A "new" perspective about these BRD changes

[Snowaeth]

Had QoL issues with it from the start of 3.0 still have the same issues.
Yea nothing changed other than me learning even more how to work around issues that I shouldn't need to work around.

Infinite mobility is not something needed, but it was something that was appealing to a lot of people in the bard job.
Lowering that doesn't break bard, it does however remove a part of the class that made it what it was.

Having cast times also doesn't break the bard, it does however change how it was played and what many liked about it. While on top of it brings a bunch of QoL issues with it.

QoL issues where you will always have the choice of sub-optimal options now and every choice feels like a punishment because the flow is not clean anymore.

Lack of own identity. That's what BRD is now. Its now another caster that isn't that much different from MCH and also less different from the 2 real casters than it used to be.
Rather than improving on the toolkit to appeal to a wider group it is now the same-ish toolkit for everyone and those that don't hate it can as well play either of the 4 casters anyway. Maybe in 4.0 we ll just have tank/heal/melee/caster as job choice.

The thing is, I never really had issues with cast times/lower mobility from a mechanical point of view.
I don't like the change because I prefer the mobile no cast bard, but those things don't make the class hard/unplayable for me, just less fun.

The cutting into gcd's, the missed proc's, the useless WP are the things that bother me from a mechanical pov.
The homogenization of the classes, the slapped on WM for the sake of MCH, the change of playstyle to BRD despite MCH doing the same-ish thing are still the things bothering me from a gamer pov.

[Aiselia]

I don't honestly understand why cast times needed to be added to BRD if they really wanted to limit mobility in the first place. They didn't need cast times, they just needed that WM would be removed when you move so you can't use it during heavy movement phases and when you do get a chance to stand still, you still play the same. It'd be a FAR less jarring change when you learn WM, and solve literally every QOL issue that cast times created.

The fact that initial translations I'd seen regarding announcements about the skill was pretty much exactly that, unless those translations were all way off, it pretty much suggests that they rushed it and just copy-pasted MCH without considering the issues with BRD. I mean, under the original version where it had a cast time, maybe it made more sense to them to do it this way so you wouldn't need to spend the cast times not attacking so much, but without a cast time now, it just makes sense to remove the cast times and just remove WM when you move.

It's not the loss of being able to run around that bugs me about "new Bard", it's the fact that issues were pointlessly created by doing something that had a much simpler solution that would have worked just as effectively but without making as drastic a change and without losing its identity.

[Shirobi]

So, now that we have had a few months to play around and get acquainted to all the changes S-E did to Bards....any fresh thoughts from fellow BRDs?

Nope, still think it sucks. Next question.

[Kamote]

lol ^^
said the lvl 35 Bard

[Eloah]

TL : DR

I personally don't like the new Bard changes. I understand where they came from, but the execution wasn't done well. Am I "use" to it. Can I "maximize" my DPS, maybe, lol, but I just think WM is clunky. The charge/cast time mechanic, while still annoying, works on Machinist, because it was designed with that mechanic in mind from the start. With Bards it was an afterthought. I hope with 3.1 they adjust the issues people have with this/these skills. The biggest gripe is that we have a cast time for "minimal" DPS. We have to wait 1.5 seconds to cast a skill that does 800 damage, while the other (DPS) casters have to wait 2-3 seconds for a skill that does 1300+ damage, and some of those moves can or are instant too. Even the healer DPS is better in that regard.

Bottom line is our DPS is too low to have cast times. That is the issue that needs to be changed.

[Slevin_Impudicus]

Hello, I'm a casual.
I don't use WM. EA/IJ are not on my cast bar. Problem solved. I also don't use food/potions.

I decided not to let the changes get me down. There are those who are bad at math that think that WM actually gives a straight 30% damage increase, without understanding the other factors that go into it. Those that have mastered WM are rightly outperforming me, but the vast majority of bards are not in that group (yet). For content I care to see (no savage), 2.0 BRD is more than enough. I have never received complaints about my dps and get my share of commendations.

Those that quit bard due to the changes... well, I hope they do savage content, because outside of that, 2.0 BRD is still a viable option and worth playing (versus other classes I have tried... so IMHO).

I may pick up WM and work out the kinks some day.

I did my share of complaining coming here from TERA and trying to get used to FF's inferior combat system. This change is minor in comparison.

[technole]

Those that quit bard due to the changes... well, I hope they do savage content, because outside of that, 2.0 BRD is still a viable option and worth playing (versus other classes I have tried... so IMHO).

No it's not, even outside of Savage. Medium core content like the DPS checks in Bismarck and Ravana EX you need to be putting up maximum damage numbers. I hope you never touch those instances with 3.0 WM skills not on your hot bar or being used. You'll be getting kicked out of those parties.

[RiceisNice]

No it's not, even outside of Savage. Medium core content like the DPS checks in Bismarck and Ravana EX you need to be putting up maximum damage numbers. I hope you never touch those instances with 3.0 WM skills not on your hot bar or being used. You'll be getting kicked out of those parties.

The primals are way dated that they're severely overgeared by eso weapons. Heck, they were still clearable with a BRD/MCH before 3.05 buffs to WM/GB (where it was actually the same, if not a damage gain to not use WM/GB after the initial burst.

[Slevin_Impudicus]

I gave my perspective. Feel free to disagree.
Maybe don't go in to those instances at min iLvl.
WM gains are not so significant in single target fights. Once you get into larger groups, which neither of these instances have, you start to have a point.
I've been in RavEx and BisEx. Dps was never a problem... nor was TP (the other thing WM seems to help in theory).
Getting kicked was never a problem either, because I wouldn't pug that level of content.

Getting kicked would not be a reflection of the effectiveness of WM, it would be a reflection of the "kickers" who still think WM is a 30% increase over non-WM (even though Yoshi and company acknowledged* it was a dps LOSS before it went from 20 to 30). Still would suck, of course.
If the bard is putting up noticeably insufficient dps out of WM, then I guarantee WM won't improve things much.

*or so I read on the forums

[AskaRay]

words

Crys a little on the inside...

you ARE right though. If I got ya in a DF party in a dungeon I wouldn't kick you (if we got through the dungeon. I'm patient).
I would, however, silently judge you for eternity.