Why is BRD considered "support"

[Malevicton]

So why not just pick a different class? Seems like you don't like the core of brd. Like wanting to play blm but not liking cast times, or mnk but not liking positionals.

It's been brd's identity since 2.0 (technically before, but that doesn't really count). If it were unbalanced it might change. It's not gonna change because you personally don't like it.

[coldheart21]

Isn't NIN considered to be a support melee dps? I haven't leveled mine yet but I read that in a couple posts.

[Alahra]

Isn't NIN considered to be a support melee dps? I haven't leveled mine yet but I read that in a couple posts.

The developers haven't really called it that directly (whereas they have referred to BRD/MCH as support a time or two); however, especially in HW, they do have unique utility in enmity control, so they've sort of commonly become known as "support."

[Azazua_azura]

as a person who has played bard to 50, the dps loss isn't noticeable. and unless its in a raid or extreme or w/e u won't need to use it in fights unless something goes wrong. best time to use those is after a trash group or when dps/mages are 50% mp/tp trhen turn it off. Bards in rpg have always been support style, and there is nothing wrong with it. All groups need to be balanced in roles or it gets messy. I recall dcuo, all ppl did was play dps (powers had 2 styles dps or job style which was tank heal support) and all ppl did was use dps stance. No one worked together.

(this was partly due to the built in parser leaderboard but enough on that no wanna derail thread)

Bard is a fun job to play, ff14 bard beats ff11 bard, in ff11 all we got was a paper knife and all we did was sing/play the harp or play the flute. ff11 bard dps was... well it didn't exist.

[Wadoka]

I blame D&D. It's all Gary Gygax's fault.

"Oh look. A Bard. How... cute."

[StrejdaTom]

I consider myself support for the only reason - DRG and his buff, SMN and his virus, NIN and his Goad and Trick attacks are all kinda replacable, while you always (or almost always XD) need 1 BRD or MCH in progress party.

I don't mind being the lower DPS in exchange for always having a slot in raid party. The only thing I mind are people who expect BRD to do the same damage as other DPS jobs (clearly not talking about A2 Savage here or Ninjas).

[RiceisNice]

I consider myself support for the only reason - DRG and his buff, SMN and his virus, NIN and his Goad and Trick attacks are all kinda replacable, while you always (or almost always XD) need 1 BRD or MCH in progress party.

I don't mind being the lower DPS in exchange for always having a slot in raid party. The only thing I mind are people who expect BRD to do the same damage as other DPS jobs (clearly not talking about A2 Savage here or Ninjas).

If we're breaking it down to progression, a DRG is just as much needed (due to disembowel buffing piercing, which MCH and BRD do and they're required classes) as well as DRK (to push dps moreso than paladin) because one of the biggest gate to early-progression is dps checks. When you factor overgearing, you get more leeway and BRD/MCH also drop out of becoming "mandatory" when healers become more efficient with their mana and outgoing damage is lessened due to armor.

The matter of fact is, BRD and MCH already get a damage reduction when they use their regen abilties. It really boils down to ; Why do they do lower damage? Their mobility thing isn't that much relevant nowadays, and if it's because of their support, it's double dipping and honestly you're not really encouraged to keep it on anyway because of the mana cost and it being shared between TP and MP (and magic resistance in case of bard). It becomes really prevalent outside of cutting edge progression (look at EX primals on 3.0 release).

It also doesn't help that the devs themselves have jumped from side to side in regards to bard's role; they'd first call it a dps class and they need to be able to deal damage to justify their spot, now it's a dps-support class that deals less damage because of the support (which both are not exclusive and double dipping as mentioned above)... And well the party composition hasn't changed at all.

[MihaelB]

I assume they want to class bards like other RPGs have which is usually a support type.

Someone mentioned on Reddit, this leaves/makes room for also potential pure potential glass cannon movement classes which could be speculated a role, Samurai would fit very well.

The previous mobility+DPS was hard to balance with MCH and other classes' DPS balance I imagine, if they were going for 'unique' abilities/roles per class.

[Verius_Nox]

I don't consider them support, I consider them a mobile DPS with great utility.

And on fights with movement, and barrages of mechanics, my statics bard can keep up with the rest of the DPS fairly competently, so I'd say they're in a good spot.

[Elazu]

Because they do the lowest dps in the game and have great support skills.