Completely fresh melee dps/tank viable?

[Kilodren]

Hello all -

Finally rolled on the server after lurking on the forums for probably a year telling myself I wouldn't really have time to play. The pull of nostalgia was too great after watching a couple streams recently.

I want to main a bard and there seems to be 2 competing lines of thought regarding starting fresh. Either A) go caster and farm plat to level what you really want or B) just bite the bullet and play what you want.

I have no plans/desire to swarm kite, so I plan on almost always grouping. So the question is: With the server being so old, are people still pretty accepting of fresh toons in groups? On the forums I know people act like its doable, but just don't want to invest the time in leveling only to hit 20 or 25 and start getting the boot out of xp groups due to lack of gear. Thanks in advance!

[kelsoider]

I've not played a bard before so I don't really know how much gear affects their effectiveness. However; if you are of the appropriate level for the group/camp, people will generally be accepting regardless of what items you have. Play your class well and people will love you for it.
A good bard can be a force multiplier in an exp group.
My advice is to level in crushbone, farm a bit of plat selling belts and pads for whatever the cheap starting bard gear is(Lambent?) There is also the CE camp in Mistmoore which drops several instruments along with a ton of bronze armor. I'm sure the group there won't mind you looting if you ask nicely and explain yourself.

[Aandolaf]

Have played a SK up to lvl 36 only using equipment I looted myself (so generally worse off than most fresh players) and never encountered this problem, or anything similar to it. Play your class well and no one will care.

[Sadre Spinegnawer]

^^^^

I say, bite the bullet. This server is not paradise. You will thank yourself later if you just simply play what you want, and suffer the consequences. trust me, the end game is not where the fun is. It's the decently reconstructed classic leveling game that is the fun. Very social, slow, but rewards skill. Better to be a lvl 20 with some KnoWLedGE than just someone who has geared a toon the mechanics of which they really don;t have a feel for yet.

[Savok]

Luckily for you Bards are not as gear dependent as most other classes are. Play what you want and enjoy playing.

[Andos]

If you don't afk for long stretches at a time while playing mana song you'll probably exceed most groups expectations.

[Pyrion]

Welcome!

Recently i started a bard with the same intentions that you have, mostly group, never swarm. My bard was twinked a bit, but not that much (i am not rich). For the first 35 or so levels it's nice to have some decent 1h weapons, later on they become more and more obsolete, cause your melee damage does not scale well, while your other abilities get better and better. You can get decent 1h weapons for a few hundred plats or maybe somebody will even give you some for free, not that uncommon here.

Bards really are not very gear dependant. It's nice to have some better instruments. Medium instruments are not expensive and generally the power gain for better instruments isn't that big... so you can even get far with starter instruments.

The one thing that you *really* should do is create 8 macros with /stopsong and /cast x, where x is a number between 1 and 8. That gets rid of the fact that in order to change a song you need to click it twice. Gets annoying very fast, since you will do it all the time.

[RDawg816]

The one thing that you *really* should do is create 8 macros with /stopsong and /cast x, where x is a number between 1 and 8. That gets rid of the fact that in order to change a song you need to click it twice. Gets annoying very fast, since you will do it all the time.
Make a 9th macro with just /stopsong. Sometimes you want to stop singing....for Clickies, or other situations. :)

[Swish]

Bite the bullet OP, bards aren't noted for their melee dps...and its not hard to pick up some cheap banded type armor to get going with. The biggest obstacle will be having enough plat for a song each level (not to mention having to travel around to get them :p)

So just grab a low grade weapon and start slashing with it, everyone is watching your songs more than anything ;)

[Mygicmeen]

Why arent the bards wanting to swarm? Isn't that like 20% a pull?

[RDawg816]

Why arent the bards wanting to swarm? Isn't that like 20% a pull?
Swarming is lame.

[jackd104]

The server is accepting of fresh toons. In fact, most people are delighted to see it. Play what you want and have fun. Don't worry about twinking or making PP. It's not like WOW where everyone is so 'leet you feel like shit all the time for being a casual. The player base here is older now, more mature, friendly and accepting.

[Expediency]

I want to main a bard and there seems to be 2 competing lines of thought regarding starting fresh. Either A) go caster and farm plat to level what you really want or B) just bite the bullet and play what you want.

With the server being so old, are people still pretty accepting of fresh toons in groups? On the forums I know people act like its doable, but just don't want to invest the time in leveling only to hit 20 or 25 and start getting the boot out of xp groups due to lack of gear. Thanks in advance!

People will not generally discriminate against you based on gear but they absolutely will based on class. Bard is not discriminated against, most groups without one will take one.

I suggest you roll two characters. No matter what class you pick there will be times you cant get a group. This is especially true if you roll a melee class because you cant solo while waiting.

[RDawg816]

Well a bard can solo without swarming. Fear, charm, chant+selos, etc. Alts are always good though.