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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.
AoE healing - will Bard be allowed to be as good as a Cleric?
Symbiosome
Member, Alpha Two
Forget single target healing where Clerics will shine without a doubt.
Will Bard be allowed to spec to be as good as a Cleric with AoE healing?
I would like that to be a reality! What do you think, and what is your opinion?
Will Bard be allowed to spec to be as good as a Cleric with AoE healing?
I would like that to be a reality! What do you think, and what is your opinion?
0
Comments
But a Cleric/Bard will always do better healing than a Bard/Cleric.
But from this preview it seems like Soulweaver (Bard + cleric) might be the go to for whenever I want to do some healing gameplay in A2 atleast. But hopefully both cleric and bard can be viable and unique healers in their own way later on.
I wanted to write just the same, but you beat me to it.
I think it was made somewhat clear that the Bard will be a more passive Healer and the Cleric a more direct, more active Healer. But a Bard can switch into the Cleric-Archetype for a bit later at LvL 25, can he ?
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Guild is " Balderag's Garde " for now. (German)
I do not want that to be a reality. At best I think the bard should have better single and AE regen/HoTs. But for AE group heals, I think the Cleric should be better than bard, same as single target heals. And as a followup, I'd say I think that a Cleric/x of any type should be a better healer (outside of HoTs) than Bard/Cleric.
Why? Mostly balance. We've seen the Bard has a *ton* of buffs, but also debuffs, hard-CC and soft-CC. Can't make them the games best AE healer too. (IMO)
From what was said during the stream, I imagine that will likely apply here too with Bards and Clerics.
So if you're debating on a cleric or bard, the cleric will be better able to handle tankbusters, cleanse debuffs on teammates, slam down AoEs on enemies, and are generally going to be better at hitting the 'oh shit button' when things are falling apart. A bard, meanwhile, is going to be better at ensuring everybody is operating at max efficiency. For example, mana regen from Pensive Melody means people can keep using their high-output skills more often, while Cheerful Melody on its own does minimal regen, but makes other heals much more potent. The Cleric is a reactive support, handling things as they come up, while the bard is a tactical support, ensuring everybody operates better.
Their roles aren't really comparable, because they're handling different things within a party comp. Regen can patch holes when your team gets hit with an unavoidable AoE, for instance, but it won't mean crap when the tank eats a tankbuster.
From everything they've said so far, I don't think that is their intent. They want Cleric to be the superior healer in every way, with the Bards job to aid and supplement them (as well as every other class).
I'm guessing using the Cleric as a secondary will make the Bard a stronger healer but still not as good as Cleric. I'm also guessing adding the Bard as a secondary will add some support functionality to your character but not as good as the Bard itself.
The Cleric, while specializing in direct healing and sustenance, will also have support skills. However, just as the Bard's healing abilities aren't as potent as the Cleric's, the Cleric's support abilities won't match the Bard's efficiency in providing buffs, debuffs, and other group enhancements. The Bard's main role will be to enhance the group's performance and manage combat situations strategically, complementing the Cleric's healing and other support capabilities. It's essential to appreciate this diversity in roles and understand how each class uniquely contributes to the group's success.
The Bard has so many more utilities eg. mana reg, speed buff, dmg buff, mezz that in my opinion it would be OP that he could aoe heal as good as the cleric. that doesn't make sense to me and i wouldn't support that kind of "advancement" for that class.
like the others also said, the cleric is the main heal, single and aoe - and that is for me totally okay so.
I don't think so, and I think that is a good thing. Bards can do many things clerics can't. No reason to let them AoE heal as well as a cleric.
That seems to be intentional of Course. I mean, that was basically to LITERALLY the Regeneration Rate of being out of Combat in WoW or even below. x'D
For the finished Game of Course they will balance it, so that it is noticeably higher. Just not as high as direct Heals from a Cleric.
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Guild is " Balderag's Garde " for now. (German)
This version of the bard reminds me a lot of the chanter class from Aion. Their primary support was buffs in the form of mana, HoTs, and attack speed/cast speed. Their main responsibilities were providing damage, backup heals/support when the healer was overwhelmed, and insane burst dps buffs with long cooldowns to help the party chunk down difficult bosses or survive difficult situations in general.
Bard will have a wider toolkit with aoe heals, shields, damage mitigation - as well as mana regen, crowd control, increase ally damage, reduce ally damage, increase ally speed (reduce enemy speed?).
Not saying Cleric won't have all of these but Bard definitely has a wide kit.
From what we understand, the Summoner is the Jack of all trades class, on account of being able to summon a new monster when they need to fill a new role, and they're not sharing that role with anybody.