Pets being able to hold aggro while DAed. As a weak poorly geared tank in Underfoot, this was often how we'd deal with mission mobs.
Crystallized Pumice nerf. Pumice was used to cancel debuffs, DOTs, etc. Could also be used offensively against other characters and as such was a critical piece of PvP gear in the old 3 Zek server days. It was replaced with another type of (almost useless) pumice. Prices on original, pre-nerf pumice went through the roof.
What was it like before? Since coming back I find myself using it on others pretty often since our mana economy is ridiculous.
If I remember correctly the original form of the AA Quiet Prayer did not require using mana thus you could give someone a nice hp/mana boost once every 20m. Running low after a really long fight with mana drain? Pop the Quiet Prayer and get 20% of your mana pool back.
Quiet Prayer and Veturika's Perseverance used to be on separate, reasonable length timers (VP basically being the self only version of QP). You could use QP, which refreshed fairly quickly, on newly rezzed toons (or toons that quickly go oom, like rangers) and hold VP in reserve for when YOU might need a rez. Now, since they share the same stupid 20 min timer, you basically don't use it unless you really, REALLY have to because it kills your chance to use VP for 20 min. Not a big deal when just fighting trash mobs, but on missions, raids, or fighting mobs with mana drains having VP ready to use is pretty big. Honestly, if they just cut the timer in half it wouldn't be that bad. But a shared 20 min timer is just idiotic.
I think it was 2 years ago they changed the formula for the order that Hit/Miss/Riposte/Dodge is checked. Before, Riposte would occur before a Miss but after the change it was the opposite. This killed a lot of Riposte disc swarming as the mobs you pulled generally would miss too many attacks for you to finish them off. I believe this also affected tank DPS/threat as they would now get less ripostes on mobs they tanked.
Wildly overdramatic, Beasts/Rangers ask for it almost every raid, hell, I ask for it on my Necro in lower DPS environments where the events take longer Mod rod + yaulp outregens mana usage if being tactical with GoM procs, nevermind with Bard Chorus/Focused Paragons/AE paragons and getting yourself properly rebuffed in the (Hopefully) extremely rare occurrence you're dying on a raid as a cleric outside of full wipes. There's 0 reason to hold VP on 95% of EQ events
I had a feeling it must have been in relation to the cooldowns being shared or the status that is applied preventing any other QP being used on the recipient. I'm not sure how I'd feel about both being separated other than it being perhaps too good. The way it is now the implication is to use one or the other 1-2 times during a raid encounter (unless it really drags on), 2 times during a Lesson burn or on cooldown when grinding for things like mats, Hunter or collectibles. I haven't experienced nasty mana drains that are unavoidable (perhaps one in a recent CoV fight?), which could be on my gaps in more recent raid content, but for things in ToL raids even post death I found I could tread water at 10% mana in primarily ToL group gear at the time. I haven't been asked as much as that I see and know who could use it better and would offer, or would use it on one of my friend's boxes when we do non-raid content together. So far I haven't found a need to keep VP available, although it has been nice on the rare death. The worst recently was in Doom Shade where given my previous lack of HP from gear I used to immediately explode when Pool's Radiance and Rolling Shade's timers would overlap. Even with Geomantra, Tribute and the Tank PS it'd be more damage than I had HP and it would happen often enough that I would just die since ToTD wouldn't fire. The first time caught me off guard, so I used VP, then the subsequent times I resigned myself to knowing it would just happen again and again, so I would have to deal with treading water at low MP from a mod rod on rez, then the passive regen from the best Rk2 Yaulp, Focused/AE Paragon as you say. I later learned to anticipate the timers overlapping and would cycle spell DA, AA DA and BDA (which I'm blown away by their being on separated cds at 5 mins). Standard group heals and assist healing with good GoM use is minimal effort on keeping mana healthy enough to cast anything even at low % amounts. Now that I've gotten some raid foci it's more absurd and I haven't even gone after the 4th Gate Spec Alt aug yet.
A lot of good examples of nerfs here, but I'm going to go with the biggest nerf being when they put level limits on buffs. You use to be able to cast spells like KEI and HoV on level 1 characters. Made early leveling much easier and more fun.
Wizard beam kiting nerf. Mana Burn nerf Wizard AA SNARE NERF!!! Enchanters charming other players during PVP. Enchanters AA mana tap drain Nerf - ruined class dps overall. Enchanters Charm damage being nerfed. Enchanters Dire Charm nerf. Enchanters Mana Flare proc chance Nerf - last useful aura was Solteris Era for meaningful adps. Enchanters in every expansion that didn't have mezzable mobs because they don't' have a melee buff proc aura or buff that's even remotely competitive to having a shaman or bard in the group. -You're basically a buff bot. Casted C/Haste? Done. HUGE nerf was the aoe stuns being on the same timeline. This was a huge risk vs reward playstyle. IF mobs resisted your aoe stuns, it was almost certain death. Being able to use as many veteran aa's as you wanted. Riposte nerf to not proc weapon unless it's the mob you're targeted on.
Zerker Discon nerf I could out dps the entire raid using a 1h and shield Bard Aura nerf many may not remember but it was bugged giving an unintended boost to melee dps. Went on like that for what 5 + years ?
Root guaranteed aggro to the closest person Sk epic leech working on ripostes of multiple mobs Vanglorious shout bard aa working on infinite mobs Instant aggro clicks with no recast time
There was something with beastlords getting insane mana regen that let them chain cast their dots as nukes all day long. I think it was a bard mana regen? chanter maybe? Was about 5-6 years ago around TBM
Enchanter and Bard PBAE mez duration extended with AA (and items for Bards) to last as long as its recast time. Around the House of Thule / Veil of Alaris era one Enchanter or Bard could keep any number of mobs permanently PBAE mezzed. It was nerfed during Rain of Fear, I think.