How do you define (meaningful) choice?

[LilimoLimomo]

I don't really remember the numbers we were working with back during HW

Yeah, I actually don't remember the numbers either; the original Cleric Stance mechanic wasn't just a multiplier, as it actually swapped the values of your INT and MND. And that was back during a time when those stats were capable of being adjusted by materia and such!

And the thing is, like I was trying to say above, it's not about 0 or 100. There are many people who aren't trying to push for perfectly optimized DPS output who would still appreciate doing more than 0....It's not about them trying to be perfect, but just about being a team player and helping out as much as they can.

I 100% agree with this. I think the precise point where we're missing each other is that when a casual healer casts Aero outside of Cleric Stance, their brain doesn't tell them they're doing 0 damage; damage numbers pop up on the screen. And yes, those numbers are low, but if it doesn't feel safe to activate Cleric Stance, then the choice this player will feel that they have is between low numbers or no numbers.

And honestly, I feel that this goes well with your ultimate proposal that functionally Cleric Stance wasn't a choice; they're just two sides of the same coin. To hardcore knowledgable players, Cleric Stance wasn't a choice because it felt required in order to do meaningful damage. To less knowledgeable casual players, Cleric Stance wasn't a choice because it felt like a spell that should never be cast, akin to a "kill your party" button.

And that's why I don't consider old Cleric Stance to be a real choice. Sure, it technically was, but it wasn't a good choice.

Regardless of the nuanced differences between our two perspectives, we definitely both agree on this conclusion! Good riddance, Cleric Stance! ^^