White-mage is doomed - and why

[CrimsonGunner]

Sure, but maintenance buffs are also typically really, really dull in multiplayer games.

Compare those against the more situational nature of, say, early Stoneskin.


But the "iconic job", too, is largely a shell for basic throughputs and the most generic or (only types A-F versions of the same thing) among defensive utility...

Cure, Libra, Silence, Protect, Mini, Cura, Confuse, Blink, Esuna, Curaga, Reflect, Berserk, Arise (Rez), Holy (typically w/o stun or AoE), Dispel (enemy buff purge), Dia (DoT + defense down), Banish (generic damage, +50% to undead), Blind, Shell, Sneak, Invisible, Poisona (Antidote), Cursna, Reraise, Barsleep, Barsilence, Barpoison, Baraparalysis, Baraero, Barthundera, Barpetra, Barfira, Barwatera, Barblizzara, Barvira, Stone, Stonera, Haste, Hastra, Protectra, Shellra... 6 different teleports, several Recalls, Flash, Addle...

It's an eclectic mess.

I'm not saying they've done a good job with WHM in XIV -- they haven't -- but many the risk-taking involved in a late maintenance (de)buff refresh or the like is going to hit very differently in a real-time multiplayer game than in turn-based single-player, and WHM has never had much depth or identity once those fall out of the picture.

It's been a tentative, imaginable space only (one which, honestly, HW WHM probably captured, for its time, better than any other game's take on the job).

FFXIV must take creative license to make anything of that "iconic" base. They need to do a better job, obviously, but merely 'staying faithful' is not going to cut it.

again try and read what i wrote, as i said those spells in ff games were used much more and were actually needed and even though you consider them a shell for basic throughputs and the most generic, it does not change the fact that they were and are buffs that actually helped in those games.
like it or not they are a classic whm which despite being basic, was a strong staple in a group at any ff game.

and yes maintaining buffs or even debuffs might not be interesting to you but again it doesn't mean it wont be fun for another and also we have 3 healer that suppose to cater to different playstyles so giving whm creative space could bring something new while still honoring the classic, not necessary maintaining those spells as they are but maybe give them additional interaction or maybe have them work slightly differently then the original versions.
either way we both agree they need to do a better job and yes staying faitful is not going to cut it ,they need to think stuff through but as i said if they actually wanted to ,they could create a whm that is good and fit ff14 while still honoring his other iterations in a way.

problem is they don't care T_T