The concept of pure healers

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

So the forum is in uproar - once again - when White Mage is being pushed even further into the idea of being a pure healer. Hoist the flags, uncork the champagne. For it is that time again when we can enjoy the healer salt in all it's anger and glory once again. And I'm going to say it out loud that White Mage being a pure healer is not a bad thing. You can now start your public lynching responses for saying something sacrilege as this and not support that white mage "needs utility". That seems to be the usual modus operandi in the healer subforum anyway.

Now that the White-Mage-Dooms-Day prophets are busy writing an angry response, I can get into the main issue that peeves me. My stance on White Mage being a pure healer remains unchanged, however. With a lot of details still vague and up to speculation, some of it will be wishful thinking.

If White Mage healing potency increases and/or get more healing tools, they might just have enough healing potential to take over both healer's job. This could open up group compositions that replaces one healer completely in favor of a solo healing white mage. Not like this idea is new. We've been doing it ever since Ifrit hard mode. If the increased healing output on White Mage would make it possible for them to solo heal during progression/while being undergeared, it could open up some options for static groups. They could go for the more traditional 2-2-4 setup; 2 tanks, 2 healers and 4 damage jobs. Or they prompt for a single healer composition if, for example, they have a healer in the group already and only damage jobs are applying to the group. This would make recruiting more flexible. Any necessary mitigation are accessible through other roles/jobs, such as Virus. Mitigation isn't healer exclusive, after all. Additionally, it would please the healers that refuse to contribute in damage. Gives them something to do for the more difficult content.

Please do notice that I've mentioned that the concept is not a bad thing. There are three reasons why this concept isn't working in Final Fantasy XIV (right now).
First of all would be how the devs are forcing us to perform with a 2-2-4 setup and design with that setup in mind. We are confronted with mechanics that are aimed at specific roles that sometime even requires at least two of them present to perform. Tank mechanics are the more notable ones, but not limited to.
Second would be the concept of "balance" in eyes of the developers. If any healer combination has to be able to perform the duty - Again, because of the 2-2-4 setup -, one healer can't significantly outperform another in the act of healing. Which is the situation we have right now.
And lastly, but not reliant to the developers, would be the meta sheeps. Just because a setup isn't optimal does not mean it's impossible. There are some bounds involved, of course. But a meta exists because it's optimal. And a good chunk of the player base seems to follow the meta like it's some religious belief. In contrast if a solo healing white mage would become the meta, we'd have the same situation. Just with different jobs being salty and we're back to square 1.
Honorable mention to another issue would be the pace we outgear content. With the current potencies any job can solo heal the content given the experience and the gear are at their disposal. But the future potencies and abilities may help solve this somewhat.

I'm a big fan of flexibility and variations. In the coil of Bahamut raid set, certain mechanics could have been done by multiple jobs and even roles. Some turns players brought a single tank or brought two just to be safe or to make the healer's job easier. With Alexander, in contrast, roles are forced into doing mechanics designed specifically for those roles. Although, this wasn't as bad in the last four floors. Past content design aside, I'd love to see more content designed to make the players think about their own party and make role flexibility a thing. Rather than shove the idea of "perfect balance" into our face.

[Valmaxian]

This could be a very constructive way to think around the meta - nicely stated Lyrica! I would personally be delighted to see White Mages shine so brightly as pure healers that they wouldn't even need backup, in the case that Squeenix does indeed decide to stick with the "pure healer" concept.

[ty_taurus]

I want to point out that "Pure Healer" could mean more than just high potency healing and no utility. In the job actions trailer, two abilities shown had a water theme to them and were cast on the White Mage casting them. In every other circumstance where a healing ability or buff was showcased, it was used on the standby ally such as the Scholar's first action that threw a page of the grimoire at their ally, the tether, or even the Astrologian's cards.

These two water animations weren't used on the ally, so they are likely self-buffs that do something, we just don't know what yet. There are many possibilities for these to apply some form of utility that contributes to the "Pure Healer" concept.

Also note that of all the new UI features, the White Mage's lilies don't have any kind of timer. Presumably, they can be kept up indefinitely until an action that requires expending the lilies is used. If our information about each lily providing a chance to shorten cast times is accurate, it isn't unreasonable to think that having all three grants a 100% chance to marginally shorten cast times (say 5% maybe). If this is indefinite, that can really up their HPS and DPS over the course of a fight, meaning they could end up bringing more raid DPS than the other healers in the hands of a skilled player.

[DreamWeaver]

I'm sorry but what exactly is the conclusion you're trying to draw here?
Your 1st point states about WHMs healing prowess being so powerful so that we can go for a 2-1-5 party composition (which I personally will love).
Then you subsequently list out the factors that we all know keeps the 2-1-5 party composition from becoming a reality (which makes me sad).

I enjoy reading your opinions, I'm just curious if this particular piece leads to anywhere, or it is just an observation.

[DreamWeaver]

If our information about each lily providing a chance to shorten cast times is accurate, it isn't unreasonable to think that having all three grants a 100% chance to marginally shorten cast times (say 5% maybe). If this is indefinite, that can really up their HPS and DPS over the course of a fight, meaning they could end up bringing more raid DPS than the other healers in the hands of a skilled player.

Of course its not unreasonable, considering ASTs get that 5% cast time reduction just by flipping on a stance XD.

[Cynfael]

Snip.

I like that you make a distinction between the concept and how the meta currently stands. I agree that a dedicated or pure healer is not intrinsically a poor concept, but SE does need to take care not to further devalue the WHM.

Measured against a standard of viability, WHM is doing just fine and would likely continue to be fine even if 4.0 brought more of the same. Measured against a standard of desirability compared to its peer Jobs, of course, it's gradually trailing behind.

Personally I really liked where WHM was in 2.x. Even then, SCH got a lot of attention for being so versatile and DPS-friendly, but WHMs were incredible AoE healing power-houses by comparison, and it took a lot of ilvls and content nerfs to let SCHs reasonably solo heal some of the content that WHMs had already been there and done with greater efficiency. Coincidentally, 2.x was the last time I felt that WHMs had a really strong niche that helped them stand out rather than just being viable.

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

I'm sorry but what exactly is the conclusion you're trying to draw here?

tldr; The healer concept is good, raid design doesn't allow it to happen

[DreamWeaver]

tldr; The healer concept is good, raid design doesn't allow it to happen

So back to square one, okay then, I thought I was missing something.

[Acidblood]

tldr; The healer concept is good, raid design doesn't allow it to happen

But how would you design a raid that allowed for such... I mean, if 1 WHM can solo heal it, what stops groups bringing 2 WHMs (or a WHM and a AST/SCH) and making it trivial?

Also, how does this balance feed into 4 man content, where WHM would be absolutely OP and AST/SCH utility doesn't scale nearly as well?

While I agree that the concept of a 'pure healer', ignoring the current context of FFXIV, can work, until such time as dedicated 'support' roles / slots are introduce the idea of 'pure healer' vs. 'support/utility healer' just doesn't work in FFXIV... thus #WHMutility2017

[Exiled_Tonberry]

And around we go.

No, WHM can't be so powerful it can solo heal content. It can't even be a certain amount stronger than the other healers because they'll feel they're at a disadvantage in healing. So all the healers are forced to heal for around the same amount.

Which brings us back to the concept of a pure healer and how it'll never work in a game where both other healers will always heal just as much as you.

I respect that they're trying to keep things unique for each healer, but in this case, they're screwing around with something that'll never work. Unless they give up the idea that every healer can heal content successfully and require a WHMs level of healing, pure healing will always be less desirable.