So how is whm doing?

[Liam_Harper]

It's WHM. Nothing new.

1.5s Glare does actually feel great, but WHM still feels neglected. Why does AST have a massive Star but Asylum is the same and Cure III is still a ridiculously small radius. Why is Holy the only healer aoe you can't weave with? Why did WHM's GCD heals only get 0.5 sec less cast time but AST got 1 sec? Why did Benefic get 100 potency and Cure get 50? Why is Thin Air nerfed? Why does Assize not have charges? Why is Aquaveil so bad compared to Exaltation? Why are lilies an even bigger potency loss? Why does WHM still have so few oGCDs to weave even after the 1.5s Glare change?

...And so on. It functions, but it could have been so much better. It's a shame, I don't dislike WHM, it's a comfy, straightforward healer, but that doesn't mean it has to be clunky and inferior. All the comfy dps classes have far better depth and flow.

[ForteNightshade]

It's WHM. Nothing new.

1.5s Glare does actually feel great, but WHM still feels neglected. Why does AST have a massive Star but Asylum is the same and Cure III is still a ridiculously small radius. Why is Holy the only healer aoe you can't weave with? Why did WHM's GCD heals only get 0.5 sec less cast time but AST got 1 sec? Why did Benefic get 100 potency and Cure get 50? Why is Thin Air nerfed? Why does Assize not have charges? Why is Aquaveil so bad compared to Exaltation? Why are lilies an even bigger potency loss? Why does WHM still have so few oGCDs to weave even after the 1.5s Glare change?

...And so on. It functions, but it could have been so much better. It's a shame, I don't dislike WHM, it's a comfy, straightforward healer, but that doesn't mean it has to be clunky and inferior. All the comfy dps classes have far better depth and flow.

It's remarkable how in their pursuit of accessibility, White Mage feels the most... incomplete. I almost get the impression they're afraid to expand beyond the tried and simple GCD healing paradigm they seem determined to force it into. I just can't wrap my head around how they could look at WHM and AST then conclude both are properly balanced. AST is just... better in virtually every way.

[Ilyrian]

AST is just... better in virtually every way.

I think there will come a point in the not too distant future that WHM will have to have some sort of buff system, similar to AST.
There's just no feasible future for WHM - unless - the damage goes through the roof which again, is pretty useless with the potential of Sage.

[Anirab]

It's remarkable how in their pursuit of accessibility, White Mage feels the most... incomplete. I almost get the impression they're afraid to expand beyond the tried and simple GCD healing paradigm they seem determined to force it into. I just can't wrap my head around how they could look at WHM and AST then conclude both are properly balanced. AST is just... better in virtually every way.

In what way is AST better? (i have all jobs on 80 but didn't check AST since EW)
WHM just plays as WHM does, don't feel a big difference with EW. Decent DPS and great healing. Just did Duty and got Amaurot and all went fine, nobody died, almost 20% of group damage.

[Silver-Strider]

In what way is AST better? (i have all jobs on 80 but didn't check AST since EW)
WHM just plays as WHM does, don't feel a big difference with EW. Decent DPS and great healing. Just did Duty and got Amaurot and all went fine, nobody died, almost 20% of group damage.

AST equivalent skills of WHM's cost less and have a shorter cast time, even after the cost reduction WHM received. Coupled with Astrodyne and the nerf to Thin Air, AST now has the superior MP economy of the 2.
Exaltation's cure potency makes it more potent in the majority of cases in comparison to Aqua Veil.
Earthly Star's radius buff encapsulates the entirety of most arenas, meaning it will be incredibly rare that it misses healing allies and cleaving enemies.
AST's extensive oGCD kit allows it to continue to DPS while WHM would need to expend GCDs on heals to accomplish the same thing but when coupled with its raid contributions of cards and Divination, allow AST to surpass WHM in terms of rDPS.
Lilybell is still too restrictive in its usage vs Macrocosmos

[Allegor]

It's remarkable how in their pursuit of accessibility, White Mage feels the most... incomplete. I almost get the impression they're afraid to expand beyond the tried and simple GCD healing paradigm they seem determined to force it into. I just can't wrap my head around how they could look at WHM and AST then conclude both are properly balanced. AST is just... better in virtually every way.

I'm starting to think they're not even "meant" to be balanced. Out of the 4 healers, WHM is the only one a brand new player can start with, so it's likely intentionally designed to be as idiot-proof as possible, and if anyone wants anything more ...exciting, well, there's any of the other 3 for that, specially since AST is just WHM, but better.

I'd say this is also true for tanks, to an extend, but even the simplest of tanks (yes, I'm looking at WAR) is still fairly complex next to WHM.