Which healing job are they gonna gut for Sage?

[RyuDragnier]

AST being gutted and rebuilt into a HoT healer has the potential of turning it (back?) into the buff support healer it was initially designed to be. I’m actually more excited about the possibilities for AST than the Sage!

On the other note, AST’s introduction was the first real hit towards SCH’s decline, and it feels like anyone still playing Scholar do so out of a love of the aesthetic (speaking from experience) and that’s something I expect to continue after the addition of Sage unless it’s grossly underpowered. I’m scared Scholar is going to lose any utility or niche in group content. White Mage is bursty with high damage. Astrologian has a party buffing system. But Sage walking in with shield heals without a clunky pet system?

Basically I suddenly understand why it took this long for a fourth healer to be added since everything about how they work in group content has to be worked on in a way that isn’t an issue with DPS or even tanks. :/

I'm suspecting that like AST, Sage will have more party utility than SCH. But in return, like AST, its personal DPS will be lacking. If they do it like this, there's a chance they'll make it so AST/Sage will have the least DPS total even with buff utility between the pure/shield healer combos. Meaning you may see WHM/SCH having the highest personal DPS but lacking in buff support. WHM/Sage and AST/SCH will have a good combination of the two. This would discourage just stacking the two buff supports (because we know how the playerbase is when it comes to buff windows and meta) and go with the other possible combinations.

[Rongway]

I'm suspecting that like AST, Sage will have more party utility than SCH. But in return, like AST, its personal DPS will be lacking. If they do it like this, there's a chance they'll make it so AST/Sage will have the least DPS total even with buff utility between the pure/shield healer combos. Meaning you may see WHM/SCH having the highest personal DPS but lacking in buff support. WHM/Sage and AST/SCH will have a good combination of the two. This would discourage just stacking the two buff supports (because we know how the playerbase is when it comes to buff windows and meta) and go with the other possible combinations.

They specifically stated during the February Announcement Showcase that sage would boost their own magic power.

[SweetPete]

They specifically stated during the February Announcement Showcase that sage would boost their own magic power.

Hmmm?

https://www.pcgamesn.com/final-fanta...r-release-date

[Seraphor]

I'm suspecting that like AST, Sage will have more party utility than SCH. But in return, like AST, its personal DPS will be lacking. If they do it like this, there's a chance they'll make it so AST/Sage will have the least DPS total even with buff utility between the pure/shield healer combos. Meaning you may see WHM/SCH having the highest personal DPS but lacking in buff support. WHM/Sage and AST/SCH will have a good combination of the two. This would discourage just stacking the two buff supports (because we know how the playerbase is when it comes to buff windows and meta) and go with the other possible combinations.

I'm expecting the opposite personally.
SCH already has party support built into it's identity via debuffs. Part of it's identity (like AST with time magic) is 'green magic' or status magic, the DoTs are (were) part of this, but also Chain Stratagem is effectively a party-wide damage buff.
Sage is classically the master of both healing and offensive magic, bringing the strongest heals and the strongest offense at the expense of huge MP costs. Obviously that exact paradigm isn't going to happen here, but they're surely going to use some of it, and from what we've seen from the aesthetic, it seems very offense focused.
So I'm expecting Sage will be our shield equivalent of a WHM, while AST and SCH compete for party support in each mode.

[SweetPete]

I'm expecting the opposite personally.
SCH already has party support built into it's identity via debuffs. Part of it's identity (like AST with time magic) is 'green magic' or status magic, the DoTs are (were) part of this, but also Chain Stratagem is effectively a party-wide damage buff.
Sage is classically the master of both healing and offensive magic, bringing the strongest heals and the strongest offense at the expense of huge MP costs. Obviously that exact paradigm isn't going to happen here, but they're surely going to use some of it, and from what we've seen from the aesthetic, it seems very offense focused.
So I'm expecting Sage will be our shield equivalent of a WHM, while AST and SCH compete for party support in each mode.

Not according to this article.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/final-fanta...r-release-date

[Seraphor]

Not according to this article.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/final-fanta...r-release-date

And what's the source?
Nothing in the announcement in February mentioned "buffing party members attacks" in fact it said "augmenting their own attacks".
The article also says "floating daggers" (they're called Nouliths and are nothing like daggers) and "doesn't have a stun" (which is something nobody can know yet). So yeah, that article is bogus.

[SweetPete]

I'm suspecting that like AST, Sage will have more party utility than SCH. But in return, like AST, its personal DPS will be lacking. If they do it like this, there's a chance they'll make it so AST/Sage will have the least DPS total even with buff utility between the pure/shield healer combos. Meaning you may see WHM/SCH having the highest personal DPS but lacking in buff support. WHM/Sage and AST/SCH will have a good combination of the two. This would discourage just stacking the two buff supports (because we know how the playerbase is when it comes to buff windows and meta) and go with the other possible combinations.

They said the same thing. Sage will buff teammates. How they know though? Or are they just guessing.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/final-fanta...r-release-date

[Rongway]

They said the same thing. Sage will buff teammates. How they know though? Or are they just guessing.

[Raikai]

Interesting... I didn't notice that. I wonder if Sage is going to be a healer without significant party utility like WHM, to create a parallel. While AST and SCH being more support-focused.

[Soge01]

Interesting... I didn't notice that. I wonder if Sage is going to be a healer without significant party utility like WHM, to create a parallel. While AST and SCH being more support-focused.

Scholar being more support focused would be nice. It would fit lore wise with it being a type of strategist class. Much like how it used to be back in ARR.