Let's address the Elephant in the Diadem.

[Zolvolt]

I agree that if things are going to continue for ishguard restoration rankings then there has to be change. Gathering is a sleep-deprivation issue. While there is some debate over what cordials to use, whether to go one path or do both paths simultaneously and which timed nodes to go for, there is only one correct answer because its all math based. You're either making good decisions for your time spent or you're not. And as for Bots, they straight up deleted people botting from high rankings. Thanks Square ^^

I got saint the first season as BTN and then second season as MNR and I can assure you I am never going the gathering route again. Its simply too much and too unhealthy. I leave for work every day at 7:30 and come home at 5:00. If I had anything to do in my "free" time it was to be done on the +5 nodes. Making dinner? do a little on every +5 node. Keeping up with the top 12 is incredibly difficult for anyone who can not stay home from work and is even impossible in some cases (such as Sargatanas BTN)

I think some small changes could have big impact though. The instance timer for example discourages you from taking breaks because the longer you're in and instance & the faster you clear nodes, the more auger shots you get per instance. If you want the most points you need to stay in an instance until you can't afford any more time to do an additional +5 node. Lowering the instance timer to 120 minutes would be a good change. But lowering the speed at which aether auger accumulates and balancing it so that you don't lose shots by quitting an instance early would also be less punishing for players who leave a diadem instance early. (sorry I've only been in the instance 60 muinutes. I can't make dinner for 120 more!) Its not good.

I'm surprised that diadem lacks the use of many of the gatherer's special abilitys. We don't collectible anything. There are no uses for anything besides Bountiful Harvest/Yield II or King's Yield II / Blessed Harvest II. \\
Ageless Words and solid reason are useless. You can't use pick clean. The Giving Land/Mind of the Mountaineer is useless. Brunt Force/Deep Vigor is useless. Luck of the Pioneer/Mountaineer too. Diadem is an environment that focuses on a single thing that that breeds cause for depravity. Its a sleep deprivation contest.


On a minor note, heat waves was physically painful to look at sometimes. Most of the time actually, but especially after transitioning from one of the better weathers on the eyes. Levin especially. Please remove heat waves as a weather from any area that is not a desert ; ; And if the music could be better for an area intended for a long grind that would be spectacular.

[Seraphor]

I'm surprised that diadem lacks the use of many of the gatherer's special abilitys. We don't collectible anything. There are no uses for anything besides Bountiful Harvest/Yield II or King's Yield II / Blessed Harvest II. \\
Ageless Words and solid reason are useless. You can't use pick clean. The Giving Land/Mind of the Mountaineer is useless. Brunt Force/Deep Vigor is useless. Luck of the Pioneer/Mountaineer too. Diadem is an environment that focuses on a single thing that that breeds cause for depravity. Its a sleep deprivation contest.

Obvious health issues aside, this bothered me as well.
There's literally no reason to meld for Gathering, so you go full GP and Perception and just stick to the Perception route.

What I think they should have done is fix the gathering rate for the 2 star lvl 80 mats in the fifth slot, so that 100% gathering rate is only achievable with a full set of Aesthete that's fully melded for Gathering. Scaled so that someone with no Gathering melded in full Aesthete would be hitting ~80%.
This would provide some valid reason for choosing between Gathering, Perception, or both, and result in rarer Artisanal mats that actually make a profit on the MB, while warranting the use of at least your gathering rate boosting skills.

In addition, have HQ have an effect in some way, even if landing a 'HQ hit' on a gathering attempt does something like, increase the Auger gauge by twice as much.

[Shadygrove]

Stuff

With full iL490s I am melded to 2705 gathering, 2643 perception, 866 GPs. Add HQ peppered popotoes, Gathering +38 & +50 GPs and I am above the minimums for every gathering buff in the Diadem.

Stats for max node bonuses:
Gathering 2740, Perception 2642, GP 858.

Seeing as 858 GPs is trivial in iL490s one needn't meld to my specs as there is HQ mushroom saute for gathering +76 & perception +38.