[Ranylyn]

1) I haven't been logging in due to my h key being broken (I'm cut and pasting it, huge hassle, refusing to get roped into RP like this) so I forgot about Terra Strike. Interesting. I also thought Dragon Gale targeted Defense. You encouraged me to log on and check. You were right. I retract my previous statement about "with what stats?" Sorry for the uninformed statements.

2) No, that's assuming 2x heals, not a heal and an attack.

3) Numbers I provided showed Graft was nearly 50% better. That's not "almost" comparable. And, the Graft numbers can go much higher.

4) I'm talking Base. What the average race can get with fairly optimal builds, but not min/maxed. Most races cannot surpass 100% in a stat, and will likely come up under 100%, likely missing a fair few growths (Statistically, a 90% would be estimated to miss 6 over 60 levels, for example. Sure, you can get all misses or perfect, but that's the assumed reasonable outcome.) Yes, stats can be further modified by class mods, equipment, in-battle buffs, etc, but there's a very good reason I'm looking at bases. Even if you swap classes or gear, a base will not change unless you LE. If you decide, for example, that +3 damage isn't worth the accessory slot and you really need some other effect, you lose that mod. If you swap to a class without buffs, you lose those buffs. A base is what can always be relied on.

But fine. I'll bite. Let's assume 70 skill vs 70 will + 40 faith. Because mods and buffs and 40 faith isn't hard to get if you level as a priest.

Rank 1 Meditate: 70
Rank 5 Meditate: 82
Rank 1 Graft: 112 (114 with healer's Legacy)
Rank 5 Graft: 122 (134 with healer's Legacy)

A gap of just over 50% which can be stretched significantly further if Graft was used on an ally and if Evoker was subbed. No. It's still not "almost comparable." And before you mention LB, keep in mind, it's the promo without the emphasis on healing, so arguing that is about as valid as saying hexer damage is low (as it's the ailment/debuff promo) or something similar.


5) When I'm obviously wrong, I admit it. As I demonstrated above. Do I do so often? No. Why? Because there's merit to what I say. I don't speak for the old pro who has 10 of every 9 star item. I speak for the average player. If the game were to be rebalanced so you needed 9 star items on brand new characters in order to even survive, most people on the forums wouldn't care due to already having them. But, this would also make it impossible to get into the game as a new player.

"The meta" is seriously flawed, and "balancing" the meta destroys viable PVE options time and time again. For example, I made a hexer one day. Main class hexer. To level up as a hexer. Crappy offense, very defensive, relied entirely on ailments. But wait! The ailment formula changed based on 80 will hexers (Which, realstically, really dampens a hexer's skillset. Need to get attacked? If it's all gone into will, with what survival are you using that skill with?) After that change, I logged on my hexer and got to turn 57 trying to inflict ailments. Failed every single time. Yes, with payback and a cursed weapon. Because I had the gall to not level as an evoker. The nerve, how dare I!?

This is why I will always resist seemingly well-intended suggestions like buffing engineer further due to them "being shit." Engineer is good for PVE as is. If it was buffed for PVP, someone would bitch about the things that are good in PVE and get those nerfed, neutering their PVE viability.

I know a lot about the meta. Doesn't mean I like it or approve of it. It's stupid. It really is.


EDIT: Too late.