Thread: Media tour- BRD impressions

I think the class suffers due to Pitch Perfect. Here is why:
1. It is only valid 1/3 of the time.
2. Is part of the problem with song preferences.
3. RNGesus hates people...why give him power?

In regards to the other songs Mage's Ballad and Army's Paeon (pardon spelling, I'm in a rush here); these two songs feel like they are speeding up a leg of the Bard's skill set. Off-global and On-global respectively. While Wanderer's Pitch Perfect is like a total adjustment of the mentality of the job. This was fine in Stormblood where the mechanic was new and entirely focused on these three songs.
But then came Shadowbringers...
They added stuff on top, stuff that felt out of place or just tacked on. Playing full manual (no macro) on this job just feels like a mind jack compared with the other jobs. Including BLM, which is arguably complicated in its own right.
Switching between three play styles is fine, but I feel hobbled when core buttons on my bar are dead 2/3 of my play time and involve a mental track when in play. Personal opinion here.

My suggestion:
If you want Bard to feel good and operate in such a way that it feels GOOD. You have to make it so the rotation feels subliminal. You can have proc, but have the sound for ONE thing. If you want the three songs, stick with the concept the first two songs give you. Speeding up a leg of the Bard rotation. Now you may ask: What is your suggestion for the third leg then smart butt?
Easy. We got it in Shadowbringers. Manasong.
Instead of adding a sole skill to 1/3 of the kit, have the application of the song apply to something ALWAYS in play.
Long story short: Pitch Pitch Perfect to the curve, and have Wanderer's amp the charging of the manasong gauge. Make all relevant changes from that point.

Again, suggestion from own preferences. Let the comment/reply's rip away.

Originally Posted by Beddict

snip

I’m so sick of the devs utter negligence to progression kits, multiple jobs already have confirmed growing pains like RPR MNK AST SMN DNC SAG and DRG. BRD being notable and wouldn’t even break the job giving it some more procs or at the very least emperyl arrow proc right out of the gate. And Blood letter stacks should be very very early not a Lv freaking 80 something! Don’t understand this need to ignore how one progresses with the job, which probably goes back to their desire to not care about low end stuff. But they need to know new BRD come from somewhere and it’s one of the few jobs that starts at lv1 and we do a lot of content in those 50 60 dungeons, via roulettes.

Bloodletter stacks should literally come as soon as you get Mage's, it isn't a freaking powerup, it is a QOL change and trying to sell it as a near endgame ability is very silly. The only argument I could see is that it affects the opener and creates a scenario where you can double bloodletter under Raging, but that is just not a good reason to lock it at such a high level. But it tracks with Iron Jaws coming so late I suppose.

Overall the class seems improved, but still feels like an Archer with very passive buff maintenance thrown in. I find myself hitting Peloton during boss transition downtime on my Bard just to keep that class fantasy alive (even if it doesn't do anything). With everything else getting more lenient, it would be great to have some sort of periodic buffing action thrown in the mix that used our powers of song (once every 90s - really 120s - isn't the same). Heck, you could even give us more to do during Army's Paeon by allowing us to consume 5 stacks to buff the party or something.

I'll likely go BRD this patch for skill ceiling and mechanics, but the class fantasy is very weak compared to say my WHM.

I like 2 charges on blood letter but i really hope in the next expansion they do a ability shuffle, this passive should come the level you get mages ballad 100%, no question.
Not having it in earlier ultimates is a damn shame too because it'll make the gameplay so much smoother and less frustrating

I heard that bloodletter can proc from both DoTs at the same time and that you can get 2 charges in one tick. So, in the end, it doesn't actually make bloodletter that much more convenient. They should have made it 3 charges...
But anyways, Bard is next in line for a revamp, isn't it?

Well, 2 charges for Bloodletter is alright but with your dots being able to proc twice kinda defeats the purpose of having 2 charges.
Ladonbite is cool looking, but that's about it, would of loved Wide Volley to come back instead. Raident Finale is a step in the right direction as far as support goes for a party with the skill also applying to yourself as well, which our songs and Battle Voice still doesn't do. Overall pretty underwhelming changes, it doesn't do much to fix or change issues people have with Bard currently. While the class isn't in a bad spot by any means, there are changes that could of been added to further improve the class, the charges, Wide Volley, song effecting you, ect. I'll still be sticking with the class regardless though.

Bard is going to be DOA in 6.0. Dancer and MCH both got flashy new skills, while bard got ineffective QoL disguised as new skills.