Please fix protect

[KaivaC]

snip

If I'm wrong, I'll happily admit it, but wouldn't that suggestion change the overwhelmingly high potency of WHMs? Say protect does become an exclusive skill. I don't know enough about SCH to comment on it, but wouldn't that allow ASTs to get on WHMs level for heals, if not better, while bringing the extra buffs they already provide? While I like the idea as i heal main AST, that seems like it does more harm to the current healer balance than anything.

[Tint]

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being forced to press the button more often is not really a fix.

and while switching between protect and shell may sound like a nice idea at first, the game design doesn't allow that.

all aoe damage is magical, or some kind of a fixed damage wich you can't reduce. the defense stats of the classes are balanced around that. meeles have more life, but less m-defense, while casters have less life and more m-defense. a physical aoe will wipe out the casters, while meeles with their higher physical defense and life will survive with no problem.

so shell > protect in nearly all cases, except on the tank maybe, but then it should be better turned into a single target shield (but do we really need any more of them?).

[Dualgunner]

My issue is its a fire and forget spell that the game puts baseline balance around you having. It doesn't add anything to gameplay.

[Seraphor]

being forced to press the button more often is not really a fix.

But it will feel like you're actually doing something with it, it'll be more satisfying to use.
That's the idea around every single skill in the game.
You could boil all healers down to one mitigation skill with a 30m duration, one HoT with a 30m duration and a GCD heal and it would all work out fine and balanced, but it wouldn't be interesting or satisfying to play.

On Shell/Protect mutual exclusivity and damage types: You're right, if these were still role skills.

But I think if they were a WHM only mechanic, they wouldn't be seen as strictly mandatory (because AST doesn't always get the Bole out and SCH doesn't always get a Critlo) so it would simply be a weaving skill used as a bonus, and would make WHM more interesting to play.

[RopeDrink]

It's a weakness penalty because that 15% additional defence becomes a baseline, and when you die, the healer isn't likely to stop and recast protect until the fight is over, if at all.

Speak for yourself. I'm one of few who keep it on my bar (no swap-macros, no farting around) and apply it after raises. We're in a point in the game where so few cross-skills are even remotely useful (never-mind mandatory) that you can get away with it.

Not saying that fixes anything - just that not all Healers are as described.

[Limonia]

They should just make Protect a WHM only ability that works similar to the PVP version. Increase defense or reduce damage taken for a few seconds for all party members on a 60 seconds cooldown or so. Like an AoE Divine Benison.

And as WHM already has less buttons than AST and SCH (as WHM I have space for all cross role skills while as SCH and AST I need macros to switch the hotbar slot between some of them), they could actually also make Protect AND Shell as separate abilities, one for physical and one for magical damage. I don't think that it would be so overpowered if the buff wasn't that strong. AST and SCH both have access to regens AND shields, so why should WHM not also have an AoE shield-like ability?

[RopeDrink]

Because Joe Soap playing class X will complain class Y is encroaching on their playstyle/theme. Ludicrous, I know.

[KaivaC]

I don't think that it would be so overpowered if the buff wasn't that strong. AST and SCH both have access to regens AND shields, so why should WHM not also have an AoE shield-like ability?

Because whereas you are suggesting that WHMs can carry Protect and Shell as separate abilities in their kit, AST at the very least do not have the option of switching between regen and shield while in combat. Outside of the 4-man dungeons, ASTS are screwed because we are already limited to a single sect in combat. It wouldn't balance out very well at all.

[Limonia]

Collective Unconscious has a very strong regen AND also a shield effect and you can even make it last longer. And it doesn't cost any MP, like Whispering Dawn. It's a bit more annoying to use, but in content where it matters there are usually many times where people are stacked. So I don't think it couldn't be somehow balanced to give WHM small physical and magical AoE shields. They don't even have to be as strong as Protect is now. They could also make the cooldown long. It would still be better than the current Protect.

[Seraphor]

Protect
Becomes a WHM exclusive spell again.
Instant cast AoE 10% Physical Damage reduction on a 5m duration and 10s cooldown. Overrides Shell.

Shell
Becomes a WHM exclusive spell again.
Instant cast AoE 10% Magical Damage reduction on a 5m duration and 10s cooldown. Overrides Protect.

This gives WHM an oGCD to weave between heals, and a unique ‘damage type dancing’ mechanic, whereby you can anticipate the damage type you’ll most likely need to block and use the mitigation spell suitable for it. Could replace Fluid Aura and Repose.
You could just use it and leave it for 5m if you wanted to, and it probably wouldn't be an issue, but for players more inclined to optimise their healing/mitigation role, you could learn to anticipate the damage types, similarly to how AST has to learn card uses (but can get away with just throwing out a balance now and then) and SCH has to manage their pet (but can get away with just letting Eos do her thing).

How to balance the lack of Protect as a role skill? Increase SCH and AST’s basic mitigation spells by 5-10% depending on how accessible they are. Maybe knock Bole and Sacred Soil to 15% or 20% reduction.
Balanced against SCH/AST mitigation? Well it’s less potent (only 10%) and only protects against one type of damage at a time. I don’t see how it’s encroaching on either of their territories. Both SCH and AST can already do both HoT and Mitigation, and AST isn’t solely limited to its Sects, it has Bole and Collective Unconscious (which does both). Besides, Nocturnal is almost always more effective than Diurnal. I only ever use Diurnal when I’m paired with a SCH in a dungeon/raid.