(07-24-2013, 02:04 AM)Swift Wrote:Yeah I kind of don't like the archery part of it myself and wish it weren't like that. I mean I know they wanted Bard to have something that it's class primarily came from but singing archers? As opposed to a singing pugilist, marauder or even gladiator....(weird). Well at least weird to me. I can't see folks in Gridania being archers or conjurers and deciding "hey I wanna sing!" Just comes off as counteractive to living in the giant supernatural forest that you want to be all eco conscious. I mean wouldn't the Wood Wailers wail on someone who is causing sound pollution?(07-24-2013, 01:20 AM)Asyria Wrote: Music inspires us, can make our hearts soar and our tears flow, without any magic involved. Now add to this the magical abilities of the fantasy bard, and you got your answer, I would think. ^^
I mean, imagine you're in the middle of a fight... it's getting rough.. and all of a sudden you hear Guile's Theme! Not only does it fit with everything, but it's also accompanied by a flow of magic strengthening you! Time to send the enemy home to be family men.
Obviously, this is a gross oversimplification but you get the idea: musical inspiration combined with magic buffs.
Right, that's the direction I was likely going with if it turned out that there was no concrete answer ;P
The explanation I'm writing toward is that to become a Bard, one must both be capable of harnessing the powers associated with White Magic and wield sufficient skill with an instrument in which to carry and project that magic. Just as a faulty gesture would ruin a mage's spell, nothing less than perfect playing will allow a Bard to "cast" their surges of inspiration. Therefore those without magical talent or the proper skill with their instrument of choice cannot become Bards--and so that's what makes them special: they're able to combine both magic and talent seamlessly.
As for the archery part of it...? Maybe it's a tradition? ;P
RP-wise, I don't see why someone couldn't play as a Bard and have nothing to do with archery.
A good FFXIV lore site: http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Eorzea
