The only reason I know we watched season two is because I remember Kiksuya. Otherwise I remember the rest of the season being a big letdown. So much so that I didn't even attempt to watch season 3.
Except MnM is purposefully going for a pace of gaming that's super slow, closer to vanilla EQ. You're basically describing a solution to a game that isn't being made.
I got into the alpha and that's when I decided the game wasn't great. I enjoyed the hell out of the limited playtests and assumed once I got into the alpha I'd play the shit out of it. Yeah, turns out, the game is way too rough around the edges and when I had unlimited playtime for it, I decided...
It's funny, because he brings up meditate, and that's one of the best examples of clinging onto a system from 25 years ago without really considering why.
Having abysmal mana rates means your group is sitting around constantly doing nothing. This works in 1999 because what are you going to do...