I concur. I think this is a major issue for Bards, and not only at the very high end. I have never been able to maintain an enchante at the maximum effectiveness for my characters stats and skills throughout the duration of my career. Even with nearly double the required skill levels for a 150th circle character (in the relevant skills), I cannot use my enchantes at maximum power without tanking my overall mindstate.

Here is some data I collected. I cleared my mind with a favor orb, a bubble bath and some aromatherapy candles. I sang through each enchante, one at a time, at the mana cap and recorded my experience gain and overall mindstate after completing each song cycle once through. I did not account for inter-enchante experience pulses, I just checked exp once at the end of the song.

Tests were performed about a month ago, I've since gained about 25-30 ranks in all relevant skills.

Some of the worst offenders:

1st tier:
MISD 65 mana
~17 minutes
Overall state of mind: fluid

2nd tier:
MERE 50 mana
~13 minutes per cycle
Overall state of mind: murky

DEMA 63 mana
~14 minutes
Overall state of mind: fluid

3rd tier:
AEWO 52 mana
~14 minutes
Overall state of mind: fluid

PYRE 52 mana
~13 minutes
Overall state of mind: very thick

4th tier:
HARM 45 mana
~17 minutes
Overall state of mind: murky

My ranks in relevant skills:
PM 1181
HA 1155
PP 894
MT 1261
VI 1289

My mental stats:
Wisdom 90
Intelligence 90
Discipline 90
Elf, Circle 150

<rant on Bards>
Now, this is just using one of my spells once at the maximum effectiveness for my characters skills and stats. If I get to very thick from singing through a song once, while learning no other skills, there is something very wrong with the experience awards.

Bards are very restricted in how they can bonus themselves. Enchantes require that the user have concentration, mana, fatigue, be unstunned, be conscious, and be awake for the duration of the song. Conventional spells can be cast once beforehand and be maintained for their duration regardless of these conditions. BLUFF and SCREAM require a guild-only ability pool, which can only be restored outside of combat and even then through the use of only two verbs/activities. And the status of this ability pool can only be monitored once every 10-15 minutes, the only pool with such a restriction.

Enchantes are the only utility/buff/debuff abilities that Bards have outside of a handful of restricted-use short-duration abilities, and they are already heavily restricted. Please reduce the PM/HA experience awards for enchantes so that they may be used effectively and efficiently.
</rant>

Thanks for reading,
GENT

I'm hopeful that Z will implement his mindstate changes, but I still think we need to reevaluate the experience awards - they are kinda out of control.

And not out of control like ZOMG magik is so ez, TDP farm blah blah, but more in that I don't think they really thought someone would play a Bard long enough to actually cap out the system when they redesigned enchantes way back when.

Either way, I still <3 Z.

GENT

>>I'd rather not see our exp gain get nerfed. I agree, it sucks that mindstate is getting messed up in combat (I've got the same problem), but I just sing at mana 23 or so and the issue lessens.

But you are already being nerfed with the current system by not being allowed to cast your spells at maximum effectiveness.

We shouldn't have to cast our spells below the level our skills allow solely because they grant too much experience.

I realize that mindstate issues might be addressed at that level, but I doubt they will be removing them completely from Prime.

Any thoughts from Team Bard? Should we just sit tight until mindstate gets looked at?

GENT