Bard and how to fix it.

[RiceisNice]

The reason is simple the Bard is slow and can't deliver many powerful hits in short time. [/B] In high end game the challenge is DPS challenge and Bards fail.

What? If there's anything BRD/MCH is good at, its burst damage with cooldowns, barrage and empyreal arrow. Hell, bard is probably better in this department because most vulnerbility phases don't give enough time for wildfire to do its job. I've cleared bis as a MCH before 3.01, their dps isn't bad to the point that they should be benched or its hindering progression. I will only agree to the fact that current encounters aren't designed in a way (nor should it to be honest) that TP/MP regen is absolutely required to force you to bring a BRD/MCH, but at the same time a MCH/BRD shouldn't be pigeon holed to naturally dealing less damage because they have those abilities (because you know, they already incur a damage penalty when using them anyway).

And from a design perspective the job's gameplay suffered quite a bit. You can claim that people adjusted to it, and that much is true. Poor implementation remains poor implementation, regardless of whether the players adjusted to it or not. Hence why the OP made this thread.

Since you are asking for explanations, I'll indulge you:

The base design of BRD and WM as implemented clash because cast times and reliance on off-GCD abilities & procs don't mesh well. The intent of the changes also doesn't make much sense, since WM is introduced so late in BRD's relative "life" and implemented in such a ham-fisted way that it doesn't feel like natural growth of the job. It's no surprise that people who are just picking up the job also seem to be saying that the change is too abrupt and feels clunky as hell despite the nice DPS numbers.

If the devs want to stick with WM, then WM has to do more than just add cast times to shots. It has to change procs and other mechanics attached to BRD, maybe even go as far as change the effects of the various shots while active. If they were to do this, then you could see its inclusion as something truly added to the job instead of something tossed in for the sake of introducing change.

If that's not going to happen, then WM has to be reworked to limit its effect on the job's gameplay so that it feels more natural to the job, be redesigned for the purpose of same, or be outright removed and replaced with something else.

The last, and most work-intensive option would be to change the base ARC and BRD mechanics to fit better with WM (as the OP mentioned, removing potency from utility shots and changing the way Bloodletter procs work would go a long away in helping).

Honestly after looking at previews for MCH, I initially thought they were going with them being the stationary ranged DPS, somewhat akin to marksman hunters from WoW. Then they decided to give gauss barrel Wanderer's Minuet for bards because why not. I think these two abilities are the only ones in the game that are functionally exactly the same.

The least intensive work I'd imagine is allowing them to do oGCDs while casting or reworking River of Blood's interaction with WM. Though honestly I wouldn't mind if they rework bard or machinist either, the two have way too similar tool kits and gameflow when WM/GB is considered, with one clearly being designed around it.