Healers Deserve a Male Mascot

[Floortank]

Alphinaud and Urianger are on the list of most popular characters?

The official forums are a strange place to express how unaware you are of common knowledge about FFXIV.

[Saefinn]

He walks quite slowly in the Doma solos... I can imagine a typical tank going for a wall to wall pull, and Zenos Yae Healer just ambling casually into the room following the party without a care.

"Why didn't you heal me" the now-dead tank cries.
"You shouldn't run ahead, it's boring" Zenos tells him
(Zenos has left the party)

Meanwhile in the thread on the forums about bad dungeon experiences...

Zenos: You don't pay my sub.

He's just not worked out how to toggle off walk mode and is too proud to admit it.

[Shibi]

He's just not worked out how to toggle off walk mode and is too proud to admit it.

Hehe, thank you, a good belly chuckle is a wonderful thing

[Iscah]

Further on equal representation for sage so far, in addition to the female Viera concept art there's a 3D render of what I am fairly sure is a male Lalafell, plus the male Miqo'te from the showcase video. This article is using both of those and not the Viera.

[hydralus]

Healers have quite a few mascots already. Though what would've really been nice is if the WoL picked a healer class in the trailer. Guess he's not interested in casters.

[Edax]

Healers have quite a few mascots already. Though what would've really been nice is if the WoL picked a healer class in the trailer. Guess he's not interested in casters.

Healing just doesn't make for great animation. Even in the old World of Warcraft trailers, I think you only ever see one healer rezzing an orc. Everyone else is attacking or running or casting.

[hydralus]

Healing just doesn't make for great animation. Even in the old World of Warcraft trailers

Healing is 90% DPS in this game. We even have Alphinaud going pew-pew gunaroo in the very same trailer. They even have the WoL play a SAM, which has their own casting abilities that requires them to stand still. They even change to a SAM for a single attack in the Shadowbringers trailer and just have them stand still and swing their sword. Same for when they change to DRK. So the lack of movement apparently isn't a disqualification for "This can look cool". I don't buy it. I think it's just the general perception of "Casters/healers are weak/side characters jobs."

[Edax]

Healing is 90% DPS in this game. We even have Alphinaud going pew-pew gunaroo in the very same trailer. They even have the WoL play a SAM, which has their own casting abilities that requires them to stand still. They even change to a SAM for a single attack in the Shadowbringers trailer and just have them stand still and swing their sword. Same for when they change to DRK. So the lack of movement apparently isn't a disqualification for "This can look cool". I don't buy it. I think it's just the general perception of "Casters/healers are weak/side characters jobs."

I didn't say the lack of the movement was the problem, I said healing doesn't make for great animation. The act of healing is not a very visually exciting experience as visually not much happens except a glow.

[WhiteArchmage]

I didn't say the lack of the movement was the problem, I said healing doesn't make for great animation. The act of healing is not a very visually exciting experience as visually not much happens except a glow.

It could still be done in a visually satisying way, although one that requires derplander to actually be in a more "support/caretaker" role. Say you zoom in on the devastation, people are fighting, "our" side is losing. In walks the WoL, a book in hand. He raises one hand and a burst of light travels forth, engulfing all his tired allies and letting them get up once again. One enemy swings at the WoL, only to be blocked by a magical shield; Derplander lets loose Seraph to heal the wounded as he sends a burst of energy towards his foe.

For CNJ/WHM it could even be walking in to the devastation, a forest burnt to the ground. WoL gets surrounded by voidsent/undead, he raises his staff and Banishes them all with Holy, you get to see how they're literally erased from existence by the bright light. Then WoL kneels down and the Pulse of Life brings the trees and plants back to life. The WoL moves on and, as he walks, Life springs back behind him.

[hydralus]

I didn't say the lack of the movement was the problem, I said healing doesn't make for great animation. The act of healing is not a very visually exciting experience as visually not much happens except a glow.

I already said that 90% of a healer's actions in the game are attacking. But it's a very creatively bankrupt position to take that the act of healing cannot be visually exciting. WhiteArchemage listed a few scenarios where it could definitely work. Saving your comrades from the brink of death with a flurry of spells could be very inspirational. Heals, after all, aren't just 'a glow'. There's a gushing water-shield, fairy dust covering the field, freakin' aether wings shooting out the user's back, fields of water mending wounds while you stand in them. You could have a field of soldiers with their limbs disintegrated recovering completely from their wounds. Hell, Redo of Healer managed to make a healer with exciting combat and that's shoddy hentai garbage. I'd think one of the greatest animation studios in the entire world could make healing look exciting by comparison. But considering derplander hasn't touched any casting classes they're just going with the 'Tanking/melee classes are the manly ones'. Him starting off as an archer must've been a fluke or something.