sense when they affected other abilities but now it's just more buttons to press.

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Originally Posted by TaleraRistain

Never understood why after disconnecting the DoTs from other abilities they didn't just have Iron Jaws apply the DoTs. Maybe in a future update they'll streamline that. It made sense when they affected other abilities but now it's just more buttons to press.

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I'm fairly certain BRD is gonna lose one or both dots in DT, and I'm fine with that. If it loses one dot, say Stormbite then that just leaves Caustic Bite, and there will be no need for Iron jaws. You apply with Caustic Bite, and you reapply with Caustic Bite. The changes I would like to see is that BRD gets walking casts on Burst Shot, and then Stormbite gets reworked to be an ability that grants a personal haste buff for a duration, leaving Caustic Bite as the only dot. Iron Jaws could be reworked to be a conical AOE GCD that applies the Caustic Bite dot -- it could be called Gorgonbite to keep with the snake theming.

It's not necessarily hard unless you go into a static and they start making demands that change weekly to keep up with what THEY want. its not difficult but it can be tedious.

but that's my experience with it. and it made me switch to DRG which was my main through ShB & EW. I've slowly transitioned to BLM (wasnt for me) into NIN but I will be viper bc I don't like the ninja aspect & want to play a thief/rogue, not a ninja.
bard is not hard, just watch a few current guides & practice the rotation & then do it quickly without overlap.