Speaking of DPS, does anybody know when Bards become an actual "DPS" class? Sometime around TSS, right? How long does that last? Do they just go back to the ADPS role eventually?
I'm thinking of possibly swapping my Ranger out with a Zerker in my box trio once the era of "bowing" is over, since 'Zerkers seem to outperform Rangers quite a bit on DPS for what seems like the rest of the game. Plus, Zerkers are one of the best "passive" DPS classes, which works great for boxing (part of why the ranger is so great for this era, /autofire ftw).
Bard is enticing because of all the ADPS they'd add for my SK and eventually mercs. Plus, it'd allow for my Shaman to go big dick on DPS instead of having to worry about slowing, haste, etc. Issue is, for the foreseeable future, I don't really think their ADPS and shitty melee skills makeup for the loss of a Ranger DPS, let alone a possible Zerker. But, if Bards actually gain a significant DPS boost that stays with them, that changes things a bit..