Black Mage

[Karshan]

This is a really big issue. SMNs are already doing as much and more damage than BLM with a combat raise in the kit. They're getting some much needed QoL changes, but it looks like they're getting straight up buffs too. I don't know in what world it makes sense to buff SMN up with how it's already exceeding BLM and not touch BLM at all. And to that end, even SAM isn't that far ahead of SMN. Maybe there will be some surprise job changes in the 4.1 patch notes, but I'm not optimistic. I get the impression no one at SE can really play BLM to begin with from how YoshiP fumbles his BLM openers all the time and BLM launching in 4.0 with such a janky rotation due to MP issues. They're clearly not too afraid of making a caster powerful given the SMN changes coming up.

Dw it's mainly QoL and not straight up buffs (we haven't seen potencies either, the changes are just an overview). They don't change the power, just simplified some things.
Right now SMN really only needed QoL cause damage is good, just need to make it easier to acces it (you need to know the fight as well as a BLM cause it's a frikin nuclear power plant control room at times and just like BLM with positionning, it doesn't go well in progress)

But we gain utility, and if fflogs translates devotion the way it does with radiant shield, then yes it will be too much. We can't have a SMN doing the same as the black mage damage wise WITH rez and devotion, that's not balanced.