SE FINALLY ANSWERED THE HEALERS COMMUNITY LONG ANSWERED QUESTION

[Gemina]

In regards to Yoshi-P's current response to healer backlash: It really doesn't matter how he feels about it. He would need to maintain a stance that addresses their changes positively. Someone of his position couldn't say "yeah we fucked up, didn't we?" going into their next expansion. They need every response to raise EW up, not tear it down. I'm not saying that he's necessarily unhappy with the healer direct and lying about that, but what I am saying is that he was asked about healer depth multiple times by several different interviewers across the media tour. While I can't say it's a hope worth having, the fact that attention is being brought to those concerns in such a public fashion could inspire more effort trying to address these issues in the future. I don't really foresee healing going fully in the direction that I think most of us would want, but I just hope that makes our concerns more palpable for him and the design team moving forward.

A couple of things. Yoshida is responsible enough to take accountability when he acknowledges a mistake his team has made which has lead to a lot of disappointment. You saw this when he directly apologized to all SCH mains for their lackluster showcase in the LL. He then went into great length to assure SCH mains that they have not neglected them, and to look forward to EW. Now that's when they acknowledge a eff up. Obviously he's not going to come out directly and say that, but it is a much different response than how he responded to everyone who asked about the healers.

It needs to be understood that the direction they have taken healing is not a mistake, or it is not seen as one by this dev team. It was a deliberate design choice that some healers don't agree with. I emphasize on some, because the healers upset by this design choice is not shared across the entire community, and are in fact, not even the majority of it. Over the years, the healers who do not agree with raising the requirements of them have been ostracized and their views drowned out. Some have even been shamed and told they condone inferior gameplay; so now all you hear for the most part are the frustrations from being bored by the game's advanced healers, as no one dare object or risk the wrath of the pitchfork mob. Meanwhile you have this enormous portion of the healer community who won't touch anything outside NM difficulty.

Moreover, there was a particular response regarding their stance that healers aren't going to ever have more complex DPS actions in the future, but that's not necessarily set in stone. I'm reminded of Super Smash Bros. where, when Brawl was released, Sakurai specified that he could never imagine a character from Animal Crossing in the game, yet Villager was added in Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS. Again, I don't want to parade the idea that "he'll change his mind, just you wait!" But if these issues continue to be talked about in a more prominent light such as from FFXIV influencers, and Sage's popularity stays strong beyond EW's release and extends throughout the entire expansion, then there's a fair chance we could convince them to nudge healers a little closer to the direction we'd like.

Now, all of this is very optimistic speculation in an area that doesn't exactly inspire optimism, but I think it's worth trying to look at what more positive outcomes may stem from this because it may help us think about how we try and communicate our wants for the role moving forward. In other words, play Sage. Drop WHM and SCH if they're not enough for you. If you have friends who haven't tried Sage but like healing, convince them to level it. This won't literally happen, but imagine a hypothetical scenario where every healer player of level 70 or higher ONLY played Sage. It's a very extreme scenario, but I can't help but be curious about what the response from SE would be.

What I just mentioned about all the healers who stay away from content EX and above is reason enough for them to not raise the skill floor by giving healers additional responsibility. This is why every once in a while they release a dungeon, NM raid, or wall boss in an alliance raid that is a bit more spicy than the rest to see how players do. What do you think it means if they latter go in an nerf one or more of these encounters, especially well after additional ilvs are released? A boss like Cid in Orbonne could be considered a trial of the playerbase, and guess what? We failed it. And you want to raise the skill bar? SE has yet to release an Alliance Raid we wipe to since Orbonne.

Here is another way to look at it, and this is most certainly how Yoshida does: If you raise the skill floor, what do you think happens to all the players residing on that floor currently? Sure, all the healers who stay above ground will benefit and thrive, but it comes at the cost of exclusion. However this dev team has to be indiscriminate of skill level when it involves decisions that affect the game on a global scale. You need to zoom out. Way the eff out. Those players on the current skill floor are also paying subscribers and have to be accounted for.

I'm not bringing all this up to smash hope before it can even sprout, but rather to broaden the perspective so suggestions on how to improve healer gameplay can go beyond the unsolvable puzzle it has been thus far. If you keep trying to solve a puzzle the same way, you will never get anywhere. Try another path.

I think if there is something to truly take from these interviews, it should be that Yoshida cares about each and every one of you. This is also something he does indiscriminately. So if you are aware now that his ear is open, you should know it has always been open. Be mindful of your suggestions. Try to be pleasant and inclusive, and it is totally ok to voice what you disapprove of and provide criticism. However anyone who chooses to berate the team, attack others who disagree, and rattle off like a broken record should not be surprised if hey are not listened to, or "ignored" as I see tossed around a lot.

What this team wants now is feedback from all the healers after getting their hands dirty with EW, especially those who try Sage. Why do you think he's telling you to go an play Sage?