Having played both as and against minstrel both before and after the server's changes I think minstrels are in need of an adjustment. My primary focus is 8v8 or 8vX since that is the perspective that needs to be taken when balancing classes - a majority of these points do not apply to 1v1 or even smallman since the range discrepancies and pet control issues are not as detrimental in those situations.
Minstrel is a speed rupting class with cc so the fairest comparisons are vs bard and skald. I will also only focus on the imbalance of the rupting/control capabilities of these classes. I do not mention 1500 range DD charges since those are available to all classes and on 3m timers.
Minstrel :
-2x 700 range DDs - 15s cooldown
-1x 700 range stun - 10s cooldown
-1x 700 range instant confuse - 30s cooldown
-10.7s duration charm on 5s frequency pulse
-1500 range pulse single mezz - 3s cast time while moving not affected by dex - 29s duration
-1500 range casted AoE mezz - 5s cast time - 30s duration
Bard :
-1x 700 range dd - 10s cooldown
-1500 range casted single mezz - 2.5s - 1:10 duration
-1500 range casted AoE mezz - 3s - 1:01 duration
-1500 range Instant single mezz - 22s duration - 10m cooldown
-1500 range Instant AoE mezz - 26s duration - 10m cooldown
-2x 2000 range instant "rupts"/speed breaks
Skald :
-2x 700 range DDs - 15s cooldown
-1x 700 range instant mezz - 29s duration - 30s cooldown
-1x 700 range instant snare - 1:41 duration - 30s cooldown
-Det
From a range perspective it's clear that the bard has the upper hand with both faster mezz casts (as well as instant mezzes) and amnesia. For a minstrel or skald to effectively rupt they need to be within 700 range. Of course minstrels can stay back and cast 3s mezzes popping in and out of range, but realistically these single mezzes are both considerably weaker and slower - a bard can almost cast 2 singles by the time a minstrel casts 1 since it is not dex based. Not to mention that this is the only tool that the minstrel gets at that range and so is only able to rupt/control a single player at a time (I don't mention the AoE because 5s cast time makes it non-viable in a majority of cases). So we can safely conclude that a minstrel needs to be up-close to rupt.
Up-close the minstrel has more rupt capability than skald given their stun and confuse and pet. I only mention the pet now because with the changes it is typically not an effective strategy to send the pet farther than 700 units away, as it will be easy to CC and the minstrel will not be able to recover the pet without significant effort/risk in a standard alb group. The minstrel is still a rupt machine when they are free and CC immune and within 700 range of both enemies and their pet. However, since minstrel has no det they are easy to control with a competent group and left behind if the alb group pulls. Skalds are still able to fulfill their role with their reduced range since they have det, a variety of snares, and are typically fighting in push groups.
Lastly, the pet charm is on a 5s frequency with 10.7s duration and is interrupted by stun. This means that if you are either slammed 1.7s-5s after a normal pulse or anytime up to 5s after a resisted pulse you will lose control of your pet, removing all minstrel pressure. While a skald has to deal with a similar situation, their group/support is pushing towards them, whereas the minstrel is almost always sacrificing ground in order to rupt.
I don't think many would argue that the previous pet-release behavior was balanced - but in the current state the minstrel is stuck in limbo between pushing to actually be able to rupt and catching full duration CC/potentially getting left behind or being relatively ineffective at range - maybe snaring or trying to clear cc. My suggestions are to either :
a.) Give minstrels det
b.) Give minstrels a faster/more effective casted mezz
c.) Make at least one of the minstrel DDs 1500 range
d.) Re-implement the previous minstrel pet-release mechanic (which is still in place for mentalists)
e.) At the very least keep the minstrel charm running through stun
tl;dr No other class on this server is required to be within 700 range of the enemy to fully fulfill their role and does NOT have det.
Minstrel is a speed rupting class with cc so the fairest comparisons are vs bard and skald. I will also only focus on the imbalance of the rupting/control capabilities of these classes. I do not mention 1500 range DD charges since those are available to all classes and on 3m timers.
Minstrel :
-2x 700 range DDs - 15s cooldown
-1x 700 range stun - 10s cooldown
-1x 700 range instant confuse - 30s cooldown
-10.7s duration charm on 5s frequency pulse
-1500 range pulse single mezz - 3s cast time while moving not affected by dex - 29s duration
-1500 range casted AoE mezz - 5s cast time - 30s duration
Bard :
-1x 700 range dd - 10s cooldown
-1500 range casted single mezz - 2.5s - 1:10 duration
-1500 range casted AoE mezz - 3s - 1:01 duration
-1500 range Instant single mezz - 22s duration - 10m cooldown
-1500 range Instant AoE mezz - 26s duration - 10m cooldown
-2x 2000 range instant "rupts"/speed breaks
Skald :
-2x 700 range DDs - 15s cooldown
-1x 700 range instant mezz - 29s duration - 30s cooldown
-1x 700 range instant snare - 1:41 duration - 30s cooldown
-Det
From a range perspective it's clear that the bard has the upper hand with both faster mezz casts (as well as instant mezzes) and amnesia. For a minstrel or skald to effectively rupt they need to be within 700 range. Of course minstrels can stay back and cast 3s mezzes popping in and out of range, but realistically these single mezzes are both considerably weaker and slower - a bard can almost cast 2 singles by the time a minstrel casts 1 since it is not dex based. Not to mention that this is the only tool that the minstrel gets at that range and so is only able to rupt/control a single player at a time (I don't mention the AoE because 5s cast time makes it non-viable in a majority of cases). So we can safely conclude that a minstrel needs to be up-close to rupt.
Up-close the minstrel has more rupt capability than skald given their stun and confuse and pet. I only mention the pet now because with the changes it is typically not an effective strategy to send the pet farther than 700 units away, as it will be easy to CC and the minstrel will not be able to recover the pet without significant effort/risk in a standard alb group. The minstrel is still a rupt machine when they are free and CC immune and within 700 range of both enemies and their pet. However, since minstrel has no det they are easy to control with a competent group and left behind if the alb group pulls. Skalds are still able to fulfill their role with their reduced range since they have det, a variety of snares, and are typically fighting in push groups.
Lastly, the pet charm is on a 5s frequency with 10.7s duration and is interrupted by stun. This means that if you are either slammed 1.7s-5s after a normal pulse or anytime up to 5s after a resisted pulse you will lose control of your pet, removing all minstrel pressure. While a skald has to deal with a similar situation, their group/support is pushing towards them, whereas the minstrel is almost always sacrificing ground in order to rupt.
I don't think many would argue that the previous pet-release behavior was balanced - but in the current state the minstrel is stuck in limbo between pushing to actually be able to rupt and catching full duration CC/potentially getting left behind or being relatively ineffective at range - maybe snaring or trying to clear cc. My suggestions are to either :
a.) Give minstrels det
b.) Give minstrels a faster/more effective casted mezz
c.) Make at least one of the minstrel DDs 1500 range
d.) Re-implement the previous minstrel pet-release mechanic (which is still in place for mentalists)
e.) At the very least keep the minstrel charm running through stun
tl;dr No other class on this server is required to be within 700 range of the enemy to fully fulfill their role and does NOT have det.