Dps As Healer

[Exiled_Tonberry]

Why should one healer have a harder time healing than the others though?

Because that one healer offers more than the other that ONLY heals.
AST shouldn't be able to heal as much as WHM and offer utility. Likewise, WHM shouldn't offer utility while healing more than everyone else.
That balance needs to be in place, one healer shouldn't be able to do everything with no drawbacks like AST can currently.

These are just arbitrary numbers, but if AST and SCH's were able to do approximately 500 HPS and WHM was able to do 700 HPS and the content only required 450 HPS

This example from Ghishlain is exactly what I'm trying to convey.
With ASTs current buffing power, they should have lower healing potency, but not so low that they can't clear content. It should, however, be harder to heal than a WHM who specializes in only healing.
It'll also create an identity for both healers.

Also when Yoshi P was asked about healer balance and was told that AST has the same healing potency as WHM, he replied "for now". Lowering AST healing potency is quite possibly something being discussed at SE right now. It would be the better option than giving WHM utility like AST and destroying anything unique between them.

I understand AST came from hard times, and even the thought of nerfing them now probably sounds crazy, but it needs it. AST offers too much to the party right now.

It's worth a try, really. Their toolkit even reflects a playstyle that emphasizes needing more heals. Lower MP costs, higher MP restoration, spells that cut MP costs. This is all Implying that AST would need the extra MP because they should be healing more often.
If things stay the same, then we'd need to cut their MP restoration in half, raise their spell costs and lower their spell speed increase when in diurnal. Their toolkit is still based off a lower healing potency playstyle, but if you want their healing potency to stay the same as WHM, their tools need to reflect the bigger heals.