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It's pretty deliberate. Has been topic since playtest and we got an official confirmation here, so we can assume that this stance hasn't changed.
The proficiency matters for soldiers (who can strike with weapons that don't strike), for everyone who wants to strike with automatic weapons (that can strike), and for everyone who wants some extra damage with weapon specialization.
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Seems very clear to me that's because, contrary to D&D4, PF1/2/SF1/2 has no concept of "attack vs. Reflex", nor the concept of a "Reflex DC" or "Attack DC".
Sorry to be that guy and put something else on top of it, but there is Reflex DC used in the system. Here the general rule. Now onto what uses it:
Disarm (though Disarming Shot uses an attack roll instead of an Athletics check)Tumble Through (though Will DC with Pardom Me)
Trip
Sabotage
Swerveshift (bonus to the Reflex DC)
Cerebral Circumvention (same)
Magboots (bonus as an item)
Swallow Whole
With disarming shot, we even have an attack roll vs reflex dc, therefore the reason of the decision lies elsewhere.
As a back-then vivid D&D4e player, I know how nice it was to have defenses, but I think the reason it was put the roll back to those who defend against such effects is for abilities that shifts the degree of success, which are baked in many characters and seldom any enemy creatures.
Also, it makes it clear: Attacks either hit or not (unless in very special cases where there is a failure element), while most saves use all 4 degrees of success. Treating Plasma Cannon like a fireball makes sense, so instead of adding yet another rule onto AoE-weapons, having them use some of the standard mechanics just makes so much sense.
A mystic or an envoy can load up on the plasma cannon (advanced weapon) and use his full class DC, while an advanced pistol would suck.
Two things.
One, equality among characters doesn't really seem like a bad thing to me. The characters can have other things to differentiate themselves with.
Two, that only works at low level play. When you start getting into mid level or high level your Mystic will not have as much bonus to their area fire DC as other classes will because of the lack of improved proficiency. Being a spellcaster, they do get pretty good Class DC to use, but again that doesn't seem to really be a problem. Narratively, they are also pretty good at causing area damage with spells, so doing it with weapons doesn't seem like a stretch of logic.
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When you start getting into mid level or high level your Mystic will not have as much bonus to their area fire DC as other classes will because of the lack of improved proficiency. Being a spellcaster, they do get pretty good Class DC to use
This is false. The Mystic, and every single Paizo caster except the Witchwarper, never advances Class DC beyond Trained.
In many instances this doesn't matter because lots of feats or equipment say "class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher," but that's not true of area fire.
This is false. The Mystic, and every single Paizo caster except the Witchwarper, never advances Class DC beyond Trained.
Ah. Noted.
My memory doesn't always serve me perfectly.
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A mystic or an envoy can load up on the plasma cannon (advanced weapon) and use his full class DC, while an advanced pistol would suck.
One other ironic knock on effect here means that the plasma cannon being an advanced weapon only serves as an impediment to the soldier, since they're the only class that has a way to use weapon proficiency with advanced weapons.
It feels kind of goofy that advanced area weapons end up being freebies for everyone but the area weapon class.
One, equality among characters doesn't really seem like a bad thing to me.
I mean I agree in principle, but this is a dichotomy Paizo chose to create, so it just feels weird that there's this narrow situation where their own rules don't apply.
Like why do we even have proficiency tiers on area weapons? Just to annoy soldiers by reducing their weapon options? That's the only practical effect here.
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Side note...it's REALLY stupid that "Advanced Weapon" is both a proficiency group AND an unrelated weapon improvement level...Enhance Weapon making a weapon "advanced" caused so much confusion until a player noticed.