Okay, so I have a mid-level Halfling Dirge named Snakefoot. I am now starting to level up a Halfling Troubadour named Snakefeet. I am dual-boxing them, so that gave me an idea. . . If I advertised in level-specific chat channels that two buffers were LFG, could I level them up both at the same time? I thought this was a cool idea, but then I started thinking. . . Why would people want TWO buffers when they could easily just have one and another DPS? Which brought me to thinking (I think alot. . . dangerous, I know). . . Just how much are bards wanted? yeah I know they have good stat bonuses and power regen (albeit not half the regen of a breeze) but do all these buffs REALLY make a differance in the long run? Yeah the numbers looks nice but. . . How they affect the dynamics of a group and the effectiveness of spells and CA's? And would TWO buffers really be wanted, even if they DID supply buffs that covered just about everything? I'm just wondering, , ,
I would say two-boxing a troub and a dirge is a pretty poor choice. Boxing 2 melee classes at all is a pretty poor choice really since they require a lot of attention to play properly (positioning, fast combat art "cast timers", controlling aggro, etc). Boxing a character that requires fewer keystrokes to be effective and able to autofollow is desireable in a boxed character. As to the viability to bards, I would say as a class both troubs and dirges are quite desireable in both groups and raids. We apparently make enough of a difference that I've never really had trouble finding groups.
For single groups, though, two bards will probably not be anyone's first choice. The "standard builds" are 1 tank/1 healer/4 DPS or 1 tank/2 healers/3 DPS... you can certainly replace one DPS or the 2nd healer with a mana-regenner/mezzer/buffer... but trying to cut in two regen/buff classes takes too much away from the rest of the group. Also, dirge buffs really only benefit melee classes, and troubador buffs only benefit casters... once you've got tank/healer/bard/bard, you're really each only buffing one DPS class, since a two-boxed bard isn't DPS... an actively-played one can be. Then again, I spend a lot of time in pickup groups that wind up something like tank/healer/caster/caster/caster/dirge, where the dirge really only helps the tank and the scout-type summoner pets...
[p]Apart from people not really having the space for 2 buffers in a group, I suspect that 2-boxed bards would have abysmal DPS. I for one have to work very hard at keeping my DPS up, and certainly would not have the time to play another class properly at the same time. I think one of your toons would end up just being a buff bot and sitting their passively. [/p][p]The more buffers you have in a group, the less other people there are to buff. So in a way, every additional buffer class detracts from the usefulness of the previous one.[/p][p]As has been said above, I belive this is also a poor choice for a duo as well. Not that it cannot succeed, but it will be playing the game on 'hard mode'.[/p][p]If it is fun, by all means do it, that is what it is all about.[/p]
[p]having both bards in a group would be a less effecient choice than going dirge with mostly mellee dps or troub and mostly caster dps. with them both in group you really would only be leaving room for 1 dps and the tank, depending on what your hunting (ie if u need 1 healer or 2). saying that i think the group would be more than doable just not ideal. [/p][p] with regard to boxing 2 bards, i think this would be a nightmare for the reasons others have said. unless you go the macro route and just mash keys (not somthing i like to do as a long time 2 boxer, it feels cheep)[/p][p]regarding the question around how much difference those buffs make, huge just huge difference is the answer. my bruiser boxed with my dirge is a demi god, i kid you not, as a pair they can almost duo everything my defiler / bruiser combo can do.[/p][p]a good example of how much difference dirge buffs make to my bruiser. im in EFP selling up trash at a vendor, when some fury random challenges my bruiser to a duel so i accept waste her in about oh 10 secs, she trys again same deal, a necro steps up same thing. im blown away tbh i dont duel, im thinking there must be somthing up here, these guys look uber.[/p][p]the fury says "hang on he has dirge buffs on", im like "oops", i hadnt even thought that my dirge was grouped still, when i disband, things are very very different, i win some lose some, but duels are taking several mins now compared to literally 10 secs before[/p]
