I dont know man. I think it's hard to judge accurately some of these changes, such as the damage nerf based on swing speed reduction, and make a decision without seeing the extent of the change, despite how well you know the mechanics.
Though you're right, some changes are obvious as you suggest, i.e. 30 ai cap goes without explanation.
I know you're not going to believe me, but I KNOW exactly how these changes are going to play out. You don't know game mechanics as well as I do, so it's difficult for you to imagine how I would know. I know you're just going to think that I'm being an arrogant, condescending prick, but I'm really not. It's the truth. I don't expect you to take me at my word, but just imagine that I'm right. Just imagine that I know game mechanics that well. I'm not asking you to believe me or to simply take me at my word, but just consider the possibility that I am right.
These developers, whoever they are deciding these changes, they have no clue. They're about as clueless as characters on info-mercials. They're just figuring out little details about pvp now, they have very little understanding of the "big picture." If you think I'm just being condescending and insulting because I'm salty, than look at this example. They're considering nerfing AI to 30. Is that a bad idea? I think so. It just makes armor ignores less valuable in comparison to other shots, and it also nerfs armor ignores for melee dexxers who's damage output isn't really considered OP right now. The focus should be on base damage when people aren't armor ignoring. But you see, even if it wasn't a bad idea, it still shows how much they fail to see the big picture. They're looking at how much dps an archer can put out in a given amount of time, and right away they think of Armor ignores. They don't even know about Double shots with a yumi on a cursed/corpse skin'ed target, or double mortals. And god forbid someone points it out to them, like I just did, they'll nerf those, but bow base damage will still be insane.
And that's one of many many examples of their incompetence. I mean the list goes on and on. How can they not see that they're going to kill more classes than they create with these changes? With these changes they're going to kill archers AND focus parry mages, and all they will benefit are non-focus parry mages.
Regardless, a lot of feedback is provided directly to Bleak through test center, that isn't washed out with dozens of long posts that quibble over some of the changes.
Perhaps if you get time, next time he's around you can pop in and provide some feedback.
You never know, it could help.
The problem though... is that to show Bleak everything he would need to understand about pvp, to effectively make the changes that are best for the game and it's player base at large, 1 little session of logging on test center and demonstrating one little detail wouldn't be enough. I'd need to train him how to pvp, probably for a couple of years- and even then, he probably still wouldn't get it. Most pvp'ers have been pvp'ing for many years, and they still aren't good enough to understand game mechanics on the level that an exceptional few do.
I'm not trying to insult Bleak here, but him being in charge of determining the direction that pvp needs to go would be like if the Wright Brothers, with all of their knowledge and wisdom of aerodynamics, were placed in charge of designing the jet fighters for the United States Air Force. Our Air Force is in need of aircraft that balance speed, turning, firepower, ammunition capacity, safety, and fuel usage, and here they are trying to figure out how a wing works.
Btw, That's not a knock on the Wright Brothers or the developers, but the fact of the matter is, that however impressive their knowledge might have been in 1903, they just wouldn't be "
up to speed" on present day aerodynamic engineering. It's not that Bleak doesn't know anything, he just doesn't know what he
needs to know. Not even close. We're discussing balance and what would make the game better for people that want to play many various templates. He's not even good at one template, let alone many. Only a minority of pvp'ers make it into the "exceptional" top tier, and even less are exceptional at more than one or two templates.