Bard is a class I will consider. But I decline to pick any class just based on the name of the class or how it worked in EQ or Vanguard. How it will work in Pantheon is what I want to know and that won't be either known or knowable until after beta. Not with any precision.
Bards (along with Necromancers) will be a playable class, which is why you see it on the forums, but they are not confirmed for launch, which is why they don't have their own class pages yet. However, according to my interview with Joppa (https://youtu.be/4vebn1AN6KY?t=194), the Bards will most likely be in at launch. The Necro will most likely come in an update or expansion shortly after launch (https://youtu.be/4vebn1AN6KY?t=1989).
Should probably move this to the bard forum, where the same question has been asked a few times. Last time was back in March and is currently the third thread from the top =>
or go back to March of 2018 for =>
Is bard really going to make it
Or a month later in April 2018, where Baz got the scoop straight from Joppa (but no guarantees) =>
Though from the “starting silly rumors” department I hear Ceythos expects to have feathered caps and paisley silk doublets available for crafting well before bards ever make their appearance on Terminus...
I've been predicting a mid to late alpha release for the class and stand by it today. Where the concept would be mid Alpha then late Alpha would be your implementation phase. This is not only estimated based on what Chris told Bazgrim, but also in how work flow irregularity flows within different departments of a production or developer. Every department outside of their bottleneck would allow for the time in some form or another. Concept phase at the least can be put together in the various instances of free time Chris may have, but given his work load, that in itself may be difficult as he appears to be one of the most overworked of anyone. However, while art and art-assets and the like are the bottleneck currently, other instances of the class can be worked through for implementation.
This however requires assuredness that if they begin on it, that it could be finished. With that said however, given the relative importance of having a core quadrinity (seemingly more of a requirement than in EQ) within the game and with there being at minimal, three options for the other archetypes, Control/Support is in dire need of another class and may very well see one prior to launch come hell or high water.
I hope it will be more 'playable' than the EQ Bard! Man that buggy, clunky song twisting was horrible! They always had my admiration and respect and I hope their RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome wasn't too bad ;^)