Could we please get patch notes for the bard changes done on this release.

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Bridge Troll, Jun 1, 2021.

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  1. Bridge Troll

    Bridge Troll Avatar

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    I know what I think was done to Savage Sonata, but I suspect we were blessed with more changes. My Mez at 142 isn't performing nearly as well as it was pre-patch.
     
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  2. FBohler

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    I wonder what's the game-breaking OP bait they'll put behind Episode 3 paywall... just to start nerfing it heavily months later.
     
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  3. Violet Ronso

    Violet Ronso Avatar

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    I mean, if you bought Episode 2 Early Access, you should have known what you got yourself into...

    I think I heard something about a bug affecting Mez song and Adventuring level (as in the higher your AL, the weaker the mez song gets)... I looked a bit, but I haven't found any official bug reports on this, so I'll try to play around with it today see if it's true or not, and report if so. I don't think this was intended...
     
  4. Bridge Troll

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    I really just want patch notes so I know whether we were nerfed or I should open a bug.
     
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  5. Violet Ronso

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  6. Drya

    Drya Avatar

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    All I know is my Savage Sonata now takes over 1 minute 30 seconds to cast. This is after the skill was already severely nerfed. I timed it twice and with a full stack, I got 1 minute 35 seconds on one cast and 1 minute 38 seconds on the next. As stacking is easily broken, overall this makes this skill useless and frankly boring to cast. Aren't games supposed to be fun? Bard skills are designed to be stacked as their effectiveness increases with stacking. Holding my finger down on a key for well over a minute is not fun and my Rythmic Readiness is at level 150 (RR increases the speed at which bard skills stack.) I don't want to think about how long this skill will take to cast for an avatar with lower RR or slower internet. Two minute cast anyone? I've supported this game with my $9.00 subscription for 35 months, but no more. I consider this bludgeoning of a hard won skill into the ground to be unacceptable and disrespectful to the players who put so much time and effort into raising it. Balance is one thing, but this skill has been made worthless. I love group play so it has been disheartening to watch my friends one by one give up on SOTA. Sadly, I fear the handwriting is on the wall. The Developers do not respect their player base and if they think holding a key down for over a minute and a half is anyone's idea of fun, I question their judgement on what makes for great game play.
     
  7. Violet Ronso

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    Have you tried Dynamic stacking? It usually takes me a few seconds to set up my dynamic stacks, especially quick with Chaotic Feedback or Spellbinders stance, and once they are set up, they are always back to 6 stacks WAY before its time to cast them again. I have been running around singing Melody of Mending, Rapsody of Recovery, Anthem of Alacrity and Savage Sonata with 100% upkeep on all 4 of them, and that is 6 stacks for each of them every time. I'm actually having tons of fun, and I could probably start singing a 5th one if I can figure out my finger kung fu for that, it's a real challenge to be a good bard!
     
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  8. Margaritte

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    With respect, Drya, just because Sonata no longer works the way you feel it should does not mean that it's not very powerful and effective with the right decks and gear. Sonata is no longer viable with hold-to-charge stacking, but if you're willing to switch to dynamic stacking with mind lock, Bards are still extremely powerful. My RR is only at 140, and using dynamic stacking, Wicked Caster gear, and goulash with Spellbinder's Stance, my cast time on Sonata is super fast, 4.8 seconds. It can be easily restacked to 5 by the time the initial cast is finished. So we're talking about maybe 7 seconds from beginning of cast to being ready to toss out another 6 stack once the initial stacking has been done when I enter a zone. Nothing has been bludgeoned into the ground here, rather it's taken its place as a top-tier Episode 2 support skill that takes effort and skill to properly use. I love it, really. Bards can be Bards again instead of everyone being some sort of hybrid, half-assed-pseudo-Bard. Even using a different stance, which most of the time I am, the cast time is a perfectly reasonable 6.4 seconds and can still be restacked to 5 during the cast. Here's some screenshots:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    I don't know what your build is set up for, but if you want to be a bard, it's possible. Yank some of that massive XP you have into RR and pump up the specialization and active glyphs you use most. Then, get some Wicked Caster gear or experiment with feedback or different stances. I can help you set up a dynamic deck if you like, or @Mimner has just put out an amazing video series that covers every aspect of deck building fantastically. He's the one who taught me to stack <3 This build is completely viable and lots of fun, solo or in a group.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2021
  9. Echondas

    Echondas Bug Hunter Bug Moderator

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  10. Violet Ronso

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    That bug only affects Refrain of resistance and Psalms of Stagnation on live, what BT is talking about is a different bug, and what Drya mentions is the charge time of Savage Sonata, which along with the other Bard songs, is very long.
     
  11. Bridge Troll

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    Thanks for the heads up, @Echondas That may explain some of the weirdness I have seen going on. I don't use Chaotic feedback, but I assume those are the wonder bread circles mages throw on me now?
     
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  12. Duke Gréagóir

    Duke Gréagóir Legend of the Hearth

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    WOW @Margaritte your bard skill tree is impressive!
     
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  13. Bridge Troll

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    Still no patch notes
     
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