Frustrations with BLM immobility

[Taranok]

but anyone who has an interest in playing a video game. It's no fun spamming the same button without thinking about anything.

Although I agree that the smn in this expansion due to the total change of direction of the job becoming empty and a phys ranged should have been penalized much more, but I absolutely don't agree that other jobs should become boring as smn.

From my own experience, Summoner is the direction they're taking casters in. RDM and BLM populations dropped massively compared to average, and both represent 2 of the 5 least played classes. RDM isn't quite as dire as BLM, but BLM is literally second only to Bard for least played class objectively, and isn't that much more played by the numbers. And for ultimates, BLM has such little representation that calling it a dead class in ultimates is fair outright regardless of anyone enjoying it in that content.

Both are played a lot less than AST, which is objectively in an awful state, which truly showcases that something is seriously wrong with the game for these classes.

And, I want to say I do not want this. I want my favorite playstyle of prepositioning for boss mechanics, and sitting still and casting, to be brought back into the game. This playstyle is valid. There should be more classes with this playstyle. Hell, healers should have their oGCDs massively pruned (mostly) and brought back to this playstyle as well. Trying to force BLM into ranged phys gameplay stands in stark contrast to the gameplay BLM and casters should have. And I hate endwalker for forcing this on all characters with cast bars. Oddly enough, including Samurai and Reaper.

Hell, thinking on it a little earlier, EW's design philosophy feels like they're trying to turn FFXIV encounters into a more action-based design, when FFXIV's biggest strength has always been slower, more methodical fights where you don't need to make fast adjustments to mechanics. A pace where slidecasting on BLM is valid for dodging mechanics even in ultimates (YMMV.) I miss the encounter designs of SB/early ShB. I like slow, methodical, and thoughtful regardless of how well I can do current encounters.