Let's talk about Shai and her current status.

First of all, I'm writing this based on my experience and knowledge.
Shai has been my main character for several years. to begin,I want to be clear, when if one day, she gets so nerfed that she's unplayable, I'll unistall the game.

I'll start by talking about PvE:
I think she needs a pretty deep balancing, there are places where her performance is good, especially in small groups of enemies with a lot of health, or in party spots, but she doesn't work very well where there are a lot of enemies with low health, or places where enemies fall to the ground. Since she doesn't have down attack, that bonus is lost.
Something problematic is that allies can avoid receiving heals or buffs if they dodge... we're almost in 2025, and we still have those problems.

Regarding PvP, in general with a defensive build she performs her support function well, although when the capped nodewars appeared, PvP ended for me. The Shai barely has enough protection to start a fight and not fall to the ground, and in capped pvp, the Shai is at a great disadvantage by not being able to play its role efficiently.

Regarding the class in general, there has been a lot of talk, but the Artina is still a real pain. You can only reach the maximum level on your own, you can't sell it, and you can't buy it.
As a main Shai, if I want tag another class I don't have an awakening weapon, and I would have to make a new one and buy another garmoth!, when any other class doesn't have that problem. Even I can't even link the Artina if I create another Shai!!! it's something very crazy.

The rest of the classes can obtain the sovereign awakening weapon “easyly”, but Shais we have to wait for 100 embers, or for us to win the lottery of the flame. We should can melt PEN blackstar to make a flame..

You have recently gift us with free BlackStar PEN, and with the new season you can get one very cheap. Why can't you just tag the artina based on her level? like a PEN dandelion at basic level, then PEN BlackStar, with the 10,000 Caphras crystal, and then sovereign weapon? The sovereign Artina should have up to DEC level even if it's symbolic for the shai but that level is applicable if you want to tag another class.

From this point on, it's my personal opinion. As a Shai player, I've felt discriminated against many times, how many times have they released new outfits for all the female classes except for the Shai? Or do some outfits for the Shai look very different from the other classes? Why do the rest of the female classes have a lot of cute swimsuits, and the Shai barely has one? And the same with underwear, the other classes have a lot of variety, and the Shai doesn't.

I understand that the appearance of the Shai can be controversial, but I personally think that the Shai at end, is still a bunch of pixels, and it's important to be able to distinguish reality from fiction. If you don't like the look of any class, no one is forcing you to choose it.

Thanks for reading me and regards.

I think the devs said something about not wanting to give shai the same weapon as the other classes to keep the ones that play her "valuable" or something like that I don't remember but I think they are correct in that, many people in this game only want to play shai for the few good qualities it has but they don't want to deal with the problems, so the devs put that little hurdle to the class for those who are willing to play the class spite of it. The way I see it, they made the artina to be like that to protect main shais . In regard to pve the class seems on the weak side besides group content were she is the strongest and yea I've heard many people saying the class in unbearable to play in capped.

Being discriminated against as a shai is basically encouraged by streamers/partners and even Devs/GMs.

Everyone treats shai like a joke until they need one in their party, then wonder why they can't keep one in their group so they go complain on forums to delete the class.

Please don't forget our inability to damage strikers/mystics due to dmg ratio.

Also how PvP resistance removal will be a direct nerf to us (I posted that separately)

I don't know about bdo staff but I've seen some big bdo streamers influencing their audience towards hating the class and they seem pretty direct about it sometimes, probably part of the hate shai players get are due to those influencers, they should be more careful with that kind of thing, It can have repercutions that can go beyond their own control. Playing a support character in any game can get specially difficult if you get ""attacked"" by your own comunity.

 BDO community is renown for its toxicity to be honest, very few good streamers out there.
Not worth wasting time in the official discord nor streams except for drops

What I find most annoying is that you sometimes get the cooldown for your buffs but not the buff itself and the lenghty animations of having to pull out your Sol everytime and casting your first buff.  Also, your friendlies will not recieve your buffs if they are doing an I-frame. 

Like so many other things in the game, shai feels neglected.

Shai needs to be reworked to either be solely a lifeskiller/instrument class or they need to nerf the shit out of her support skills. She has the highest impact in group pvp by a landslide.

I've been saying this.
People forgot that Shai was meant to be a LIFE SKILL class with some group skills. People found a way to abuse those buffs in PvP and PA nerfed her. Problem is, that Shais even though they can do some end game content, if you want really good drops or Silver per hour, you need to find a group that won't berate you whenever they don't get the buff in time or because they were doing an I-Frame skill while you were casting the buffs.

For me, Devs need to rework the Shai and make her like an exclusive life skill class. Remove all the PvP stuff from her kit, leave the buffs but just make them that only affect her. Just leave the heals and the classic F, S+F, A+F, D+F buff rotation, and remove everything else and give use Life Skills passives for every single life skill activity.

I love hunting, but it's ridiculous that a Striker, Musa or Ninja, can easily outshine a Shai in hunting and gathering with all the dashes they have compared to us, that only have SHIFT+W. Yipeee! it's only good for traveling in open areas.

I chose the Shai, because I like her animations, the idea of attacking with a weapon that's bigger than her, and because she can play music. But most of all, because I like games with Life Skills of some sort.

Dedicating the entire class to lifeskilling and music is outdated and simplistic thinking.

Lifeskills are family based and every class already plays music.

Even on release, shai was ok at certain pve spots. Many remaining shais want a rework but not reworking it into less than it is.

Using buffs in PvP wasn't abusing anything, she was advertised as a support class, and like any class she needs a full kit and ability to grind and defend herself