Why play Machinist over Bard?

[Darkobra]

I'll wait until someone has a bard and machinist at 60 with equivalent gear. Right now you're basing it on people with high-end dungeon gear and people who have just started the machinist and taking whatever scraps they can get until 60.

[Bindles]

I will say that ever since they nerfed Rain of Death on Bard, I have been less than satisfied with Bard due to not having full access to my AoE suite the way I used to. As such I have found that my DPS on large groups of enemies has suffered. This makes me more inclined to play Machinist as it still has its full AoE suite.

Nerfed ROD? um.... you mean made it OP as hell? can you tell me what they nerfed i really dont understand? make u waste a couple more tp? (invigorate, goad, do u need?) now, can easily do 1500-2k dps on 4-5 mobs in dungeon with WM up and 792 crit and 511 acc, usually spamming RoD every 3-6 seconds between Wide VOlley. Bard AoE used to suck azz. now its only topped by smn and sometimes, though rarely blm. Maybe cuz most bards wear full law set and have only 500 crit and 610 acc its not proccing as much? idk? even with shitty crit its still much more powerful.

[Zophar]

Nerfed ROD? um.... you mean made it OP as hell? can you tell me what they nerfed i really dont understand? make u waste a couple more tp? (invigorate, goad, do u need?) now, can easily do 1500-2k dps on 4-5 mobs in dungeon with WM up and 792 crit and 511 acc, usually spamming RoD every 3-6 seconds between Wide VOlley. Bard AoE used to suck azz. now its only topped by smn and sometimes, though rarely blm. Maybe cuz most bards wear full law set and have only 500 crit and 610 acc its not proccing as much? idk? even with shitty crit its still much more powerful.

Yes. This. Whatever else they may have done to brd, brd's AoE damage potential is definitely much improved.

[Syll]

I'll wait until someone has a bard and machinist at 60 with equivalent gear. Right now you're basing it on people with high-end dungeon gear and people who have just started the machinist and taking whatever scraps they can get until 60.

I don't see the supposed 'massive damage difference' that sovereignaegis claim. I've got both to 60 (i184); and i dropped bard in favor of MCH. Namely because Gauss Barrel doesn't feel tacked on, the way WM does; Straight shot has a 20% chance to proc and be instant vice having a cast time.... MCH has 50% for clean/slug, has both reload and quick reload to force the proc (so you KNOW your next skill won't have a cast time) ricochet and gauss round are also instants. That's a LOT fewer skills with cast bars. Also...i enjoy trying to beat my personal wildfire bests.

edit: actually, i'm rather curious to see the parses sovereignaegis is basing his assertion of damage disparity on

[Khaoticsuccubus]

People people. Most of the posts in this thread were made back in June. Before the buff to WM and GB. Just saying.