My biggest issue with the dominating DK+AoE strat, is how it punishes participation.
As a bard, I generally feel more useful popping my buffs and tossing a situational silence than getting too close, where a momentary slip and failing to shield at the exact moment will cost my team more points than my damage is worth.
The answer probably is to play an AoE job, but since winning barely matters anyway it's certainly not worth moving off my comfort pick.