RIP Bard

[AzraelX]

The thing i look at is that...the new song is optional. people complained about bard's dps output well here u have it. I'm guessing they did testing with bard freely mobile and high damage output and it was probably very op./ too easy. remember they did all these changes with lv 60 end game raids/dungeons in mind. if you were fine with lower dps and mobility u still have it. i think its a good risk/reward. I can imagine the best bards will be able to use WMs and freely mobile at optimal times during boss fights for highest dps.

[StouterTaru]

The thing i look at is that...the new song is optional.

Just like all the previous songs. If you want to continue to bring nothing to the party but mediocre dps, you will be able to do so in the expansion.

[Irie]

Just like all the previous songs. If you want to continue to bring nothing to the party but mediocre dps, you will be able to do so in the expansion.

^Exactly this.

[RiceisNice]

The thing i look at is that...the new song is optional. people complained about bard's dps output well here u have it. I'm guessing they did testing with bard freely mobile and high damage output and it was probably very op./ too easy. remember they did all these changes with lv 60 end game raids/dungeons in mind. if you were fine with lower dps and mobility u still have it. i think its a good risk/reward. I can imagine the best bards will be able to use WMs and freely mobile at optimal times during boss fights for highest dps.

And possibly lead to subpar dps. That'd be the eqvuilant BLMs not using their enochain for IV spells, or the new dreadwyrm trance... or the monks managing chakra.

[Gilraen]

And possibly lead to subpar dps. That'd be the eqvuilant BLMs not using their enochain for IV spells, or the new dreadwyrm trance... or the monks managing chakra.

It's the bad Bard that concerns themselves with just their output as a DD. When I spawn into a dungeon my first act is often Swiftsong, because who doesn't like to get going a little faster? My second is to check to see who all I'm in with. If there's a caster I set in mind that I should Foe's when I can, if the tank is a marauder I consider keeping a finger ready to sing Paeon and if the healer is a White Mage and thinks it prudent to Holy I keep ready to drop Ballad. Never do I think about going balls-to-the-wall damage output that seems to be the prevailing idea of how a Bard should Bard.

[Viridiana]

Never do I think about going balls-to-the-wall damage output that seems to be the prevailing idea of how a Bard should Bard.

It's not that people are advocating "balls-to-the-wall damage" necessarily (though sure, some are), it's that HW encounters will be tuned assuming that the BRD is making use of WM when they can. If the BRD isn't, that means the other DPS have to make up the difference. We have no way yet of knowing how much difference that is or how difficult it'll be to compensate for. I kinda doubt it'll be trivial, but that's an assumption. And the thing is, they're actually going to be balanced around a BRD doing everything you just mentioned on top of playing WM when they can. . .

[RiceisNice]

...

Last I saw, bards queue as a damage dealer. You even mention this. If a bard can't do reasonable numbers, they're essentially throwing their party into a scenario where the songs are absolutely mandatory to make up for it. You don't seem to think it's a major point of a bard, but it still remains one of their aspects.