Miscellaneous: Summary of Bard issues

[Ryujee]

decided to put the rest of my issues here, instead of the previous post, so you could just delete it instead of having to edit bits and pieces lol. sorry if a LOT of this is rehash, but i feel it needs to be brought up. again.

in Classic, bards could kite in various fashions, including the almighty swarm style. they also had that 40% xp penalty, which in classic i believe they truly did deserve.

problem here is that i can barely kite 1 mob due to its ridiculous range on melee, mush less pull off a kite swarm with impunity. but i still suffer that 40% exp penalty, which is in my not so humble opinion, quite unfair to a class that has been more or less relegated to a last resort.

i can't heal with my songs anywhere as well as a class with heal spells

i can't do enough burst song damage to compete even with SK DD spells

my dots (now that i finally hit 18 i have a 2nd, which i had to basically afk-level the brass skill for) are a joke compared to any other dot using class.

even with dual wield i am ridiculously low on damage compared to people with crappier gear than mine.

now, before anyone says "duh! that's all meant to be that way" i would point out that i agree. we are meant to be jack-of-all-trades and an ace-of-none, as it should be for the penultimate hybrid class. my problem here is that our ability to solo, at a worthwhile rate, has been destroyed. so if we want xp worth a hoot, we have to join groups. small problem here is that a lot of people rather have a 'pure' class over a bard any day of the week. literally, in 18 levels, i have only gotten 4 groups that i did not start myself, or was grouped with a friend who decided to fill the group out.

mind you, i have bought or looted gear way beyond my level, dark blues still kick my butt in a stand up fight...instruments or melee weapons. meanwhile, other classes that are readily welcome into groups can also solo more efficiently than a bard.

coincidentally, every bard i have talked to tells me the same thing, "once you can charm kite that all changes". i am sure that is entirely true, but we're talking lvl 28 before that is even a possibility, i have trudged through 18 levels in about the same time it took me to level my monk AND warrior to the same level...combined.

i know, i know...am crying like got sand in my butt-crack, but i honestly feel that removing our ability to solo while keeping the xp penalty is just plain wrong. bear in mind, all it takes is 1 caster or a mob with a stun effect (lava basilisks in LS for example) to turn a swarm kite into suicide.

anyways, just more piss-and-moan for you guys, even if i do feel it justified. oddly enough, as a father of 2, i KNOW the irritation...but here i am, giving it to you guys.