AST and Party Bonus Live Letter feedback.

[Kerrigen]

This has been a recurring conversation for as long as Heavensward has been out and the best balanced solution would indeed be to give MND bonus for one healer and PIE bonus for 2 healers, regardless of party composition. It's simple and elegant.

They don't even need to get rid of PIE this way, no harm done to BLMs, best of both worlds, future-proof etc.

Unless career WHMs see the removal of an exclusive MND bonus as a nerf that would threaten their party slot (?) I see no reason to not update this.

[Ghishlain]

This has been a recurring conversation for as long as Heavensward has been out and the best balanced solution would indeed be to give MND bonus for one healer and PIE bonus for 2 healers, regardless of party composition. It's simple and elegant.

They don't even need to get rid of PIE this way, no harm done to BLMs, best of both worlds, future-proof etc.

Unless career WHMs see the removal of an exclusive MND bonus as a nerf that would threaten their party slot (?) I see no reason to not update this.

I agree. I see a change to give the bonus based on the number of a healers a way to future-proof the game from a balancing stand point.

A change like this would be no different from when they homogenized WHM protect. There will be some grumbling initially but most players will realize it's better to do this to prevent imbalance down the line.

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

A change like this would be no different from when they homogenized WHM protect. There will be some grumbling initially but most players will realize it's better to do this to prevent imbalance down the line.

Well, it's not like they haven't done something similar in the past. Remember when Summoners used to provide piety and their party benefit was changed to int? This was generally accepted by their caster spot competitors. I predict there'll be an overabundance of salt if SE does decide to change it.

[Ghishlain]

Well, it's not like they haven't done something similar in the past. Remember when Summoners used to provide piety and their party benefit was changed to int? This was generally accepted by their caster spot competitors. I predict there'll be an overabundance of salt if SE does decide to change it.

To be honest I'm not actually familiar with this change (and the resultant discussion). I imagine it happened early in the AAR life cycle? I ask because at that time I was more engrossed in AAR going "oooooo" and "aaaaaah" like a fresh bud and focusing on WHM more than ACN/SCH at this time.

Could you enlighten me? Consider myself curious about this, though I imagine it is exactly as you described it - ACN / SMN was originally giving PIE. S-E changed it. Much outcry, etc.

[Lasciare]

Before I go on my rambling, I really like the idea of AST being able to switch MND and PIE based on stance.
(/*o*)/

The biggest thing I want to say I do not want PIE taken from SCH. I feel like people underestimate the power and benefit of PIE too often. Many jobs benefit for the PIE boost (All tanks, all the ranged, and all the healers) which makes it a more substantial contribution to the whole group than mind alone.

Most people don't care about these boosts minus end game raiders that like to min/max gear and push their stats and rotations to their absolutes. That being said, I see very few WHM/AST raid groups (not that they don't exist, but I just don't see the combo as often) and AST/SCH being a more popular combo causes stat redundancy in a party. AST has such a strong ability to be a main healer, it should bring the MND buff to the table.

What ever the changes may be, my biggest plea is that PIE not be removed as a bonus stat completely.

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

To be honest I'm not actually familiar with this change (and the resultant discussion). I imagine it happened early in the AAR life cycle? I ask because at that time I was more engrossed in AAR going "oooooo" and "aaaaaah" like a fresh bud and focusing on WHM more than ACN/SCH at this time.

Could you enlighten me? Consider myself curious about this, though I imagine it is exactly as you described it - ACN / SMN was originally giving PIE. S-E changed it. Much outcry, etc.

I actually have to retract that statement as I can't find any information regarded to it. If this was actually a thing, it dated back before or around world first titan hard mode clear.

[Ghishlain]

I actually have to retract that statement as I can't find any information regarded to it. If this was actually a thing, it dated back before or around world first titan hard mode clear.

Hmmm, alright. My initial thought was maybe it was a Beta thing since I wasn't part of the XIV Beta.

Still, I can see how there would be outrage for a change like that. There's always going to some unsatisfied (and generally loud) section of players that dislike a change when it actually occurs.