Coding limitations. The foundation code isn't that great to build on for future growth of mechanics in some specific ways.
My recommendation. Dont worry about the nerfs. take some time to learn the class and evolve with the game.
The 1999 nerf to our low level AE Mezz (Kelin's) by adding a secondary resist to it in vanilla EQ. That pretty much set the stage for multitudes of bard nerfs to come. Just like many classes, once we get a truly useful ability, it is either nerfed (dichotomic) , or mobs are made immune to it (lure, highsun). "Lets give them a stun, but it wont work in current content, or raids, or a lot of older content" sounds good, SHIP IT.
Szilent and I had a part of this discussion either last week or the week before in regards to the "nerf" of fade. I know that there was a change, and yes the mana cost went up, but -at least as far as my usage- to me it wasn't really a "nerf" like other things that have happened to us. In theory, yes it was a nerf, but in usage and practice for me, it was next to no change. so my question is, in functionality if something doesn't really change the use/outcome, is it really a nerf?
Speaking generally, I'd say any change that weakens or lessens the thing in question could be considered a nerf - anything that makes it less effective, efficient, or powerful. I see it as the opposite of buff. If something changed, did it change in favor of the player or not? Was it a buff or a nerf? A change may have been so minor as to not be worth mentioning, sure, but it still would have been changed to be better or worse, buffed or nerfed, in some way. Something also to consider is that sometimes a thing may have received an overall buff, but a component of it may have still been nerfed, or vice versa. I know certain devs on this forum have also disagreed with using the term nerf to describe things they consider a balance change or fix to something not working as they intended, but imo the descriptions are not mutually exclusive. It'd still be appropriate to call something a nerf (or buff) whether the change was made to something working as intended or designed or not.
While not a nerf, my biggest disappointments with the class probably extends to other classes as well. The lack of inventiveness and the copy pasting of the same old spell lines level after level, expansion after expansion. It's like a machine learning robot is doing the upgrades, while the developers create graphics and quests. Well I'd like to see some creativity on the songs area. Someone on the board here said that after level 60 it stopped being fun. Something to consider. My second biggest disappointment is that "everyone" can adps now, and be darn good at it, while still being great dps and/or tank or even healer. Shaman for example. Super buffs and ADPS, debuff, slow, haste, heal and great dps too. Whats going on? All speciality classes are going to heck. Wizards with their dps, everyone can outdps them, Bards and adps, warriors get outdone by knights (except the ones MTing on the raid) which also have TONS of utility. Clerics, zero utility but heal, thought Druid and shammy can heal well too, and do so much more. There can be said more but you get the gist. Other than that, running around with bard speed and double invis can still be fun. Sad or what?
