Bard: Ervaj line has casting sound effect?

[Basenji]

Right now, Melody of Ervaj and Composition of Ervaj have sound effects in Beta.

My bard was about 30-ish when Velious released on live, so maybe they changed this before I got up to level. But I don't remember this song have a casting sound effect? The song always sucked, but I think I would recall if it had been actively annoying.

I'm having a hard time researching it though. I haven't found any posts complaining about the sound, yet. And I feel that someone would. But ultimately I'm stuck trying to prove a negative.

[Telin]

Since it's unique to bard songs and uses a spell effect that is normally intended for regular spells and not songs, it automatically plays that sound. It can be turned off if needed; however, I'm not seeing any old comments about the song being annoying nor any evidence that it was a silent version of the effect.

[Basenji]

Bard songs are almost universally silent. The exceptions that I recall were Anglistch's Assonance and Kizumi's Note of Preservation, and both of those have unusual refresh times - you can't twist them. This song is one you twist, so the sound replays every 15 seconds or so. That's why I'm sure you'd see reports of it being annoying if it had a sound effect when released in live.

Also, I'm curious about this part: "uses a spell effect that is normally intended for regular spells and not songs"

I remember these songs have a totally unique effect in the game. Are you saying that this song is using an effect that is in use somewhere else? Can you tell me which of its effects are used by another spell, and the name of that spell? If you can give me that info, I'll dig a little more.

[Telin]

All magic based dots, slows, starshine, etc.

[Basenji]

I'm not sure we're talking about the same songs. It looks like there were some changes to these songs in either late beta or early release.

I remember "Melody/Composition of Ervaj" are group haste designed to stack with all other haste. But early Velious info has these songs listed as mana drains. Right now, on P99 beta, it appears to be the stacking-haste version for both songs - because they are group buffs and not attacks. And both have the sound effect. But I'm pretty sure that the stacking-haste buff version should not make a sound. The mana drain version probably should have a sound, but I can't confirm that either.


Check this out:
https://web.archive.org/web/20010303151318/http://www.eqdiva.com/songs.asp

The capture on March 3 lists Composition of Ervaj as a mana drain. But the capture on March 31 lists it as stacking-haste. Note that the effect is listed as "unconfirmed" for Melody of Ervaj.

The song was a mana drain on test: http://www.ttlg.com/FORUMS/showthread.php?t=5093

But Thott seems to think it was a stacking haste song all along, but this is a Luclin era post: http://www.afterlifeguild.org/Thott/haste_stacking.php in the bottom half of "What if haste stacked?" section.

And eventually, in Luclin, the song was re-released as a mana drain titled "Ervaj's Lost Composition."

Like I said, I wasn't level 60 when Luclin released. These were dropped songs. If it were changed to a stacking-haste between test and launch, it may have taken a few months for the info to make it to the resource sites.

Which version of the song are you looking at that shares an effect with "All magic based dots, slows, starshine, etc?"

[Telin]

Shares a graphical effect, particles, which are tied to the sound you were asking about.

[Basenji]

Ah. Then I got nothin' other than my memory.

[Telin]

At least it's not as annoying as canni