What does intellect and mind represent anyway?

[Vyrerus]

Originally INT was for attack magic, and MND was for healing magic. We had the Cleric Stance button on healers so they could swap their MND to become INT, so that they could cast potent attacks.

So basically INT is a stat that represents the ability to aetherically tear down, destroy, dissolve, dissipate, or disassemble another being. MND is the stat the focuses on building up, reinforcing, healing, mending, or otherwise reversing or preventing harm.

Nowdays there's no difference gameplay wise. They might as well trim out both stats and replace them with MP - Magical Potency.

[Townowi]

The TTRPGs I GMed usually had knowledge as feats that carry situational statistical buffs, and INT was more of a character's ability to reason, solve problems and so on, so forth (there was no WIS).

For some reason, I associated cognitive speed with spell speed in a FF14 context.

Nowdays there's no difference gameplay wise. They might as well trim out both stats and replace them with MP - Magical Potency.

And then you would have one set of gear for both healing and caster DPS, rather than two.

[LineageRazor]

And then you would have one set of gear for both healing and caster DPS, rather than two.

Not necessarily. DRG and MNK fill basically the same role and use the same stats, but they have seperate gear. Basically just for flavor reasons, at this point.

DRG gear USED to be a kind of tanky DPS; their armor was actually armor in truth, not just for show. (It's why a lot of low level gear is equpable by tanks and also by LNC/DRG.) PHYSICALLY tanky, though, and with a notable weakness to magic damage that became very problematic at times. SE fixed it, and in the process made DRG gear basically the same of that of other DPS.

Even if INT and MND were condensed into magic potency (and hey, why stop there? Why not condense ALL stats into "potency" and call it a day!), we'd probably still have two sets of mage gear, so that healers can look more light and healery, and caster dps can look more dark and wizardy. (Probably still just be palatte swaps, though. :P)