Which is the more active class, Enchanter or Bard / How to play them?

[Merlikan]

The most fun though in chanters is playing with agro, if you pay attention, you can get it down so good that you can mess with a group or raid and get away with it. A couple of examples, Dragon Necropolis with a raid going down the cave I think, haven't done on p99, sitting and standing moves the mob just a few feet. I always warned my cleric of course what I was doing, made a little funny most of the mobs were easy enough. 2nd example in Kael, I would tell my cleric ahead of time I was going for agro and was summoned 4 times by the big guys on a regular basis, most people didn't mind and they knew if I was there it would probably happen. There are a lot of things that enchanters do but you must always know and understand agro, how to achieve, back off and just have fun with it.

Thats my thoughts, I haven't played bard past mid 30's so not really sure.

[Pyrocat]

Originally Posted by Merlikan [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

The most fun though in chanters is playing with agro, if you pay attention, you can get it down so good that you can mess with a group or raid and get away with it. A couple of examples, Dragon Necropolis with a raid going down the cave I think, haven't done on p99, sitting and standing moves the mob just a few feet. I always warned my cleric of course what I was doing, made a little funny most of the mobs were easy enough. 2nd example in Kael, I would tell my cleric ahead of time I was going for agro and was summoned 4 times by the big guys on a regular basis, most people didn't mind and they knew if I was there it would probably happen. There are a lot of things that enchanters do but you must always know and understand agro, how to achieve, back off and just have fun with it.

Thats my thoughts, I haven't played bard past mid 30's so not really sure.

wat

[skarlorn]

a multi-tasking carpal tunnel lord indeed, very impressive stuff but I always feel sorry for the permanent damage they are doing to their bodies

[Evia]

Originally Posted by skarlorn [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

a multi-tasking carpal tunnel lord indeed, very impressive stuff but I always feel sorry for the permanent damage they are doing to their bodies

I made my spell bar 1-8, on my numpad. It makes twisting carpal tunnel free! Just a simple 11,22,33, ect on the numpad. Granted, I'm not half the bard ive seen those handful of bards become, so maybe carpal tunnel clicking is the secret to success who knows.

[Aalderon Crystafire]

Originally Posted by skarlorn

a multi-tasking carpal tunnel lord indeed, very impressive stuff but I always feel sorry for the permanent damage they are doing to their bodies

Originally Posted by Evia [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I made my spell bar 1-8, on my numpad. It makes twisting carpal tunnel free! Just a simple 11,22,33, ect on the numpad. Granted, I'm not half the bard ive seen those handful of bards become, so maybe carpal tunnel clicking is the secret to success who knows.

Since I like to use WASD for movement, and have my mouse in hand... I use mostly 1-4, and 9 and 0 on my mouse 4/5. I spread the hotkeys/songs over a few pages, because it is easier to press shift+3, 3... or Shift+Mouse 4, Mouse 4 to start a song than it is to stretch. In any case... if you use good technique it will not hurt you or cause injury.

[Lhancelot]

Originally Posted by skarlorn [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

a multi-tasking carpal tunnel lord indeed, very impressive stuff but I always feel sorry for the permanent damage they are doing to their bodies

lol this. ^^^

[Legidias]

If you want maximum barding, the shift or other button + numbers doesnt work well at all. Even 11 --> 22 wont get max buffs because that little delay in clicking same key means dropping a fifth buff. Need to use another key so that you can press intended song key immediately after, i.e. 21,32,13 (for twisting songs 1, 2, and 3).

And you need to watch the cast bar really closely for max uptime. Due to slight server lag, you need to stop and cast next song when there is like a micrometer left on the cast bar, which will let your current song cast finish and start next one.

If charming in group, since you'll probably be standing right next to charm mob and no time to really let it run at you to re charm, you gotta keep in mind how long your charm timer still has and then queue up charm before pet breaks so that it will land like 0.1 sec after charm break so mob doesn't have enough time to bash you and interrupt.

Theres a lot of things that go into barding that other casters dont deal with

[Aalderon Crystafire]

Originally Posted by Legidias [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If you want maximum barding, the shift or other button + numbers doesnt work well at all. Even 11 --> 22 wont get max buffs because that little delay in clicking same key means dropping a fifth buff. Need to use another key so that you can press intended song key immediately after, i.e. 21,32,13 (for twisting songs 1, 2, and 3).

Hi Legidias,

There is some miscommunication here but what is clear is that you care about actually playing a Bard well!

So when I say shift+#, then a #, the shift+# is to turn the hotkey page and this is done while channeling your first song so it doesn't add time to the actual twist. All this is doing is keeping the buttons you have to press right next to WASD.

So as example on page 1 you would have 1, 2, 3, 4 as songs 1, 2, 3, 4 ..

then on page 2 you'd now have 1, 2, 3, 4 as songs 5, 6, 7, 8 of your spell slots.

SHIFT+1 or SHIFT+2 is just turning the page and changing whether your 1-4 keys will be songs 1-4 or songs 5-8. You wouldn't turn the page just before your song is done channeling but well in advance.

This can be used with or without /stopsong. If I were twisting songs 1-4, and 6 with Legidias' method it might be something like.... 2-1, 3-2, 4-3, 3-4 (Shift+2 while this song is now channeling), 1-2 (which would now start channeling song 6, where you'd then SHIFT+1 to go back to page 1).

If you use /stopsong then it would just look like 1, 2, 3, 4 (shift+2 during channel), 5 (shift+1 during channel), etc. You're going to have some drop-off though on the 5th song when you use /stopsong.

The point is just to keep all of your songs in the 1, 2, 3, and 4 slots because of their proximity to WASD.

If you have one of those mice with a zillion buttons then you can probably ignore all this.



As far as /stopsong goes...

Originally Posted by Legidias [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

keep bein the lazy 3 song twist bard Egil.

You can do 4 songs (not 3) 100% with ease when using stopsong macros. You can have a 5th song but it will apply as the first one drops off just as you say.

Originally Posted by Egilmn [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

So will all of the other 11, 22, 33 tappers.

but he isn't:

Originally Posted by Legidias [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Even 11, 22, 33 is slower than using another key to stop a song then casting another one.

Yes. It will always be faster to press 2 different keys because of how the computer keyboard registers. This is why quality digital pianos have added a 3rd sensor to mimic the double escapement action of a real piano - allowing you to quickly repeat a note without having to fully release it.

Originally Posted by Legidias

i.e. 21,32,13 (for twisting songs 1, 2, and 3).

The only change I'd make is 43 or 23 instead of 31. It's easier and faster to use keys adjacent to one another.

Originally Posted by Legidias [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Anyways, back to the original point of the thread, the fact that we can debate purely on how much speed is necessary in twisting should show that bards are more active.

Yup!

[Lhancelot]

Originally Posted by Spyder73 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Bard songs are not great - no reason to twist 5 when all anyone wants 55+ is Cantina and maybe a damage shield...Bards are inferior to almost every other class in the game for any purpose besides running in circles killing low/mid level trash

Why you drop a bomb on the bards? This was rude bro.

[Borak]

Originally Posted by Lhancelot [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Why you drop a bomb on the bards? This was rude bro.

It's hard to take someone seriously when they've probably seen the icon on their screen for hours on end and can't remember it's spelled Cantana, not Cantina.

I mean, when "Bards are inferior to almost every other class in the game for any purpose", why ask them for resist songs on certain encounters, when so many other classes can do resists better? Why do rogues and monks keep asking to group with epic'd bards on raids, I'm at a loss! /s

I am reminded of an old BASF commercial that used to air 15-20 years ago. The tagline was this: 'BASF. We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy, better.'