Thank you SE: WHM is fine where it’s at.

[Liam_Harper]

People asking for more oGcD's on WhM or far worse, the suggestions to turn lily heals into oGcD's, just demonstrate a lot of people who like WhM don't really understand class design or optimization.

As far as I know, WhM is the only class in the game that clips as part of gameplay. Even the best WhM's in the world in a fully optimized run have to clip occasionally. The normal WhM in prog runs trying to react with Tetra/Benes on the fly and squeeze in plenty of Plenary/Asylum and Benison on cd is clipping worse than a barber. Every other class is given weave windows and movement tools, even BLM has twice as many.

Honestly I feel it's time to extend the 1 sec weave window AST has on Malefic to Glare and Broil. It's not homogenization or "making them too easy", it's basic fundamental class design to allow smooth flowing gameplay. Clunkiness as a class identity needs to go.

[Limonia]

My favorite job is WHM as well. I'm mostly a casual player because of health (and social) issues. But I still think there are many things that are wrong with it. Like I hate that it has no AoE shields at all, or all the GCD clipping, which can be really infuriating. Or misalignment of oGCDs. And of course how the one button DPS is boring. Fluid Aura does nothing. I have too many empty hotbar slots compared to SCH/AST that could be easily filled with something interesting but not too overwhelming. Cure I with its Freecure trap still exists. Because Assize is used on CD you technically have one less oGCD AoE heal on demand. Why has Dia a 30s timer? When I got it that immediately annoyed me compared to Aero II.
So while the ShB version of WHM is the best, it doesn't mean it's fine.

That I only need three main abilities for dps. I am happy that when there is downtime I don’t have to remember a rotation or figure out where I was in the rotation. The simplicity with dps allows someone like me to monitor the party’s situation while I passively dps. If I have to think about a rotation or some other complexity at the same time I’m trying to monitor the party’s health, it would be too much for me.

Personally, while I wouldn't want to have a full DPS roation as a healer either, I don't think having at least a little complexity wouldn't hurt at all. Something like a Glare cast or a Dia tick would sometimes proc an extra DPS action, or a simple two-step combo. Or something like Drill (GCD with a longer CD), or just another DoT again, or one oGCD attack. Just anything that's easy to watch/react to, but not too complex, with a long timer if it's a proc/combo, so you won't lose it when you have to heal for a few GCDs. With so much downtime between heals needed it gets very boring only pressing the same button over and over. When I'm in a duty where the people are NOT new or undergeared, I feel like an idiot pressing Glare over and over.
The healing part of WHM has become so much easier over the years, with added oGCD heals, nonexistent MP management and now the instant cast Afflatus heals. While at the same time it lost most of its DPS actions, even though DPSing as WHM wasn't overwhelming at all.

If I had to plan for how my heals should used and when during a long encounter that would make it too difficult for me to play the class.

Ideally, you plan out your heals as WHM as well as as SCH or AST. In casual content you don't need to plan out your heals as either healer, it's the same difficulty for all. Even if you mess up Earthly Star timing as AST, you have so many heals or even Helios as a backup, that you'll always have a strong enough heal in normal content. The difference for me is that WHM's actions are the easiest to grasp because there are way fewer. Other than Earthly Star, I find healing as AST a little easier even, because you don't need to clip your GCD and thus don't need to plan when to use Afflatus Rapture or so beforehand. If anything, if you mistime Earthly Star you may still at least get some DPS out of it. In fights I don't know yet I've placed Asylum at bad times quite often, completely wasting it.

I like the lily system. Gives me a way to access better and faster healing and a big damage dealing spell that isn’t reliant on just being used for aoe trash mobs like Holy.

I like those as well. It's a step in the right direction and finally gave WHM something at least a little unique to it, while before it had those direct healing spells only.
I also don't mind that they are GCDs, as it lets you weave a little bit and gives you some movement opportunities, and it makes WHM a little different from the others.

I like the new focus on using light instead of throwing rocks. Always felt that was rather underwhelming. Aero also always felt underwhelming since I always remember it being a big damage spell in older final fantasies so it was weird to me that Aero was regulated to just a dot. Plus I feel with how WHM is kind of presented with some Of it’s purity and goodness feel to it, I felt it appropriate that it’s abilities would be more light based.

Hmm... I like both. I really like earth magic in games, so I loved that WHM had Stone. But I also like holy/light magic very much. I would have preferred if we have kept one earth and one wind spell (Aero III), but also get Glare and Dia as main attack spells.

I like how easy it is to do solo duties with WHM.

That just depends on how used you are to a class. I like to solo as WHM too, but I'm so bad when doing solo instance as MNK for example. But as MCH I don't have any trouble after I started to play it more often. And as tank soloing duties is also very easy.

I like the overall feminine feel to the class

I like that about WHM as well. :3

So... WHM is much better than in HW or SB. But there is SO much room for improvement. Partially because healers need a rework, so that you won't press 1 all the time with only an oGCD heal here and there. Afflatus Misery is nice because it combines healing with DPS. I hope we get more actions that have some kind of connection with each other. And if we don't get some instant GCD attack reduce Glare cast time like Malefic PLEASE. I like WHM but it's not fun at all that I need to clip my GCD every time I want to heal. The healing part of it is mostly fine. DPS and weaving opportunities are lacking severely though.

[Gemina]

With so many threads out there complaining about healer role and how brain dead easy and boring it is apparently, I felt compelled to make a thread expressing the opposite and unpopular opinion that I think WHM is fine where it’s at (I have not played the other healing classes so this will only be about WHM). It’s not boring and I find it a good challenge to play. Let me go over some points why.

1) The variety of healing abilities. This allows me to keep up on healing when performing mechs by a party can be lackluster.
2) That I only need three main abilities for dps. I am happy that when there is downtime I don’t have to remember a rotation or figure out where I was in the rotation. The simplicity with dps allows someone like me to monitor the party’s situation while I passively dps. If I have to think about a rotation or some other complexity at the same time I’m trying to monitor the party’s health, it would be too much for me.
3) How reactive the class plays. I like that with this class I can react to almost any situation. If I had to plan for how my heals should used and when during a long encounter that would make it too difficult for me to play the class. I’m not very good at that sort of gameplay, hence why I chose this class to begin with.
4) I like the lily system. Gives me a way to access better and faster healing and a big damage dealing spell that isn’t reliant on just being used for aoe trash mobs like Holy.
5) I like the new focus on using light instead of throwing rocks. Always felt that was rather underwhelming. Aero also always felt underwhelming since I always remember it being a big damage spell in older final fantasies so it was weird to me that Aero was regulated to just a dot. Plus I feel with how WHM is kind of presented with some Of it’s purity and goodness feel to it, I felt it appropriate that it’s abilities would be more light based.
6) I like how easy it is to do solo duties with WHM. That one skill (I don’t remember what it’s called atm) where you have a shield and take no damage combined with regen makes solo content much more manageable to get through. If I do the same content as a dps such as dancer, I’m struggling too much and usually wipe an unhealthy amount of times because I can’t heal myself fast enough. Potion cooldown are waaay too long and with WHM abilities, I can make mistakes without being too punished for it. I also have the ability to restore all of my health if it gets too low, unlike a dps.
7) I like the overall feminine feel to the class. I’m a very feminine person and I like healing. Those two factors is what attracted me to try the class after my abysmal failure at trying to play dps classes. It just clicks for me and I feel a very much part of the world as I go around vanquishing evil and bringing succor to the suffering :3

Anyway, I just wanted SE to know that amidst the sea of complaints, there are those of us who enjoy where WHM is at right now. Thank you SE, WHM is just fine.

I think it is good that you are having a lot of fun with the job. WHM is probably my 3rd most played job, and I really enjoy it as well. As I was saying before, there are some drawbacks to the job when comparing it to overall job design across the game. Some of these are pretty significant.

As an example, many WHMs are happy with the Lily system, especially in comparison to what it was back in SB. However, a big problem I have with it is when you play the job optimally in casual content, Misery hardly gets used at all. Between tank self mitigation and self heals, shields, regen, ogcd heals, etc. the threshold to start using GCD heals doesn't get breached. So if you want to use Misery, you deliberately have to overheal. The gauge is also passive, and the WHM doesn't have to do squat to get their lilies. They're just given to them like the precious princesses they are. As a result, in an ideal situation, you are going to have to wait nearly two minutes into an encounter before Misery becomes available to you. The last issue I have with the lily gauge is there no lily dump skill.

So yeah, Misery is great. Can get it over 100k even, which is pretty insane to see a healer do right now. Have to remember though that DPS is returned. There is the RNG potential to have a surplus return, and you will never lose DPS by using Misery, but three GCDs were still used to heal. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying this is a flaw in the WHM kit. Anything but. However, this does lead back into the lily dump skill, and the lack of interaction with the Lily gauge. A lily dump skill would give the WHM a choice to expend a lily without nourishing the blood lily as only restorative abilities will do this. That alone would make WHM a little more thought inducing, while also still keeping it pretty basic.

Cure I/II, lack of cure mastery, no way to reduce their cast and recast time outside PoM, which every good WHM uses for DMG. The procs tied to them suck. Basically, we're still using elements from ARRs antiquated job kits for several jobs, and WHM is one of them. CureI/II need to get updated. Badly.

Button and skill bloat. Going back to Cure I/II, these are homogenized with AST Benefic I/II, however AST has the aspected augments to them. What I feel needs to be done is Cure Mastery Changes Cure I into Cure II (ST), and Cure III into Cure IV (AoE). Medica into Medica II also happens as a result of the mastery system, and Medica changed to reduce its potency, but add a regen effect. Now these damn skills will all make sense, and two needless buttons are eliminated.

Fluid Aura belongs on that list as well, but I don't want it deleted, I want them to do something with it, other than take away what it does. It's reached rock bottom, so devs either have to stick a fork in it, or do something with it.

WHM clipping issues are not as prominent in casual content, but in highend prog content, you will see and feel it rear its ugly head, and it's frustrating. This has been going on for a really long time now, so I am going to guess that the devs just don't see it as an issue. We see it as no one over there plays WHM.

There are other things too, but I will just leave it at that. I believe that should be enough of an exposition to merit that job has problems despite how fun it is to play. A lot of the good things about it, does make some of these woes a little easier to deal with. It's a fine healer, that just needs a few adjustments to make it even better.

[Limonia]

A lily dump skill would give the WHM a choice to expend a lily without nourishing the blood lily as only restorative abilities will do this. That alone would make WHM a little more thought inducing, while also still keeping it pretty basic.

How exactly would you implement a lily dump skill? I don't know if I understand it right, but wouldn't it become the same as Energy Drain? Like, bad SCH always only ever use all of their Aetherflow stacks for Energy Drain even if the party absolutely needs healing. You wouldn't be "allowed" to use heals because they could be DPS instead. Like, even if they made Afflatus Misery DPS neutral, they would just randomly overheal with their lilies just to get Misery under raid buffs. So what I just mean is that you would have to be very careful with how you implement something like that. What is your idea about it?

[bundythenoob]

How exactly would you implement a lily dump skill? I don't know if I understand it right, but wouldn't it become the same as Energy Drain? Like, bad SCH always only ever use all of their Aetherflow stacks for Energy Drain even if the party absolutely needs healing. You wouldn't be "allowed" to use heals because they could be DPS instead. Like, even if they made Afflatus Misery DPS neutral, they would just randomly overheal with their lilies just to get Misery under raid buffs. So what I just mean is that you would have to be very careful with how you implement something like that. What is your idea about it?

the way I see it, why not keep the lily generation while in combat, but make Lillies generate faster while you're casting dps skills and then make Divine Beni a lily skill? that might make it a little more on demand too. perhaps an AOE beni post lv 80?

[Cheremia]

the way I see it, why not keep the lily generation while in combat, but make Lillies generate faster while you're casting dps skills and then make Divine Beni a lily skill? that might make it a little more on demand too. perhaps an AOE beni post lv 80?

I don't want to go back to Benison being locked behind Lillies. It felt horrible.

WHM already isn't allowed to have AoE shields for some reason outside of Wings while the other 2 healers can do both. Even Benison has a cooldown so while it is usually up for Tankbusters and such, i don't want the only "on demand shield" whm has... to be locked behind Lillies... again....
I would rather take an useful Fluid Aura as a lilly skill than my only shield that would also not be used most of the time which would also make it kind of useless as lilly skill.

[KDSilver]

How exactly would you implement a lily dump skill? I don't know if I understand it right, but wouldn't it become the same as Energy Drain? Like, bad SCH always only ever use all of their Aetherflow stacks for Energy Drain even if the party absolutely needs healing.

By slapping a 1min30 CD on it.
It's the time needeed to generate 3 lilies and the blood lily.
This way, if you were about to overcap your lily (cause there really are some situation it happen), you can prevent that and avoid people to mad wasting their lily on the damaging spell instead, leaving their co-healer doing all the work.

That or, allow misery to be used whenever you use a lily with a potency of 300 - 600 - 900 which could open more weaving window and mobility.

Side note : I'm not saying my suggestion is good. But I understand why it's a concern (needeed something else than healing to dumb lilies).
But surely, what I don't want to is not having option because of "bad player". Because if we start arguing with this, there are so many things we shouldn't do or think to fix or enhance jobs gameplay in general.

[Recon1o6]

I personally find Whm to be in an ok spot. Definately room for improvement like all healers.

While I would prefer flood/tornado/quake and aero 3 to return in addition, I have just had a small idea

Water 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Instant cast attack gcd
Costs 1 lily normally
Has a 40% chance to proc off of stone 1,2,3,4,glare. When procced this way, the attack does not cost any lillies. Proc duration 15 seconds

This gives weaving windows and an offensive lily dump

[Liam_Harper]

That or, allow misery to be used whenever you use a lily with a potency of 300 - 600 - 900 which could open more weaving window and mobility.

I think that would always be a loss used at 1 or 2 unfortunately. For example, 3 Rapture + 3 Misery at 1 lily = 900 potency for 6 GcD. 3 Rapture, 2 Glare, 1 Misery = 1500 potency for 6 GcD. You just wouldn't do it, not even for movement.

Maybe something like:
Fluid Aura
Cast: Instant - Recast 2.5
Deals Water damage with a potency of 300.
Can only be executed after accumulating 3 stacks of Flowing Rapids, granted by using any Ability.
Additional Effect: Binds Target. 10s

(Reminder, Abilities are oGcd's)

[Limonia]

I'm not saying my suggestion is good. But I understand why it's a concern (needeed something else than healing to dumb lilies).
But surely, what I don't want to is not having option because of "bad player". Because if we start arguing with this, there are so many things we shouldn't do or think to fix or enhance jobs gameplay in general.

I agree, not giving us something because of bad players is wrong. But the devs need to be careful about what they implement, or we have something like SCHs using Selene and all AF stacks for Energy Drain all over again. I've seen exactly that so so very often in the past. I think that's one of the reasons they have such trouble with balancing healers. They have to cater to raiders that want to optimize and total casuals that "want to relax while playing" and need to be careful not to implement things that enforce really detrimental play. Not that the Cure I healers are any better though...