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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Bard Suggestion
T Elf
Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
I would like to see whistling be part of the bard's repertoire where it can act like a spell of sorts.
I would also like to see bards being able to "throw" music from their instruments like spells that do damage.
It would also be fun if their idle stances also included strumming/thumping on instruments or even scribbling on pages like they are composing a story.
I would also like to see bards being able to "throw" music from their instruments like spells that do damage.
It would also be fun if their idle stances also included strumming/thumping on instruments or even scribbling on pages like they are composing a story.
Formerly T-Elf
3
Comments
Formerly T-Elf
Seriously though.. I would hope to see some different musical instruments with different types of damage. Like slow and hard hitting or fast and more rogue like and anywhere inbetween. If you actually made them make music i fear it'd just be a annoying ruckus. If you added a area effect to the bards in proximity and make their tunes sync and in-tune or follow a certain song together, now that would be cool. So your alliance is blaring one song from your support bards as the other side has it's own. If they are actual instruments, and i am a bard i should feel the cohesion of that story telling. No? If you really wanted to go crazy with the idea you could always have the bards rotations affect the overall cohesion of that musical whole to read whats going on around you.
I read this as base attack oriented. And instruments are not weapons right now. If anything your instruments could be customizable, and be pulled out when performing a skill or emote. But the current weapon list does not show any instruments.
Just joking this would be terrible...
Unless??
More seriously I loved the sound design of bards in Lost Ark, some people hate it, but I thought it was super cool.
You could also build those combos such that the outcome of one 3-note combo could be heightened by another 3-note combo do deliver a more devastating attack, or enhance a buff.
The closest analog would be how alchemy is handled in some games where consuming a single ingredient has a tiny effect (herb), combining that ingredient with others has a greater effect (potion), combining that potion with others has a multiplied effect (super pot).
It would definitely make playing a bard feel different than the other archetypes.
Gathering lore and tunes from the world
Processing the lore into stories
And crafting the sheet music for bards to perform
Ooo that’s cool. If it’s an artisan profession, I think this would become a required META. What if it were a class ability that could export (teach) and import (learn) different combinations for attacks, defenses, and buffs?
Ideally, this would create a function for bards to learn from one another - though it would probably just result in a number of YouTube videos laying out all combinations and what perfect permutation I is ‘the best.’
So, we would have:
- Song type Maybe 6 choices
- Instrument Maybe 6 choices
- Style Maybe 6 choices
- Dance Maybe 6 choices
- potentially other variables the musicians among us could suggest
And different choices could impact such things as
- Physical attack speed
- Physical attack strength
- Magic attack speed
- Magic attach strength
- Hit point regen
- Mana regen
- Physical defense
- Magic defense
- Holy attack
- Holy defense
- .....and clearly many other things, up to almost all the character & combat variables
The Bard would have choices on which dances, instruments, styles to learn and not all Bards could provide all buffs, and Bard/learning level would determine the strength of the buffs. Perhaps some choices would have to be made, like you cannot have both holy and demonic buffs.
Bards could be exceptionally interesting characters to play, and each Bard would be different from all the others given the various options each would have to choose.
Edit: And if you had TWO Bards in the group, dancing the tango together while singing and ancient Verran Orc battle song...Powerful Buffs indeed!
In an MMORPG, I think a weapon/physical instrument, like pipes or harmonica or didgeridoo, should be required.
(I have Swing class tonight, Bachata and Salsa tomorrow and Cha Cha and Salsa the next day, but - those aren't really appropriate for a Fantasy RPG - may as well add guns and cars and bikes, at that point).
I don't want it implemented as "guitar hero" though, that kind of game peaked with 'PaRappa the Rapper' for me.
Standard ability use with CD please.
I imagine everyone would have an instrument slot, probably for emote purposes, and the bard incorporates that slot into their skill usage. But who knows.
Any class can use any weapon.
Instruments are currently not on the weapons list, so them not being weapons should be expected.
Yeah, that's why I'm wondering how the instrument/book is going to impact the gameplay. They've already said that they don't just want musical Bards, they also want speech to be involved.
"Bards will have a wide range of abilities to choose from, such as wordsmithing, acting, and musical aspects.[10]"
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Bard
So, maybe an instrument/book will improve ordinary Bard skills, or some will only be available if you have that instrument/book (which would suck, as it would decrease the available skill options).
To be honest, I'd rather the Bard theme stayed implied, and I was able to use my weapon between skills, rather than trying to play an instrument & use my weapon between skills.
I'd really really like to know what Intrepid's plans are for the Bard. Feel like we've been waiting long enough! Let's hope our friendly neighbourhood hero Vaknar is reading...
Maybe it could fit in a trinket or jewelry slot? Idk how they will do it. But currently you will not be swinging a bass, or tooting a horn at the enemy.
Yeah, there's also not a list ot Bard Active Skills, so I guess we shouldn't expect those either.
Yeah, much of that could be Active Skills similar to the Weaponmaster's Hammer Strike and Whirlwind, the Cleric's Castigation and Tank's Javelin.
The weapons list lists "potion launchers" as a possible weapon, but doesnt list anything about instruments at all.... hmmmm. The weapons list lists bows even tho they have not been functionally implemented yet... hmmmmm..... i do not believe you will be swinging a guitar....
Crazy how much you try to stickler to whats in the wiki when it favors your arguments and now its like it doesnt even exist.
I'm pretty sure the Predator demo included a Bow.
We know next to nothing about Bard combat, but Steven's expectation is that Bard physical instruments will be a Flute or a Violin - and those can be transmogged into Bagpipes (or some other instrument). Just because something is not listed in the wiki does not mean it's not been discussed by the devs. Transmog implies gear, like weapons.
I'm a stickler for what th devs have said about the Ashes game design. Yes. And the wiki helps with that.
But the wiki does not contain 100% of the Ashes game design nor even 100% of what the devs have stated.
Who said that Bards have to swing a Guitar? Each "weapon", including instruments, will have their own animations.
So do you think my Ranger can have & use a guitar? I’m ok with this - could be cool for implementing a music system downstream.
Though seems like this would take a bit from bards.
You would still be using Ranger Active Skills . Andwould be pretty cool if you're a Bowsinger (even better if you're wielding a Violin).
Perhaps there could be racially different instruments as well; books can always be different.
Formerly T-Elf