A new challenger approaches (Red Mage)

[Yuji-Ikaido]

For those that have been healing in this game since at least 2.0 we all understand how the game and role work and flow as time goes on. In the early days of 2.0 when everyone was running in their item level 50 AF gear, healing was hard and scary. The tanks would have their HP drop down to a sliver in an instant. It was necessary to be on your toes, memorize the tank busters, prepare mitigation and precast heals. Then we all gear up, the expansion gets older and all of the content gets easier. As things get easier for a healer we have less and less to do during a dungeon or raid and so it becomes increasingly more important to start doing DPS instead of standing around and twiddling your thumbs. Even at times with raid content early on as a scholar I would probably spend 80% of my time doing DPS instead of healing.

Despite the changes the same will undoubtedly hold true for 4.0. Even now healers still have plenty of down time where they are capable of doing DPS as they do not need to heal.

But now we have something very different in the game.... The Red Mage. I made the transition from long time scholar main to a red mage this expansion and all I can say is that I am blown away by the healing potency and speed of vercure and verraise. While many speculated repeatedly casting verraise would deplete your MP and render you useless I can say from experience the red mage requires very little MP and can recover a significant amount with lucid dreaming to a point where this is a non issue. The biggest drawbacks to a red mage's ability to heal would be the lack of an AoE heal and an Esuna although we do have a role ability that can cure a DoT every 90 seconds.

So what does this mean for healers? I can say that as time goes on and content ages I would not be surprised in the least to see the red mage replacing the slot for a healer. What would you rather have in your party? A healer that spends 80% of their time doing DPS or a DD that spends 20% of their time healing? If content is doable with a red mage instead of a healer then the choice seems obvious.

[Cynfael]

So what does this mean for healers? I can say that as time goes on and content ages I would not be surprised in the least to see the red mage replacing the slot for a healer. What would you rather have in your party? A healer that spends 80% of their time doing DPS or a DD that spends 20% of their time healing? If content is doable with a red mage instead of a healer then the choice seems obvious.

It means nothing except that we are now subject to RDMs running around like lvl 25 ACNs wasting time healing when they need to be killing things.

One decent single target heal does not a workable healer make in general. The healer role is powerful because, under many circumstances, it can both heal and deal damage since healing is not a 100% uptime job. DPS, on the other hand, requires 100% uptime and is rendered less efficient by every (non-essential) non-DPS action that takes up a GCD. Keeping up with average healing requirements with just Vercure isn't realistic without consuming way more than 20% of the RDM's GCDs.

[Yuji-Ikaido]

The healer role is powerful because, under many circumstances, it can both heal and deal damage since healing is not a 100% uptime job. DPS, on the other hand, requires 100% uptime and is rendered less efficient by every (non-essential) non-DPS action that takes up a GCD. Keeping up with average healing requirements with just Vercure isn't realistic without consuming way more than 20% of the RDM's GCDs.

You seem to have completely missed the point where there would still be the same number of DPS slots filled in the party and that one of the healers slots would be replaced. A DPS replacing the role of a healer does not need 100% uptime dealing damage. It doesn't seem like you read or understood anything.

The point is simple, if a red mage can meet the healing requirements necessary to prevent the party from dying while still maintaining their ability to do damage then what is more efficient?

[Cynfael]

You seem to have completely missed the point where there would still be the same number of DPS slots filled in the party and that one of the healers slots would be replaced. A DPS replacing the role of a healer does not need 100% uptime dealing damage. It doesn't seem like you read or understood anything.

The point is simple, if a red mage can meet the healing requirements necessary to prevent the party from dying while still maintaining their ability to do damage then what is more efficient?

The answer remains simple: I don't anticipate any significant change.

For duties that don't absolutely require two healers due to overgearing, very low healing requirements, and/or unusual skill, it's business as usual. The value I see Red Mage adding is if the fight has very minimal healing requirements except for a specific mechanic that can be dealt with by just a little more single-target healing.

If we're talking most casual content (generally including EX primals and non-Savage raids), a single healer with sufficient gear and skill doesn't typically need any help, so you wouldn't bring a RDM to be a backseat healer.

For end-game content, no, I don't see RDM being able to outright replace a second healer. I thought this would be implied, but since you wanted a longer answer, there you go.

[Rawrz]

Quick Guide to how to heal on a red mage-
4 man dungeon:
You may Vercure after the last mob is dead to top off a tank and to proc dualcast. Saving your healer mp. Odds are they will have healed by natural regen

You may Vercure if your healer is dead. You may Vercure them to get them in decent health. Mana shift them if you have it. Back to dps.

You may Erase whenever you have a free ogcd and the tank isn't within cure ii top off range or its a waste.

8 man content-

You can be the first to raise. You're saving healers MP. Dont vercure.

If one healer dies, raise that healer. If it's pretty chaotic you can vercure here, but as soon as they accept the raise stop. Your living heal should be able to handle it.

Monitor mp for mana shift for your healers. If they don't need it, give to bard for foe or pld for requiescat.

[LegoTechnic]

Any situation where a RDM can serve as an off-heal is a situation where the actual healer can just single-heal it.

Any situation where two RDMs can heal it is a situation where you're facerolling anyway.

[Furious]

Any situation where a RDM can serve as an off-heal is a situation where the actual healer can just single-heal it.

Any situation where two RDMs can heal it is a situation where you're facerolling anyway.

There is definitionally a situation that exists whereby a single healer can't keep up, two healers is too much, and a rdm is enough to bridge the gap.

Whether or not you actually find that situation, let alone with consistency, is another matter.

[LegoTechnic]

There is definitionally a situation that exists whereby a single healer can't keep up, two healers is too much, and a rdm is enough to bridge the gap.

Whether or not you actually find that situation, let alone with consistency, is another matter.

The majority of moments that require a second healer usually involve either AoE, or heavy concentrated damage focus on two targets at the same time, either both tanks or something like a prey mechanic. Assuming the healer doesn't have the capacity to deal with the mechanic on its own, it is possible for a RDM to fill the specifc role of single-target healing one of these while the healer either AoE heals or focuses the second target, but only if the encounter doesn't also require additional AoE healing later down the line. It's a very rare situation, especially since RDM can't just spam Vercure at their leisure (it's really not that powerful).

Well, I won't actually refute the charm of the idea. It does sound like fun for speed-running if the situation presents itself.

[Supersun]

Any situation where a RDM can serve as an off-heal is a situation where the actual healer can just single-heal it.

Any situation where two RDMs can heal it is a situation where you're facerolling anyway.

In theory there may be a situation where a RDM may be enough to main heal something where you can just drop the healer for a RDM instead and the RDM just uses Vercure instead of Jolt and Impact to set up his instant casts. Now I'm kinda curious which would do more damage while healing, a RDM or a healer.

[exilio]

I don't usually call "troll", but the OP's whole premises is suspect. Even for the worst of situations, I can't see how an RDM could take over for any healer. The suggestions seem more like troll bait than anything feasible.