Quote Originally Posted by FTP View Post
I want to take exception with those who defend our dps because beginners. If the current design philosophy is intended to draw in new players, my opinion is they have failed.

Almost all solo play has been absolutely monotonous. For the first few days this is fine as there is a lot to take in, but turns out it stays the same for 80 levels. Press 7 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Firmly planted at the absolute healing skill floor, leveling through the various duties haven't always been too enjoyable gameplay either. Runs have been from OK to increasingly not a good time. The problem is however NOT that healer dps is too complex, it's the age of FFXIV. Before you have typed out "Hi, my first time here", the tank has pulled the first three groups and is long since out of los around the corner for two more. And when the megapull is stabilised, in a misguided, suboptimal, frenzied 5-6 gcds or so, it's back to dps monotony... 7 6 3 6 + 6 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

It's not clear where to learn the more advanced skillset, and get its basics on muscle memory, because in easier content it's synced away. An at-level run is too busy to learn well. So beginner friendly, it is not.
I've been meaning to respond to this thought of how I could for a while now and ultimately decided on my experience alone (note- Diurnal AST when I got accessed to it in HW):

From start to finish in... 5.08? I think I started (somewhere along there... maybe?). I was able to heal all MSQ content (so required dungeons raids and trials) with GCDs, ED, and the occasional CO and CU.
I didn't learn to use the rest of my kit until I purposefully tried using it over those abilities (and I got more tanks who were wall to wall pulling).

Now knowing how to use my entire kit, I still don't. Why? Because Horoscope, Neutral Sect, and Collective Unconsciousness are 100% unnecessary when I have Earthly Star and/or Celestial Opposition. I literally have to force myself to use them over the other two because all of them share the same recast timer of 60s (bar Neutral but I don't need its shields anyway... nor want them) and out going damage is scripted enough that if every one plays perfectly I'll always have ES or CO up.

I have more fun at 70 and sometimes 60 than I ever do at 80.

This isn't including EX and Savage and lv80 Alliance Raids... but even still

Take that as you will.