I actually like this idea; I'm not as adamantly opposed to there being support-style classes being in the game as others are; healing, status removal effects, etc. are all, by nature, Support-centered. I think one of the things that is going on with 2.0 is that there SEEMS to be a push toward hyper-specialization for each class, particularly the non-split classes, and I think Earth is Support, Celestial is Damage, Fighters are Gimp, Rogues are opportunistic as they were in days gone by, but without the added QOL changes that have been added it the last 10 years, and the split classes are unfortunate.
About Meditate though, after thinking about it a bit more, I think Meditate needs to just go away and not be a thing.
- It adds training wheels for new players - its stated intent, last I read - that aren't needed. It should feel bad to miss, that's how you get motivated to get better.
- It adds a whole new level of complexity to the high-level game that it frankly doesn't need.
- Enhanced Meditate is yet another unnecessary build sink for both high and low-level players. I get it, you're trying to bring in new players, but at the same time, it feels like high level players are just being crapped on just because they are high level. If the owners don't want high level characters, build in a Level Cap for the game and be done with it. Build sinks for the sake of build sinks are anything but fun.
- Mental Gymnastics - these rules are, more and more, asking players to do math on the fly (Evade), remember what spells/abilities that "missed" versus ones that were defended, Relic Charges, in addition to keeping track of the usual 10-minute timers, keeping track of Wand Charges, Spell Trees, and a whole lot of other things. Remembering what you can and cannot meditate after a 10, 15, 30, or even 60-minute battle? That is highly unlikely to be done with any sort of accuracy. Yeah, I'm sure there's some of that that goes on now, but I know I can't keep track of something like that 100% of the time and be 100% correct. I think the rules should encourage accuracy and honesty, and I don't think this mechanic does this; in fact, I think it does the opposite.