Bards?!?!?!?!

[Zubek]

Okay so I've been on this server for a couple of weeks now and have grouped with a couple of bards. I used to play a bard on live and I gotta say so far I've not been impressed with the one song playing ones I've seen so far. I know there are good ones here they just aren't in the lowbie areas.

I decided that I am going to risk the carpal tunnel and play a bard again. I've managed to collect 250pp and don't want to just start another toon naked.

What do you think the best bang for my buck would be for 250pp? Some not so horrible weapon and some bronze?

[Qaedain]

Can't go wrong with a good weapon and some AC.

[nalkin]

I think there is about to be a surge of bards.

[Zubek]

maybe, but one more that can 4 twist, break camps, pull, and CC+ play songs isn't too bad is it? I've been missing my bard and watching everyone play theirs knowing I could do better is making my OCD meter go crazy lol.

Plus.....

I wanna go fast!!!!!

[Kevris]

Muahhahahaha!!!

Bards!!

BARDS EVERWHERE!!!!!

[Taluvill]

Nab an enameled black mace or an Obsidian scimitar in the EC tunnel and go to work. thats probably your best bet, or grab a set of MM battle drums and a Lute of the gypsy princess. I got mine for my alt bard bundled the other day for 150 pp.

[PhelanKA]

I think there is about to be a surge of bards.

Just like surges of SKs during any given week?

It doesn't really matter unless the surge collectively hits Level ~30 which it never does, obviously ;). Bards tend to wash out early due to the comparatively increased learning curve of other classes. It only means good things for those of us trying to unload small bronze armor and cheap 1hs :D

My advice is to start off with a decent soloing class (Necro, Mage, Druid, etc) and then work on doing the Lambent quests for yourself. This tends to be a more rewarding strategy IMHO.

[Cyph]

It does seem like a few people are playing bards, probably because they a bit different than any other class. It is a class that definitely takes skill and patience to play, I hope to live up to expectations of my fellow players.

That said, you're lucky you have plat to gear up your bard, mine is still a naked newbie :)

[Zubek]

I've got a wizzy I'm going to play on the days I don't want to play the bard or can't find groups. I'm just missing the bard too much now that I've been playing EQ.....it's almost like it's not really EQ without missed notes!

[Zubek]

I was a Xegony player too Cyph! Zubek was my bards name their. I think 250pp will be a good start on him.

[MiRo2]

My advice is to start off with a decent soloing class (Necro, Mage, Druid, etc) and then work on doing the Lambent quests for yourself. This tends to be a more rewarding strategy IMHO.

If you like playing a bard, this is horrible advice. Bards are not very gear dependent. Lambent isn't going to make or break your bard at lower levels, and is easibly soloable for all but the BP by lower 30s.

[Zubek]

Yeah, plus I like to do the quests for Lambent with my bard....guess I'm nostalgic like that lol. I think I'm going to try to get a set of bronze and then find a weapon in the 100ish pp range to get me through some levels. I'm watching EC spam now trying to find that.

[Cyph]

I only remember a few names of players from the old Xegony days, it was before Kunark so everything was still new and fresh. I stopped playing around the time everyone starting doing Plane of Fear runs.

My main back then was a Paladin, then a Druid as my first alt and my Bard as a second alt. I played a Bard as my main in EQ2 and had heaps of fun.

I must admit, it's hard starting fresh, but it's also exciting. Every fight, every victory, every piece of loot and plat is extra rewarding.

[Zubek]

I agree I've been having a lot of fun playing classic EQ. It's just so much better.

[Cyph]

I just read some of the kiting threads here on the forum, wow, playing a bard seems much more involved than I first thought! Can't wait to become more efficient.

[Lazortag]

I like this thread.

Being a Bard can range from being super lazy to extremely involving. I'll be honest, sometimes as a Bard I've been relied on to tank, pull, CC, and 4-twist all at once. It's stressful but also really fun. Though I'll admit it's pretty much impossible for me to reliably 4-twist when I'm tanking and mezzing adds and shit, but at least I keep mana song up often enough for the sitting half of the group to stay happy.

[Zubek]

yeah you really have to know how to multitask and have situational awareness. Especially if you are responsible for tanking anything and CC. Kiting is a whole story all its own that takes some practice to master, but once you do you can rake in the xp.

[madara]

Best wishes. Heck I seen two quit today in Gfay. Mix in exp penalty and not liking the AE kiting issues they bailed.

[PhelanKA]

If you like playing a bard, this is horrible advice. Bards are not very gear dependent. Lambent isn't going to make or break your bard at lower levels, and is easibly soloable for all but the BP by lower 30s.

Fair enough.

It's likely a matter of perspective. I just had a much more enjoyable time doing the Lambent quests as a Necro than actually playing my bard through the lower levels :D

[Zubek]

Lowbie bard can be frustrating, especially with the xp penalty.

[Cyph]

What XP penalty?

[Threepoint]

Everquest

[Cyph]

Huh?

Is there a specific XP penalty when playing a Bard or general XP penalties (such as dying)?

[Zubek]

hybrids....bards, SK's, and Pallies, have a 40% xp penalty in classic EQ.
Monks have a 20% I think, and some races like trolls have a penalty also.

[Cyph]

Ohhh, I seem to remember something like that.
Wow, 40%. Hardcore :)

[Zubek]

well bronze armor bought, spear bought....a lil left over for song money. Now just to get it to my bard lol.

[Cyph]

I was thinking of maybe dual boxing my bard with another character, my computer is powerful enough to run x2 instances of EQ. What do you all think?

Zubek, let us know your Bard's name once you make him

[Zubek]

zubek is his name.

you can't 2box here though, it's against the rules.

[Cyph]

You can't? Ok, wew, lucky I said something! Thanks Zubek :)

[Cyph]

On that note, is there some kind of in game rules thread?

[Toomuch]

http://www.project1999.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1057

you can't even attempt to 2 box though, I learned that before reading the rules myself, because I tried and got an error message. You can only have 1 account actively online per IP address unless you get an exception cleared with the Dev Team.

Makes it so every character playing online is a real player, which is better honestly.

[Cyph]

Thanks Toomuch. I'm planning on building another computer for my brother so maybe I'll need to ask for special permission then.

[Haynar]

Thanks Toomuch. I'm planning on building another computer for my brother so maybe I'll need to ask for special permission then.
Just remember, that if you do get caught boxing the two characters. They don't care if you just moved the char for your brother only 5 feet, when he was in the bathroom. Getting caught having only one person playing both characters for any amount of time, including just doing a trade of items, will most likely end up in a lifetime ban from the server.

They pretty much have zero tolerance on that subject, if they catch you.

Haynar

[Cyph]

Thanks Haynar, nah, don't worry, I won't be two boxing. Them be the rules!

[Haynar]

Thanks Haynar, nah, don't worry, I won't be two boxing. Them be the rules!
I don't GM on the server. I just develop on the code. Just giving friendly advice. If you do want to box there are several other servers that are fun and allow it. No reason to screw up your time here unnecessarily.

Haynar

[Cyph]

Nah, its ok, I like the server and I like the rules. How do I go about getting permission though?

[Sareil]

Started a bard myself, and boy can I tell ya is it tough. The xp penalty alone is killer, but kiting or killing while switching instruments out every other song is quite tough. I can't even imagine how I'm gonna cope with cc + tanking on top of that. Should be a fun time. Played a wizard on live and just didn't feel like being a lazy bastard to max level again.

[Cyph]

That's one thing that's enjoyable about a bard, they are more active than some other classes. It can be a handful, yes, but at least you feel like you're doing something a bit more involved.

[Qaedain]

I still can't reliably decipher how to do instrument swapping AND twisting. Twisting I can do; I'm pretty good at it, even. But once I start trying to move between drums and brass, I blow it.

[Sareil]

I still can't reliably decipher how to do instrument swapping AND twisting. Twisting I can do; I'm pretty good at it, even. But once I start trying to move between drums and brass, I blow it.

Do you have your macros set up? It may not be classic, but I could never play a bard without em. Im already feeling the tension in my wrists and arms towards carpel lol.

You have 5 commands, plus a /pause on the same line as a song. Mine are /stopsong; /pause 31, /cast <number>; /stopsong; /pause..etc basically two buttons for a 4 song twist. I have my primary and secondary slots set on a hotbar and then my instrument bag next to them for easy opening, and I just get a rhythm going with click weapon, switch with instrument, song hits, click instrument and switch with weapon, etc.

[knottyb0y]

I just get a rhythm going with click weapon, switch with instrument, song hits, click instrument and switch with weapon, etc.


Bard? Rhythm? Awesome :)

Actually bards wear many hats, require full awareness and skill to play effectively. Its a challenge and the reason I play a bard myself. macro's and special keyboards and short breaks will help avoid wrist strain... A well played bard is a thing of beauty we are much more than pulse 1 song and afk.

[Teeroyoyort]

There have been a ton of new bards with the double xp, lol. I got 4 tells from new players asking for advice. How do you twist? How do you swarm kite? it's nutz. What's funny is Bards are constantly getting nerfed too. By nerfed I mean things that shouldn't have been in the 1st place are getting taken away.

[guineapig]

I too was getting a bunch of random tells over the past couple of days with bard questions. I don't know why some people find it so difficult to research this stuff.

I answered their questions anyway... I'm a push-over

[Cyph]

Thanks for the info Sareil regarding macros. I may look this up just to make it a bit easier (so far I've been click twisting... two songs lol). I take it one needs to manually swap weapons to instruments?

[Sareil]

Thanks for the info Sareil regarding macros. I may look this up just to make it a bit easier (so far I've been click twisting... two songs lol). I take it one needs to manually swap weapons to instruments?

Yeah, I don't know of another way.