Dear PA,

I regret to inform you that the current meta for the Shai class, both in capped and uncapped environments, imposes unfair restrictions on dealing damage in PvP despite wearing full damage-focused gear and nearly non-existent survivability while engaged with maximum defensive gear available. This has led to growing disillusionment and frustration within the game and the Shai community as Shai players become less common but remain just as vital for PvP and PvE group content.

Playing as either an AP or DP, Shai consistently results in disappointment due to the class's inability to perform as she once was able. The lack of developer support for maintaining our core aspects and the negative attitudes from players, fueled by the perception of overpowered buffs and the undermined gameplay style, which treats the class as a support-based victim, make the game incredibly challenging to enjoy. Efforts by myself and others to advocate for the class have been futile, amplifying feelings of hopelessness and bitterness as we see our potential in PvP diminished to a level that has never before been seen. 

Furthermore, the supporting buff system for Shais' talent is poorly balanced, often leaving players without buffs when needed or, in Shai's case, chains the players to constantly buff every few seconds for unreasonably long periods of time. This oppressive gameplay style is met with verbal rebukes whenever Shai players attempt to explore their abilities more thoroughly, such as the Shai healing, which, despite adding a new healing skill, still proves to be the riskiest and least rewarding class for the task. It is not uncommon for a Shai to die while healing, even while engaged with their 200% ability that can only be used every 30 minutes. One of her heals, called "Get Well," is unprotected, on a minute and a half CD, and heals less than most of the caster healing kit while requiring the shai be in melee range. Additionally, in capped content, some skills, such as Misty Haze, do not affect enemy players' PvP potential since they have stats well beyond the capped content, and the buff reduces the uncapped stats to a point that remains above the content maximum while affected. In the past, highly skilled players in AP gear could shine and be admired by their peers and competitors by overcoming the limited damage potential of the class to perform in a less-than-competitive area of the game with one of the most challenging classes to play as AP. Unfortunately, constantly advancing class passives and gear have protected players from AP Shais to the point that the playstyle has become non-existent.

The toxic nature of online communities exacerbates these challenges, with some players even calling for Shai to be banned from PvP both due to a shortage of Shai players and the perceived impact of her supportive skills. It may be imperative that the duration of the buffs and power be adjusted to remove some of the reliance on this class, which will undoubtedly require a serious and necessary redesign of the Talent skills. These difficulties and sacrifices associated with playing Shai have resulted in a disaffected player base, with many Shai players losing resolve to continue with the class.

Pearl Abyss should take this report seriously and consider a significant rework of the class to address its viability in PvP across capped and uncapped content. This includes reworking the supportive buffs power and duration, healing, and debuff system to allow it to work effectively and reliably without chaining the players to a monotonous task, redistributing damage ratios to allow AP Shais to participate in PvP to some capacity when in AP gear, and allowing the class to survive long enough to fulfill its design capacity while wearing the necessary defensive focused gear. Failing to address these issues risks stifling community growth and will undoubtedly undermine the supportive playstyle and community as a whole.

P.S. Do you still have our Donkuanatt? We want it.

Sincerely and in the utmost regard,
Dreadspark

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Please feel free to write your own letter on the state of the Shai class below if you'd like to share your opinion or support another written post in this thread.

Thank you, and this concludes the State of the Shai 2024 PvP edition.

LOL potential in pvp diminished? Nothing has changed in regards to how your class performs. Shais aren't killing people in OW unless there's some kind of massive gear difference and the Shai is built for blast. The only difference in capped nws to uncapped pvp is that you can't overstack evasion to keep the rat classes from killing you when you mistakeningly separate from the rest of your ball. There, you only get kills if you ks someone else by last hitting the guy. In fact, if anything has changed, it's how people view Shais. People have figured out that Shai is an extremely broken support class, which is why you see the call for nerfs.

You're right that Shai's skills are poorly balanced. In a buff/debuff capacity, the class is extremely overtuned. So overtuned to compensate for poor everything else. But you're completely wrong that they need to do anything with your healing. We don't need more effective healers in bdo, especially not in capped pvp contents. Misty Haze is so broken that it makes or breaks base racing, and contrary to what you think, it does affect enemy player tankiness in capped. Evasion rate is hard to come by, and your debuff stacks with all the other evasion rate debuffs. Misty + Addon = nullified evasion rate passives. Misty + other class eva shred + addon = nullified evasion rate over the effective cap. Pair shai with a sage and even sorcs with their 15% eva buff bottom out on eva rate. The fact that all of shais buffs and debuffs stack with other class buffs/debuffs is also broken. Shais buffs are game breaking.

Shai's poor offensive and survival capabilities are a feature, not a bug. Her broken support capabilities are actually broken because of how game changing they are. There is a reason why your buffs and debuffs are valued more than anything else you can do. It doesn't matter if you can stun other people or do a minor heal if you can spend more time turning other classes into nigh unreactable deathballs, with high uptime on bsr skills, and making them kill faster and more safely. It's also just the nature of the game - you lose your buffs when you die and people die. A LOT. Mostly because the ttk is extremely low in everything above t2 and outside of aos. So you're asked to rebuff. But that ttk is what keeps the game fun (at least until people just one shot each other, and then you lose me.) If people are immortal because someone can pop a heal on them whenever they hit the floor, it becomes unfun.

Your post just makes it sound like you want to have your cake and eat it, too, when the only acceptable solution is flat nerfs across the board for your support skills for a bump in offensive or survivability. The only version of a support class akin to yours that I've seen work is the Hunting Horn weapon in MH, and that's both because it's a pve game and that its buffs aren't anywhere near as powerful. Of course, there were games where the HH was one of the best weapons at one point, but again - pve game.

Dreadspark coming at us again with another amazing post. Great job man. 

I hope PA hears this and fixes this bad development. 

I personally have been a vocal contributor to this cause here on the forums. 

If you want to see my post about the issue the hyperlink is here: Redesign shai completely

So what you're saying is that Shai could do this before but can't do it now because gear discrepancies are not as high, and PA has added so many catch-up mechanics to raise the floor without moving the ceiling, which makes this playstyle no longer possible?