Question for those who didn't pick up AST til 5.0 or after.

[ItMe]

Personally, I would disagree and say that players that have been playing a job for longer likely have more weight to their opinions because they have been actively playing the job. They know the job. Perhaps they even optimize/min-max on it. I truly think that the developers should listen more to them rather than the players that don’t actively play the jobs when it comes to job adjustments and feedback.

In general, yes. For balance, yes.
In this case it's not relevant.
Just because you enjoyed the first version of this class doesn't mean you're entitled to love every version of the class or SQEX is being bad. You don't get some higher say in what's fun just because you dug the prototype. Hence my comment about how (in this case of people whining about the RNG) your "seniority" with the class doesn't elevate your perspective. SQEX wanted to change the job. They changed it to something someone doesn't like. That's unfortunate. But I'm as tired of people whining about ShB AST as they are tired of people whining about the RNG. I don't know what it is about that comment in particular that caused me to flip, but their "pick a different job if you don't like it" really got under my skin. I didnt like it in Stormblood, so I did play something else. I rocked SCH. I'm sorry we both can't have fun now but if you don't like it now, don't make yourself miserable and consider taking your own advice.