Revisiting the physick question

[Cynfael]

In the context of SMN, if Physick is the question, the answer is no.

Balance and bloat issues aside, should any source of SMN healing be INT-based? Yes.

Should SMN have a fully functional single-target heal that isn't specifically pet-oriented? I believe not.

I'd rather that Physick be removed from ACN and be coded as a SCH Job action, then replaced for SMN with a different pet or party defensive support action. Given how important it is in this game for DPS Jobs to maximize DPS uptime (and how little benefit there is in the idea of them doing anything else since tanks primarily manage enmity and healers are extremely powerful), I dislike that SE creates a sort of noobtrap by filling DPS action slots with targetable GCD heals. Even RDM's Vercure, being fully functional, is of extremely marginal use at best and creates aggravation and wastes time at worst.

Further, when RDM uses Vercure while enemies are targetable, they sacrifice a decent chunk of offensive potency; SMN, while unable to use Physick for "free," is less punished since much of their damage is sourced from ticking DoTs and from their pet.

As far as lore goes, I don't understand why it comes up so frequently as a point of contention. There's nothing about FFXIV that says that it needs to follow the precedent set by any or all previous FF games (ironically in this case, FFXIV SMN is a fairly unique creation that flies in the face of most every other incarnation of FF Summoner), and the setting is such an outrageous mix of high fantasy and science-fantasy that anything can be explained. It's not difficult at all to imagine dark, neutral, or otherwise non-holy/white magic healing in a setting where white magic can be used a tool of mass destruction and void/black magic is the favored tool of characters who prefer not to stay dead when you kill them.

[Deceptus]

In the context of SMN, if Physick is the question, the answer is no.

Balance and bloat issues aside, should any source of SMN healing be INT-based? Yes.

Should SMN have a fully functional single-target heal that isn't specifically pet-oriented? I believe not.

So basically in SB SMN should have gotten a trait that changed physic to sustain, and make Drain worth a damn and we wouldn't be having this issue.