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A fair number of the new archetypes for bards introduce bardic performances that do not mention if they have visual or audible (or both) components. It seems like these weren't meant to have components, however there's this little line in Bardic Performances:
Each bardic performance has audible components, visual components, or both.
At this point, I assume that line is in error.
I would think the Perform skill you use would determine the component, even if you don't have ranks in Perform.
That's only the case for Countersong and Distraction. The other abilities do not need really the Perform skill.
And that doesn't work even if it would be based on perform. What does Bladethirst do? Attract Rats? Dramatic Subtext?
A fair number of the new archetypes for bards introduce bardic performances that do not mention if they have visual or audible (or both) components. It seems like these weren't meant to have components, however there's this little line in Bardic Performances:
Each bardic performance has audible components, visual components, or both.At this point, I assume that line is in error.
I think it's more likely whoever wrote those archetypes forgot to mention it, or it got lost when Paizo converted them to the books. Or maybe they should use the component of the item it's replacing, or whatever makes sense.
What does Bladethirst do? Attract Rats? Dramatic Subtext?
Bladethirst replaces suggestion which relies on audible components. This makes sense, singing while fighting to make your weapon better.
Dramatic Subtext replaces inspire greatness which relies on audible and visual components. This also makes sense, for the performance to hide verbal and somatic components of spells.
Attract Rats replaces lore master, which isn't a performance. So I guess that theory is out. I guess it would depend on if you consider it to be magically summoning the rats, like a summon monster spell, or if you're just charming the existing rats living in the castle, dungeon, demi-plane of light, etc to come out and fight. For the former, which makes more sense, then there's not really a target for the performance, so having it be language-dependent doesn't really matter. For the latter, which doesn't make sense, it couldn't be audible, as the rats wouldn't understand it unless he chose rats as an animal group, and cast speak with animals first, and even then, I'm not sure that would make a language-dependent spell work on an animal.
Anyway, since the rules don't specify, I guess by RAW it's either bard's choice or both. Possible RAI might be anything. FAQing!