Will bard lose it's identity/class fantasy?

[Raikai]

If you'd ask me to redesign the job completely, I would simply give the archery abilities just as the "filler" and rotational... Everything else, from song upkeep, procs, cooldowns, I'd put as songs.

And above theme, the other thing is that I would put it as an equal to Dancer in terms of support... Except bards would benefit more casters and healers, and dancers would benefit more physical dpsers and tanks... a bard would be able to benefit the niche it isn't supposed though, but at reduced effectiveness, same for dancer.

[ty_taurus]

If you'd ask me to redesign the job completely, I would simply give the archery abilities just as the "filler" and rotational... Everything else, from song upkeep, procs, cooldowns, I'd put as songs.

And above theme, the other thing is that I would put it as an equal to Dancer in terms of support... Except bards would benefit more casters and healers, and dancers would benefit more physical dpsers and tanks... a bard would be able to benefit the niche it isn't supposed though, but at reduced effectiveness, same for dancer.

I've thought of this myself too, though just the rotational being arrows and everything else being music. I think this is the best possible scenario that's plausible for the future.

[MPNZ]

And above theme, the other thing is that I would put it as an equal to Dancer in terms of support... Except bards would benefit more casters and healers, and dancers would benefit more physical dpsers and tanks... a bard would be able to benefit the niche it isn't supposed though, but at reduced effectiveness, same for dancer.

That's cool, but it creates class-synergies, which is bad. And, TBH, It would be nice to have Foie and the crit buff re-implemented. Also, designing Mage's Ballad so that it would restore the party's MP every time bloodletter and RoD was used would be more useful in all situations in general would probably be really fulfilling to players, and go in line with BRD's identity and fantasy thing.

I really want a single target spell that would cast aoe dot that would remove windbite, require it to be active on the target, cast a new type of dot on any mob in a cure III aoe radius, and also be removable from a target if windbite was recast on it for balacing, though.

Oh, and a bow that would look like a combination of a keyboard/electric guitar when sheathed. And, something like a music based version of the spriggan hoodie and a few music themed glamours for shoes and accessories.

And a cure three AOE for minne and wardens, and have there recast timers lowered to like 12 seconds...

Even DNC kit looks a little bare, you know

[Gaethan_Tessula]

Also, designing Mage's Ballad so that it would restore the party's MP every time bloodletter and RoD was used would be more useful in all situations in general would probably be really fulfilling to players, and go in line with BRD's identity and fantasy thing.

That's an inspired suggestion. I'd like to see the other two songs get a similar effect.

And then raise the other classes to match that sort of improvement if it makes BRD stand out too much.

Seriously, I don't get SE's obsession with pruning the jobs over and over until every one is a bare role trunk with one flavor twig and a leaf on it.

[MPNZ]

That's an inspired suggestion. I'd like to see the other two songs get a similar effect.

And then raise the other classes to match that sort of improvement if it makes BRD stand out too much.

Seriously, I don't get SE's obsession with pruning the jobs over and over until every one is a bare role trunk with one flavor twig and a leaf on it.

3. I get why they do it, but then cow clicker vs buttons-for-miles are just as bad, and hopefully we can get closer to like P4 Arena instead.

2. Like...

DGN. new gauge "body of the Dragon" with abilities like "Reverse Scale" (consumes "bidy of the dragon, resets all cooldowns, increases dmg by 40%, stacks w/ BfB, new attack special effects for attacks, jump to create ice circle dot, infinite blood of the dragon gauge, time limit 20 seconds, inflicts pacification after time limit is exceeded, cannot be used with steel-like scales), "steel-like scales" (consumes "body of the dragon gauge", grant a massive defense and emnity boost, dragoon will roar like a dragon and changes aggro to A, 30-60 time limit, enters pacification after exceeding time limit). They're a bit OP, but only SMN has utility like that, I think

1. Well...

Army's would probably be fine if the effect affected the whole party as well, or if it helped with the job gauges in some way. But Minuet just seems fine. It's basically our solo/selfish song in the game, but they could just make it increase straight shot proc rates, or just half the recast of empyreal arrow for the song's duration or something. TBH, I'd like to just try out the 5.0 version first. It's like way too early to really examine it right now

[MOZZYSTAR]

I kind of agree in that, right now, support is an integral part of bard (it is a support-DPS class; that's the whole gimmick in its questline: play songs to rejuvinate your comrades or weaken your foes, etc.). They don't have the same repercussions as they did in 2.0 that I'm aware of and the songs have enough variety where you can strategically use them provided they aren't on CD. Personally, I like playing synergists (and saboteurs) as a whole, so for me as an individual, I think the support skills to bard are an important part of its current gameplay. It's literally the only reason why I play it and not some other DPS class.