Bard - they broke my job

[VoltaAsura]

There is nothing wrong with having it on during the entire run. Things die quicker with it on, so it's not detrimental in any way. Just need to know when to dodge.

But it is sir. It'll take you a few extra seconds to straight shot before you start aoe'ing (if you do). Or if you are single targeting, it'll take you even longer to straight shot and apply your dots.

Your reasoning/defending having it on 100% of the time is why bards are complaining about their bad dps with WM. Its not being used optimally. Its not meant to be up 100% of the time.

AND I never did say that things dont die quicker with it on, but in comparison to the above - mobs die slower because you are taking longer to get set up. Instead of having instant dots and a straight shot buff, you choose to cast. Its a detriment to me.

[Ferrasper]

But it is sir. It'll take you a few extra seconds to straight shot before you start aoe'ing (if you do). Or if you are single targeting, it'll take you even longer to straight shot and apply your dots.

Your reasoning/defending having it on 100% of the time is why bards are complaining about their bad dps with WM. Its not being used optimally. Its not meant to be up 100% of the time.

AND I never did say that things dont die quicker with it on, but in comparison to the above - mobs die slower because you are taking longer to get set up. Instead of having instant dots and a straight shot buff, you choose to cast. Its a detriment to me.

The 30% applies to straight shot and the dots as well though upon impact. I would need test data to even start believing your theory on less damage because they wouldn't have given it to us plus 30% buff if it wasn't to be used upon openers.

[Inferiae]

I just want to say that I have mained bard since a month after launch.

Then your playstyle didn't suddenly change after two years of muscle memory and practicing.

I have more fun with bard than I ever have since these changes in 3.0. Anyone who refuses to adapt and change so they can maximize their dps deserves to unsub and quit the game. Bard is a blast to play now, and you're crazy to say otherwise.

Because what you find fun is the ultimate truth, right? No one "deserves" to unsub because of such drastic changes in their job, this is nonsense. I've adapted, yes, but it doesn't mean I'm comfortable or having fun with the job I loved before. Maybe I'm crazy, as you said.

I should also point out that most bards nowadays do not realize that you do not have to say in WM all the time.

I'll also point out that every second you don't have WM up is a DPS loss. No working around this one. There's nothing that justify turning it off for DPS purposes, only movement.

I've played with bards who have WM on the entire run. Literally from the moment they spawn at the beginning of the dungeon, until the last boss dies. This is not how it should be used to be optimal, and imo its rather boring and detrimental to your party this way.

This is how it should be used to be optimal, yes. 30% damage increase. Period. And detrimental to your party? Tell me how 30% damage increase is detrimental to anyone, please.

In a boss fight, I will straight shot, wind bite and venomous bite, switch on WM and throw all of my CDs on EA, and just go to town from there.

Because applying your DoTs without the 30% and without any cooldowns, plus wasting at least 3 seconds only popping cooldowns (assuming that you use HA, RS, BfB, IR and Barrage) for EA is very effective.

Add phase? I usually turn off WM until all adds are dead and then resume what I was doing before. Its not rocket science.

Why would you turn it off for adds? If you pre-position yourself, there's absolutely no reason to turn it off whatsoever.

I also use the "lazy bard" macro and have added sidewinder to it since 3.0. This also helps quite the bit.

You should've started with this statement, so I could know how seriously you play from the start and don't waste my time, but oh well.

[yamochan]

turning WM off for adds in lets say a1 savage is pretty normal for me at least but that might be because im playing in europe and even with prepositioning i have lost the add sometimes so im just rather save then sry.

the only other reason i see is in very movement heavy situations lets say ravana or a3 savage. i think u can ofc turn it off in other situations as well as long as u know all boss mechanics and know when u have a window to move a4 laser and orb catching might be such a situation as well.

to end this its definatily not optimal to leave it on full time but you should use it as much as possible also just like Inferiae i ofc use it as well but that does not mean i like it. i rather think its the biggest pile of shit SE has thrown at us bards from the start. even the 2.X nerfes dont compare to this

[aabe]

,

I only stance dance between WM for a GCD or two in A3s, not much more needed than that, I mean turning it off at key times is crucial yes but the post way above me is absolutely wrong lol.
BTW lil tip for A1 is to save hawks eye/bfb/barrage for the add. You can line yourself under the lazer and kill it before resin bomb even comes out, meaning you dont have to turn off WM at all. If you skip the 3rd jump you are not losing a cast of HE BFB or barrage over the entire fight.

[aabe]

.

This is absolutely wrong. If you have a cast time, your GCD is 2.5 seconds. If you have no cast time, your gcd is 2.5 seconds. With a cast time, the cast is still shorter than your GCD.

Unless you're tlaking about setting up with SS and such WHILE tanks are chain pulling, then I'll agree with you, but even then WM is never meant to be off for more than a few GCDs. Even, having it off for 1 gcd with HS or SS is technically a dps increase, but it is a minor difference to have it on all the time vs. the argument you have regardless. anyone playing correctly will tell you they do much more with it on AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE and maximizing with stancedanceing only makes a minor diff

[yamochan]

snip

well i didnt say to leave it off... i said at the end keep it long as much as humaly possible but its still better to turn it off for a GCD then to loose one thats all i wanted to point out to the ppl who say keep it up all time cause keeping it up all time and loosing hits is a worse dmg loss then dancing.

as for the tip if i want to keep WM on i have to save a instant as well cause as i said im playing from germany and the serverlag we have is pretty bad so yeah the idea is good and with a saved instant it should work for me. cnt wait till oktober when we get our servers ...

[Shurrikhan]

But it is sir. It'll take you a few extra seconds to straight shot before you start aoe'ing (if you do). Or if you are single targeting, it'll take you even longer to straight shot and apply your dots.

Your reasoning/defending having it on 100% of the time is why bards are complaining about their bad dps with WM. Its not being used optimally. Its not meant to be up 100% of the time.

AND I never did say that things dont die quicker with it on, but in comparison to the above - mobs die slower because you are taking longer to get set up. Instead of having instant dots and a straight shot buff, you choose to cast. Its a detriment to me.

AoE is when the gap between WM and non-WM is largest... Seeing as AA is a much smaller component of your total damage.
As for your single-target scenario, WM delays each addition of your DoTs by 1.5 seconds. That's not enough delay to make 30% of their damage worthless. If the timing was that tight, you should be using Heavy Shot alone for greater potency, since half a tick would apparently be making or breaking the decision, and for 20 more TP at that.

The ONLY time non-WM is viable right now is if you will have to delay an ability by more than a third of a GCD due to movement/knockbacks/heavy damage. And it will then be for that/those one/two GCDs only. You turn it back on absolutely as soon as you can (consuming an oGCD space in the process). It's really only dropped for chasing tanks on chain pulls and for darting across the room without needing an SS proc atm.

[aabe]

.

Nah was just saying flipping it off for a GCD is an actual dps increase most of the time, you get an autoattack which is 100p as opposed to 40-45 added to an ss/hs
With 1 OGCD up it's also fine because you can flip on WM and then use your OGCD right afterwards, I was just providing a tip for A1 that lets you keep up WM fulltime.

[dannymayhem]

first post ever!

and just want to say it sounds like I shouldn't have any issues seeing how I will be playing the class how it is now and never played it how it was

sorry to hear it sounds like it isn't as good, or maybe, as fun? as it once was but at least I will know no different