Reviving WHM

So as I'm pretty sure we're all aware, we're hopefully going to be getting a new tank and healer job when 4.0 hits: PLD and WHM. However, before we go too far into saying that WHM (and PLD in fairness) is a dead job, we need to consider their purposes. WHM is the only healer job that is currently directly tied to a class; thereby allowing for people to learn how to heal over the entire course of the leveling experience as compared to branching off at 30 (or starting completely fresh at 30). PLD, is like this in a similar way, with GLD getting core tanking abilities, with MRD having a more DPS-aligned kit.

This brings me to my main point: PLD and WHM are the player's introduction into the tanking and healing roles, respectively. As such, they're going to have less "fancy" tools so as to not scare completely green players away, right? But, how can we keep these entry-level jobs easy to play, while also making sure that they can play with the top SCHs/ASTs?

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Honestly... I'm not sure you can, outside of buffing raw potency of WHM tools (which you "could", but then it'd suffer like MNK does). PLD is a separate can of worms not meant for this thread, but I'm honestly not sure how they could really give WHM its job without completely overtuning its numbers in comparison to the other two jobs. WHM is a pure healer, and offers no other utility to the group (which is core for progression, but outside of that is useless).

I don't know, just my thoughts as I sip my morning coffee.

I mean the answer is simple you would think... Give it a utility ability in Stormblood.

I don't think whm needs to be easy to play. The key is to keep things simple at low levels and then add difficulty over time so players can build on their skills. Which I feel it already does.

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Originally Posted by Tiva

I don't think whm needs to be easy to play. The key is to keep things simple at low levels and then add difficulty over time so players can build on their skills. Which I feel it already does.

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Well sure, but leveling is not the same as the endgame experience, and I would argue that having a job to go try endgame content on, to wean yourself into it, is still an important role to fill, so long as it's explicitly stated as the beginner job.

And in all honesty, I'm not really sure how they could really make WHM "mechanically intensive" (kind of difficulty) when the whole schtick of 4.X is gonna be to make everything easier.

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Originally Posted by Mendalas

I mean the answer is simple you would think... Give it a utility ability in Stormblood.

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It's really not that simple.
Give WHM utility, and we could end up replacing SCH or AST.
Give them nothing new, and we'll be right where we are now.

What they need is something solely unique to them that, isn't simply raid dmg buffing, that would make us desirable enough to consider .

My idea is to nerf AST healing back to 3.0 values but leave their buffingpower and card system changes as is. That way it'll be risky to bring an AST to heal, but you get strong buffs as a reward, meanwhile WHM will bring strong and safer heals, but little to no buffs. I honestly think this, for a start, would work and help give WHM a bit more identity.

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Originally Posted by Exiled_Tonberry

isn't simply raid dmg buffing

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BZZZZZT

This is the only thing that will matter.

The value of tank and healer roles is capped. The value of DPS additions is uncapped.

But, on a more optimistic note, from the panel today

42 minutes ago A: We'll work on balancing this. "Please trust me"
43 minutes ago Q: AST and SCH are top healers question-asker feels, what balance changes are coming for WHM in 4.0?

Let's hope.

I think it's interesting to note that when the question-asker said that AST and WHM had the same potency for heals, Yoshi-P responded with something like "For now".

Incoming AST Nerfs? WHM Buffs?

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Originally Posted by Exiled_Tonberry

It's really not that simple.
Give WHM utility, and we could end up replacing SCH or AST.
Give them nothing new, and we'll be right where we are now.

What they need is something solely unique to them that, isn't simply raid dmg buffing, that would make us desirable enough to consider .

My idea is to nerf AST healing back to 3.0 values but leave their buffingpower and card system changes as is. That way it'll be risky to bring an AST to heal, but you get strong buffs as a reward, meanwhile WHM will bring strong and safer heals, but little to no buffs. I honestly think this, for a start, would work and help give WHM a bit more identity.

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See, I think it's more appropriate that it's not that it makes AST risky to bring, it means the AST can do what a WHM can but it requires them to put more effort in healing/mitigating compared to WHM, meaning you need a good AST to do the same thing as a lesser capable WHM (I don't want to make that sound mean). I don't think an AST should be limited to be under WHM in healing capabilities, only in effort. It should reinforce the fact that WHM is safer and always should be. Not how it is now in creator, but that's more of a result of creator being easier to heal (I miss Midas and tbh Gordias as well). In exchange for all that time used for doing the healing role, they contribute their raid dps to the raid through cards. However, I think balance is fine for the most part, it might need a potency nerf because as ilvl increases, so does the percent increased offered by balance. The other cards need some love or maybe adding more cards to offset balance on top of strengthening the existing cards.