What is with the Bard costumes/armor/gear in early Heavensward?

[Slick]

I look like a court jester! It's sort of ridiculous, and sort of funny. But why can't I look a little more "badass" instead of looking like I should be in the circus? I'm level 54...is this just a Final Fantasy thing? Or a Bard thing?! Dragoon armor looks cool!

[Cakekizyy]

Wait, bard isn't a jester?

[Slick]

Wait, bard isn't a jester?

Haha oh is it?! Well, that would explain it. I guess I was hoping it was more of a hunter/ranger type class....54 levels ago! Haha

[dekal]

That is the problem. One thing is to be a bard and another a hunter.

Imagine a nurse doing surgeries as if they were a doctor.

[DisFlavored]

I know what gear you're referring to unfortunately. Some of the magic classes also share that gear and I don't understand why they chose the Jester hat.. It's just an early 50 thing. If you got the Ironworks hat, don't worry about buying that Jester piece.

[SpiritMuse]

Haha oh is it?! Well, that would explain it. I guess I was hoping it was more of a hunter/ranger type class....54 levels ago! Haha

Bard is thematically classed as a performer, so a lot of bard-specific gearsets are eccentric like that (even though technically this isn't one as I believe it's a version of an old Mage set). That it uses a bow is almost incidental. Personally I love it.

[sayafrost]

Bard is thematically classed as a performer, so a lot of bard-specific gearsets are eccentric like that (even though technically this isn't one as I believe it's a version of an old Mage set). That it uses a bow is almost incidental. Personally I love it.

Is the Machinist a performer too? As that is the shared set for it too XDDDD

[RyuSaarva]

square wanted to punish people who did not have any superior level 50 end game items from 2.X.

[seekified]

Is the Machinist a performer too? As that is the shared set for it too XDDDD

And here is where the bard aesthetics become a problem for me. Machinists should have leather jackets, zippers, form-fitting stuff. Not huge pieces of cloth in weird colours.

I'm sticking with my Archeoskin Jackcoat glamour, thank you very much.

[SpiritMuse]

Is the Machinist a performer too? As that is the shared set for it too XDDDD

lol good point. I guess machinists are seen as eccentric weirdos with their odd newfangled "guns"? XD

It's really only a thing at level 50 as all of that gear was originally designed for bards alone. Beyond 50 I don't think it's as much of a problem as the shared gear tends to look more general and no more eccentric than the sets for other jobs.