Quote Originally Posted by StrejdaTom View Post
I believe he/she meant they will be played less because of the change of gameplay. They will always be mandatory for progression I think.
It's a shame people like the originatory haven't understood why they are vital. Too many, I think, see archer and Bard as just an extremely mobile DD. That's just Square giving Bard a strong, active foundation in archer so that they aren't as combatively useless as XI's Bard when singing. Which is what makes Bards and Machninists vital, not their damage output but their support potential.