Bards - Read before you play one

[Albane]

Ok.. kiting more than 4 mobs can be unfair to other classes, especially when people are fighting over spawns in the open world. I understood that change and went with it.

40% xp penalty. We all hated this in Classic, Sony fixed it. But hey. It's Classic. I can still level at normal speed if I can constantly kite 4 mobs with 0 down time.

No single target DoTs. Ok. Guess I can't safely kite tougher mobs. Time to be creative.

Now I find out that I cannot charm mobs above level 37? WTF. This is literally all you can do in dungeons as a bard, other than pump mana into a group.


Now go ahead and respond with "It'S CLasSiC" my rant is over.

[Tecmos Deception]

Now I find out that I cannot charm mobs above level 37? WTF. This is literally all you can do in dungeons as a bard, other than pump mana into a group.

Sounds like you're one of the bad bards.

[Benanov]

This is literally all you can do in dungeons as a bard, other than pump mana into a group.

I don't really know how to really state this but you're not even wrong.

And by that, I don't mean "you're right" - I mean that your statement is so far from the merest glimpse of truth on the horizon that wrong would be an upgrade.

Why don't you go look at the song list on the wiki and think about what you've said.

[vordrax]

Is Solon's Bewitching Bravura not in-game yet? It's supposed to be classic. (I see on the wiki that it has a different name on the vendor, but I'm at work so I can't check in-game to see if it's available.)

[Dolalin]

Many bard songs are added in May 1999. The rest are gradually drip-fed all the way into late Kunark.

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2994372&postcount=23

Charm is one of the Kunark-era songs.

[vordrax]

Many bard songs are added in May 1999. The rest are gradually drip-fed all the way into late Kunark.

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2994372&postcount=23

Charm is one of the Kunark-era songs.

Thanks!

[Kirrund]

Dolalin strikes again.

[Tecmos Deception]

I don't really know how to really state this but you're not even wrong.

And by that, I don't mean "you're right" - I mean that your statement is so far from the merest glimpse of truth on the horizon that wrong would be an upgrade.

Why don't you go look at the song list on the wiki and think about what you've said.

Right? Most versatile class in the game and this guy thinks all he can do is charm and mana song.

[Palemoon]

Keep it Klassic

[Albane]

Sounds like you're one of the bad bards.

Unless your group is melee intensive, your job is to tick that mana up every 3 seconds. You can CC, but an enchanter can do it better.

You can give haste, but will that help your tank as much as giving your 4 casters another burst of mana?

You could cast an AoE DoT.. but haha.

While there are other options for bards, until level 55, most of your job will be spamming mana dump every 3 seconds. The only thing that has ever been fun to do in this game is to challenge myself by trying to solo King Tranix or duoing with a friend against camps that full groups have trouble with.

[Babizul]

/stopsong
/cast 1
/pause 8
/stopsong
/cast 2

You’re welcome.

[Babizul]

Unless your group is melee intensive, your job is to tick that mana up every 3 seconds. You can CC, but an enchanter can do it better.

You can give haste, but will that help your tank as much as giving your 4 casters another burst of mana?

You could cast an AoE DoT.. but haha.

While there are other options for bards, until level 55, most of your job will be spamming mana dump every 3 seconds. The only thing that has ever been fun to do in this game is to challenge myself by trying to solo King Tranix or duoing with a friend against camps that full groups have trouble with.

You have no idea what you’re talking about or how to play a very very very simple video-game.

[Albane]

Many bard songs are added in May 1999. The rest are gradually drip-fed all the way into late Kunark.

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2994372&postcount=23

Charm is one of the Kunark-era songs.

Thanks for the link. I wish I had seen this a couple months ago when I made the decision to play a bard again.

EDIT: But, why aren't the May 1999 songs all in the game? Perhaps having the percussion DoTs could let me do something more entertaining than group buff bot.

[Albane]

You have no idea what you’re talking about or how to play a very very very simple video-game.

I wouldn't be so upset if I was actually as blind as everyone else. It is because of my thousands of hours of bard experience that I understand just how detrimental not having Charm and the DoTs are to making this class fun to play.

[Tecmos Deception]

I get that ccc is great, especially if you actually pulse it instead of autorepeat. But there are plenty of situations where you can do something better with your 3 seconds than another ccc.

[Babizul]

I wouldn't be so upset if I was actually as blind as everyone else. It is because of my thousands of hours of bard experience that I understand just how detrimental not having Charm and the DoTs are to making this class fun to play.

Use other songs until the ones you’re talking about come out and then continue to use other songs because the ones you’re talking about normally generate too much aggro to be used in a group Mr. Pro-bard.

[zillabunny]

I get that ccc is great, especially if you actually pulse it instead of autorepeat. But there are plenty of situations where you can do something better with your 3 seconds than another ccc.

ummmm like what???

[Nirgon]

Mash that mana song

Mez them mobs

Haste them tanks

[Dolalin]

ummmm like what???

Pulse regen song to give your whole group chloro?

Snare an add and kite it around?

Pulse AoE slow to pull mobs off your chanter/cleric?

[Tecmos Deception]

ummmm like what???

Pulling or cc probably. But again, it varies. More melee or more casters? Caster mobs? No healer? No tank? Etc.

[zillabunny]

does AOE Slow work if the chanter already has slowed them? I know as a chanter i pretty much only want a bard to pulse mana cause it seems if they try to do any CC it fucks up my flow.

[Kanuvan]

i mean you can solo 4 things at once without using any mana or taking any damage what else could you possibly want, bards and necro's would make sense with a 50% xp penalty tbh

[Albane]

does AOE Slow work if the chanter already has slowed them? I know as a chanter i pretty much only want a bard to pulse mana cause it seems if they try to do any CC it fucks up my flow.

Until Enchanters get Clarity, the bard mana pulse is just too necessary for a groups flow. I am assuming Clarity will be added when bards get the rest of their songs in 5 months.

[kotton05]

Reroll because you obviously suck at barding, brad bless

[zillabunny]

it's weird how everyone is personally attacking you but hasn't legit offered any suggestion other than CC which an enchanter is going to be doing in your group anyways when you're doing solb or lguk.

[Babizul]

it's weird how everyone is personally attacking you but hasn't legit offered any suggestion other than CC which an enchanter is going to be doing in your group anyways when you're doing solb or lguk.

Haste Song

Slow enemies attack speed song

Slow enemies move speed song

Help enchanter cc

Mana song

Hp song

Strength song

AC song

Resist magic song

The list goes on.

If you’re good you can do at least 4 at once.

[zillabunny]

Oh ok i thought that someone said ealier that slow haste and CC overwrite the spells
also I dont' think anyone is arguing about the mana song I just think he said thats the only useful thing but in general if you have a shaman / enchanter / cleric you're gonna have slow resist magic and haste

I will say that snare does seem useful for sure! i've been in groups with necro and druid and it seems like they both always forget to snare. it's the one beneift of having a ranger, they want to feel so useful they always spam snare :)

[kotton05]

it's weird how everyone is personally attacking you but hasn't legit offered any suggestion other than CC which an enchanter is going to be doing in your group anyways when you're doing solb or lguk.

Not weird at all.... Why would one explain how to play classic emulated EQ in 2019 to someone who is crying on a forum about a class that is the best support and has endless way to play??

[Siege]

does AOE Slow work if the chanter already has slowed them? I know as a chanter i pretty much only want a bard to pulse mana cause it seems if they try to do any CC it fucks up my flow.

A skilled Bard who is willing to handle debuffs and CC is going to save you a lot of mana in the long run and allow you to focus on DPS and keeping your pet charmed so you don't get blown up. You just need to communicate with him beforehand so you both aren't spinning your wheels.

There are a lot of things a Bard can be doing at a given moment. Whether pulsing mana is a top priority depends on group composition and pull rate, among other things. If the healer is doing fine and the casters are pacing themselves, mana song might not be as vital as some of your other other songs. If there's a caster in the group who's needlessly pissing away their mana and standing up too much, then you might need to prioritize mana song over everything else to prevent that person from being dead weight.

A skilled Bard won't have to be told what to do. He'll know and you'll appreciate being in a group with him.

[M.J.]

Fear and pras Bristlebane young padawan. Only you can start forest fires!

[Yoite]

most of the time im singing grp haste, regen, slow/snare, and now that 41 song with ac/regen. i usually only sing mana when im not pulling or on med breaks.

and all the time casters in the group will be like wow bards are great i sure love that mana song...and im like i havent sang that for the past 15mins.

before 41 i would sing the DS song in the mix too. the DS song is amazing! stacks with druid and mage DS and it gives you infra/ultra vision depending on which you use.

[zaneosak]

I don't know man -- I still think bards get a short stick in this situation. No songs above 42. Charm stops at 37. And the fact that the classic era has VERY little places to XP above level 40 solo. The argument can be made (DO NOT SOLO, DUH) and I guess that's fair. Also sol b is the only zone for even half way decent group XP and it's pretty dogshit as it is. Grouping in general over 3 people is very slow -- I Don't blame bards for feeling pretty shit. You just have to put your head down and grind out lvl 37 mobs. Hell, I think most classes are grinding out 37 mobs (specs,guards) as far as solo goes. It's a slow road without Kunark and when you get a good camp like Specs or guards or butcher dorfs, you better keep it for 8 hours if you wanna make solid progress. Again -- this is all pertaining to solo play.

Yes I know about high keep nobles, but that shits perma camped.

[supermonk]

man i rolled a bard for the first time ever and i think it's pretty fun, but all i do is swarm 12 mobs

[Wallicker]

It’s so easy to solo to 50 on a bard... I have zero issues soloing in SolB, Lguk or kedge entrance(unless fierce Impaler is up on a full repop). Sure you can’t solo every camp in the game like an enchanter but we are still a super powerful class. I started a new bard on green(first one is Occisa on teal) and in 44 game hours Walli is level 33.5 has 5k in plat and gear all from soloing and looting... I sold one Oracle robe.

[Clappy]

It’s so easy to solo to 50 on a bard... I have zero issues soloing in SolB, Lguk or kedge entrance(unless fierce Impaler is up on a full repop). Sure you can’t solo every camp in the game like an enchanter but we are still a super powerful class. I started a new bard on green(first one is Occisa on teal) and in 44 game hours Walli is level 33.5 has 5k in plat and gear all from soloing and looting... I sold one Oracle robe.

can you please do a stream? I need to learn!