Bard has been hard for me in Orbus…but not because they aren’t a useful class.
First, I love bards in fantasy games and MMOs in general. In OG Orbus I remember thinking that this game really would be great for a bard because there is so much cool stuff the class could do in VR…so, when I heard that Reborn had new classes and one of them was a bard I was so so excited.
The problem with bard in orbus is that it one of the most awkward gaming feelings I’ve ever had. Mobs are hitting me/my allies and I don’t even look at them…I just keep tapping away. When I solo I don’t feel like I am actually “fighting” the mobs (I very much do in every other class in Orbus), but I notice every so often their health drops or mine goes up. I feel disconnected from this though as I just keep tapping the exact way I would if I was standing alone in my house. I find this disconnection from the action to feel very weird to me.
In terms of usefulness, bard is actually super good. DPS love us. Our heals are pretty much idiot proof as long as you know you range and can move enough to avoid the AEs and keep tapping in range of the group.
The crescendos work well aside from the offensive ones. Knowing when to release them makes a big difference in healing. The offensive ones are strange. I honestly feel like they need to be overhauled somehow…they don’t need to be more powerful per se, but their zig-zag release is just not playing right for me.
The throwing the baton? Weird…all I have to say about that. It doesn’t throw right for me (no matter how I try to do it there seems to be some VR or game issue that makes the throw feel awkward)…the loss of not having it isn’t worth it 99% of the time. Not sure if this is how it was supposed to be when they came up with it or not.
The instruments themselves could use some work too. First, it would be cool if each mix of orbs generated a recognizable tune. This would create an in-game musical pattern that folks would recognize what the bard is doing just by listening to him after experience of playing along with a bard in a group. Second, I would like to see more instruments eventually — if only for fun or quasi utility modes. Virtual flutes for mezzing comes to mind as just one example…but really this is just more about making the best use of immersion in a VR world where you character is playing a virtual instrument all of the time. I would love a drum, flute or lute just for the RP if not actual abilities.
Overall, I feel like the class plays well in terms of utility…but the mechanics still feel a little beta-ish to me. Hopefully more good things to come!