I'm bored when I heal because I need more complex DPS rotations

[Connor]

The basis of its form of magic as established in this game tends to focus on the lesser wheel / not-directly manifest magics. ACN destabilizes enemies' aether as to debilitate both their physical (Bio) and magical bodies (Miasma). From there, SMN instead channels their Egi for access to more directly manifest magics and for means of more immediate (though often less efficient) release (see old Ruin III operating alongside Ruin I; Fester, Painflare) while SCH focuses instead on the imbued Aetherpool itself, thereby able to effectively boil enemies alive through those aetheric excesses and disturbances (Broil) they created. This doesn't get carried out very well in the gameplay, but that doesn't mean the setup isn't/wasn't there.

And no, the devs almost certainly don't think that that identity is covered by a single, uninteractive DoT. But they also probably don't think about identity, period, at this point.

So they established an identity for Scholar as an ‘aetherial poison Mage’ as you say…then removed all the poisons? That doesn’t add up to me lol. I don’t think the developers are that stupid. If they designed Scholar to be a DoT oriented offensive healer, I don’t get why they would then remove all the offensive DoTs? Unless there was more to it than just the DoTs. If they didn’t like it that much surely they would’ve done a Summoner style complete redesign to fit the ‘DoT attacker’ identity they had conceptualised? I find it hard to believe they said ‘fuck it, let’s take all the DoTs from the job whose identity is DoTs and give them nothing in return’. And before we pull Summoner into it, they do technically give something in exchange for the lost DoTs…it just sucks lol (Rite / Astral Flow spam)

I mean, putting aside that Bio and Miasma sound suspiciously like the perfect debuffs through such description (physical / magical damage reductions) isn’t this ignoring the converse?

Scholars utilise the manipulation of aether within a physical body / entity for a desired effect, through geometric formulae and/or Nymian script (it was written on Setoto’s fathers coat when you find it). Like releasing fire aspected aether to ignite an enemy

Does it not also follow that they would be competent in altering aether for a positive effect? I mean, isn’t altering someone’s aether to make them more resilient still the exact same thing as altering it to slowly unravel? So…debuffs and buffs lol. Gathering aether together to form a shield, corrupting/distorting enemy aether to weaken them or lower their resistances, reinforcing allies aether to weather stronger attacks, all whilst utilising the fairy for direct healing magicks. It still seems reductionist to me to just say, ‘Scholars are offensive attackers who utilise corrupted aether to inflict pain on their enemies’. It’s certainly part of the full picture, but it’s ultimately still only one half lol. It’s like saying Bards are either just Archers with lasers or Musicians who really likes
bows. Whether we like it or not, the identity (currently) is both lol.

I just don’t want to see Scholar get dismantled and replaced with a DoT Drone because of a preoccupation with one aspect of the job (that arguably wasn’t a major one). They’ve already ravaged Bard and Astrologian, I don’t want to see Scholar be next lol. I don’t even disagree with Scholar actually getting more DoTs. But I don’t want to see it reduced to a DoT Botter (lol) that just sits around pressing the same 3 buttons all day without actually having to do anything tactical or strategic. There should be a purpose to them beyond ‘hit every X seconds to deal damage’