A serious suggestion in lieu of punishing all healers.

[Ilyrian]

This reminds me of a good point that was brought up in one of my own forum posts a while back, and it really came to a consensus on how anything that is a unique way of recovering HP isn't an identity, and therefore, not relevant to the current balance issues.

It's much more important for each healer to have valuable tool kits for increasing party effectiveness in some unique way, rather than continue on with the Heal vs Shield vs HoT debate.

It would be much easier to balance the healers if they didn't have an extreme overlap in their healing power, and this is where I've agreed with Yuyuka in several threads at this point, Astrologian doesn't need shields, and the overlap here makes it much harder to make each role feel unique. White Mage only being a "pure" healer just means that everything in its kit can be found elsewhere, because everyone -needs- to be capable of healing through the content.

Give Scholar shields.

Give Astrologian rng buffs.

Give White Mage something.

What though - Give WHM what?
Pretty sure SE would have done it by now if anyone whose actual job it is to sit down and do these things had thought of it.
We can't think of it, neither can they. Because there isn't a natural way to balance 3 healers when there are only two ways of healing outside of baseline and Shielding is the strongest and best way to do it.

So it will continue to be Scholar + 1 if they are the only Shielders. Then its WHM + Cards or WHM. And here we are.

Now introducing: White Schologian

I know you weren't being serious but you make an interesting point. Basically all 3 healers are currently WHM baseline - only 2 of them have added extras.

[Yuyuka3]

What though - Give WHM what?
Pretty sure SE would have done it by now if anyone whose actual job it is to sit down and do these things had thought of it.
We can't think of it, neither can they. Because there isn't a natural way to balance 3 healers when there are only two ways of healing outside of baseline and Shielding is the strongest and best way to do it.

So it will continue to be Scholar + 1 if they are the only Shielders. Then its WHM + Cards or WHM. And here we are.

There have been so many suggestions made in this forum over the years about what to possibly give WHM in terms of group support... Pick one. And please stop acting as if that's not true, because a quick forum search will show you it is. Most of those suggestions are also quite sensible and wouldn't hurt the other healers, either.

[Ilyrian]

There have been so many suggestions made in this forum over the years about what to possibly give WHM in terms of group support... Pick one. And please stop acting as if that's not true, because a quick forum search will show you it is. Most of those suggestions are also quite sensible and wouldn't hurt the other healers, either.

You pick one - seeing as it's your argument to prove.
Then we can discuss why it hasn't been implemented.

[Deceptus]

You pick one - seeing as it's your argument to prove.
Then we can discuss why it hasn't been implemented.

Presence of Mind giving a group wide haste when used.

[Ilyrian]

Presence of Mind giving a group wide haste when used.

Ok. Which is better: damage buff from AST or Haste from WHM?
Numbers will be crunched. I'd say it would be the AST buff.

[Deceptus]

Ok. Which is better: damage buff from AST or Haste from WHM?
Numbers will be crunched. I'd say it would be the AST buff.

That's the thing with numbers, they can be adjusted for balance.

WHM desperately needs some sort of raid utility.

The next discussion would be: Would the damage from Ast and the Haste from WHM be better than the crit from SCH.

Consistent damage is always better than RNG damage

[Ilyrian]

That's the thing with numbers, they can be adjusted for balance.

WHM desperately needs some sort of raid utility.

I agree - but in the unlikely event that one of those buffs doesn't emerge just flat out better (and I'm pretty sure it would be the straight damage buff) that only brings WHM up to equal with AST, it doesn't tackle the problem of a fixed place for Scholar in the party makeup.

It would be a start *if* it was balanced but, again, it is very unlikely unless it is exactly the same as AST which would kind of make the argument a bit moot.

[althenawhm]

Ok. Which is better: damage buff from AST or Haste from WHM?
Numbers will be crunched. I'd say it would be the AST buff.

Yeah, there would be some attempt at balancing it, it is disingenuous to not say that they would try.