Healers need an overhaul

[ForteNightshade]

I linked the video in response to what Puc wrote (just above my reply where I linked it) but I just realized I never actually quote’d them (smh mobile reply) so if that confuses you, then my apologies.

But still: we minimize as much healing as possible to contribute elsewhere (dpsing) while making sure all unavoidable damage does not kill players, doesn’t matter whether it’s first duty or endgame. The ratio between healing vs damaging is unimaginably lopsided and THAT is ‘being in a good spot’? C'mon... Doesn't matter if the example given is more toward a hyperbole than anything, the point still stands. It's not overly complicated to read between the lines after this much pages.

To emphasis this particular point. I have an Aglaia run, on content, where I pressed Dosis III over 500 times. Every other ability combined wouldn't equate to that many casts. Is Aglaia too easy? 144 of my 243 casts in P4S were on Dosis III. And before anyone tries to argue I chadded. My co-healer and I had an combined 97%

There is absolutely no justifying this level of "gameplay". Even Abyssos, which is a step forward, still has a ridiculous lopsided healing to DPS ratio. That wouldn't be a problem if your DPS rotation wasn't pressing a single button until your 1 key/X button breaks.

[Deceptus]

To emphasis this particular point. I have an Aglaia run, on content, where I pressed Dosis III over 500 times. Every other ability combined wouldn't equate to that many casts. Is Aglaia too easy? 144 of my 243 casts in P4S were on Dosis III. And before anyone tries to argue I chadded. My co-healer and I had an combined 97%

There is absolutely no justifying this level of "gameplay". Even Abyssos, which is a step forward, still has a ridiculous lopsided healing to DPS ratio. That wouldn't be a problem if your DPS rotation wasn't pressing a single button until your 1 key/X button breaks.

Said this before, our "filler spell" attacks come out as often as melee auto attacks. That should show the developers how pointless they are.

[Rilifane]

This is so me, too. At least first few couple of months trying to polish my healing gameplay. Eventually I learned the beauty of that quippy remark: "But did you die though?". People can dance in disco panicking but if they aren't dying, I know that I'm healing enough. For the most part, health bars are MY resource, after all.

I can relate.
Did the same for some time, just pressing buttons so the tank feels like I'm actually here for a reason and doing my job but the reality was that I wasn't needed in the slightest. I eventually went with the "But did you die?" too. Every single tank, not just WAR, barely needs anything from me. If the dps is good, I can get away with just spamming Holy, dumping all Lilies between pulls for Misery and not using any oGCD heal at all. If it's average, I'll drop a Lilybell or Bene if the tank dropped and that's it. It needs bad dps and bad mitigation for me to even consider using oGCDs and Solace mid-pull. Same on all other healers.

I instead started to eat damage and heal myself, like keeping good dot uptime on bosses like all Alzadaal bosses and last Troia boss. The minigame of "How much can I eat without dying?" is surprisingly fun to play.

And if anyone comes around the corner with "just do savage if you want something to heal": soo... healers are only supposed to have a bit to heal in savage and for all other content it's entirely fine if the nuke casts vastly outnumber all other casts combined, including all oGCDs and other dps casts like dot, ED, Assize etc?
I could healbot my way through the current tier and I'll guarantee that even with using a GCD or two for every single aoe and buster, my nuke would still make up for well over 50% of my total casts because I already rotate every tool (even the pointless fluff tools) out of sheer boredom unless I'm playing the "Can the non-WAR outheal me? c:" minigame.
By the way, they can and we're still never in any danger whatsoever.

[Mutemutt]

And if anyone comes around the corner with "just do savage if you want something to heal": soo... healers are only supposed to have a bit to heal in savage and for all other content it's entirely fine if the nuke casts vastly outnumber all other casts combined, including all oGCDs and other dps casts like dot, ED, Assize etc?

Honestly, yeah. I feel like the healing is savage is a pretty good level and I've definitely seen players struggle with it. Hell, I've seen people have trouble healing through the latest extreme trial when it first arrived. I'd definitely like to see more content that needs more healing on a personal level, but bulk of the content just isn't meant to be challenging at all.

Of course, my favorite dps also spends like over 40% of its casts on the filler spell lol.

[PirateRyanG]

Just gone back to heal in WOW for the first time since 2017.

Decided to level a Holy Priest, despite having a max level (at Legion) Druid.

Made me miss healing in FF14. There is nothing to do but spam spells. The game is so slow-paced in those early dungeons. FF14 early dungeons, there is stuff to avoid from about level 30 onward.

[Hyperia]

Honestly, yeah. I feel like the healing is savage is a pretty good level and I've definitely seen players struggle with it. Hell, I've seen people have trouble healing through the latest extreme trial when it first arrived. I'd definitely like to see more content that needs more healing on a personal level, but bulk of the content just isn't meant to be challenging at all.

Of course, my favorite dps also spends like over 40% of its casts on the filler spell lol.

This is the reason why I hope they don’t really introduce anything more complex than the existing DPS setup for healers. We are already too busy to do complex DPS rotations as we are doing encounter mechanics, healing mechanics, covering for player mistakes via supplemental heals or rezzing and then filling in with DPS.

I will admit that when things get hectic, I tend to drop DPS due to my focus changing on saving things. Granted, this savage tier has really reduced rezzing as a recovery option due to personal mechanics failures resulting in wipes. If your dead and mechanics happen, more die and then it’s a wipe due to a death spiral or too low on DPS.

The current mechanic of a random double white damage hit from the bosses required that tanks be healed more often in the past. I enjoy the extra healing needed for when the tanks get a double auto, a little RNG in predictable damage is nice.

[WaxSw]

This is the reason why I hope they don’t really introduce anything more complex than the existing DPS setup for healers. We are already too busy to do complex DPS rotations as we are doing encounter mechanics, healing mechanics, covering for player mistakes via supplemental heals or rezzing and then filling in with DPS.
.

(From p7s)
too busy doing what? pressing medica 2 once maybe twice in a minute while spamming glare over a hundred times?

[Shurrikhan]

This is the reason why I hope they don’t really introduce anything more complex than the existing DPS setup for healers. We are already too busy to do complex DPS rotations as we are doing encounter mechanics, healing mechanics, covering for player mistakes via supplemental heals or rezzing and then filling in with DPS.

We aren't even a fifth of too busy for that anywhere but in perhaps Ultimate, nor would complexity for one's downtime be especially impacted by busyness of uptime; downtime is literally what remains.

[zabu]

(From p7s)
too busy doing what? pressing medica 2 once maybe twice in a minute while spamming glare over a hundred times?

that is how you player healer bro
really sick pressing one button 85% of time in every fight
Healer design in this game become shit after ARR. Remove MP management requirement on healer is really bad idea, end up with span DPS skill all the time
Look at what happen to piety? SE really plz do something about it. Instead of constantly spending resource on old content or AI , please do something with current system
Entire game is so DPS oriented , where is RPG aspect ?

Another thing is the healer culture in NA is horrible. A lot of DPS player play healer just cuz DPS rotation is brain dead , causing so many trouble in healer community. look what happen in this savage tier ? gearing issue make healing problem? bull shit !

[Deceptus]

Just a reminder:

We've already had an "overhaul" in Shadowbringers and it put us in the terrible position we are in now. So the basic question remains:

Do we trust the developers anymore in their design of healers in FFXIV?

My personal answer to that is a resounding No, and it's a sad thing. It really seems like they have no idea on how to balance them or design them to be engaging.