What makes WHM special? Nothing anymore.

[Muahbec]

I'm only discussing here because I'm working now, the little time I get at home I spend playing my class and doing things I like in the game. I'm not that monster you think I am, who spends all its time complaining about other people's jobs. I'm complaining about Square and job designs, so please don't get me wrong.

I wonder when did i call you a "monster"? o.O
And as i said, AST is a hybrid, do i like the idea? no. I wish they were unique, in that thread i mentioned where "people asked for unique changes" i saw some amazing ideas that i would love to see in game, BUT sadly that's not going to happen, because SE had the brilliant idea of creating a hybrid, and a hybrid is a mess to balance.
What i don't agree is with WHMs being seriously dramatic and acting like if their job has been stolen and that they are not "unique" , which is ridiculous, WHM will aways be the best and prefered healer in the game.
And WHM/SCH combo still is the master combo for raids their synergy is impecable.
Seriously, WHMs are whining over nothing.
AST Noc asp.ben. is stronger then a un-crit Adlo from SCHs, and i see no SCHs whining about it.
AST Noc asp.hel. is slightly stronger than succor since ASTs have the 5% buff in their potencies while in Noc, and i see no SCHs whining and being so dramatic like you guys are.
Honestly, STOP.
AST needed these buffs, again, THEY NEEDED IT.
WHMs won't be replaced, AST will not be reworked. Can we stop now?

[DreamWeaver]

Disclaimer : Below is my personal opinion as a WHM player:
WHM's specialty is the ridiculous amount of heals it can bring.
Due to the above fact, WHM's specialty is that it has the "easiest" ability to shoulder over 90% healing responsibilities of a team.

As ironic as this sounds, a WHM's full potential can only be realized the less his co-healer is healing. If your co-healer is not comfortable with DPSing, you're better off switching over to AST/SCH, as you will not require the full healing capabilities of a WHM, and might as well enjoy the utilities a SCH/AST brings.

[Belhi]

What a lot of you guys seem to neglect is:

A) It doesn't matter if SE buffed the cards (which they kinda did), because those cards don't mean a thing if you can't keep the party alive.

B) Why are you guys in tears over Astro getting heal potency buffs ? Astro now has the uniqueness of Noc granting us strong Aoe shields, which makes us the best aoe shielder.

C) Are we really going to make "muh Heeps D:" a thing ? Like really ?

One of the core issue is what gave WHM it's identity was its HPS. It had a role as the backbone of a healing team, providing the heavy lifting of direct heals and it was and is very good at this. The identity was only strengthened in HW with the new spells WHM got combined with the watering down of what raid utility outside of healing it had.

As a result WHM defines itself as a Power healer and AoE damager. If another class matches it in raw healing and still brings more to the table suddenly WHM looks like the weak link. What defined it as a class becames the standard.

The problem here is a design one. Astro had to be able to step into the healing roles the other two healer provided and so they got the ability to do so. The problem is that to fill that role they have to be able to match the other healers in those roles. This stepped on SCH a little but SCH has a diverse enough skill set, identity and utility that it wasn't too bad. For a WHM its basically challenged the core aspect of what WHM defines itself as as a healer. WHM lack versatility or utility. They do one type of thing for support and they do it very well.

Simply put, if AST are going to match WHM as backbone healers, WHM identity shouldn't be focused on being a backbone healer otherwise they will feel inferior to the more versatile and utility rich AST. This doesn't mean AST should be weaker. As I said, this is a class design issue. It means WHM needs to have its identity not bound up in what has become a prerequisite of healer classes in the role they fill.

[rawker]

extra MND when in party?

[Verdan]

Simply put, if AST are going to match WHM as backbone healers, WHM identity shouldn't be focused on being a backbone healer otherwise they will feel inferior to the more versatile and utility rich AST. This doesn't mean AST should be weaker. As I said, this is a class design issue. It means WHM needs to have its identity not bound up in what has become a prerequisite of healer classes in the role they fill.

Yo this is a good post, and is the heart of why White Mages always seem to feel threatened by any healing buffs or changes. Scholars have a pet, Astrologians have cards, white mages need to feel like they've got a class beyond "heals good," because that's just unsustainable.

[RichardButte]

You are wrong on so many levels.

Since you seem to not understand what the word "wrong" means, I'm going to go ahead and assume you don't know what the word "levels" means, either...

You can either heal everyone for 300 pot or Dmg for 300 pot the dmg is not worth taking into account if you are not into cleric stance so no you cant do both at the same time , like your CU.

Assize
Deals unaspected damage to all nearby enemies with a potency of 300.
Additional Effect: Restores own HP and the HP of nearby party members
Cure Potency: 300
Additional Effect: Restores 10% of own MP

It does all of the above, and yes, CU puts a 150 regen for 15 seconds AND reduces damage taken by 10%, but the AST has to stand there and channel it!!!

The other healers can put up their bubbles and then continue doing other things.

-E4E has a huge cooldown for whm
-Virus is worthless for a whm 99% of the tank busters in this game are magical dmg , normal virus does not reduces INT, i think ravensbeak is physical and maybe secondary head (not sure about that)

1. WHM at least gets to USE these abilities. AST doesn't get either one (and disable is nice, but only lasts 6 seconds).

2. Virus is great for reducing the damage a boss is doing, even through auto attacks, if you need to buy some breathing room. Not just for tank busters.

-bene never restores 100% hp ever , best case scenario is 99% normal case maybe arround 75%ish

Then it's bugged and someone should report it.

-you mean asylum ? again look at your CU , you get frggin both 10% reduction and a huge hot (which you can expand)

The "huge" hot is worse than WHM's Regen, and once again, you have to STAND THERE AND DO NOTHING or the bubble goes away. Yes, the buff endures for 15 seconds afterwards, but this bubble isn't going to do jack squat unless the other healer is alive because THEY'LL be doing the REAL healing at that point.

Only thing that makes WHM special now is the ability to use a Cane instead of a Star Globe.

Then trade your cane in for a star globe, get to 60 on AST and enjoy the biggest helping of crow anyone has ever eaten since Penny Arcade's Tycho said BMX XXX would sell well...

[Eudyptes]

One of the core issue is what gave WHM it's identity was its HPS.

You all keep acting like they nerfed whm. They didn't, and it's still the highest hps healer. Quit crying.

[Blood-Aki]

You all keep acting like they nerfed whm. They didn't, and it's still the highest hps healer. Quit crying.

It's been said many times, but No matter what they do, someone will be unhappy with something. all the complaning to buff AST now they do, now its time for WHMs to start complaning that they have no "indentity" and yet they are still a highly desired if not borderline mandatory healing class.

[BroodingFicus]

You all keep acting like they nerfed whm. They didn't, and it's still the highest hps healer. Quit crying.

It is not about nerfing. It is about the fact that, unfortunately, in the process of trying to balance healers Square has failed to factor in that they need to give WHM an identity of their own if all healers are going to have similar healing potency. Especially since, as said, they made specific efforts to make WHM a 'heals and only heals' class. We only barely have the larger heals and bring nothing else of great note to the table. At least in comparison to our healing brothers and sisters. It isn't about who is weak and who is not. We are definitely closer now to everyone being 'competitive'. It is about making sure everyone has their own unique strength/feel in addition to just being able to heal.

[Noira]

You have Assize, you have decent dps, you have the strongest regen, you have the strongest aoe dps, you have an ability that auto tops off in high emergencies, you have cure 3 that when combined with DS is pretty much mp saving. You have an aoe healing soil that saves you mp.

Whm has its own identity you guys are just in tears because astro is now an option.