Swiftsong, consideration for ability adjustment.

Hiya SE,

Just checking to see if the Archer's Swiftsong will be adjusted and/or if there are any adjustments planned for this ability?

E.g. if Swiftsong were to inherit one (or more) of the following / otherwise:
* Swiftsong becomes insant cast.
* Swiftsong effect is suppressed during combat, then refreshes once enmity is lost.
* Swiftsong persists during combat, but removed once damage is taken and must be recast.
* Swiftsong increases evasion, but depletes MP.
* Swiftsong boosts skill speed and spell speed, but depletes MP.

Edit: Or replacing Swiftsong for another ability that may have more application(s).

Thank you.

Those are all good suggestion - I'd like to keep our fast run speed, but if they added one of those latent abilities for combat use and still provided speed run out of combat...hells yeah

I would just be happy with swiftsong giving an increased party evasion buff kind of like featherfoot so it gives tanks more ability to well dodge. Also would like to have the movement speed increase while in combat especially with fights like titan and twintania divebombs, because believe it or not we had a monk in our party and we asked him why do you have fist of wind on. He said he uses fists of wind because if he doesn't the lag will get him killed and guess what, he put on fists of fire then proceeded to die when ADS used repelling cannon. Making swiftsong give these simple changes can help with the overall "support" of a bard and we may actually play a song here or there, but let us be honest the best ballad by far is foe.

I just think it's funny that despite a complete lack of applications that would make it game breaking, this song does not work with battle voice.

Instant cast, the suppression but reactivation effect, or the effect that lasts until you get hit all sound like decent suggestions, the others feel a little redundant or unnecessary to me. If you wanted to add a permanent evasion buff, it would have to be pretty low-tier, otherwise it's basically an infinite featherfoot until you have no more MP. The SCHs have something to boost Skill and Spell speed, and it's by 30% for both of those, can't rightly say what amount would seem justified for that, and I'm not sure what you mean for your last one.

I'd like swiftsong removed from archer and placed into the bard job. I was so confused when my archer was given the swiftsong ability before I could even become a bard.

I think the last suggestion I had lost its context after an edit.

It was requesting the removal of the Swiftsong ability from the Archer's ability list altogether in hopes of a new ability that may have more applications.

On another note, I've been wondering how many Bards have been using Rain of Death outside of the Wide Volley procs? But that may be another topic (and it's probably the same question of using a combo finisher outside of a combo).

Quite honestly I stopped using it for a while except for Procs... but on big boss fights I throw it up just for the "decreased evasion" or whatever it says now for the target. I really think they should have left the damage mitigation...that was awesome!!! Was it really that good with all the other PLD mitigation? I guess another 10% is huge...ohhhhhhh well. Swift Song does need some retweaking...not good enough to be one of the Archer's abilities...it is just not!!!!!!!! I like the poster suggestions....all of them...SE listen to this guy and buff our Swiftsong a little since you messed up our other stuff.

Never thought I'd hear complaining about the best ability in the game.

I use RoD once on T5 snake phase after all snakes grouped up.

This will make it too OP in PvP

This needs more attention

We need Haste spell

I know this thread will probably just be ignored as another guy thinking about himself rather than about game balance but I just have to say it: No, just no.

If you want a haste song then it will have to incur penalties like the other buff songs. Even then, this is still a buff to bard cuz it will expand their utility and options. Movement speed during combat is not even an option, it just opens the door to way too many potential abuse. SE realize how abusable it can be, which is why they made MNK's wind stance MUCH weaker than Swiftsong, self buff only, and you have to sacrifice a stance in exchange for it being active in combat.

Instacast... just no... no, it's a song... not a fart. I do agree they could add a bit more utility to it in combat. But haste I don't think will go since that will utterly unbalance all of PvE - faster running as long as it's active but it goes off during combat yes. Increasing evasion though would be nice though. That's really the only thing I'd put in. It would be something like stoneskin maybe - a secondary effect of the song - so song itself still gives the speed buff for out of combat and disapeares during combat but the secondary effect would be something like:
Lasts for 30 minutes or until hit enough and it does a RNG evasion up to 15% or so. So you could for example get one hit and rng procs 15% extra evasion and you lose it or rng procs 1%+4%+5%+3%+2% on each hit.

This would actually put the song back on my crosshotbar - though where I have no clue... 2 filled to the brim - unless they add a if songactive do this else do this.

increase mount speed :D , or give skill/spell speed :P

oh and change the name to mazurka <3

Giving it a skill/spell speed boost...that could work. Or just make it so it can be used in combat too, I know many a bard would keep it up always then. Especially considering that extra movement speed is godly in Titan as it helps you survive almost everything while helping the game's latency be less of a problem. I should know, I can't complete Titan EX without Fists of Wind up.

yeah a 10% speed boost in combat isnt that bad idea , a Fist of wind buff for the party ^^

castable while moving and useable with Battle Voice would be nice, and wouldnt hurt anything