Hi Keith and Eric,
Thanks for the increased communication, increased insight into your methodology, and responsiveness to comments. I read that you're after constructive feedback on the changes, so here goes ...
Could you please explain why you're nerfing the survivability of the Sorc / Sage DPS disciplines as a side effect of these changes?
I've read about three alternative approaches to nerfing Corruption / Seer HPS while avoiding, minimizing or offsetting the impact on the Sorc / Sage DPS disciplines. In my view, it's necessary to consider alternatives because the two DPS disciplines are objectively underperforming.
1. Nerf only Corruption / Seer skills
You could nerf Corruption / Seer HPS by changing skills only within their discipline tree. Without knowing more about the research you've done, this appears to be a better targeted way of achieving your goal. Did you consider this approach? If you decided not to proceed this way, could you please explain why not?
2. Nerf healing skills but not defensive skills
You could nerf Sorc / Sage healing skills while leaving defensive skills unchanged. In other words, leave Static Barrier / Force Armor as is. This approach appears to be more consistent with your general philosophy of changing DPS and HPS before survivability as expressed in the 'How Class Balance Happens' thread (see extract below). Did you consider this approach? If you decided not to proceed this way, could you please explain why not?
3. Buff DPS at the same time as nerfing survivability
Both of the Sorc / Sage DPS disciplines appear to be underperforming the target DPS you established for them in the 'How Class Balance Happens' thread according to player modeling (http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=847112, http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=918622) and player parses (http://parsely.io/parser/stats).
It appears from the 'Discussion Topic: Class Changes This Summer' thread that Madness / Balance is scheduled for a DPS buff in Game Update 5.3, but it's currently unclear whether Lightning / Telekinetics will receive a DPS buff at all. If there's no other way to nerf Corruption / Seer HPS than to nerf Sorc / Sage survivability at the same time, have you considered offsetting this with a further buff to Sorc / Sage DPS, including a buff to Lightning / Telekinetics DPS in Game Update 5.3? matthobbit elaborated on this:
Thanks again for the increased communication, increased insight into your methodology, and responsiveness to comments. I have so much fun playing this game!
P.S. Obviously I play a Lightning / Telekinetics toon. However, I'm genuinely interested in why you're proposing this approach to nerfing Corruption / Seer HPS, and hoping you'll consider alternatives based on an objective look at the data.