RIP Bard

[Spawnie]

personally i dont think its that bad.. if anything its gonna improve bards dps alot, yesh bard love to run around while dpsing but we dont really have to most of the time

[Mimiru_S]

I agree with others, thinking the damage increase will have to be substantial; since we'll be losing auto-attacks, movement and instant shots. But if it is, I look forward to this ability.

[Warlyx]

my main issue with this skill is the amount of times im going to be forced to use it (2.5s GCD on top of that) everytime i move and stop i will use that skill....move and stop? use it again...

wondering if will have a CD or not :S

[Shurrikhan]

Depending on how it works it might not be too bad, or... really bad. For one, you have to spend 3 seconds casting it just to start into the bonus stance, over a global lost. Once up, you automatically spend the time between attacks (probably really just the first oGCD, or else it's a null animation and is just filling up the time while granting the buff regardless) 'charging' the next attack. They additionally mentioned that the "effect" disappears whenever you move, but this may refer to the 'charge' rather than the whole song, at least. Whether we are free to throw out attacks after having just moved or have an automatic 'casting time' of standing still is what will probably really screw us. If we can move to the same extent that any caster can, such as their being able to move a few feet towards the end of any cast without losing uptime, then we should be okay. I mostly just hope that it is only a (percentile) direct damage increase (such that Windbite isn't much affected), or that Straighter Shot at the least will carry the bonus of 'charging' even without actually charging. If not, our movement potential becomes far worse than a BLM's, with zero proc-based movement time.

The most awkward thing to me is that Bards will then be even less willing to support, as it will cost them an even more massive amount of dps and that the gameplay between a 'singing' (Foe/Army/Ballad) Bard and a 'wandering' (Turret) bard will be awkwardly different.
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I was honestly just hoping for some song-based skill-shot, such as being able to detonate some effect you put on an enemy during Foe requiem to deal immediate damage based on the DoTs affecting it or create a capped amount of bonus direct damage to spells for a short duration (use before Flare/Fester), something that causes TP restore per ability on an enemy for a short time under Paeon, and causes a burst of mana around you when that shot hits/crits or a bonus-healing-taken-per-hit-effect on target with that shot in Ballad.

If Bard dps feels in need of an increase after that, reduce the dps cost on Ballad/Paeon to 15%, cause Foe to affect Bloodletter, Windbite DoT, and Venomous Bite DoT. Add in a simple stance, rather than using a Song which would lock Bard out of it's traditionally 'Bard' functions, like 'Deep Shot' / 'Full Bow' / whatever that increases range slightly and direct damage by a noticeable bit by removing auto-attacks and adding a 'charge' time. This charge time is generated over 1.5 seconds, adjusted by skill speed. You can still cast other oGCD moves during the charge without breaking it (the other animations will not show). You can move for the first .67 seconds of the charge, but the effect will be dropped if you move after this time, including after the completion of the charge. Charge consumed on next shot. While under the effect of this Stance, Barrage instead causes your single-abilities to deal 50% duplicated damage and/or effect spread evenly among your target and all non-CCed enemies within 5 yalms of your target with an additional +25% bonus duplication per enemy, with 5% diminished bonus with each enemy added.
--> Basically exactly the same, except that it 1) doesn't stop us from 'Barding'; 2) for sure no animation lock - can use oGCDs freely and can move freely, you'd just be wasting/skipping the buff by moving (after charging but before firing) / firing (after moving and needing to re-charge) too soon; doesn't waste / lock out Barrage.

[If you need something proc-y: Straighter Shot will decrease the charge time to 1 second for 8 seconds (will show as a + at the bottom-right corner of the Deep Stance icon. The + sign will flash before disappearing). Under the effect, you could basically charge up twice, if need be, within a GCD.]

[Spiritreaver1217]

I like BRD as is and the upcoming additions have me very excited.

I may be alone in this next bit, but is no one else dying to see how Sidewinder is going to influence DoTs? Is it going to be a flat dmg boost to applied dots or will it lengthen the duration? I would personally like the latter, but in any event still pretty stoked.

[Nuinn]

I love my BRD! I didn't think I would when I went WHM (1.0) > BLM (1.0) > BLM (2.0) quickly to go > WHM (2.0) cause it "seemed" more fun > SCH (2.0) > dropped it for BRD (2.0) cause our static was already decked out with healers but the reason I stayed on BRD is: I loved being able to move freely while not sucking at it.... Literally the reason why I stayed on BRD ever since venturing into the first Coil way back then (second being that the job couldn't have fit my character's name more perfectly).

Also, what's wrong with running around like a headless chicken if you manage to keep yourself alive, not be a burden to healers and tanks, support the team and have a constantly good dps?

Bad = bad regardless of job and jelly people chained to one spot = still jelly >:P Let me run free damnit! (yes, even if I don't have to) >.< *shakes fist*

Putting all that premature crying I just did aside, we've yet to see how it actually feels once we're able to use it so, here's hoping it won't be as terrible as my mind is making it out to be :x

[myahele]

Well that's good, it seems like they'll actually add some complexity for BRDs: They gotta stay still if they wanna boost their dps

[Riepah]

I wonder.

If BRD stays at the same efficiency compared to other DPS without using this new song as it is now, and the new song helps us boost that DPS, then it's good.
If they make it so that BRD *has* to use this new song frequently to be as effective as they are today, it's a huge nerf and will make tons of BRDs switch classes.

I doubt any BRD picked up the class to stand around and deal with cast bars - that's what BLM is there for.

[Gilraen]

I doubt any BRD picked up the class to stand around and deal with cast bars - that's what BLM is there for.

Well, you're right, I didn't pick Bard to be a Black Mage, I picked it to be a Bard. To support the party through song. The fact that XIV's Bard can also deal damage while singing is a bonus in my book. Being able to switch from support to DD with a song is an even bigger bonus given how much people seem to want me to do just that. But as the saying goes, "Can't have your cake and eat it, too." There's got to be some kind of drawback for going full DD, and this seems a good compromise to me. I mean, it's either this or the alternative of cutting our range in half (or more) while keeping mobility and GCD.

[The_Last_Dragoon]

Well, you're right, I didn't pick Bard to be a Black Mage, I picked it to be a Bard. To support the party through song. The fact that XIV's Bard can also deal damage while singing is a bonus in my book. Being able to switch from support to DD with a song is an even bigger bonus given how much people seem to want me to do just that. But as the saying goes, "Can't have your cake and eat it, too." There's got to be some kind of drawback for going full DD, and this seems a good compromise to me. I mean, it's either this or the alternative of cutting our range in half (or more) while keeping mobility and GCD.

I would be perfectly fine if the song song required me to be at melee range if it meant that I kept my mobility. They could sell it as "point-blank" shots, or a song of bravado where Bards would get in close to make enemies feel the full weight of their shots.