Do healers have to be easy to play?

[Jaelommiss]

What's the point then? Asking for more buttons to push only to get the same damage output isn't beneficial, let alone "more interesting". Additional complexity for the sake of more complexity is a terrible reason.

Interesting gameplay is dependent on decision making. Having multiple options is a necessary component of decision making. Adding additional buttons isn't interesting in itself, but is a foundational requirement for creating interesting gameplay.

You could take every combat class in the game, work out its average potency per GCD, and replace everything they have with a button that deals that exact amount of damage. When they reach a point that their average potency per GCD would increase, upgrade that one button to reflect the new amount.

Consider the following possibilities:
A 30 sec dot (Dia) and a direct attack spell (Glare)

A 1-2 spell combo (Glare w/ 2.0* sec casting time then Glare II w/ 2.5 sec casting time) that grants +5% healing potency for 10 secs, stacking up to five times. A 30 sec dot (Dia). A strong GCD spell (Glare III w/ 2.5 sec casting time) with a 15 sec CD that is always a crit against targets affected by Dia and grants +20% healing potency on the next healing spell within 15 secs on a crit. Glare III's CD is reset and its next cast becomes instant after spending a lily. A 60 sec CD that allows +healing stacks to be consumed, granting -10% healing and +10% damage per stack for 15 seconds.

If if they were both balanced to deal equal damage and healing I would prefer the second one because it's vastly more interactive.


*Necessary because combos are server validated

[EaMett]

Interesting gameplay is dependent on decision making. Having multiple options is a necessary component of decision making. Adding additional buttons isn't interesting in itself, but is a foundational requirement for creating interesting gameplay.

In addition to this, more decision making allows for more personal expression and better rewards. If you look at how SCH was in the past. You had twice the amount of timers to keep track of, it was more complicated and harder to play. But when you did it right you were really rewarded by performing better than your colleagues SCHs. Currently, one dot and one attack leaves no room for improvements, once you're good enough to manage 2 buttons you'll get bored since there's nothing more to optimize (in your dps rotation).