I do not know what the answer is, we've been friendly (Community outreach, forums, etc) and when necessary we've been firm (RBF campaigns, war against propagandists, and sometimes literally dec'd guilds). Yet this effort has been a battle that reminds me of the Disney movie Rango where a trickle of water and hope for more was all that was holding together a desert town dying of thirst. I think our hope is to be treated fairly, 'like a real class' because we are one but unfortunately for this event, the measure unintentionally fell short.

Now, the Heidel team and Pearl Abyss did not attack the Shai player base in some attempt to label us. Though this year has been full of others who have done just that, but they did not show any effort to enlighten the community about our path, and in small almost unnoticeable ways they reinforced the idea which implies Shai is a special class and does not belong with the others. I know to some this may be a shock and I will detail those instances and why they caused an unnecessary and entirely avoidable crisis in the paragraphs below.

Note: I call it a crisis because it has caused unrest within the community and lead notable figures to question their decisions to invest themselves into this class. I worry all the time about this because without strong leaders and pillars in the community then this experiment will be over. We need hope, not blind faith but something tangible to look towards. The class will not be fixed in a day and may one day need nerfs but we live in the present and I tell you now that where we stand is uncertain ground where even an ominous whisper might push the community a step beyond return.

The sad truth is that we might have survived going the whole event without acknowledgment of our problems. As it often is when communication breaks down between Devs and Players, there seemed to be a lack of understanding. Such as, when they talked on the Artina Sol they didn't even sound like they listened to our many Sol-related concerns. Sure, the question was about marketing Sols, which is against the spirit of the class design but the desire is the question. Why do people want to sell their Artina Sols? I wouldn't have gone into it at the time either, but they could have talked about Shai not being able to tag another Shai or about our lack of Caphras, monster dmg, and accuracy but they didn't. During these events, they are our voice but if they do not speak when given the opportunity to address our concerns then the void left between us will inevitably lead to questions about whether we are being heard and understood. ... Another example was when they asked for mount ideas, where dream donkey and shai failed to make an appearance, which was borderline comical and somewhat Ironic. This did not have to be a great controversy or a promise for something uncertain but it ought to have been noted in some way because it has been a topic of discussion since release. And support for it picked up enormously after an event showed us what things could be. Prior to this, I was one of the ones who could have cared less but after I saw it, I understood what others wanted and why. This was a lost chance for Pearl Abyss to show the community who have cared since release, and those like myself who grew to care, that we are not just April Fools for trying to keep a dream alive. That deserved to be acknowledged. Unfortunately, this wasn't the only thing that got ignored. We are also the 18th class and PA announced in the ball that they will be reworking the first 17 classes this October to bring them into the new era of class balance to rival Hash, Sage, etc which implies they think Shai is fine despite the community being in turmoil for a disturbingly long time now.

All of this sounds terrible but it is best described as a tragedy of lost opportunity because Pearl Abyss failed to grasp this chance to ease our fearful woes about the future of our class. Despite this unfortunate oversight, last night was honestly not bad for Shai. However, they do need to take care that the players who enjoy this class and game don't get left feeling voiceless. An example where they went out of their way to put a finger on our wounded desires was when they talked of the new arena feature stated it 'is not intended for some classes.' That remark may be true and may always be true but now is not the time to state that some classes are not supposed to PVP. This is easily assumed because has been a bite of the fight we have had to deal with all year where others state 'Shai is not a class, and you're wrong for playing her as one.' Whether that was the intent or not is no longer relevant because that opportunity was misplaced against a community that is struggling to keep hope. We all feel this struggle in various ways which is why I have made sure to post it here where many mods will be reading come Monday.

As for the call to stay out of group content in protest. I have asked a lot of the community in the past and many have answered time and again. I admire every player, Shai or otherwise, who pushes to grow better and stronger friendships during difficult times. I think the idea to encourage others into trying the class by creating a shortage in our prime area of performance is something worth testing. I will personally support this effort by avoiding group content (unless it is Shai only groups) until July 16th and will be talking to those who seek me out about why this is happening. For those that may still not know, it is because it may raise awareness. Awareness which we desperately seem to need.

If this shows our strength as a community and if it is necessary to discuss an extension beyond the 16th or to extend the effort beyond boycotting of group content then we will discuss it in our communities and discords and expand upon our efforts here, once more.

I will not judge anyone who sees this as an opportunity to get groups beyond their normal means or those who think it is meaningless. I only ask for the common courtesy that we all respect each other as fellow Shais. Thank you, everyone, for staying with us and making this community possible because I know there are easier options out there. ♥

I do not have a direct line to CM's but I know they've worked immensely with us in the past. I'm certain they will be receptive and informative to their contacts at PA about this escalation. The best thing any of us can do is abide by this claim if agreed and please show your support by making a post. Let us use these posts to further discuss the class in the resulting days and whether or not further action needs to be taken. We will be going to Oluns on Arsha to kick off this protest, after Vell on June 20th. Please make an appearance if you can.

Do not flame Pearl Abyss, from whom we are seeking aid, but remain strong as we discuss amongst ourselves fellow friends.

I agree. I feel like this stance of Shai being a "different" class from the rest is not helpful. I understand that she is a support and because of that, she shouldn't be treated as primary-damage class, but that doesn't mean that the class should be ignored. Just because she starts with gathering prof doesn't mean it's a lifeskill class. I really wish PA would at the very least acknowledge Shai needs. I wouldn`t mind waiting for her re-work. But the silence regarding this is really depressing imo.

Very disappointed with this recent development and boycotting not just Shai game play but BDO.

Shai was introduced and defined as a "Specialized" class with just more than just starting with gathering (Music playing, extra 2% horse training, 10% extra amity boost, music playing, combat XP gain through alchemy, gathering, 10% life skill buff through donkey gear, and the only class in the game that can hit 250 AP in full DP gear).

The developers,  did not mean for this class to be a prime gathering lifeskill but this is an added bonus to playing it. Shai is/was a test to open the doors to other classes we will see in the future, "Dwarf, Rhutum, Papu, Otter, etc." and is basically an experiment for them which I think has been very successful in implimentation regardless what all the loli haters have said here on the forums.

As far as a rework is considered, I don't think they will because we are technically in a good spot for the role they have defined for Shai within the world of BDO. I'm not saying they won't add anything, since I really think they need to add some things to Shai that is similar to BDO's mobile Shai.

They could  maybe give us an option to make a Blackstar Artina instrument or give us better protections like a "S" block with florang. I I have not one clue where they want to direct Shai's focus in game outside of stat buffer, entertainer, and lifeskill enhanced class.

I think this thread would best be served or get the author's point across in the suggestions portion instead of the Shai thread, to be honest, since I know the developers read those.

You don't tell someone who mains Shai "there's enough character slots to make another character" that's how the heidel ball felt to a lot of us, but to top it all off they do feel the need to once more state that our Sol won't be taggable.

I'm totally fine with them reworking our "lifeskill" part of the class, but Shai should be viable to play as a main just like any other class can be played as a main or lifeskiller.

Since Shai we have seen classes that go against the entire concept of Shai being a trade off in offensive abillity vs PVE, guardian, nova, hashashin, sage (and soon corsair) all perform better in PvE, PvP and have better defensive mechanics than the only "support" class in the game.

Your line of thinking is exactly correct. No class singularly covers as many areas as Shai in terms of buffs, debuffs, healing, and overall support. However, each new class and a few old classes seem to specialize in one of these areas far beyond the ability of Shai because they provide a comparable level of support utility while also providing an entirely incomparable level of damage and survivability outside of gear stacking. 

I wanted to address you directly instead of by proxy because your assertion that Shai is a class of true opportunity to be the first Life Skill-focused class in the game is true. However, it is also true that she is as good at doing PvP damage as she is at performing actions as a life skiller. That is to say that she has almost been designed against the act of life-skilling. It is true that she has a few passives provide her a marginal and neglectable level of early game advantage for life skilling and a donkey that waits forgotten in a deprecated stable somewhere along the coast of Olvia. I would also note that making Shai a Life Skill class does not mean that she should not be able to adequately live up to a close to equal ability for PvE grinding. Many classes can outperform Shai in both and thus considering what she gives up in PvP damage, I would be not only unwilling but downright against any effort to trade any more than we have already lost. If our past has taught us anything (Misty Haze Bug Fix for Pocket Haze, addons, Blackstar talent, tagging shai) it is that we cannot give with one hand and expect to receive reparations down the line!

Promises are sweet but it is actions that we need, and I do not see any reason why the developers cannot do more for this class or taking her in a direction that can appease all three of the main Shai pillars. (Life skilling, AP builds, and DP builds)

To elaborate on the latter two builds, nobody is asking that she become a reliable main-stead as a damage dealer in PvP but they are asking for some ability to defend themselves against equally geared opponents much like a dog might appear potentially lethal to an encroaching burglar. No shai will not be as effective as the real-deal damage classes but she should still be imposing enough to stand guard over her pve grind and capable of performing adequately in the act of grinding for income. Finally, defensive builds. This is the main focus of the Shai in the current design, it may not be the best design but it is the strongest we have. This would be a boast if her DP build wasn't crumbling like a cracked dam because everything else in the game, including bosses, has out scaled Shai's ability to protect. Thus every Shai DP player is scrambling for more and more gear but after I myself approached the pinnacle of full V I realized that 10 or 15 more stat points would not save a player from drowning beneath the wave of damage that was about to become the norm for the player base.

I'm thinking that we should maybe talk about what we're going to do after the 16th. It doesn't look like we will have any changes anytime soon and although this new information about class base values has been in the game for a long time, there is evidence to suggest it was modded at some point in our past and yet was still left in this abysmal state.

I think we should move the boycott up to pearls but I would like to know what others want to do. I will support you guys in whatever we decide.