None of the RoF mask with the Echoing Anger effect are bard useable. Before the RoF expansion bards were included on the useable list and now it seems as if we have been forgotten about. If I recall correctly. The echoing anger effect was given to bards so that it would help offset the fact that Sony changed the way bard agro worked way back when. Back then bards could out agro any tank pretty much at will. Then they changed it so songs didn't generate as much agro (instead of 1 song getting 6x the agro in a group). So bards had to sit around for a few years with no real way to maintain any real agro (as every other class in the game seemed to get). Rangers get a taunt button because they are part warrior? But are not Bards part warriors also, where is our taunt button? How many bards actually bought the AA that would reduce their agro even more? Must not have been many because eventaully the AA was removed and anyone who bought it was reimbursed. It was around that time that bards were able to make use of the echoing anger effect and now instead of continuing with something that seemed to serve the balance between player and dev has been forgotten about. So now instead of continuing with a resolution set for many years the dev's are suddenly changing how Bard agro works again? I doubt it, and honestly think that whoever created the item was unaware of the lengthy history with bard agro and did not know those mask should be Bard useable. Or did that single effect make bards so OP that they would be able to out tank tanks of equal gear/aa's/lv? This is not a flame, and I do apologize for any misspellings.
Bard's aren't part Warrior, and Ranger's haven't gotten anything 'Tank' related in a really really long time. Bard's also aren't Tanks and don't need extra Aggro. Doubt it was done on accident.
Bard's were obviously given the effect for a reason. Hence all the previous expansions that included Bard as a useable class for those mask. I always thought bard's had some warrior mixed in them or they wouldn't be wearing plate armor. I could be wrong about that. Ranger's haven't gotten anything tank related in a long time because they are not tanks, but they still get to keep their taunt button that helps for when they do tank. I will agree that bard's are not tanks, but i'm not asking why bards can't tank in T3 RoF. I'm asking why a utility that was given to a class is no longer being updated? Was the effect when used by bards overpowered, class breaking, or game breaking is some way? I want to know how this effected anyone else's gameplay so much that one of the utilities for my class was not updated with the expansion as it has been in many previous expansions. And what class update is offsetting this change since it takes away another class utility?
I personally wish bard masks still had the effect considering how easy it is for bards to drop agro. Bards can hold agro super easily if they twist dots / their stun defensive proc etc but there are some *very rare* situations where having the agro mask and playing group utility songs that are low agro while holding tank agro is handy. That being said I am only saying that as someone that boxes a bard. I defer to the judgment of people that play bards as a main / non boxed) Also I recall the bard hybrid debate a couple years ago, honestly I don't really think there is a definitive set of what classes comprise the bard class, it's hard to find people that universally agree on it, but I do view bards as the only hybrid that basically seem to be a combo of more than 2 classes. To me they feel like a hybrid of chanter/rogue/warrior. They actually are exceptional tanks if the target is stunnable / not above level cap, but kinda suck past that. I've used my bard to tank a couple tier 2 RoF named but it took a lot of tricks to keep the bard alive, they cant realistically tank for sustained amounts of time in group gear.
Reason Bards were on the old one was Itemization was done differently, A couple of years ago when bards were placed on the mask there was a big uproar, but they left bards on it in the very end check in archives and find post made by Frodian you will find it eventually, But it all had to do with how itemization was done not by Players term of Tank which use to be very different then Dev use of it. What players called Tanks Devs called Defenders.
It does Shock me that all this old info is slowly being lost, such a shame maybe its the new boards doing it.
In Solteris SOE failed to put knights on an EoA item.They hadn't had an upgrade since Valorium Belt of Devotion, etc. in Demi. Frodlin, a couple of others, and I pointed this out and suggested a WAR, PAL, SHD item that should have the focus added - Tainted Sun Forged Hoop had the fewest not tank classes on it. Se we suggested putting EoA on that item, removing Bards from it, and giving any Bard with that item either Firekissed Hoop of the Titan or Earring of the Howling Moon. (It was early and very few if any Bards would have needed an item exchange). Of course there were some Bards that objected to this solution. Whether the class was a tank or not some wanted to fill that role on occasion. Giving that there was a raid tuning and group content itemization debate going on at the time, SOE did not IIRC deliver on knight EoA for a bit. People should keep in mind EoA appeared on gauntlets, belts, masks, swords, ... and originally didn't even include knights. It took quite awhile for such things to shake out. I'm a little surprised, but not shocked, that SOE failed to change itemization to remove Bards until now. EQ has always been a work in progress.
you know if they remove Taunt from Rangers abilities I don't think many rangers will notice, fails alot more then its success. Rangers generally use other means to get argo
this wasn't meant to be a bard vs ranger post. Ranger's do have other means to grab agro, and so do bards. But I do think there are some ranger's who would notice if they woke up and their class was striped of another utility for no apparent reason other than itemization. it's not like bards were striped of the utility. there just becomes a trade for the effect at the cost of hp/ac. yay for at least still having the utility..........
The ranger's taunt button works 100% of the time when the ranger does NOT want agro and hits it accidently. It will fail 100% of the time when the ranger is trying to pull a mob off the healer.
I see no reason why a Bard should not be on it, with the Rangers above posting next thing they will cry that they think they should be on it (HA HA HA).
