How do you use combat skills with an instrument out?

Discussion in 'QA Feedback Archive' started by Gwendolyn Obscuro, Feb 21, 2020.

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  1. Gwendolyn Obscuro

    Gwendolyn Obscuro Bug Hunter

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    Chris was talking on the stream today about the bard skills being much stronger if you execute them with an instrument in your hands. Can someone explain how this works? If I play my instrument I can't click on my combat skills. I have to jump or click on my non combat skills to stop playing, which takes me out of combat if I was in combat to begin with. If there is a trick here please let me know so I can test properly. (I usually use a harp of invigoration in case that matters)
     
  2. majoria70

    majoria70 Avatar

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    The way I took it was that you had the instrument equipped, not necessarily in your hand. Just the thought that came to my mind. Good feedback and here's hoping there will be more added to barding to make it more interesting and fun.
     
  3. GMDavros

    GMDavros Avatar

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    Wouldn't it stand to reason that the bard would NOT be combat available while playing an instrument? Just my opinion here, but as a support character, the bard would be busy singing/playing to support the combat and not directly taking part in it.

    Fenris
     
  4. Violet Ronso

    Violet Ronso Avatar

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    Problem is, I have not been able to place any bard skills on the out of combat bar, so I need to go into combat to play a tune, but I need to be out of combat to get the full effect. Unless there is another way!
     
  5. GMDavros

    GMDavros Avatar

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    aaaaaaah. got ya. something not right there. i wonder though if it's intended to have the skills on the combat bar OR the non-combat bar. It could make sense either way. Wonder what was intended...

    Fenris
     
  6. kaeshiva

    kaeshiva Avatar

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    Yeah I think still too early to figure out how its meant to be working. If it is the case that you're just 'tied up singing and can do nothing else' then I worry bards will just become dragabout-alts without really anything active to do. I was personally hoping for something more along the lines of the vanguard/eq2 bard that, while they had songs and buffs that they could maintain, they also had to actively participate in the fight. With sota's classless system though, bard would just end up being a tree of buffs everyone would train, unless they did it like taming and made specialization necessary to really get more potency.

    I note that there is nothing whatsoever in the bard tree that does anything for spellcasters, which I guess should not come as a surprise. For a class that is meant to be a support role, I couldn't justify bringing one along, but haven't seen how the stuff scales or what specialization will do for them.
     
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  7. Magnus Zarwaddim

    Magnus Zarwaddim Avatar

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    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Chris mentioned that your voice would be the instrument, which is why the bard skills would be weaker when you used your weapon - the thinking being that your voice is weaker than an instrument, hence your voice is less powerful and useful than an instrument. It is a tradeoff.

    I know lots of people are going to invest in the Bard tree. I am thinking about it as well, but only for the slight buffs it might give me without an instrument. Still not sure...
     
  8. Numa

    Numa Avatar

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  9. Violet Ronso

    Violet Ronso Avatar

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    A Taming Bard can actually bring a ton to the table for a group, for a party of 3 or more. One of the 2 main buffs gives something like 150% Crit damage buff + some strength, which is insane for any physical class. The other one gives attack speed and movement speed, the movement speed being great for everyone (Casters included). All in all, a bard will be a very good addition to any 3+ group.
     
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  10. Numa

    Numa Avatar

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    Agreed. That amount of crit for a destroyer bear would be brutal. And anyone with a beefed up earth elemental should see a big boost too.
     
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  11. kaeshiva

    kaeshiva Avatar

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    I'm not saying there's no situational purposes, but move speed buff for group activities which usually consist of standing on a control point doesn't bring a lot to the table.
    Didn't say they didn't help weapon users and pets. ;)
     
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  12. Violet Ronso

    Violet Ronso Avatar

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    I was simply answering to this bit, mentioning that a group of 3 or more, bringing one along could very well be justified just from this bit :p! My bad if I wasn't clear enough!

     
  13. Elgarion

    Elgarion Dev Emeritus Dev Emeritus

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    LOL :)
     
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  14. Browncoat Jayson

    Browncoat Jayson Legend of the Hearth

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    I haven't looked at the skills on QA yet, but it sounds like since I play offline there is no benefit for learning these skills as a solo? Will Fiona be updated to use these?
     
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  15. Violet Ronso

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    I would stay away from them in offline, their long cast times (even with chaotic feedback), uninterruptible (even with esc key) and fact that their only 2 damage effects come from playing their bits the whole way, and then 1 is a DoT, the other blows through your focus, means you wont get much out of them, unless the companions are faster than pets. It could still work decently with the 2 physical companions + a pet, But I still think you could out DPS them all yourself.
     
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