The Remaining Healers

[Thunda_Cat_SMASH]

Perhaps it's like Yoshi's alleged plan for Warriors? I seem to recall him saying that when the expansion rolls around, Warrior won't be 'leveled up to the same degree' as the other tanks. Perhaps when the expansion gets here, WHM is gonna grow stronger through the new abilities in comparison to the others?

[DamianFatale]

I feel like chemist is the best choice for a unique identity.

[Zojha]

The reason AST was so hard to balance in the first place was because it shared nearly all of WHMs basic healing toolkit.

In a way, so does scholar.

Cure - Physick
Cure II - Adlo
Medica - Succor
Regen - Embrace
Tetra - Lustrate
Assize - Indomitability
Raise - Ressurect
Esuna - Leeches
Shroud of Saints - Aetherflow

Lots of skills with similar function and identical purpose. It's an issue with healer design in general. Since the healing role is defined solely by unavoidable damage, the content decides the pace at which that is dealt and as a consequence, every healer needs to be able to respond in the same way. You can't have a pure HoT based healer when a mechanic demands you heal somebody now and not a moment later (like some prey mechanics). You can't have a healer without dispel if a mechanic demands you dispel a debuff. Or a pure single-target healer when there's unavoidable AoE damage.

Tanks suffer from the same thing and if you look at their kits, it's fairly homogenized as well. You'll always find a main aggro skill or combo, a ranged aggro attack, an AoE aggro attack and at least one 30% mitigation cooldown for tankbusters. And a taunt for tank swaps...ideally. That one really shouldn't be optional. Overall, they have a little more freedom with tanks than with healers, but they still have a standard of copy skills established by the game's design.

They designed themselves into a corner there, really.

[Deedsie]

FFIII
RDM had 30 Vitality in the original game, increased to 63 on the remake. WHM had 50, increased to 63.

I will add that in the remake that Red Mage was also able to equip crystal armor.

[JunseiKei]

Pretty sure red mage will be a magical DPS. There aren't adding in new roles and we are sorely hurting for a new magic wielding class.

Really? Only two casting classes since A Realm Reborn? TWO!? If not red mage, something needs to fill the lack of choices in the magical damage dealing role and I'd be utterly dumbfounded if they waited for 5.0 (2019 if the trend continues) to add in another option.

And red mage could easily fill in the role of a melee- close quarters damage role that wields magic and deals magic damage.

[VanilleFang]

snip

Well, actually, we have 5 caster Jobs. 2 are DPS, yes, but we also have the 3 healers.

I actually think RDM would be interesting as a Strength based DPS (we only have 2 of these), that also uses support abilities like BRD and MCH. But who knows what will happen at this point?

[Exiled_Tonberry]

Honestly, only physick and esuna and can be compared. Everything else is largely unique.
I feel like WHM and SCH were just perfect for eachother. Then they scooted AST in without a real plan and....well here we are.

Whatever they do, I hope they don't ever largely borrow from another jobs toolkit again. It's possible, I mean look at DRK. Completely original and unique.

[ErdrickLoto]

Really? Only two casting classes since A Realm Reborn? TWO!? If not red mage, something needs to fill the lack of choices in the magical damage dealing role and I'd be utterly dumbfounded if they waited for 5.0 (2019 if the trend continues) to add in another option.

You know what we have even less of? Magic-wielding tanks.

Hashtag-bringinredmagetanks2k16

I actually think RDM would be interesting as a Strength based DPS (we only have 2 of these), that also uses support abilities like BRD and MCH. But who knows what will happen at this point?

I feel like it would be...odd to have a mage be a STR-based dps. Sure, we could use more, but at least say "oh make it the mystic knight" rather than red mage.

[VanilleFang]

I feel like it would be...odd to have a mage be a STR-based dps. Sure, we could use more, but at least say "oh make it the mystic knight" rather than red mage.

God, Mystic Knight would be so awesome...
But yeah, I knooow. I just think it's weird that we only have 2 Jobs that use STR as their primary stat.

Then they scooted AST in without a real plan and....well here we are.

Everything changed when the AST attacked.

[JunseiKei]

Well, actually, we have 5 caster Jobs. 2 are DPS, yes, but we also have the 3 healers.

A healer queues under support role, not damage. They have the option to deal damage, but short of solo questing, it's absolutely not required (unless world firsts in end game content at week 1).

You know what we have even less of? Magic-wielding tanks.

True that, true that. Still, three tank choices for one role.