I'm disgusted with the bard nerf.

[Brannigan]

This thread is old as hell and even though I think Bards overall are fine, I hate seeing dumb additional effects on abilities. Please rework Rain of Death into something more useful or cool in the expansion. Everyone caps accuracy anyway, and letting healers hit things a bit easier isn't worth the TP cost or GCD.

While you're at it make One Ilm Punch useful outside of PVP and rework Shield Swipe and Awareness.

[Shurrikhan]

This thread is old as hell and even though I think Bards overall are fine, I hate seeing dumb additional effects on abilities. Please rework Rain of Death into something more useful or cool in the expansion. Everyone caps accuracy anyway, and letting healers hit things a bit easier isn't worth the TP cost or GCD.

The one thing cool about Rain of Death is that even while Bard can mostly stick to back or flank accuracy on bosses, they might not be able to do so when AoEing trash mobs because of how they crowd around the tank. The evasion down therein allows a normal accuracy value to still work fine in AoEing them. Heck, even when I'm playing my Monk I sometimes appreciate that, in case I'm using Rockbreaker from the front mid-dodge. In PvP though, not that Bard AoE is particularly useful there regardless, it's can be used to strip off a lesser Featherfoot's worth of dodge from a flag crowd, but that's about it. That said, it seems a bit strange that there's no single-target equivalent to this, especially if it were one that you can't keep up 100% (which would otherwise allow for higher dps gear sets while Bard supports the party's acc needs...)

Old thread, but my opinions haven't really changed since back when this thread opened: 15% (rather than the 20% now) is plenty reduction for Paeon/Ballad, skill speed ought to affect song cast times, and Bards really ought to benefit from Skill Speed more than they do, given that they are constantly handed out SS gear. A mechanic or two more within the spam skills would be nice. Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing some minor Bloodletter nerfs to make that last two parts happen in return. Slightly increased damage on Repelling and Blunt would be cool too (110 and 80 rather than 80 and 50, for instance).

[kyuven]

Bards really ought to benefit from Skill Speed more than they do, given that they are constantly handed out SS gear. A mechanic or two more within the spam skills would be nice. .

i really wish they would. And on a related topic, MERGE SKILL AND SPELL SPEED! Eesh!

[AxelDH]

Before their buffs, Dragoons and Black Mages were often side lined from raid groups, in place of Monks and Summoners respectively. So it was only fair that they got some buffs, to level the playing field a bit.

But Bards aren't really outclassed by anything directly; the benefits they can offer the party are unique, and pretty much all raid groups will bring one along. So its a little difficult to justify boosting a class that is already top tier!

And besides, while Bards DPS may be the lowest on paper, on many fights the gap is narrowed considerably due to the others losing more DPS while they dodge attacks or handle the mechanics.

I think if Bards do get a DPS boost, Id like to see this via some positional attacks or combos (Point blank shot > Repelling Shot > Mid range shot, for example!).