Bards - Help me understand

[Ranen]

Even tho I don't move that much (anymore) as Machinist, the issue is with the cast bar, I just don't like it.

This ^.

With the cast bar it feels awfully clunky and out of place. It definitely takes some getting used to but still there's some issues that should be fixed. Honestly, I can't tell whether using WM gets things done faster or not. On paper there's a DPS increase with it on, but to me it still feels slow. I really wish they'd get rid of the whole cast bar BS, but it's here to stay so I might as well get used to. Or find another DPS class to main...which is what I'm looking for atm.

I still think it was lazy of SE to slap on the same playstyle they envisioned for machinist onto bard...because that's what it feels like they did without working out the kinks of it.. but what do I know...

[i2agnarok]

I played BRD briefly on my friend's account with Minuet just to answer this same question I had. Cooldown usage feels extremely awkward with Minuet, so it could be a comfort issue. I didn't care enough to REALLY dig into it, I was just experimenting a little.

However, I know what you're talking about. Expert dungeons every time I get in with a BRD that doesn't use Minuet at all is extremely, painfully slow. And then the tank still proceeds to do huge pulls when the BRDs aren't breaking 400 DPS and it drives me crazy. -_-

[RiceisNice]

BRD's gameplay is extremely awkward with WM in the sense is that it has a very fragmented flow to it. Havin an oGCD that can reset its cooldown can happen at the most inopportune times and ends up delaying your overall skill cooldowns. And straighter shot's proc reaction is even worse than firestarter...

[emmgee]

Although WM is quite clunky to use, it is a large dps increase on AOE packs in dungeons, so any bard not using it in there is just bad or refuses to adapt to the 3.0 playstyle.

[RiceisNice]

This ^.

With the cast bar it feels awfully clunky and out of place. It definitely takes some getting used to but still there's some issues that should be fixed. Honestly, I can't tell whether using WM gets things done faster or not. On paper there's a DPS increase with it on, but to me it still feels slow. I really wish they'd get rid of the whole cast bar BS, but it's here to stay so I might as well get used to. Or find another DPS class to main...which is what I'm looking for atm.

I still think it was lazy of SE to slap on the same playstyle they envisioned for machinist onto bard...because that's what it feels like they did without working out the kinks of it.. but what do I know...

Honestly I feel like this as well. On paper the idea of having a cast bar to become a stationary dps is fine. Heck, that was the selling point for me when they had shown previews for machinist that they could remain stationary to charge an attack or something. But they ended up giving bard a skill that functions exactly the same and even showcased it in the new job action trailer (whereas they did not showcase gauss barrel for machinist)

The end result is that we have two jobs that play nearly identical, but only one was designed with it in mind.

Edit: And the more I think of it, the more I wonder why MCH gets instant cast on procs. If the idea was that they wanted them to stand still for damage, why is a good chunk of their output still from instant casts? I would've settled with clean and slug shot functioning like empyreal arrow while under GB.

[Aiselia]

According to certain other DPS classes here, we're support, not DPS, and our DPS doesn't matter and nobody's counting on us to do the damage, so if we don't like it, we can just turn it off.

I suppose you could also ask them why they tell us that.

[Ranen]

snip

It's possible that there's no other class that they enjoy. In my case I just got Ninja to 60, and while I like that class the mudra lag is a complete loss of dps for me and therefore renders it unplayable, and there goes the only melee class I enjoy.

I tend to prefer being ranged anyway..and well the only ranged are all casters...and I dislike those...so I'm pretty much stuck with bard or MCH (and not a fan). I'm still gonna try SMN and see how that goes, but until then I'm stuck with the new Bard....yayyy.

snip

Lol I'd love to find out why they say that, cause clearly they don't understand how frustrating it is to be lvl 60 and only able to use 1 ability from the 50-60 range outside of WM. We might as well just remain lvl 50 and be done with it. xD

Black "standing still and using Enochian to blow shit up with really long cast times just fine" Mage says hi.

Except that BLMs/SMN/Healers all chose that class knowing what they were getting into..and that is cast times. Bards were advertised as a class with mobility and now it's pretty much taken away. And saying we don't have to use it..well see above point.

Anyway this isn't really a thread for that...but meh. It's here to stay and slowly but surely I'll get used to it and those that are intent on playing the class will have to do the same. Sad thing is being out of WM isn't an option if we want to progress in the game, be it the EX primals, and even savage alex..I just hope SE finds some way to work out the kinks.

[SayuriHime]

So as I understand what some of you are saying, people are refusing to use Wanderer's out of principle... Out of annoyance and the class feeling clunky? As I understand, Wanderer's is part of the Bard tool kit right now. If it is not satisfying to your play style, why not play something else? Isn't it depressing to play the class if it feels broken to you? Why do you persist? I am not trying to be accusatory, I'm only trying to understand.

[RiceisNice]

So as I understand what some of you are saying, people are refusing to use Wanderer's out of principle... Out of annoyance and the class feeling clunky? As I understand, Wanderer's is part of the Bard tool kit right now. If it is not satisfying to your play style, why not play something else? Isn't it depressing to play the class if it feels broken to you? Why do you persist? I am not trying to be accusatory, I'm only trying to understand.

Which is why I'm a MCH. The sad bottom line is that both classes play or more less the same because of WM and GB, only MCH was built around working with GB so its a bit more natural with the flow. It's not like comparing BLM to SMN, or the three melees.

It doesn't stop there though since the process of leveling a MCH is imo (as a MCH main), incredibly tedious if its not your first 60.

[PopeHat]

Isn't it depressing to play the class if it feels broken to you? Why do you persist? I am not trying to be accusatory, I'm only trying to understand.

No, it sounds like you're trying to make a statement against the bards that refuse to use minuet out of principle. I use minuet and stance weave and have managed to put up solid DPS, but I hate the job. I have never enjoyed BLM, and I've never enjoyed SMN. The people I see that hate the new buff the most are the people that have dedicated most of their playtime to mastering bard, a lot of those people are now disillusioned and some are moving to other classes. The end effect is that you're going to have less bards playing the game and the ones that do are going to be newer to the class.

So enjoy your dungeon runs with bottom tier bards without minuet on, I'll be the ninja in your party jumping around the monsters like a fool because I can.