Great question: yes!Do you honestly think there ever won't be "something's releasing soon" to worry about?
I think we need to ready our process for the rapid release schedule and that is what we are doing. Let me outline it through the rest of my answer.
I think we are doing a lot of the legwork that is not metagame specific in threads like these now so we can apply the process come then and it will only need 3-4 weeks rather than multiple months. Things like how to format a suspect on Tera can be outlined through these threads and surveys, which are and will continue to happen. Things like timeline will be dictated by circumstance sadly, but that timeline can take up less time by handling the heavy preemptive lifting now and continuously rather than lumping it together until later. Having these dialogues can set us up for better opportunities down the road.You listed ~2 months at minimum to get a suspect done(and yes, that's a reasonable timeline, mechanics suspects are a big deal). If you assume at least 1 month after any release for the meta to settle/adapt before the suspect process starts, then literally any suspect will end less than a month away from the meta changing.
I totally get this concern and I think it is fair; we have new releases and timelines, so naturally we are catering our response to these trends. We are adapting an older process meant for longer periods, so it has some things we are still working out, but in discussing things with the community, being transparent, and having a receptive mindset to feedback, so far I like that we are able to focus on the right things and expedite at the right times.
I do not know if a suspect is coming after DLC1, DLC2 or even at all, but I am confident that with more time, we will be more prepared for it and anything else that comes regardless of time constraints. And I think it is important we continue to adapt our process with the hands we are dealt every generation and release.
I get it. It is hard to stay up-to-date. I work full time and have to take care of multiple people IRL at times, but I play a lot and think I am up-to-date enough to run the tier. And I think the metagame was viewed very favorably before DLC and is now approaching favorable status as well. There was a blip right after the DLC release which was always going to happen and we are not yet at our peak, but all signs and data point to improvement with time.Look, I don't play much(I work 50 hours a week, I cannot spare the brain to get good). But this meta isn't fun. And that seems like a very common opinion. Something needs to change, and Tera's the elephant in the room. People are going to keep calling for a retest until one happens. Which, per your timeline, is probably middle of February before we even seriously discuss it(IF they release in Jan AND the meta settles fast, neither of which is guaranteed). That's going to suck for you, and it's going to suck for everyone trying to play this meta, and it's going to drain the fun out of these forums. And it's entirely possible by that point they've announced whatever the next big release is for late April or early May.
I think you are misconstruing my timeline as it was fit specifically for right now -- i.e: why it is logistically impossible to have a tera suspect before DLC in a month. That timeline is not all firm for later as a lot of the legwork is being done now and will be kept in mind for later, making it more abbreviated. It is more likely to take up a full month or 3-4 weeks, not 2+ months later on.