Getting Started As a Bard (Tips Requested)

[ocman1]

I have always wanted one, and after seeing some of the fun that Bards can have, I am ready to make the move. Problem is, I don't have ton of plat to fund it (maybe like 4 to 5 hundred.

Can anyone help me with some cheap recommendations as to gear that gives me better bang for my buck?

I will find and configured macros and such myself unless anyone has any easy ones to share.

Thanks in advance and see you in-game as Gaiansbane, Welven, or Wracking.

[Legidias]

4-500?

Get MM drums / lute (about 50-100p for both)

Get a starter weap (several decent starting bard ones are 25-50p, including sainy's claw or dagger or blade of fiery lamentations, or any other starter weap)

Given max price, thats about 150p.

Get hp/ac rings. 1x platinum fire wedding ring is about 250p.

Thats 400p.

The last 100p can just be spread across anything you feel like, or spend it on a slightly better melee (Sionachie's partisan is pretty good at ~100p).

Quite honestly, if you want to get the MOST out of bard, dont use song macros (including the /stopsong and /cast X). If you want to be lazy, make macros (get at me lazy bards).

[ocman1]

4-500?

Get MM drums / lute (about 50-100p for both)

Get a starter weap (several decent starting bard ones are 25-50p, including sainy's claw or dagger or blade of fiery lamentations, or any other starter weap)

Given max price, thats about 150p.

Get hp/ac rings. 1x platinum fire wedding ring is about 250p.

Thats 400p.

The last 100p can just be spread across anything you feel like, or spend it on a slightly better melee (Sionachie's partisan is pretty good at ~100p).

Quite honestly, if you want to get the MOST out of bard, dont use song macros (including the /stopsong and /cast X). If you want to be lazy, make macros (get at me lazy bards).

Well I might be able to splurge a little, but Sionachie's Partisan would be something I'd love to get my hands on.

[Legidias]

Bonus tip, especially for low level; swap out your weapons for instrument whenever your song is about to finish casting. You only need instrument out at time of cast finish to get full benefits of songs for the ~18 secs. Mostly useful with heal song once you can use lutes. Just make sure you max out instrument skills as much as possible.

[ocman1]

That's a welcomed tip. Thanks.

[Issar]

I would strongly recommend purchasing a Sionachie's Partisan. It is a great weapon to get you through the first 20 levels or so, and you can use it supplementary through your 50s. It’s super cheap and worth every penny for a new bard.

I do respectfully disagree with Legidias however on the macro portion. Setting up start/stop macros cuts your key clicks in half and reduces room for error. There’s really nothing lazy about it. I’m not a fan of sequenced macros on a bard however, for multiple reasons and I can see how they would be perceived as being lazy. Give it a try and see what you think.

Best of luck out there.

[Legidias]

The reason why start stop macros are bad, is that there is a slight delay inherent in the macro between lines. When you manually do it, you can mitigate that. The timing seems miniscule, but its impossible to do a 5 song twist with macros, but possible (using server tick) for manual.

If you dont care and only want 3 or 4 song max, then yeah macro is fine. Its why I said to get the -most- out of the class.

[Sizar]

Yah don't use stopsong macro's if you want to lose your sanity and the use of your left hand. Don't be dumb. Use the damn macro

[Crede]

Quite honestly, if you want to get the MOST out of bard, dont use song macros (including the /stopsong and /cast X). If you want to be lazy, make macros (get at me lazy bards).

You trollin? Lol. Most definitely use /stopsong to HALF your keystrokes. Not enough songs early on to need to twist 5 not using macros. Even then, still not with it.

Otherwise, drum, lute, and some hp rings. Maybe quest some lambent for clsssic bard looks as you level up.

[Issar]

The reason why start stop macros are bad, is that there is a slight delay inherent in the macro between lines. When you manually do it, you can mitigate that. The timing seems miniscule, but its impossible to do a 5 song twist with macros, but possible (using server tick) for manual.

If you dont care and only want 3 or 4 song max, then yeah macro is fine. Its why I said to get the -most- out of the class.

That’s interesting, I hadn’t heard this before, I’ll have to try it out. That being said, for the majority of sessions, I can’t fathom maintaining a five song twist, especially with a double tap required, but maybe I am lazy and didn’t know it lol.

So I’m clear, a macro somehow has a delay to it that the spell script does not? The result is that physically double tapping the key is actually faster than a Macro? Is there any other trick that needs to be done to produce a five song twist?

[Legidias]

Like I said, you can play the class fine with macro. But you will never get the most out of it.

Macro delay is very easy to see. Just make a simple stop start macro and you can easily see the slight delay from song stop to start.

[Issar]

I just tested this using double taps vs. macro and I actually had better success at landing 5 buffs simultaneously with the macros. That being said, there was no way I could actually sustain 5 buffs 100% of the time, even in attempts with no missed notes. Is it possible to sustain 5 songs without one rolling off, and I'm just doing it wrong? If so, how is it done?

[Pindrought]

The reason why start stop macros are bad, is that there is a slight delay inherent in the macro between lines. When you manually do it, you can mitigate that. The timing seems miniscule, but its impossible to do a 5 song twist with macros, but possible (using server tick) for manual.

If you dont care and only want 3 or 4 song max, then yeah macro is fine. Its why I said to get the -most- out of the class.

To be fair, it's impossible to do a 5 song twist without macros. If you somehow never missed a note and had perfect latency and timings and worked around the player tick timer you'd still have buffs that can't be maintained 100% of the time.

This spreadsheet assumes you timed your first song to land 0.1 second after a tick occurs giving the song a 17.9 second duration. All of the songs will be played perfectly and you'll see that buffs still drop.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GRgcyG95iEPwFyBiO49Abm_NXPR6QVEP/view?usp=sharing

[Arkanjil]

I just tested this using double taps vs. macro and I actually had better success at landing 5 buffs simultaneously with the macros. That being said, there was no way I could actually sustain 5 buffs 100% of the time, even in attempts with no missed notes. Is it possible to sustain 5 songs without one rolling off, and I'm just doing it wrong? If so, how is it done?

It’s impossible with server ticks, especially if you’re playing your bard to the max in a group (pulling, cc, Regen, etc) to keep a 5 song rotation going. You’ll be interrupted, song fails, and generally the group won’t require more than 1-2 rotations before you’re back out pulling again.

[Arkanjil]

Biggest tips I can give are to get really good at playing a bard in a group. You’re one of the best pullers in the game! Use lull, Mezz to stagger mobs INC, snare, etc all to your advantage. Is there a 2 mob pull? Don’t lull and single, pull both and charm 1 on INC. You can realistically keep 4-5 mobs mezzed at once as CC as well. Always try and keep Cantana rolling and play songs to the strength of your group. Melee heavy groups require a certain 4 song mix. Caster groups require a different 4 song mix. Is the group lacking dps? There’s a mix for that. Is the group a grinder and just need an efficient puller? There’s a mix for that.

Timing and situational awareness with the songs you have at your disposal will make or break you as a good bard. Learn these things and more and people will ALWAYS love having you around.

[UnHoLyPoWeR]

I will say I also do not use macros on my bard, you get used to the double taps, it's not as brutal as everyone says it is. I play other competitive games and bard isn't even close to as hard as other games as far as key presses, including World of Warcraft if you PvP. Maybe people expect a calmer gaming experience on P99 cause its an old game I dunno

Something I will add is the tops for me was using my Singing Steel Helm right click effect Eye of Zomm to pull for the group meanwhile still twisting songs back at my character and tanking and mezzing.

You get used to timing it and knowing when to Eye pull so you are chain pulling without leaving and still filling another role like Tanking if your group doesn't have one, especially someplace like Karnor's Castle

Point being the skillcap can go pretty deep, or you can afk sing regen, choice is yours

As far as gear goes, besides weapons, get Stamina and Resist stuff when you can afford it, DoTs outperform weapons once you have a few in your later levels and are using instruments to boost them, unless you have your epic or high end weapons