So would you say that Bard is a fun class to play?

[OhnoozeMyToes]

So I'm only lvl 15 on my archer atm but it feels pretty boring.
I'm curious what the general feelings are towards Bard because what I see on YouTube at higher lvls looks pretty fast and fun to play.
So, opinions?

[CazzT]

I'm not sure how it is now, but in SB I found Bard to be quite enjoyable, one of my more favored DPS classes to play.
Not sure how much was changed with them for ShB, but I think I'll probably enjoy it again.

[Tyssyn]

I've always enjoyed Bard - Archer/bard was my first class in FFXIV. All classes are a little boring at the low levels because you just don't get many abilities. I am probably one of the few that don't mind the current changes to bard - although I do miss palisade and refresh. Right now I am bouncing between Bard and Dancer, I like both, very much, and eventually I will work on Red Mage, the other class I really enjoyed. Just keep in mind, OP, that all classes are limited in abilities and will feel a bit boring (especially dps since tanks have the excitement of trying to keep aggro and healers are trying to keep everyone alive) until you get to about 50 and have more abilities to play with. Then of course, when you sync down to do low level stuff, you feel a bit crippled because you can't use those shiny new abilities!

[The_Last_Dragoon]

Bard's are quite fun to play, especially if you're new to the game. You really won't get a feel for how they really are until lv30 though when they get access to Mage's Ballad, which causes their Bloodletter to refresh occasionally when your DoTs go off. This is the first of 3 songs which augment the Bard's play style, and by lv52 you'll be able to cycle through them without having any breaks inbetween.

I would personally recommend trying to continuously move and do your rotation at the same time and practice it at these low levels since it not only feels awesome to do in single-player duties, it will make it easier to react to what's going on with the boss without interrupting your damage output. Trust me, at later levels Bard is probably far ahead of all the other classes in terms of the number of OGCDs that need to be weaved in per minute, which is a stark difference to the lv15 experience.

[bass9020]

It lost almost all its support in ShB and its closer to a Ranger than a Bard now but its a fairly solid job. If you enjoy ranged aesthetics then I'd stick to it at least to lvl 50!

[Mugear_bahamut]

Returning the buffs to songs will probably fix the support aspect, but with the other changes I'd say its personal DPS got a big spike so it's not really needed.
If you wanna play full-on support, do dancer, if you want high burst damage, play machinist. With dancer taking its role as high support, bard is now a crit-reliant.
People who like procs as I do will probably enjoy it. It's the king of AoE for ranged physical right now.
Take note you'll still need to rotate around songs and DoTs as they're the most vital contributors to your DPS and procs.
There are a total of three songs, and you use them in turns in the background. The 3rd song will end just right before the first one finishes its cool down, so it's fairly easy to manage.

Also edit;
I love all Ranged Physical so I wouldn't say it's boring. You're correct about it being really fast paced at around your late 50's.
If you like a more complex job though, you should try machinist.

[MOZZYSTAR]

Bard was my absolute favourite class before Shadowbringers. It was energetic, lots of buffs to support various classes in the team, highly mobile, nice procs, et cetera. It could be a little more strategic and a little more flexible than some other classes, I think, with no real "set rotation." However, I found it very "empty" and sorely lacking after Shadowbringers. I really dislike having empty spots in my hotbars, but I found that wasn't just a bard issue.



If you're just starting now and you're not going from "ye olde" version to the new version, you might really like it. I just struggle with the change, I think. I think it is still likely very energetic in that it's a very mobile class and typically fast-paced. It still has some support skills and I think you would like its songs. You can still DPS and move simultaneously no problem (imo) which is pretty useful for dodging aoes. It's almost like -badumtsh- dancing. To me, if you aren't a fan of just set rotations, you like the energy it has, and you like to support your team in how you can, then bard would totally be up your alley. Just a forewarning: pretty much all classes are a touch boring before level 60. After that it should be fun.

[Kaedan]

I'm not a big fan of Bard, no. It's just too "one trick pony" feeling to me. Even with managing songs and dots, it just doesn't "feel" very active to me. I think part of the problem is lack of combos.

My favorite DPS by far is NIN, followed by RDM and DRG.

[Warlyx]

all the jobs at lvl 15 are "boring" , if u want u can go to PoTD and try all them at lvl 50 isnt enough imo , since u get tons of new skills that change how u play but is something :P

[Sakei]

Bard was my first job, and I still love it. I think you'll like the job, but there's no shame in trying other jobs too. Try all of them, and see which one you want to stick with for now. I think you'll still be back to the others later. I know from experience that you can absolutely hate a class, and then find it kinda fun later on.