really ... ?

Sepplord wrote: ↑

Wed 17 Jul 2019 3:05 PM

why are there so few bards btw?
Ofcourse if you compare it to skalds or minstrels bards will be lesser populated, but compared to healers?

As said before, the role really is different than healer, while it does pretty look like the same, bard requires switching between melee/instrument, that allready is too much for many players who are casting most of their spells and using their tools with mouse instead of keybinds, good macros and well positionned spells on quickars (notice this issue's nature), it requires instant reaction with instant amnesia (which really is the only spell you have in combat once the first impact has been made or if SoS is gone, you'll almost never be able to cast your mezz if your group isn't allready taking advantage, instant reaction = decent keyboard configuration (second time this problem occurs with bard). Decent bards are casting I amne all fight long, most simply can not in a technical way, and have to trust their healers/peelers, most simply can not do so as they are condaned to PuGs, they find themselves let alone in battle with poor reaction time of team mates when they become the target?

Then you will smile about it, but there is a general feeling of lack in utility, bards have very few CC's and spells compared to a healer, no root (they have a side snare, but as i've said... Most players can't even dream of using it cause of switching), no stun, no IH, no celerity, less instant spells, weaker armor, and the irony of having instant amnesia is that you can not even spam it, has to be used in the best timing possible.

Plus there are multiple vicious effects of playing in pugs on hibernia, it means you can not combine melody to BoF or beddazling aura and co most of time, etc...

I have a teammate who was an excellent bard, we've been duo/trio a lot with big success with my eld, he didn't even reached 5L, he just left the server because nobody else in the guild wanted to play bard, he didn't want to but felt forced to do so as nobody roll'ed one, in the end he just went bored of the role in a few days, while he was better at it than 99% of the bards i've met in game.

Also, as bard is the only main speed who can't solo, well... It's natural for Hibernia to have much less bards, then SoS and speed in battle compared to other realms. Then the realm suffers of that lack, then it disgusts some players from the realm who leave for another one...

I do not know if you play in zergs sometimes, but tell yourself most of the bards in the Pilz/fernando BG are a total disaster, i do not know what it looks like from the outside, but i can tell you, it is a pain to play with them. Same thing goes for Midgard's healers when it comes to CC or do anything other tham casting spreadheals at the bottom of a tower while TWF destroys everything in it (hey bonedancers, enjoying that RA ?), as an enemy i can tell you the only thing most of them can cast are these spreadheals, + all kind of instants you could imagine, but almost never anything with a direct view on target or casting time will land on my eldritch. Freaking never.

Difference is, i guess, they have these instants, bards do not, except two mezzes that are almost useless against mid.

Balancing DAOC ask to have a bit of empathy for casual/common players i guess sometimes, bard doesn't fit their potential, but at the same time people will say bards do not need any small tweak because they do so well in hardcore player's hands. Most of casual players do not even think to grab moc 1 for demezz, and when you tell them to do so, they just shrug and answer "what for ? i need dext 5 instead of 4 so much".