Which healer do you find the easiest?

[Adeacia]

That's a fair perspective, I can respect that.
I derive fun from a good balance of optimizing (as in to make gameplay experience for my teammate easier regardless being a static or not) and some splash of stupidity (yes, I did stupid stuffs too but try my best to not do it in a way it stresses randoms).

I do agree on your take that randomness sometimes all we need to make certain encounter interesting & fun. Randomness is certainly not an element we will find from the game, they're from random players (Encounters are scripted, players making mistakes are not).

A thing I've noticed when people talk about how easy doing something is, they always seem to be referring to playing with a static where everything is always the exact same every single time. It's much more difficult with randoms, even in easier content since you can't predict what will happen.

To the extent that I've played the other healers, my SCH is 80 (I leveled up SMN) and my AST is I think 61. I actively dislike playing SCH, and my only real problem with AST is I always forget to use the cards. Forgetting the cards isn't the fault of the game, obviously.

I think my dislike of SCH is that it largely does preemptive heals via shields. I just don't like that playstyle. Don't think I'll like Sage for the same reason.

More on why I personally find WHM easiest to play.

[Semirhage]

See, that's your problem. Trying to optimize everything. The moment anyone brings up clipping, I ignore everything else they have to say. That isn't fun to me.

Cool. Getting skilled with jobs and learning how their ins and outs work, how close I can let the party get to death before yanking them back from the brink, building trust with the party that I know what I'm doing when they let me drop them there, that's fun to me. Having issues with clipping comes way before "optimizing". It's the basic task of keeping your spells flowing without awkward speed bumps between them.

Fact is, WHM's kit eventually starts punishing you the more adept you get at playing it instead of rewarding you. That's crap design from where I'm sitting.

WHM is definitely the easiest healer to play if you aren't at all concerned with getting better at playing a healer.

[Rilifane]

A thing I've noticed when people talk about how easy doing something is, they always seem to be referring to playing with a static where everything is always the exact same every single time. It's much more difficult with randoms, even in easier content since you can't predict what will happen.

Not really.
Once you get an basic understanding for all three healers, the difference between them in terms of potential is really obvious. WHM sees low HP bars and can fix them with a button or two - AST can do the same and much more. The only thing WHM has over the other two healers is Cure III spam (good luck with getting randoms to stack tightly), Bene'ing LD and Thin Air ressing. That's it.
Escpecially AST is really comfy with chaotic randoms because they have so many tools in addition to the baseline kit every healer has and have much better mobility. AST doesn't even have to think about slidecasting or weaving, it comes naturally with the fastcast and makes it easier to learn both.
I'm not saying AST is the objectively easiest healer but with the myriad of tools, easy MP management and high mobility they're very comfy with randoms. You don't even have to stop dpsing to move or heal someone extra, WHM does.

WHM is the easiest healer as long as someone doesn't know a thing about this game and doesn't care either because then they can simply Rapture and Medica II everything, throw some Regens out, panic-Bene a newly-ressed player, Glare a bit and be happy without having to feel like they're missing something because the toolkit is so barebone.

[Liam_Harper]

See, that's your problem. Trying to optimize everything. The moment anyone brings up clipping, I ignore everything else they have to say. That isn't fun to me.

I put in the effort to do the best I can in all the content I run. I do not and will not however, play this game as a spreadsheet simulator.

There is no "problem". You have fun playing healer to fix missing hp and play the story. Other people have fun optimizing and pushing harder content. You also judge statics as being "easier" or less fun, when you don't even play in one. If you want other people to respect your way of enjoying the game, you have to respect theirs too.

Clipping isn't a spreadsheet simulator. It's just game mechanics. Instant abilities (oGCD's) have a 1 sec animation delay. If you use them after a Dia, Regen or Lily, they don't delay your next GCD and it feels smoother. That's basically it. You'll clip sometimes, but it feels smoother to trim it down.

[IceBlueNinja]

Not really.
Once you get an basic understanding for all three healers, the difference between them in terms of potential is really obvious. WHM sees low HP bars and can fix them with a button or two - AST can do the same and much more. The only thing WHM has over the other two healers is Cure III spam (good luck with getting randoms to stack tightly), Bene'ing LD and Thin Air ressing. That's it.
Escpecially AST is really comfy with chaotic randoms because they have so many tools in addition to the baseline kit every healer has and have much better mobility. AST doesn't even have to think about slidecasting or weaving, it comes naturally with the fastcast and makes it easier to learn both.
I'm not saying AST is the objectively easiest healer but with the myriad of tools, easy MP management and high mobility they're very comfy with randoms. You don't even have to stop dpsing to move or heal someone extra, WHM does.

WHM is the easiest healer as long as someone doesn't know a thing about this game and doesn't care either because then they can simply Rapture and Medica II everything, throw some Regens out, panic-Bene a newly-ressed player, Glare a bit and be happy without having to feel like they're missing something because the toolkit is so barebone.

I agree on this one as ast I more can handle randoms eaiser vs the other two healer. Only time I rather sch over the other two rarely is arr content especially with randoms or sprouts if gotten via roll else heaven ward and after stict Ast. The rare time I did whm for experts trash pulls was not too bad but boss fights was a pain especially with new starters. I kept like thinking if I was ast I could have did this or that. Think base on what content some healers may seem better or harder on certain things when I re think about it . In arr content whm have mp issues no assize thin air and medica 2 is expensive like wow succor use to be 1300 and now its only 1k, they should reduce medi 2 mp but then again at content heaven ward and up whm has almost infinite mp. Eh its so all over the place the healers. Some seem to shine better than others in a few aspects.

[Sqwall]

I agree on this one as ast I more can handle randoms eaiser vs the other two healer. Only time I rather sch over the other two rarely is arr content especially with randoms or sprouts if gotten via roll else heaven ward and after stict Ast. The rare time I did whm for experts trash pulls was not too bad but boss fights was a pain especially with new starters. I kept like thinking if I was ast I could have did this or that. Think base on what content some healers may seem better or harder on certain things when I re think about it . In arr content whm have mp issues no assize thin air and medica 2 is expensive like wow succor use to be 1300 and now its only 1k, they should reduce medi 2 mp but then again at content heaven ward and up whm has almost infinite mp. Eh its so all over the place the healers. Some seem to shine better than others in a few aspects.

I can speak on AST for all content that I have experienced. Savage/extreme/old/new/pug/static. AST for me has such a huge advantage.

PUG's or PF groups AST shines. I can decide if I want to shield or pure heal. Add DPS where it might be lacking to avoid enrage. Insane healing capabilities, and decent DPS as far as healers go.

When you play with randos....rotation...clipping...weaving.... All that crap goes out the window when the s*#@ hit's the fan. PUG's make my play/draw drift like crazy...and I fight like hell for that divination seal combo. Which brings up the issue I have with Sleeve Draw...it's CD is WAY to long.

This is personal gripe for me that AST should have a "building seals" and "arcana" phases. Sleeve draw needs to have a cooldown that compliments the "seal" phase. While arcana compliments that lull when you're waiting on divination/sleeve draw.

I think there should be a DPS rotation tied to arcana where you build damage skill when you build an arcana combo.

This would really make cards even better if I can build a seal combo that does makes a Direct damage/DOT/or AOE.

[MellowMink]

In my subjective opinion, White Mage is currently the easiest one to play as, but Astrologian is the most fun; looking off newer tooltips alone, I'm expecting about the same for Endwalker as well with Astrologian getting more attack-related actions, but I definitely look forward to leveling up Sage and sincerely hope that ends up becoming my favorite healer job.

[PaulH]

SCH is the easiest for me personally because I can deal with the mitigating and dumping shields onto people approach. I have always preferred proactive healing classes and Adlo, excog etc are just my cup of tea. In fact I wish we had more shields and less regen in our kits as a barrier healer.

I liked AST for Noct Sect but the card system I was lousy at in HW/SB so didn't really pick it up again apart from levelling.

WHM I just do not enjoy I can see why people love it but reactive healing causes me a panic and a headache.

[Anhra]

As someone who has haunted a good number of MMOs in his lifetime, i find all of FFXIV Healers extremely forgiving and easy.

Not only are all Healers very similar from one another, they also are bloated with a excessive amount of Healing abilities at relatively low mp consumption. You only truly run out of mana when you start spamming aoe heals on GCD or have to res more than one guy on your own.

Also, the in combat HP regen is in my book, way too powerful, as well as the free HP regen everyone has outside of combat.

[Deceptus]

Hands down WHM.

Strong enough to handle all content, easy enough to not have to micromanage anything.