Has anyone quit healing?

[Dhalya]

Have you experienced stormblood ast? thats the ast that was really something with how much more busy and fun it is . EW ast is boring and nothing but a cheaper none mp issue more mobile mp managment whm now. all it has is malefic with 6 boring cards with the same boring buff.

Yes I have and I remember browsing the forums at that time too, there were so many compaint threads about how RNG it is, everyone just fishing for aoe balance, the more hardcore groups used to fish for it before each pull...
While the the storblood AST had many posibilities and niche ways how to buff the group like extra mitigation from Bole or strengthened and prolonged spell speed buff for BLM, it was very reliant on RNG and couldn't be replicated consistently. And at the same time they were all less optimal than aoe balance anyway.
There was also less buttons to fit into the reopener so I still find today's AST harder to execute perfectly while the stormblood AST was smoother in gameplay but more RNG. Both versions had some good ideas but I wouldnt use the old one as good design example.

Another thing, I also remember many complaint threads about Cleric Stance, mana issues and similar 'difficulties' connected to healer gameplay yet today I see those being mostly praised and missed, I guess the vocal group just shifted from one side to the other and as they were heard before, maybe we will be heard soon as well.

I still think that what we need the most for healer engagement is some randomized incoming damage so we have to be on our toes and not optimizing and preplanning the whole damn fights. Also stuff like randomly spawning adds that we need to CC, or debuffs to be dispelled whatever, but the main point of it being random, not predictable.