Bard

[Jeckyl_Tesla]

Quite frankly I'm tired of discussing it. Unless they make a category in party for a secured slot for support and place BRD/MCH in it, we're a DPS. Yes we have support abilities, almost all jobs do, we're the only job punished when we use ours, and rightfully so, but that should be the only drawback. Bard/Machinist in WM w/o using support abilities should be able to compete at mid-range DPS at the very least. I haven't seen a convincing argument otherwise.

For progression raiding, there will always be one BRD or now, MCN. There always has been. (Maybe a few statics didn't run it, but since the release of ARR, there's always been a BRD in the group for their support.

Not to mention, the developer himself stated they are a support class.

Throw your dummy out of the pram as much as you want to, but that means they are a support class. End of discussion.

[Kayote]

For progression raiding, there will always be one BRD or now, MCN. There always has been. (Maybe a few statics didn't run it, but since the release of ARR, there's always been a BRD in the group for their support.

Not to mention, the developer himself stated they are a support class.

Throw your dummy out of the pram as much as you want to, but that means they are a support class. End of discussion.

Yeah thats funny. Because he also said MCH is a support class in the same sentence, yet the video we all saw introducing the class said DPS.Mind you this is the same guy who said personal housing will be different. Honestly im starting to think YoshiP is no where near the Squarenix prodigy we treat him like ... more of a one hit wonder. Regardless if support is what we are then he needs to add that role or change one of the DPS to support. Because this back and forth is the main reason we're having such problems. Its not only stretching us thin but its obvious this "prodigy" has no clue wtf he wants to do with us.

As for OP, yes I agree. The only exclusive buffs we have are very limited in their use and really only useful with inexperienced groups. They do not balance this games content expecting the other classes, when played well, to run out of TP/MP. FR is dependent on amount of casters"elemental damage." And pound for pound its only slightly more useful than what the other classes bring, yet just as situational. Bard support is a relic from 1.0.

That said there is already a 19 page thread on this:
The argument"MCH/Bard have utility so their damage should be lower"

...better to just continue it there.

[Panasync]

For progression raiding, there will always be one BRD or now, MCN. There always has been. (Maybe a few statics didn't run it, but since the release of ARR, there's always been a BRD in the group for their support.

Not to mention, the developer himself stated they are a support class.

Throw your dummy out of the pram as much as you want to, but that means they are a support class. End of discussion.

There is no support class in the trinity the developers said they're following. That's why all DPS and even the tanks and healers have support abilities. The developers said it was a trinity. End of discussion.