Wonka11
12-14-2012, 08:22 PM
I've done a bit of research on the topic, however, as of recently I've had a conversation with one of the previous 'top' bards to ever play on P1999, so I wanted to verify what was fact from fiction on the p1999 server build, and when and what stats were appropriate for certain occasions. Please correct, or fill in any information that is that is needed to clarify the mechanics as they are currently on p99.
I'll attempt to be as concise as possible, because this will most likely be a long post just based on the material we're talking about.
First subject, Stats:
Strength: Effects how much you can hold obviously, but also raises your attack, which as I understand also raises your average damage within your minimum and maximum damage ranges.
Dex: Increases proc rate on weapons for all classes, however, there is a mixed bag that exists in regards to bards. I have heard that Dex is either completely useless for missing notes, or in some instances useful enough to allocate some points into it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a definitive source of information that gives a direct rate on how much Dex effects song missed notes. All sources agree Dex on live had a much greater effect.
Charisma: Tons of information/misinformation floating around on it. Supposedly this statistic will reduce resists rates on the initial cast of Mez/Charm/Lul, while also effecting the break chance on charm versus higher level mobs you are charming in comparison to your own level; as to the specific rate of increase per charisma you need to lower your resist chance, I am still looking for. I have also read that despite server developer posts claiming that Dex only effects missed notes, some testers swear that high charisma rates also aid in missed notes along with your Dexterity.
Stamina: Adds hit points. For bards, different individuals say that stacking stamina can help, but does not have as much impact as many would like since bard hit points per stamina are mediocre at best, usually with some posters writing it off largely for +HP gear.
Armor Class: Supposedly effects how often you get hit and how much for. Some people with low AC say that AC is still currently broken on P99, while other high AC classes claim that AC catches up with level and becomes effective end game. In relation to bard, I've heard AC can be important, however, there are some rumors that Bard receives an AC penalty and is in a separate category regarding their own Avoidance/Absorption.
How useful the stats are and in what situations:
Grouping: Depending on the composition of your group, will most likely find some stats more valuable than others.
Situation A: In this situation lets assume there is no enchanter, and you are both Puller and CCer in the group, in Seb King Camp.
In this situation, compared to just running a heavy AC/HP/resist setup, how much benefit would one receive from having a moderate to high amount of Charisma, in addition to HP+ and resists? Is the resist rate decrease on initial mez/lul high enough to justify having a decent amount, or will it save you from critical resists an adequate amount of time to justify itself? This camp seems to be particularly difficult with resists.
Situation B: You're not the puller, and the need for CC is minimal, no enchanter, mobs cast moderately, but you don't seem to be the target unless shit hits the fan. Usually in groups I don't have my dots running because I'm already running Haste and CoB, and figure meleeing is more advantageous since I'm not needing to sit back for a second and alt tab between crowd controlling targets. In this situation, would it be appropriate to have some strength as it seems that having it will help out the DPS, even if by a small margin, and overtime will add up if you're playing for hours?
Now in regards to gearing:
Its obvious if you're in an area with a lot of casters, who are targeting you constantly, running HP+ resists is pretty useful, but most of the time, especially in my exp groups, I havent ran into this situation. Most of the time I need heavy HP+Resists is when I'm raiding. Even pulling I haven't taken a lot of spell damage unless my tank was asleep at the wheel.
With that being said, for general grouping, what would be the most versatile set that a bard can walk into a group with? Some bards are saying forget Charisma, Dex, and Strength, all together in any situation regardless of being hit or not, pulling and ccing or not. How true is this statement then? Should one forget all the stats other than AC, HP, and Resists for a bard regardless of your group role?
Or should one take advantage of certain situations where you're not bard tanking, or taking a lot of spell damage and run some gear in your bags that are a bit higher in strength, dex, and charisma to capitalize on moments you're not taking damage, but want to min/max on some additional damage, or lower initial resist rates or critical resist rates?
Also, what is a good resist range to be in for a versatile bard build if you didn't want to carry around two whole bags of gear constantly? Most people I've heard hover around 100-120 MR resistance with the others being around 80-100.
Please don't forget the Charisma question about whether it truly does lower missed notes like some testers are claiming.
Thanks for your time.
I'll attempt to be as concise as possible, because this will most likely be a long post just based on the material we're talking about.
First subject, Stats:
Strength: Effects how much you can hold obviously, but also raises your attack, which as I understand also raises your average damage within your minimum and maximum damage ranges.
Dex: Increases proc rate on weapons for all classes, however, there is a mixed bag that exists in regards to bards. I have heard that Dex is either completely useless for missing notes, or in some instances useful enough to allocate some points into it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a definitive source of information that gives a direct rate on how much Dex effects song missed notes. All sources agree Dex on live had a much greater effect.
Charisma: Tons of information/misinformation floating around on it. Supposedly this statistic will reduce resists rates on the initial cast of Mez/Charm/Lul, while also effecting the break chance on charm versus higher level mobs you are charming in comparison to your own level; as to the specific rate of increase per charisma you need to lower your resist chance, I am still looking for. I have also read that despite server developer posts claiming that Dex only effects missed notes, some testers swear that high charisma rates also aid in missed notes along with your Dexterity.
Stamina: Adds hit points. For bards, different individuals say that stacking stamina can help, but does not have as much impact as many would like since bard hit points per stamina are mediocre at best, usually with some posters writing it off largely for +HP gear.
Armor Class: Supposedly effects how often you get hit and how much for. Some people with low AC say that AC is still currently broken on P99, while other high AC classes claim that AC catches up with level and becomes effective end game. In relation to bard, I've heard AC can be important, however, there are some rumors that Bard receives an AC penalty and is in a separate category regarding their own Avoidance/Absorption.
How useful the stats are and in what situations:
Grouping: Depending on the composition of your group, will most likely find some stats more valuable than others.
Situation A: In this situation lets assume there is no enchanter, and you are both Puller and CCer in the group, in Seb King Camp.
In this situation, compared to just running a heavy AC/HP/resist setup, how much benefit would one receive from having a moderate to high amount of Charisma, in addition to HP+ and resists? Is the resist rate decrease on initial mez/lul high enough to justify having a decent amount, or will it save you from critical resists an adequate amount of time to justify itself? This camp seems to be particularly difficult with resists.
Situation B: You're not the puller, and the need for CC is minimal, no enchanter, mobs cast moderately, but you don't seem to be the target unless shit hits the fan. Usually in groups I don't have my dots running because I'm already running Haste and CoB, and figure meleeing is more advantageous since I'm not needing to sit back for a second and alt tab between crowd controlling targets. In this situation, would it be appropriate to have some strength as it seems that having it will help out the DPS, even if by a small margin, and overtime will add up if you're playing for hours?
Now in regards to gearing:
Its obvious if you're in an area with a lot of casters, who are targeting you constantly, running HP+ resists is pretty useful, but most of the time, especially in my exp groups, I havent ran into this situation. Most of the time I need heavy HP+Resists is when I'm raiding. Even pulling I haven't taken a lot of spell damage unless my tank was asleep at the wheel.
With that being said, for general grouping, what would be the most versatile set that a bard can walk into a group with? Some bards are saying forget Charisma, Dex, and Strength, all together in any situation regardless of being hit or not, pulling and ccing or not. How true is this statement then? Should one forget all the stats other than AC, HP, and Resists for a bard regardless of your group role?
Or should one take advantage of certain situations where you're not bard tanking, or taking a lot of spell damage and run some gear in your bags that are a bit higher in strength, dex, and charisma to capitalize on moments you're not taking damage, but want to min/max on some additional damage, or lower initial resist rates or critical resist rates?
Also, what is a good resist range to be in for a versatile bard build if you didn't want to carry around two whole bags of gear constantly? Most people I've heard hover around 100-120 MR resistance with the others being around 80-100.
Please don't forget the Charisma question about whether it truly does lower missed notes like some testers are claiming.
Thanks for your time.