QoL change for Mage's Ballad?

I did a quick search and didn't find anyone mentioning this, but I could just be blind.. So I hope I'm not being a parrot here.

Anyway, Mage's Ballad really should have a sound effect play whenever it resets Bloodletter. Or some better way to notify the player. I'm only at lv 43 on my bard and don't exactly know if it gets better at later levels. (I have a feeling it won't.) But having to constantly look at my hotbar to see when Bloodletter's cd resets just feels wrong and bad.

In big dungeon pulls when I stack my dots to a point Bloodletter resets pretty much between every GCD, it isn't a problem. But every other time I'm almost dreading to use Mage's Ballad because it takes me out of the game world and forces me to watch the ability icon.

To me, not having a sound cue on a random proc feels like an oversight. For comparison's sake WHM gets a sound cue when a lily pops up. And they have a static cooldown.


EDIT: I've seen people suggesting Bloodletter/Rain of Death having charges (akin to Ruin IV), and I have to say I like the idea more and more each time. It would essentially achieve the same thing as a sound cue while removing, or the very least alleviating, the dropped dps for missing a proc.

The sound effect on MB procs is clearly a disliked idea because there are other frequent sound cues already in play at later levels. I completely understand this as a person who gets easily annoyed by certain frequent sounds/voices. Even with my recent experiences I could see it becoming ovearbearing since Bloodletter can pretty much proc between every GCD if enough DoTs are in play. Actually even before suggesting the sound cue, I was worried it could become too much. Glad to see it confirmed.

Also, the WHM comparison isn't really a good one since the Lily sound cue has a low frequency and it's the only one WHM's have.

I'd honestly consider changing Bard songs to begin with by removing Army's Paeon, and turning WM and MB into a stance. WM focused around single target, MB around aoe. Or even consider just removing them at this point. Without providing a buff, thematically it's weird, and Army's is just awful feeling, whereas MB feels necessary for AoE and WM feels the best for ST, so I'm not quite sure why they aren't just a stance to begin with at this point. Facilitating Bloodletter gameplay just doesn't feel good enough and, well, you basically endlessly string them but it's purely a personal buff.

I understand there's an argument in favor of keeping them because it does slightly shift Bard's own rotation, but if that's the route the devs want to go, then just emphasize that aspect instead of having these weird procs to reset cooldowns or procs to have a faster GCD that every good bard wants to get out of as soon as practical and go from there.

And by emphasize, I mean make it so your innate rotation changes when you're in a different song, not the same innate rotation but faster, or with different oGCDs every so often, which is a bit bland.

You get a sound notification for pitch perfect full procs and apex arrow bar fill. Believe me having a sound on BL would drive everyone insane.

Tbh I would prefer an added charge system for bloodletter / rain

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Originally Posted by ruskie

You get a sound notification for pitch perfect full procs and apex arrow bar fill. Believe me having a sound on BL would drive everyone insane.

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This did cross my mind. Proc based sound cue definitely shouldn't be as "forceful" as the mentioned Lily sound cue. Maybe it wouldn't drive people insane if it was subtle enough? Few harp cords?

I feel there should also be an option to turn the sound effect off, if it bothere people. Regardless, you can't exactly "win" with the current system.

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Originally Posted by Taranok

I'd honestly consider changing Bard songs to begin with by removing Army's Paeon, and turning WM and MB into a stance. WM focused around single target, MB around aoe. Or even consider just removing them at this point. Without providing a buff, thematically it's weird, and Army's is just awful feeling, whereas MB feels necessary for AoE and WM feels the best for ST, so I'm not quite sure why they aren't just a stance to begin with at this point. Facilitating Bloodletter gameplay just doesn't feel good enough and, well, you basically endlessly string them but it's purely a personal buff.

I understand there's an argument in favor of keeping them because it does slightly shift Bard's own rotation, but if that's the route the devs want to go, then just emphasize that aspect instead of having these weird procs to reset cooldowns or procs to have a faster GCD that every good bard wants to get out of as soon as practical and go from there.

And by emphasize, I mean make it so your innate rotation changes when you're in a different song, not the same innate rotation but faster, or with different oGCDs every so often, which is a bit bland.

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I do like the idea of your rotation changing with a different song. I also agree that the base rotation for bard is bland. To me, who's generally a healer, it manages to be even blander than healer DPS "rotation" somehow! I'd dare say it feels a little bit like the old MCH rotation. Just with less luck required on procs.

About Army's Paeon. It does feel weirdly out of place to me. MB serves a clear purpose on giving you more Bloodletter/RoD. And WM also looks to have a clear end goal with Pitch Perfect. (Haven't gotten to use WM yet.) I mean sure, with enough dots on, you can get a nice speedy aoe spam going on with AP, but that's about it, I guess. I feel like it should at the very least incease Straight Shot ready proc chances or something.

During Mages Ballad, get used to spamming your Bloodletter (Or Rain of Death) button between your GCD's so if it it procs, it gets used. But stop spamming it when your next GCD is almost ready so you don't clip!

Later on, you do get sound effects for Pitch Perfect and Apex Arrow when they fully charge. Unfortunately, its the same sound effect for both...

The idea of BL/RoD making a sound every time it procs gives me a headache. Because we're talking a fairly high proc rate the higher you get. Especially after level 74 when you get the Enhanced Quick Nock trait that gives it a chance of resetting during AOE Quick Nock spam.

The gauge does flash when the cooldown resets. I'd suggest placing an icon near your character (or wherever your eyes want to look during combat), or place the gauge next to your character. Keeping everything in a central location works wonders for watching for procs while also watching the environment around you.

Nah not down for that, nice idea in theory but in practice that would get annoying real fast. A charge system on the other hand for it so we stop missing out on double procs? That I would be down for...

I would definitely prefer a charge system.

Sound-wise, I would prefer if AA and PP had different sounds for maxing the gauge....

So clearly the sound cue isn't too liked an idea, and I get that. Instead of a sound cue, would additional graphical effects help at all? The flashing of the job gauge is OK, but there could be something else. Floating combat text? Or maybe, say, red arrow head flashing once above the PC's head?

They are actually adjusting the Apex and Pitch sounds soon.

As far as when it procs and using it the charge system would probably work best and seamlessly integrate without something out of the ordinary in the game. If it were a sound and you proc'd it very often it'd get annoying.