Quote Originally Posted by ty_taurus View Post
If our goal is to not use them, then why should they exist in the first place? Every action should have a reason to exist--one that contributes to gameplay rather than take away from it.
Well shields shouldn't "always" negate a ton of damage. I personally like the RNG of Crits despit not having recitation because zoe + krasis + Diag can create some bonkers shielding. Zoe lasts a good long while so you can prep for that way before you need to use it too, which I think was intentional to avoid too many weaves/skills in a short gcd window. That's ignoring how good Haima can be when used in conjunction with the kit.

I don't think the GCD/E.Diag/prog issue is a design problem so much as a "meta" problem. If your whole player base is telling you constantly "GCD is a dps loss" the tool hasn't ceased to "have a reason to exist" it just means you shouldn't spam it to play efficiently. It's the reason AST got gutted and it's the reason why Energy Drain keeps getting added back despite it being a laughable skill. If there's any chance for "Dps gains" that's all the playerbase cares about which naturally creates homogenization/problems in the kit that aren't present in non min/max play.

I still use GCDs and manage to get good/high dps (I'm new to savage healing this expac). "Our goal" isn't to not use them, that goal is the goal that is enforced upon the playerbase by the playerbase itself. Just like fishing for dps/balance cards before. E.Diag/Prog definitely has a reason to exist and can do a lot. Just because you lose a dosis cast doesn't mean the kit is broken or bad, it just means people will do everything in their power to avoid using it for a few extra casts, which imo is a problem they've created for themselves for the sake of a parse in a meta that I don't care for.

I still push for dps and optimization in my own play, but I don't look at GCDs like some travesty that shouldn't be touched unless all options are gone. If I see a tank buster I'll Diag it for easy sting/less upkeep on tank. If a raidwide is coming and I'm having to move for mechanics I'll aoe shield. I'd say SGE's kit is one that I very rarely "have to" use GCD to begin with, not that I'm actively avoiding it. The game is not designed in such a way where a player "has to" avoid GCDs at all costs, but that's a different tangent I'm going on, apologies.

I think talking about not dpsing on the one healer that you should be and get rewarded for dpsing on is kind of odd, but I do agree they could vary it up a bit. I feel like Phlegma already provides some extra burst alongside pnuema being dps neutral so it's not wasted just for dps and used for heals like it should be. I'd say the dps options present in SGE are the only well balanced ones currently even if they could still use some work.