New Weapon Design Choices for Bards

[Aamalthea]

I realize this is a long shot but I've been thinking about it and I am curious...do you think the time for different weapon design choices for bards is upon us? Now I don't mean different as in a sword vs a bow but I mean harp has been done to death. Don't get me wrong, I adore the sound of the harp IRL, but with technology from machinists, magitech technology, all the different types of machinery we have going on, surely we can come up with an electric or acoustic/electric version of a guitarbow. Or, because I know this guy is going to show up, a much smaller version of this.

[Connor]

Personally I think it would be kinda bizzare lore-wise for a Bards to be carrying around anything technologically advanced. It's a Gridanian profession that only really saw small military use in their army (because they couldn't mass-produce magical singing Archers unless said Archer had already experienced war), so it would be strange for a high-tech (and by tech I mean actual technology, not stuff that utilizes aether like the shiny relic bows) weapon that's specifically designed for a Bard to exist.

I mean, in terms of bows it's less of an issue for there to be electronic, high-tech weaponry because every nation has Archers, including ones that actually develop technology like Garlemald. But only one has Bards, and it's not what you would call the most advanced in terms of technology.

[Evangela]

you can't use elecguitars in a world that doesn't have electricity.

[Vexander]

Just trying to picture the Elementals reaction to a Rock Concert in the Twelveswood. Somehow, my imagination doesn't show it ending pretty.

[ErryK]

you can't use elecguitars in a world that doesn't have electricity.

Azys Lla tho.

[Celef]

Well considering bard in combat don't really seem to use their bow as harp but most likelly a real one (same as in 50+ job quest) we could imagine having differents instruments.
I'de love to play the violin or traverso flute sometimes ^^. We could even imagine it as a second hand weapon (no stats, just for the choice of playable instrument) considering we already have the slot ^^

[Aamalthea]

you can't use elecguitars in a world that doesn't have electricity.

You're not thinking far enough outside the box. In addition as Celef stated, other instruments would be great to take along like a lute or a violin. EQ2 (which is old i know) bards have different instruments their abilities use like drums and flutes.

However, as with my original thought I just thought it'd be neat to have a different looking style for the bow they use that wasn't based on the harp design. But it may be too far reaching I guess.

Edit: This is what I had in mind, mind you I'm not good at weapon design obviously:

[MicahZerrshia]

Before we supply bard with more instruments I think they should start by making bard more bard and less ranger. A few more songs, more songs you don't get penalized for using, ability to grand your tank song A and your healers song B (like they were able to in version 1) and so on.

With only 3 real songs (4 if you want to count swiftsong but since that are archer ability I don't) there is no need for more than 1 instrument, more varied bows with less instrumental looks would be far better imo.

Bard as it is now is nothing more than a ranger who hums.

[Lambdafish]

Personally I think it would be kinda bizzare lore-wise for a Bards to be carrying around anything technologically advanced. It's a Gridanian profession that only really saw small military use in their army (because they couldn't mass-produce magical singing Archers unless said Archer had already experienced war), so it would be strange for a high-tech (and by tech I mean actual technology, not stuff that utilizes aether like the shiny relic bows) weapon that's specifically designed for a Bard to exist.

I mean, in terms of bows it's less of an issue for there to be electronic, high-tech weaponry because every nation has Archers, including ones that actually develop technology like Garlemald. But only one has Bards, and it's not what you would call the most advanced in terms of technology.

So long as it is contextually explained within the expansion, lore is not an issue.

[Arutan]

You're a bard, what do you expect more? A simple bow is just an Archer which mean that you are a bad Bard if you consider yourself Archer lol.
There's not much instrument that can be added to a bow. Harp is the more effective because it just need string, anything else would be to heavy to use as a bow.