Will any requested Kaiten feedback actually factor into future job updates?

[Quor]

I'm baffled they haven't even thought about waiting for 7.0 before replacing it if it was such a headache to balance. This is such a horrible decision on every level.

Yes, exactly. That's a huge part of where the confusion comes from (well, one of many huge parts). I've said it elsewhere and I'm sure I'll say it again; I don't think the SAM community would have had a problem with Kaiten being removed IF something of equal gameplay value were added in it's place. A huge part of why the Kaiten change is so widely hated is due to how it is a completely subtractive thing. Something was just taken away with zero thought given to the gameplay feel impact it would have, and nothing was given as a replacement in its place. The SAM of post-6.1 is a completely different - and more empty - experience than the SAM of pre-6.1.

As one example, I was rather sad when they removed Fracture from WAR back in the 3.0-to-4.0 transition when SB released, but enough extra stuff got added in that WAR actually ended up feeling real good despite the loss (well, until they simplified the shit out of it anyway). But initially in SB, WAR was actually a very high-ceiling job. Pulling off the perfect IR+Berserk combo (yes, they used to be separate skills instead of one upgrading to the other) and getting all of your oGCD's and 5x Fell Cleaves in your Zerk/IR window was super challenging, requiring a very specific lead-up of GCD's and resource management to pull everything off. So despite the fact that Fracture was completely removed as an ability, it didn't matter in the end because WAR got a lot of gameplay meat as compensation, something that did not happen here when SE shanked Kaiten in a back alley and left it to bleed out.

[butchersblock]

As one example, I was rather sad when they removed Fracture from WAR back in the 3.0-to-4.0 transition when SB released, but enough extra stuff got added in that WAR actually ended up feeling real good despite the loss

An example for me that hits closer to home would actually be with SAM itself on 6.0 launch. I wasn't happy with every single change that came with the job. I used to enjoy the more strict nature of Kenki tied to positionals, the rigid Tsubame Gaeshi, Seigan, etc but I felt like there was enough added to the job for me to stick to it and enjoy it regardless. For one, Samurai finally being able to burst early instead of the long wind-up where you do nothing after a transition was fixed due to Meikyo changes, the burst windows were a bit busier which is always nice. There's also the alternating filler GCDs that Ogi introduced which was a pretty nice idea and Fuko struck a very nice balance with circle and cones for the job.

[Toyosaki]

As one example, I was rather sad when they removed Fracture from WAR back in the 3.0-to-4.0 transition when SB released...

God yes, Warrior (DRK as well) was the sole reason I loved playing tank in Heavensward/Stormblood. Pre-lobotomy, it was a class that rewarded good play and its max potential could only be brought out with extensive knowledge of an encounter and the job itself to deal the most damage.

Now its a shell of its former self. Nothing in the kit makes me want to optimize like I loved to do before its lobotomy. Its not even about being perfectly balanced either. really couldn't care less if a job was meta or not if the gameplay of it was fun. WAR is extremely powerful from a defensive kit perspective, but I want to fall asleep during raid on it.
Its even spread to other jobs like healers. If everything is so easy, it just makes me not care about being better on the job.

Its ok to have a couple of jobs be easy to pick up and play, but to have no class left that you can really sink time into to perfect and have skill expression on is not healthy for the long term of the game. And steadily from Stormblood on, more and more jobs have been gutted in the pursuit of "appeasing the casual players". Which is bizarre to me. Since they have zero problems playing the class before the changes. They still could clear everything just fine. Changes like this only hurt the people who care about the game the most, who would willingly sit for hours learning a job.