Advice to returning bard?

[Neela]

Well I mained and still main BRD, and I find the changes fine. In fact, it keeps the job from getting stale in my opinion.
The hardest thing I've had to deal with is NOT the cast bar, it's remembering to apply Iron Jaws (and then NOT hitting Windbite/Venomous Bite like an idiot right after). I also think the style is very fluid once you get the rhythm down. Yes, at first it does take some getting used to but..what wouldn't? I would just try it out and if you really, really hate it then move on to a new job.

Many people who complain about "no mobility" were chronic overmovers to begin with. If you like to move just because you can, you will absolutely hate HW BRD. If you know how to move when you need to, and park it when you don't, the cast bars will be only a minor adjustment.

Right on

I mained my Bard before HW too - changed to SMN without knowing HW would bring that awesome changes to the pet-players. After maxing the SMN to 60 and nearly ilvl 200, i noticed that there are too many player changing to SMN too... so i made my way back to Bard and his major-HW-changes. The loss of movement was one kind of an argument, i really was looking into... but now i think there are 2-3 macros even Bards can use lately like the "Empyreal Arrow, Misery's End, Bloodletter & Heavy Shot" smash-macro. And a good sidenote after playing SMN for a while is... that i got used to DoTs - so there is no need for me to "...hitting Windbite/Venomous Bite like an idiot right after...".

I must admit that i completly changed my Bard ARR-playstyle – but lately i love it even more than before

[Greywolfamakir]

but now i think there are 2-3 macros even Bards can use lately like the "Empyreal Arrow, Misery's End, Bloodletter & Heavy Shot" smash-macro

Macros for skills are the worst idea ever.

[Neela]

Macros for skills are the worst idea ever.

let me guess you are playing on pc?

Well i thought that for a long time too... but in this case it's just to stock 4 skills in priority on one button (ps4).
It's not to activate them auto. all in a row but in an "if > than" scenario. starting with the highest > lowest potency.

Couldnt think of a scenario where a manual choice of those skills would be an advantage... you?

[Greywolfamakir]

let me guess you are playing on pc?

Well i thought that for a long time too... but in this case it's just to stock 4 skills in priority on one button (ps4).
It's not to activate them auto. all in a row but in an "if > than" scenario. starting with the highest > lowest potency.

Couldnt think of a scenario where a manual choice of those skills would be an advantage... you?

Macros are not in queue like normal skills, this fact makes them slower, I mean, if i don't use macros i can get like 12 skill in 30 seconds with 2.5 GCD but if you are using macros instead normal skills you get like 10 or 11 skill in the same time (30 secs).

[Maero]

let me guess you are playing on pc?

Well i thought that for a long time too... but in this case it's just to stock 4 skills in priority on one button (ps4).
It's not to activate them auto. all in a row but in an "if > than" scenario. starting with the highest > lowest potency.

Couldnt think of a scenario where a manual choice of those skills would be an advantage... you?

I am pretty sure he mean't it is a known fact using macros especially for dps is an actual loss of dps

I am on PS4 and absolutely do not believe in macros except for scholar.

[bardaboo]

Lots of times... barrage almost ready... better save emp arrow. Ohh this mob has a spell i want to silence.. better save blunt.

[bardaboo]

Pluusss. If you are spamming that button i hope you have heavy shot set before blunt and mysery. Otherwise if both are available. You'll be wasting gcd time.

[Odin_hunter]

Hi,

I just returned to the game after being away for quite some time. I'm thinking of getting heavensward, but the changes to the bard class that I've read about seem unappealing. Do any of the folks who mained as bard pre-heavensward and really liked the play style have any advice regarding possibly switching classes? I really like and am used to the fluid and fast paced style of the pre-hw bard. Is there another class that is somewhat similar or which other bards have found fun to play?

Thanks!

Been a BRD since day one and still loving the class. Play the class, get it to lv60 and you will definitely enjoy it.

[Linadae]

Been a BRD since day one and still loving the class. Play the class, get it to lv60 and you will definitely enjoy it.

Or she will see how clunky and poorly implemented the new bard is and drift off to find another class.

[AskaRay]

Or she will see how clunky and poorly implemented the new bard is and drift off to find another class.

Such negativity.

Anyway about controllers/macros.
I play on the PC with a controller, and personally my BRD has no macros on it. Used to have song macros and I even got rid of them. I use... one full crossbar, one extended crossbar (I have it set up so that LT>RT and RT>LT are the same thing, so only eight additional buttons), and ....about half another crossbar but the buttons are spread around (mostly AOE skills on that bar). I've personally had no issue with buttons, but then again I'm used to switching between the bars quickly.