FF14 Devs, please don't remove the timers and long cast times from BLM.

Right now, BLM is the only job I still care about. With the other jobs, it mostly feels like my rotation is this static, unchanging series of buttons to press, entirely detached from what the enemies, boss, or my teammates are doing. Personally, I don't find that engaging. That's why I play BLM, because it's the only job where when I play it, I feel like I still need to dynamically make strategic choices, and that's where I find my engagement in FF14's combat.

That's in large part due to the timers, which add an additional layer of complexity to deciding what spell to cast at what time. The fact that I don't know for certain which spell I'll be casting next until I've taken the timer into account is what keeps BLM feeling dynamic and interesting to me.

And that's the same reason I like the long cast times: committing to a long cast is a risk, and if the situation changes before that cast finishes, that presents a situation where I'm encouraged to re-evaluate my strategy. Perhaps I should cut my losses and cancel the cast, losing the time I spent casting but gaining the ability to do whatever else needs to be done. Or perhaps I should finish the cast and accept whatever new consequences await me. That's an interesting decision to make that keeps combat feeling engaging, and the shorter the cast time, the less this is possible.

Part of what's cool about a class-based game like FF14 is that different players will gravitate towards different play styles. By providing a diverse array of experiences, all manner of players can find something that's suited to their tastes, all while still playing the same game together. Unfortunately, many classes seem to be becoming more similar and losing the differences that make playing them unique. Right now, BLM is the only class that I enjoy. For players who don't enjoy the experience that BLM is offering right now, they have access to every other class. By making BLM more like these other classes, the game will lose the distinct experience that only BLM is currently offering, and what it will get in return is more of what it already has. And that's going to leave players like me, players who have loved the way BLM kept them on their toes for a decade, with nothing to engage them.

Please reconsider these changes.