Bard's 6.1 changes - why bother?

**taksqth** · 04-19-2022 12:13 AM

The change is disheartening because it shows how little SE understands about the issues with BRD currently, but then again I guess the playerbase feedback is also at fault.

Just to get this out there, the one issue they absolutely need to address is merge the shadowbite and refulgent arrow procs. This has been done for DNC, I can't understand why would it be so hard to just port it over for BRD. Would solve both the barrage problem and the issue with shadowbite's area being terrible for aoe scenarios, sometimes forcing us to spam ladonsbite and ignore the proc. I'm predicting this will 100% be an issue in the upcoming ultimate btw. Also the former of those was an issue that they acknowledged and fixed back in the SB->ShB transition by having barrage proc RA. Why does it feel like with every step forward with this job we take one backwards as well?

**QT_Melon** · 04-19-2022 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by taksqth

Just to get this out there, the one issue they absolutely need to address is merge the shadowbite and refulgent arrow procs.

Ew no. Because if you need change focus to a single target you then have a lower potency shot made for AOE.

The progression should be it going from Quick Knock to Shadowbite since I don't see a legit reason that it shouldn't change to the higher potency proc just like it should go from Heavy Shot to Refulgent.

Unless once again it can be pointed out why it shouldn't.

**taksqth** · 04-19-2022 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by QT_Melon

Ew no. Because if you need change focus to a single target you then have a lower potency shot made for AOE.

The progression should be it going from Quick Knock to Shadowbite since I don't see a legit reason that it shouldn't change to the higher potency proc just like it should go from Heavy Shot to Refulgent.

Unless once again it can be pointed out why it shouldn't.

My original post was a bit misleading, sorry. I did not mean that they should merge those two into one skill, but have the "Straight Shot Ready" buff enable both actions, then it would be up to the player to choose which one they would use.

This is required, beyond just having barrage proc both, because sometimes Ladonsbite can hit 2 targets but Shadowbite can't due to its radius being way smaller and a different shape (cone vs circle). In those scenarios it is optimal to keep firing Ladonsbite and ignore the (currently AoE only) proc, even if it feels like garbage to do so.

**QT_Melon** · 04-19-2022 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by taksqth

My original post was a bit misleading, sorry. I did not mean that they should merge those two into one skill, but have the "Straight Shot Ready" buff enable both actions, then it would be up to the player to choose which one they would use.

This is required, beyond just having barrage proc both, because sometimes Ladonsbite can hit 2 targets but Shadowbite can't due to its radius being way smaller and a different shape (cone vs circle). In those scenarios it is optimal to keep firing Ladonsbite and ignore the (currently AoE only) proc, even if it feels like garbage to do so.

In that case they should increase the radius a bit as well. You should get reward/satisfaction from proc'ing and that's one of the reasons Bard is in a spot where it is.

**LeonKeyh** · 04-20-2022 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by Minali

Bugs aside (because those are not part of intended changes, obviously), I actually like the pitch perfect merge and it is fascinating to see how furious some people are about the change of the position (!) of one single button. You managed to get used to the old position, with some time you'll manage to get used to the new one. As a person with small hands that make it hard to reach everything past "6" on my keyboard fast, I am happy when a button that is very important but also not available most of the time not taking away space from a button that I need moreoften. And before the question pops up: Yes, I have a gaming mouse, it is a big help, (though not one if 20 buttons, because I also get problems with a sore thumb fairly fast would I try to use these 20 buttons every time I play). The job might not be the job with the biggest button bloat problem in the game, but in my opinion having a skill that is entirely attached to another skill taking place on a hotbar elswhere makes even less sense. This seems more a matter of habit, not a matter of good or bad design when I scroll through this thread. (Stuff like button smashing that makes you fire off pitch perfect early or having it not look nicely on your hotbar doesn't make the skill itself or as part of a rotation good or bad.)

EW changes meant for me with Gunbreaker I had to live with three buttons merged into one, with Monk I had to get used to several oGCDs being locked behind a whole new gauge mechanic, and well, then there is Summoner. I am sure we can get used to one button merge where the skill being a single one didn't really make sense to begin with, if you go by function.

You're misunderstanding the actual change and WHY people are annoyed by it. Your examples; GNB, MNK, SMN all have buttons that do the same thing (i.e. damage) being consolidated.

MOST people specifically set up their hotbars/xhotbars based off of how easy it is to press the button (this sounds like it's important for you). With Attacks being close together and buffs being on the outside since they're not pressed as often as attacks. Most people who play bard have Pitch Perfect in with their attacks so that they can easily hit it between normal attacks without normally worrying about accidentally hitting a song during normal rotation or without needing to have an attack on a button that is far away from their other attacks. Also, with the change, someone hitting Pitch Perfect generally has the change of hitting another song if you keep the songs together.

Acting like this is "just" 1 button moving to a different spot or that this is in any way similar to the GNB change, DRG change, or SMN change is disingenuous.

**taksqth** · 04-20-2022 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by QT_Melon

In that case they should increase the radius a bit as well. You should get reward/satisfaction from proc'ing and that's one of the reasons Bard is in a spot where it is.

I guess they could, that would also be a good fix. However, what's annoying about this is that ShB BRD already had the flexibility I'm asking back. In that expansion, Quick Nock could proc a Bloodletter/Rain of Death reset. You got both the single target and AoE option. Rain of Death is already a bigger radius than Shadowbite (8y vs 5y), but even then there would be situations (such as TEA JWaves) where you would use Quick Nock and Bloodletter (the single target proc), not Rain of Death.

The Shadowbite change was a step backwards in two different ways and the fact that SE did that makes me believe that they don't understand the core gameplay of BRD at all.

**ZaqueXIII** · 04-20-2022 02:08 AM

Kinda middled by the change. For me personally one less button was great for my hotbar but the choice for which button got consolidated was not the one I was expecting. I think bard has always been a high CPM class and especially now I think I am beating my AST for CPM so to an appreciable degree muscle memory is important.

Equally important to me is use case. Yes pitch perfect can curently only be used under wanderers but during that window its used a good amount. I would prefer if PP did something under each song, but, in its previous form it let me keep my songs safe from my procs and damage. Not to mention how fickle songs are and how punishing they can be if you mess them up at all. Now we get to potentially get our song cycle ruined by other bards...

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