Quote Originally Posted by Shurrikhan View Post
I'm really hoping that analog isn't relevant to your wider point
Sort of? It's hard to have focused discussions on problems with class design because FFXIV has so many of them at the moment. That bit right there?

the other casters would be more interesting if they didn't spend so much of their reiterations apologizing themselves right out of role identity
Is what I mean about one of the major issues with casters in FFXIV. They're all apologizing for casting. FFXIV isn't a game designed for "casters" anymore. It's designed (well, not "for", since it lacks a lot of the features that action combat aficionados also enjoy, but moving in that direction nonetheless) like they want it to no longer be a traditional RPG, like they want it to be a dodge-rolly two-button action combat game, and what we're left with is this unholy abomination that's like the worst elements from both: Depthless kits designed as if you need to quickly react instead of using your abilities in a thoughtful order, but also bosses that don't force the kind of reaction time you need in an action game.

Casters in FFXIV *all* apologize for being casters. Triplecast, swiftcast, 1.5 second nukes, instant free spells all over the place.

WHM is (maybe not so much anymore, with the caster apologies added to it) the most "oldschool immobile caster" of the healers, which was a segue into- WHM's design considerations are basically all a game of what 'features' would one give a class that the game consistently gives no shits about, while heaping things the game rewards on its competition.

Two different points, with a tenuous bridge between topics. BLM does great damage for sure! But the game still wants you moving all over the place like a fighter, so we all keep getting anti-caster changes to our kits to bend them to fit modern gym class fight design, which makes you feel like less of a...well, caster.