How does SE plan to restore White Mage's identity as a healer?

[Ghishlain]

I will have to disagree with the opening post. WHM isn't lacking identity in the slightest if you look at the number of tools direct towards raw healing:

AST Tools - 7 spells and abilities

SCH Tools - 5 6 spells and abilities (including fairy summon, 7 if you wish to include whispering dawn) [EDIT] Missed Succor in my initial count

WHM Tools - 10 spells and abilities

WHM has always been regarded as the raw no-frills healer and it shows.

What has happened is with all these AST buffs that have occurred, AST has stepped on one too many toes in the WHM kit (I'd argue it crushed the WHM's foot to be honest) and thus, for all intents and purposes, have regulated WHM to be "AST-without-cards".

I believe the better train of thought is "what can S-E do to differentiate AST from WHM (and SCH for that matter)" and I hope S-E thinks long and hard on that with their 4.0 tool set.

[Docteur_Fluttershy]

i really want to see the spells and abilities you counted, cause for me it doesnt add up to that at all, but the icons doesnt show up.

[Ghishlain]

i really want to see the spells and abilities you counted, cause for me it doesnt add up to that at all, but the icons doesnt show up.

AST - 7

1. Collective Unconsciousness
2. Helios
3. Aspected Helios
4. Benefic
5. Aspected Benefic
6. Benefic II
7. Essential Dignity

SCH - 6 (I actually missed Succor in my original count | 7 if you include whispering dawn)

1. Summon (it provides a HoT via Embrace, can argue Whispering Dawn as well for another spell in the SCH kit)
2. Physick
3. Indomitability
4. Lustrate
5. Adloquium
6. Succor

WHM - 10

1. Tetragrammaton
2. Regen
3. Medica
4. Assize
5. Cure II
6. Asylum
7. Cure III
8. Benediction
9. Medica II
10. Cure

Overall I don't think WHM is bad as some people make it out to be but at the same time the only reason to bring a good WHM over a good AST is "comfort level" at this point in time. I will ALWAYS take a good AST over a good WHM in its current iteration if I have a choice.