An interview with Yoshida and his thoughts on healers in 5.0

[Mansion]

I'm all for breaking shield vs regen healer duality.
I'd give each healer access to regens and shields (well SCH has both, AST has to choose but Collective Unconscious gives both regardless of the sect. Only WHM has Benison but no party wide shield), and have each job focus about its own identity. AST and SCH are fine by now, because their kit flow into their jobs.
WHM needs a good kick and start all over to get to the other two's level.

I just don't want "balance" to be brought by super nerfing AST and SCH because they don't want WHM to be more challenging in its design.

[Kalise]

Honestly, I think that "Shield vs Regen" healing can be easily addressed with semi-permeable shields.

So that it's not super strong to have a fat shield that can literally just ignore mechanics because you rolled a Critlo on a WAR in Defiance + Covalescence + Largesse and then spread the shield to the whole party...

But instead, it works by reducing damage incoming over time akin to how Regen works at restoring health over time.

Since, having different mechanics between how the healers work is a good thing. Since it means that they can all have a distinct feel to them *Cough*AST basically copying WHM's kit*Cough*

The main thing though is to try and address gameplay so that multiple types of healing can have similar impact, rather than keep designing around telegraphed burst which heavily favours upfront mitigation (Shields) as opposed to reactive healing (HoTs/Direct Heals)

If they don't address this gameplay issue, then it's just going to devolve into homogenizing all the healers so they have the same kit and then their only difference ending up being their DPS values (Both personal and party based)... At which point, you may as well just make "Healers" actual DPS jobs that just have a handful of oGCD's to deal with mechanics >.>

[Mortex]

Just give whm more ways to utilize ogcd you have only 2 spells that can do that atm and make the cast time from stone and aero 3 shorter like the recast time, and buff the dps to compensate for the Astro dmg and cards. Like there is a reason it’s called wheelchair job. You are a worse blm with the same unmobility. And healer balancing my ass they don’t even listening to feedback. When people told them whm whas bad with Lily’s and all the other skills they still did it. Fix the no competition sch has with shields so you see more Astro/whm and fix the fairy problem. It’s a free Regen that has priority and doesn’t die and cost mana just some management from it own skills. Isn’t freaking rocket science and a lot of whm mains give you tons off good feedback.

[Reiryuu]

Yeah... I wish we at least had some moderator or something just to assure us that some of the concerns we raised have been brought to the dev's attention. I mean, sure the devs will still ignore it, but at least we'd know they've been heard. I guess that would be somewhat comforting... maybe... WTB role leads... =p

[ksuyen]

I agree with Yoshida in this case. The current healers need redesign - not adding a forth one which will further the mess. The argument that why not redesign the current healers and add the forth one do not hold, because they contradict each other. By not adding the new healer, they can finally redesign the current healers and make them better. I agree with this logic.

[Reiryuu]

I agree with Yoshida in this case. The current healers need redesign - not adding a forth one which will further the mess. The argument that why not redesign the current healers and add the forth one do not hold, because they contradict each other. By not adding the new healer, they can finally redesign the current healers and make them better. I agree with this logic.

Again, it's until you look at their track record with healers in general in the past and you'll understand why healers are so worried about that very thing. Will they finally get their act together this time? Only time will tell, but... from the little they've said we do still have cause for worry. There's also an argument that could be made that they could have made a new, completely different healer balanced to 5.0 content. Then balanced the other 3 around that healer. This way the players not only get a new job to play, but they can also play all 4 healers and give feedback based on their playing experience with the jumbled mess of 3 and the new balanced to 5.0 content one.

I'm not saying Yoshi didn't make a logical choice here, but......... "balance" has never left a good taste in healer's mouths ever since 3.0. We're skeptical, we kind of feel left out and forgotten about especially since we were promised balance in 4.X too, so we don't exactly feel confident that we won't get shafted this time too. Now, I'll grant you. We could be handed awesome and wonderful changes in May. If we are, I'll be happy and excited. But until then, I'm going to remain skeptical.

[Shurrikhan]

I agree with Yoshida in this case. The current healers need redesign - not adding a forth one which will further the mess. The argument that why not redesign the current healers and add the forth one do not hold, because they contradict each other. By not adding the new healer, they can finally redesign the current healers and make them better. I agree with this logic.

The rationale would sit better if its use tended to proceed actual balance in MMOs, instead of a further lack of it. Somehow MMOs manage to somehow worsen balance shortly after refusing to continue new designs into a given role, more often than not. And thus far XIV's leading towards that trend.

[Shurrikhan]

Honestly, I think that "Shield vs Regen" healing can be easily addressed with semi-permeable shields.

So like, it absorbs up to x% of incoming damage based on the difference between shield HP and incoming damage? If the shield has more HP than you have left, 100% mitigation until consumed. If half as much, 50% mitigation. On a full HP tank, with the shield amounting to maybe 15% by comparison, well... up to 15% mitigation until consumed. Can mostly save lives only so well as direct healing that way, but it does allow for flexible precasting.

[Coltvoyance]

We're making WHM easier so we've added a shield, esuna, and an enmity reduction element to assize. We've reduced the cooldown on assize to 5 seconds. Please look forward to spamming this one move over and over for the easiest healing ever.

Thank you.

[Ceasaria]

If they could add the blue eyes of Minfillia to the WHM like a Trance, it would be nice.