This thread amused me immensely... but then I've always liked the debates that Richard instigates.

Personally I'd be all for an extended duration on Protect and Shell... I'd also be for increasing their effectiveness, cause right now, I really don't see what they do. Not in any magnitude where I'd actually worry about them. Which adds a whole new degree to the effectiveness of this thread, if for no better reason than to draw attention to an ability that is in need of revamping.

But more than that I am always amazed that when someone expresses a valid concern about something there is always, Always, someone who just says to stop being a whiner.

I usually respect Richard's views whether I agree with them or not because his main goal in voicing his opinions is to make the game better. And more often then not in the course of debating his points someone will come up with suggestions that he hadn't thought of that also work in alleviating his frustration with whatever aspect of the game he is decrying.

I've never seen him make a post that was frivolously complaining. I wouldn't want to cast protect and shell every 5 minutes... and you know what? I don't.

There are alot of things I don't do in this game right now because I don't enjoy them. Does that mean I should just bite my tongue and somehow hope that magically people will know what I find distasteful in the game and hope that it will get fixed?

Does anyone think that FFXIV is perfect the way it is? Of course not. So how do we make it better? We make suggestions.