Two core bard abilities every group hates

ThevoicestHeVoIcEs

You know exactly what abilities I'm talking about. Get Off the Stage and Discordance. Both abilities add to the bard's synergies, utility and provide a lot dps, thanks to the average 25 seconds ability cooldown on all bard abilities

Sadly due to those 2 abilities unpredictability most groups will straight out tell you to NOT use them, and that is understandable.

• Get Off the Stage knockback can be useful to herd enemies to the tank, and obviously to Disarm them. Sadly in group settings the knockback can be a hindrance, as it can spread out mobs, possibly make the tank work harder.
• Discordance - the bounce on the projectiles CAN be a bit unpredictable and risky, especially in a setting where groups of mobs are packed tightly together.

How would I fix it?

• Make the knockback an optional FREE upgrade, you can enable and disable at will, without any cost or travel time (I'm thinking the incoming respec changes).
• Discordance is more tricky, we could lower the distance at which projectiles are able to bounce, but I suspect this is going to be a small nerf for the pvp setting, unless the projectile is able to bounce back at the previous target if it hasn't reached it max bounce limit.
• A possible Discordance alternative would be a bigger redesign, making it a Ear-Piercing Scream / Piercing Shriek like ability. Turn the skill into a held ability like rangers Scatter Shot, so you can alternate between single target and AoE, without the constant hassle of respecing.

ThevoicestHeVoIcEs

Discordance projectiles can bounce from a mob in the front of you, and do a 180 degree turn to hit a group of mobs BEHIND you from 25+ meters away.

godot8

I find bonking enemies around and sometimes off cliffs with Get Off the Stage highly enjoyable. Just every now and then ya know?

ThevoicestHeVoIcEs

godot8 wrote: »

I find bonking enemies around and sometimes off cliffs with Get Off the Stage highly enjoyable. Just every now and then ya know?

So do I, the problem is in the group setting, especially on POI with high mob density. Tanks don't like chasing mobs around, and don't want to lose aggro, which more than understandable. Bard has a couple of anti-synergies in the kit, on the top of bugs and few poorly thought out abilities.

ShivaFang

Get off the stage is AMAZING in groups and absolutely required for Carphin tower.
Parties only hate it when bards use it wrong.

Never kick enemies away from the melee. You kick them towards the melee. It's basically an additional grapple for the tank - bard has to get behind the enemy and kick towards the tank.

Honestly the ability should be renamed 'Get ON the stage!'

If the bards intent is to weaken enemies - maddening dance was changed to apply Humiliated at the end of the cast - that provides plenty of damage mitigation to assist those taking damage.

ThevoicestHeVoIcEs

Thanks for unsolicited advice about GotS, but this is exactly how I attempt to use it. Attempt, because physics can be wonky, and mobs don't always fly exactly in the direction or distance you want. Also as soon as they are in the front of the tank, you can forget about using GotS in your rotation.

There are multiple abilities in the game I feel could benefit from alternate mode which would allow you to quickly switch between being single target / AoE. With GotS this could allow you to switch between "damage and disarm" mode to "damage and disarm and knockback". A bit like the Ranger's Scatter Shot held ability, just an instant fire mode switch.

Xhykor

Get of the stage and Discordance are like my main leveling ability.

Pull with spellbook
Discordance
When its close "get of the stage"
Then spell book for a few seconds
Then tomate to trip
More speelbook
One star dead without hitting me once 😅

nanfoodle

This is a balance your requesting for PvE. These skills are perfectly tinned for PvP. Please don't change them. In PvE just be mindful of the skills you use.

ThevoicestHeVoIcEs

Xhykor wrote: »

Get of the stage and Discordance are like my main leveling ability.

Pull with spellbook
Discordance
When its close "get of the stage"
Then spell book for a few seconds
Then tomate to trip
More speelbook
One star dead without hitting me once 😅

nanfoodle wrote: »

This is a balance your requesting for PvE. These skills are perfectly tinned for PvP. Please don't change them. In PvE just be mindful of the skills you use.

My dudes, read before commenting. One of you talk about solo PvE rotation in a topic about group interactions, and another is concerned about losing the PvP value, which is actually understandable.

Both issues are addressed in my post. I don't want to nerf GotS in the pvp, I simply want to give players control over when knockback is applied. Whatever that is addressed by free talent you can enable/disable at will, or alternate fire mode, other options, its up to the developer.

nanfoodle

Like they did with quick wit?

onewingedangelo1

For that the OP is asking it might be similar to the Rangers Disengage. You get a free upgrade node that in this case would remove the knockback of GotS. Spec it if you want it, unspec it if you don't.

As much as I would like Discordance to be changed to like Ranger's Scatter Shot, where holding it changes it. With Discordance it would start out with a small AoE area where the notes can bounce from, you hold it down to increase the range in which they can bounce to. That would make the move more cumbersome in PvP though. Maybe doing the reverse where it defaults to max range and holds to reduce the range of the bouncing?

ThevoicestHeVoIcEs

nanfoodle wrote: »

Like they did with quick wit?

Yes, that would be a good start to deal with GotS issues. Sadly more shortcut clutter, but that would give you more control when you want it.

ShivaFang

ThevoicestHeVoIcEs wrote: »

Thanks for unsolicited advice about GotS, but this is exactly how I attempt to use it. Attempt, because physics can be wonky, and mobs don't always fly exactly in the direction or distance you want. Also as soon as they are in the front of the tank, you can forget about using GotS in your rotation.

There are multiple abilities in the game I feel could benefit from alternate mode which would allow you to quickly switch between being single target / AoE. With GotS this could allow you to switch between "damage and disarm" mode to "damage and disarm and knockback". A bit like the Ranger's Scatter Shot held ability, just an instant fire mode switch.

Not sure what's unsolicited about it since that's what this thread is about. Creating a discussion invites all opinions.

Also, get of the stage scales physical damage - so it's not really a skill that's good in our rotation unless you are just trying to proc an extra resonance. It's very much a situational skill for kicking things towards your melee line. (or you are creating a very rare physical based bard - which I can dig)